PETER GABRIEL

PETER GABRIEL
OVO, THE MILLENIUM SHOW (2000)
320 KBPS

Created for the performance area situated at the center of London's Millennium Dome, Ovo is an ambitious concept piece that attempts to address the stages of human evolution through a family saga. That it fails is not all that surprising, given the project it's associated with. Never one to be intimidated by a concept or a challenge (see Genesis, the early years, or The Last Temptation of Christ), Gabriel may have been the ideal choice for a multicultural, technology-focused show, and his general instincts seem sound. But even Cirque du Soleil, whose work this most resembles, never had to contend with the blending of Gaelic folk and tribal overtones, techno-futuristic soundscapes, gentle ballads, or a sludgy reworking of "Digging in the Dirt," complete with a rapped story line. Though there are some fine, interesting moments here, they're too often lost in the shuffle--which sounds as much like a requiem for the Dome as it does for Ovo. Still, this is another interesting side of Peter Gabriel's art and an entertaining album even if it's not flawless like so many other of his releases are.

1. Low Light
2. The Time Of The Turning
3. The Man Who Loved The Earth/The Hand That Sold Shadows
4. The Time Of The Turning (Reprise)/The Weavers Reel
5. Father, Son
6. The Tower That Ate People
7. Revenge
8. White Ashes
9. Downside-Up
10. The Nest That Sailed The Sky
11. The Tree That Went Up
12. Make Tomorrow
Bonus track
13. The Story Of Ovo