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
Live album by
Peter Gabriel
Released6 June 1983
RecordedNovember–December 1982, United States
1983, Bath, England
GenreArt rock
Length89:53 (original version)
66:50 (highlights version)
LabelGeffen (US & Canada), Charisma
ProducerPeter Gabriel, Peter Walsh
Peter Gabriel chronology
Peter Gabriel
(1982)		 Plays Live
(1983)		 Birdy
(1985)
Singles from Plays Live
  1. "I Don't Remember (Live)"
    Released: 1983
  2. "I Go Swimming (Live)"
    Released: 1983
  3. "Solsbury Hill (Live)"
    Released: 1983
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Rolling Stone[2]

"Plays Live" concerts were recorded at:

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
  1. "The Rhythm of the Heat" – 6:26
  2. "I Have the Touch" – 5:18
  3. "Not One of Us" – 5:29
  4. "Family Snapshot" – 4:44
Side two
  1. "D.I.Y." – 4:20
  2. "The Family and the Fishing Net" – 7:22
  3. "Intruder" – 5:03
  4. "I Go Swimming" – 4:44

Disc two
Side three
  1. "San Jacinto" – 8:27
  2. "Solsbury Hill" – 4:42
  3. "No Self Control" – 5:03
  4. "I Don't Remember" – 4:19
Side four

This side was recorded at Memorial Hall, Kansas City, Kansas on 4 December 1982.

  1. "Shock the Monkey" – 7:10
  2. "Humdrum" – 4:23
  3. "On the Air" – 5:22
  4. "Biko" – 7:01

Dual CD Version

Disc one
  1. "The Rhythm of the Heat" – 6:26
  2. "I Have the Touch" – 5:18
  3. "Not One of Us" – 5:29
  4. "Family Snapshot" – 4:44
  5. "D.I.Y." – 4:20
  6. "The Family and the Fishing Net" – 7:22
  7. "Intruder" – 5:03
  8. "I Go Swimming" – 4:44

Disc two
  1. "San Jacinto" – 8:28
  2. "Solsbury Hill" – 4:40
  3. "No Self Control" – 5:02
  4. "I Don't Remember" – 4:20
  5. "Shock the Monkey" – 7:40
  6. "Humdrum" – 4:03
  7. "On the Air" – 5:20
  8. "Biko" – 6:50

Plays Live (Highlights)
  1. "I Have the Touch" – 4:47
  2. "Family Snapshot" – 4:47
  3. "D.I.Y." – 4:05
  4. "The Family and the Fishing Net" – 7:38
  5. "I Go Swimming" – 4:54
  6. "San Jacinto" – 8:19
  7. "Solsbury Hill" – 4:41
  8. "No Self Control" – 5:04
  9. "I Don't Remember" – 4:12
  10. "Shock the Monkey" – 7:10
  11. "Humdrum" – 4:21
  12. "Biko" – 6:52

Personnel

Charts

Album
Year Chart Position
1983 Billboard Pop Albums 44
1983 UK 8

Singles
Year Single Chart Position
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
  1. Eder, Bruce (2011). "Plays Live – Peter Gabriel | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
  2. Fricke, David (1 September 1983). "Plays Live". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
  3. Capital Radio interview with Nicky Horne, broadcast 16 March 1980; transcribed in Gabriel fanzine White Shadow (#1, pp10) by editor Fred Tomsett
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