CinemaScopes: Peter Gabriel • Taking the Pulse
Peter Gabriel
Taking the Pulse Blu-ray
(Mercury Studios)
This film documents a portion of one night from Peter Gabriel’s ambitious 2010 tour in support of his New Blood album. Although Gabriel isn’t touring new material here, he performs many of his most popular songs in new orchestral surroundings. Rather than the typical “rock band with strings” outing, John Metcalfe’s arrangements represent true reinventions that allow Gabriel to explore previously untapped aspects of the songs in his expressive voice.
The show is performed with the “New Blood Orchestra” under the baton of conductor Ben Foster. Judging by the names of the 50 players involved, this appears to have been a dedicated touring group rather than a collection of regional players who rehearsed on the day of the show. The performance is undertaken without conventional rock band accoutrements like a drum set or guitars, so familiar bandmates, including David Rhodes and Tony Levin, are not present.
New Blood followed Gabriel’s Scratch My Back album, a collection of cover songs reimagined with orchestral arrangements. Of that album, Gabriel had said, “If you’re going to reinterpret something, then really do something. Nail your colors to the mast and say, ‘This is different, and it isn’t everybody’s cup of tea.'” It’s the same approach Gabriel uses to present his own songs on Taking the Pulse.
The set list covers most of what appeared on the New Blood album, omitting the Security track “Wallflower” and the unreleased song “A Quiet Moment.” Additions to the New Blood tracks include “The Drop” and “Signal to Noise” from 2002’s Up, and “Blood of Eden” and “Washing of the Water” from 1992’s Us.
Pop, dance, and rock singles, including “Big Time,” “Sledgehammer,” and “Shock the Monkey,” wouldn’t have meshed well with the orchestral aesthetic and do not appear in the set list. However, Gabriel’s moodiest and most expressive pieces translate vividly.
It’s worth noting that Taking the Pulse doesn’t offer the whole show performed at the Arena di Verona in Italy on September 26, 2010. The 12 songs from the New Blood album were performed in sequence during the concert. Unfortunately, that material is not included in the film. Royalties and permissions were likely too costly or cumbersome to arrange. Still, it’s a shame not to have footage of Gabriel singing the unabashed romance of Elbow’s “Mirroball” or wringing the maximum of pathos from the Magnetic Fields’ otherwise lighthearted “The Book of Love.” Gabriel’s “Wallflower” was performed but not included here.
The 97 minutes of Gabriel’s own material that do appear are lovely and full of augmented emotional heft. Highlights include the captivating portrait of star-crossed poet Anne Sexton in “Mercy Street.” The Native American ritual memorialized in “The Rhythm of the Heat” is spellbinding. Cellists augment the bass drummist’s deep pulse by slapping the strings against the necks of their instruments. The orchestral accompaniment magnifies the drama of “San Jacinto” and underscores the creepiness of the furtive “Intruder.” Fans begin clapping during the early bars of “Digging in the Dirt,” anticipating the low funk of the familiar radio single. Still, the song’s deconstructed arrangement defies the typical mode of participation, instead demanding rapt attention. The crowd is encouraged to clap later during the “OVO” coda of “Downside Up.”
Portrait of mental overload “Here Comes the Flood” and the turbulent “Family Snapshot” may have been similarly strong candidates for this treatment. It’s too bad they weren’t part of the project.
Gabriel’s daughter Melanie joins her father in a duet and warm harmony on songs including “Downside Up.” The worried husband and tender wife depicted in “Don’t Give Up” are brought to life by Gabriel in a duet with Ane Brun and her trembling soprano. The two female voices are highlighted in songs, including the tender “Blood of Eden.”
Signature songs “Red Rain” and the optimistic “Solsbury Hill” close the main set with majesty and collective euphoria, respectively. Gabriel is in a firm voice throughout the concert. Gabriel’s encore leads with his own most romantic song, “In Your Eyes,” and concludes with the tranquil piano and soothing string drone of the instrumental piece “The Nest That Sailed the Sky” from OVO.
“Grazie Mille,” says Gabriel as he leaves the stage. “Et finito.”
The film is beautifully and creatively shot, directed by Gabriel’s older daughter, the seasoned filmmaker Anna Gabriel. Dad plays with the cameras onstage during “Solsbury Hill.” The stage, orchestra, and film screens are set beneath the breathtaking night sky and backdrop of Verona.
– Jeff Elbel
9 for execution and performance
6 for not including the full concert
