Plays Live
Plays Live is the first live and fifth album overall released by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel; it was his first solo album to not be titled simply Peter Gabriel. This album was originally released as a double album and longplay cassette in 1983, with sixteen songs. It was re-released in 1985, as a single CD version called Plays Live (Highlights) with only twelve songs, some of which are edited from their full-length versions, so that the album could fit on a single CD. It was eventually re-released in its entirety as a double CD set in 1987. In 2002, a remastered version of the Highlights version was re-released. In 2019, the complete double-LP version of the album was released on music streaming platforms for the first time.
Plays Live | ||||
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Live album by | ||||
Released | 6 June 1983 | |||
Recorded | November–December 1982, United States 1983, Bath, England | |||
Genre | Art rock | |||
Length | 89:53 (original version) 66:50 (highlights version) | |||
Label | Geffen (US & Canada), Charisma | |||
Producer | Peter Gabriel, Peter Walsh | |||
Peter Gabriel chronology | ||||
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Singles from Plays Live | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | |
Rolling Stone |
"Plays Live" concerts were recorded at:
- Braden Auditorium, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, 3 December 1982
- Memorial Hall, Kansas City, Kansas, 4 December 1982
- Chick Evans Field House, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, 6 December 1982
- SIU Arena, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, 7 December 1982
Liner notes by "the producers" admit, "Although this album was compiled from four concerts in the mid-West of the United States, some additional recording took place not a thousand miles away from the home of the artist. The generic term of this process is 'cheating'. Care has been taken to keep the essence of the gigs intact, including 'human imperfection'."
The album's previously unreleased "I Go Swimming" received airplay and made the US charts in 1983. The song was initially recorded for Gabriel's third album[3] and was performed on his 1980 tour.
"I Don't Remember" was issued as a single, with an accompanying music video, in the US.
Track listing
All songs written by Peter Gabriel.
Original vinyl release
Disc one
- Side one
- "The Rhythm of the Heat" – 6:26
- "I Have the Touch" – 5:18
- "Not One of Us" – 5:29
- "Family Snapshot" – 4:44
- Side two
- "D.I.Y." – 4:20
- "The Family and the Fishing Net" – 7:22
- "Intruder" – 5:03
- "I Go Swimming" – 4:44
Disc two
- Side three
- "San Jacinto" – 8:27
- "Solsbury Hill" – 4:42
- "No Self Control" – 5:03
- "I Don't Remember" – 4:19
- Side four
This side was recorded at Memorial Hall, Kansas City, Kansas on 4 December 1982.
- "Shock the Monkey" – 7:10
- "Humdrum" – 4:23
- "On the Air" – 5:22
- "Biko" – 7:01
Dual CD Version
Disc one
- "The Rhythm of the Heat" – 6:26
- "I Have the Touch" – 5:18
- "Not One of Us" – 5:29
- "Family Snapshot" – 4:44
- "D.I.Y." – 4:20
- "The Family and the Fishing Net" – 7:22
- "Intruder" – 5:03
- "I Go Swimming" – 4:44
Disc two
- "San Jacinto" – 8:28
- "Solsbury Hill" – 4:40
- "No Self Control" – 5:02
- "I Don't Remember" – 4:20
- "Shock the Monkey" – 7:40
- "Humdrum" – 4:03
- "On the Air" – 5:20
- "Biko" – 6:50
Plays Live (Highlights)
- "I Have the Touch" – 4:47
- "Family Snapshot" – 4:47
- "D.I.Y." – 4:05
- "The Family and the Fishing Net" – 7:38
- "I Go Swimming" – 4:54
- "San Jacinto" – 8:19
- "Solsbury Hill" – 4:41
- "No Self Control" – 5:04
- "I Don't Remember" – 4:12
- "Shock the Monkey" – 7:10
- "Humdrum" – 4:21
- "Biko" – 6:52
Personnel
- Peter Gabriel – lead vocals, piano, synthesizers
- Jerry Marotta – drums, percussion, backing vocals
- Tony Levin – bass guitar, chapman stick, backing vocals
- David Rhodes – guitars, backing vocals
- Larry Fast – synthesizers, piano, keyboards
- Greg Fulginiti - mastering
Charts
Album
Year | Chart | Position |
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1983 | Billboard Pop Albums | 44 |
1983 | UK | 8 |
Singles
Year | Single | Chart | Position |
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1983 | "I Don't Remember"/"Solsbury Hill"/"Kiss of Life"(on 12")(All live) | UK | 62 |
1983 | "I Go Swimming" | Billboard Mainstream Rock | 38 |
References
- Eder, Bruce (2011). "Plays Live – Peter Gabriel | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
- Fricke, David (1 September 1983). "Plays Live". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
- Capital Radio interview with Nicky Horne, broadcast 16 March 1980; transcribed in Gabriel fanzine White Shadow (#1, pp10) by editor Fred Tomsett
External links
- Plays Live (disc 1) at MusicBrainz
- Plays Live (disc 2) at MusicBrainz
- Plays Live at Discogs.com
- Plays Live – Highlights at Discogs.com