Having only heard a number of his "hits" (Big Time, Sledgehammer, Digging in the Dirt, Shock the Monkey, etc) over the past few months I've been listening to the lesser known songs after hearing a few tracks from Security on XM one day.
So far I've got Peter Gabriel 1 and 3 in addition to a few greatest hits compilations. I only like about 6 songs on PG 1 as the rest sound like late 70's Genesis to me but I like all of 3. Having said that, would PG 2 or PG4 (Security) be the better way for me to go with my next purchase? I'm thinking Security just on the strentgh of I Have the Touch and Shock the Monkey but I've not heard one of the songs on PG 2 so I'd be curious if that sounds more like 3 or like 1.

Damn it'd be easier if he gave his albums unique names

If you prefer Mercury to Atlantic, buy Geffen instead of Atco. (His first four albums were all released by different labels):

1 - Atlantic
2 - ATCO
3 - Mercury
4 - Geffen

FWIW, Mercury is my favorite, followed by Atlantic, then Geffen, then ATCO. I'm not a fan of So, Us, etc.

3 and 4 are my faves, along with much of So ("Mercy Street" is my favorite Gabriel song). I'd definitely suggest Security/4.

Don't forget early Genesis when he was the lead singer, and Phil Collins was just the drummer... they weren't as commercial then, but way more interesting.

Yep, that was actually one of the reasons I wasn't a huge fan of his first album, sounded too much like 70's genesis (or what I imagine they sounded like) and not the more unique sound Gabriel crafted for his solo career.

I think 2 is his worst album. 1 and Security are my favorites.

All of his albums are worth owning. But from what you're saying, I would heartily recommend Security as your next purchase.

Wow. There are some truely wonderful tracks on those albums.

Red Rain
Sledgehammer
Don't Give Up
Big Time
In Your Eyes
Come Talk To Me
Blood Of Eden

If the OP is looking for something really good that cuts across all of his work I highly recommend the 2-disc Secret World Live set.

Also, what was up with Ovo? I never bought it...partly because I could never tell what it was supposed to be...

Ovo was Gabriel's soundtrack to the opening of the Millenium Dome in London. It's got a few okay tracks on it.

By the way, every single Peter Gabriel fan should own the album Passion, the soundtrack to The Last Temptation of Christ.

I like them in this order:

1. 3 (melting face)
2. Security
3. 1 (windshield)
4. So
5. 2 (Scratch)
6. Passion
7. Us
8. Up
..then everything else.

The first four on my list are the essentials, IMO.

And Birdy is pretty good, too. Not in the same league as Passion, though.

When I die I want "Big Time" to be playing as they lower my coffin into my grave.

There are only a handful of Peter Gabriel songs that I've heard that I like, but I like those a lot...Solisbury Hill, Games without Frontiers, Big Time, in particular. I've only heard one of the best of CDs though.

I was actually going to start a "Recommend me some Gabriel/Genesis stuff" thread.

Where should I start with Genesis? I've heard about the Last Supper song and would like to try that one out...is that album representative of the Gabriel era of Genesis?

I like "Blood of Eden", that's about it.

Part of me says you should start with The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, since I think it's the best album Genesis ever released, but that's the last Genesis album with Gabriel, so it may not be the best choice. Nursery Cryme or Selling England By the Pound are both great, too. Hell, so's Foxtrot.

Supper's Ready is on Foxtrot, and it is the best Gabriel-era Genesis cd, along with Lamb.

Security is one of my favorite albums. Mind you, I love pretty much anything and everything he has done since 3 (Melt), but Security is my favorite.

I think everybody should have a copy of So. The first 7 songs are just great (Red Rain, Sledgehammer, Don't Give Up, That Voice Again, In Your Eyes, Mercy Street, Big Time)..Most of these are on the fantastic 2-disk "Hit" collection but Mercy Street makes So worth owning even if you have "Hit"
IMO every PG album is enjoyable even the film scores Passion (last temptation of Christ), Birdy, Long Walk Home (Rabbit proof Fence).
Also some very enjoyable songs not on albums:
Signal to noise: Instrumental Version (on Gangs of N.Y. sdtk)
Party Man (on Virtuosity sdtk)
In The Sun (joseph Arthur cover from 1997 on Princess Diana Tribute Album)


Also, Does anybody know of PG is working on or will be releasing a new album soon?

I have a soft spot for Secret World Live, which after reading this thread, seems like it was hand-picked to piss off wendersfan.

das

I have a friend that is a HUGE Peter Gabriel fan.

Over the years, I've found him most every Genesis album with PG, as well as just about every solo (even the German albums!)...

He loves the Secret World album too.

I think he's good, but I like his videos a lot more than his music.

His video collection, Play, is outstanding, and inexpensive as well.

So I listed to PG1 on the way in this morning after the exchange on here last night. I still don't care for it too much, but it has been a while so I decided to give it another listen.

Of course I liked SH and Here Comes the Flood, but I was plesantly surprised by Down the Dolce Vita. I don't recall that standing out to me last time I listened, but this time it did.

I have most everything covered between the regular albums and Shaking the Tree so I have never bothered to pick up Hit.

I'll put another vote in for "Secret World Live"! It was the first album I bought of his, and I was truly hooked after it.

Supposedly he is working on a new album, "I/O" or something to that effect.

Pretty much the same from Wiki: Gabriel is currently recording a new studio album entitled Input/Output, which will be his first new album release since Up in 2002. No release date has been announced.

Genesis had a pretty unique sound. Though they were lumped with the prog rock genre, Gabriel's vocals and lyrics were unlike anything in rock in those days.

Thanks for clearing my vague thoughts up! It may be his first release since 2002, but thankfully it isn't the same time span as was between "Us" and "Up"!

Huge Gabriel fan here, and Security is in my top ten favorite albums of all time. Definitely give it a chance (best listened to undistracted, with headphones, all the way through).