History Music / Melt

** "I Don't Remember" opens with Peter Gabriel pulling a MetalScream that is very clearly a nod to the SignatureRoar of Franchise/{{Tarzan}}. The {{scatting}} Gabriel performs is also a noticeable nod to Music/DavidByrne's singing style; Gabriel was a known BigNameFan of Music/TalkingHeads, which Byrne was the frontman of at the time. Fittingly, Byrne would cover "I Don't Remember" for ''And I'll Scratch Yours'', a 2013 tribute album organized by Gabriel as a companion piece to his 2010 CoverAlbum ''Scratch My Back''.

In addition to its commercial success, ''Melt'' was rapturously received by critics as well, who praised its adept blend of widely disparate sounds and styles and considered it the definitive sign of Gabriel having finally come into his own as an artist, proving he could make innovative and compelling music both distinct from and outside of Genesis. To this day, it ranks among ''Security'' and ''Music/{{So}}'' as one of Gabriel's best albums by fans and critics alike, with some going as far as calling it his absolute greatest, and universal consensus both in its own time and in the decades since is that it immediately established Gabriel as one of popular music's most ambitious and innovative solo artists since Music/DavidBowie. Alongside Music/TalkingHeads' ''Music/RemainInLight'' later in 1980 (influenced by, sure enough, the aforementioned Fela Kuti), this album would instigate a major series of shifts in popular music, making it far more open to influences from non-western music and sparking the worldbeat boom that would reach its peak with ''So'' and Music/PaulSimon's ''Music/{{Graceland}}'' in 1986. Furthermore, the opening track "Intruder" is also generally cited as the song that first birthed the gated reverb drum sound that would become omnipresent in popular music for the next 11 years; tellingly, the drummer on that song was Phil Collins, who would bring gated reverb directly into the mainstream with his own [[Music/FaceValue "In The Air Tonight"]] in 1981. As of 2020, the album sits at No. 649 on ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums list of the most critically praised albums of all time]].

* BookEnds: "Biko" opens with a sample of Steve Biko's funeral procession, specifically the crowd of mourners singing "Ngomhla sibuyayo", and features another sample of the same crowd singing "Senzeni Na?" just before the gunfire-esque drumbeats that close the song. On the single release, the closing sample is replaced with a recording of "Nkosi Sikelel iAfrika" (which by coincidence would later become the South African national anthem following the abolition of apartheid), with excerpts of the song both opening and closing "Biko" on the German-language version of ''Melt''.

In addition to its commercial success, ''Melt'' was rapturously received by critics as well, who praised its adept blend of widely disparate sounds and styles and considered it the definitive sign of Gabriel having finally come into his own as an artist, proving he could make innovative and compelling music both distinct from and outside of Genesis. To this day, it ranks among ''Security'' and ''Music/{{So}}'' as one of Gabriel's best albums by fans and critics alike, with some going as far as calling it his absolute greatest. Alongside Music/TalkingHeads' ''Music/RemainInLight'' later in 1980 (influenced by, sure enough, the aforementioned Fela Kuti), this album would instigate a major series of shifts in popular music, making it far more open to influences from non-western music and sparking the worldbeat boom that would reach its peak with ''So'' and Music/PaulSimon's ''Music/{{Graceland}}'' in 1986. Furthermore, the opening track "Intruder" is also generally cited as the song that first birthed the gated reverb drum sound that would become omnipresent in popular music for the next 11 years; tellingly, the drummer on that song was Phil Collins, who would bring gated reverb directly into the mainstream with his own [[Music/FaceValue "In The Air Tonight"]] in 1981. As of 2020, the album sits at No. 649 on ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums list of the most critically praised albums of all time]].

''Peter Gabriel'', better known by its FanNickname ''Melt'', is the third album by the English ProgressiveRock musician [[Music/PeterGabriel of the same name]]. It was released through Charisma Records in the United Kingdom, and Creator/MercuryRecords in the United States, on 30 May 1980. It would later be re-issued in the US by Creator/GeffenRecords in 1983.

This third SelfTitledAlbum marks [[NewSoundAlbum a radical departure in sound, style, and tone]] from not only Gabriel's previous output, but the direction of western popular music as a whole, combining elements of progressive rock, art rock, PostPunk, NewWaveMusic, and WorldMusic in a manner that had never been done before by any artist up to that point. The combination was, in hindsight, an inevitable one: artists around the world were already mixing western and nonwestern music over the course of the past decade, from Music/YellowMagicOrchestra's blend of western ElectronicMusic sounds and traditional Japanese compositions to Music/FelaKuti's integration of Nigerian folk music with African-American {{jazz}} & {{funk}} (creating the {{Afrobeat}} genre in the process) to even Music/DavidBowie's explorations of various "ethnic" sounds mixed with post-punk-infused art rock on ''Music/{{Lodger}}''. Even before the 70's, Music/TheBeatles introduced the sitar to white rock music on songs like [[Music/RubberSoul "Norwegian Wood"]] and [[Music/{{Revolver}} "Tomorrow Never Knows"]], with band member Music/GeorgeHarrison continuing to incorporate Indian sounds into his solo work. However, most of these experiments were seen as just that-- experiments-- with their exposure in the west being limited to novelty appeal at most (take, for instance, YMO's marketing in the west, which relied entirely on Orientalist gimmicks rather than on the genuine strength of their output), and if not that, then critical and public apathy (though many works in this vein, such as ''Lodger'' and much of Harrison's solo work, ultimately got VindicatedByHistory). Gabriel, meanwhile, was the first act to prove to western listeners that this combination of sounds was more than just a novelty and that it could make artistically compelling music on par with that of already-established western giants, consequently thrusting what would later be known as "worldbeat" into the mainstream.

This third SelfTitledAlbum marks [[NewSoundAlbum a radical departure in sound, style, and tone]] from not only Gabriel's previous output, but the direction of western popular music as a whole, combining elements of progressive rock, art rock, PostPunk, NewWaveMusic, and WorldMusic in a manner that had never been done before by any artist up to that point. The combination was, in hindsight, an inevitable one: artists around the world were already mixing western and nonwestern music over the course of the past decade, from Music/YellowMagicOrchestra's blend of western ElectronicMusic sounds and traditional Japanese compositions to Music/FelaKuti's integration of Nigerian folk music with African-American {{jazz}} & {{funk}} (creating the {{Afrobeat}} genre in the process) to even Music/DavidBowie's explorations of various "ethnic" sounds mixed with post-punk-infused art rock on ''Music/{{Lodger}}''. However, most of these experiments were seen as just that-- experiments-- with their exposure in the west being limited to novelty appeal (take, for instance, YMO's marketing in the west, which relied entirely on Orientalist gimmicks rather than on the genuine strength of their output). Gabriel, meanwhile, was the first act to prove to western listeners that this combination of sounds was more than just a novelty and that it could make artistically compelling music on par with that of already-established western giants, consequently thrusting what would later be known as "worldbeat" into the mainstream.

This third SelfTitledAlbum marks [[NewSoundAlbum a radical departure in sound, style, and tone]] from not only Gabriel's previous output, but the direction of western popular music as a whole, combining elements of progressive rock, art rock, PostPunk, NewWaveMusic, and WorldMusic in a manner that had never been done before by any artist up to that point. The combination was, in hindsight, an inevitable one: artists around the world were already mixing western and nonwestern music over the course of the past decade, from Music/YellowMagicOrchestra's blend of western ElectronicMusic sounds and traditional Japanese compositions to Music/FelaKuti's integration of Nigerian folk music with African-American {{jazz}} & {{funk}} (creating the {{Afrobeat}} genre in the process) to even Music/DavidBowie's explorations of various "ethnic" sounds mixed with post-punk-infused art rock on ''Music/{{Lodger}}''. However, most of these experiments were seen as just that-- experiments-- with their exposure in the west being limited to novelty appeal (take, for instance, YMO's marketing in the west, which relied entirely on Orientalist gimmicks rather than on the genuine strength of their output). Gabriel, meanwhile, was the first act to prove to western listeners that this combination of sounds was more than just a novelty and could make artistically compelling music on par with that of already-established western giants, consequently thrusting what would later be known as "worldbeat" into the mainstream.

This third SelfTitledAlbum marks [[NewSoundAlbum a radical departure in sound, style, and tone]] from not only Gabriel's previous output, but the direction of western popular music as a whole, combining elements of progressive rock, art rock, PostPunk, NewWaveMusic, and WorldMusic in a manner that had never been done before by any artist up to that point. The combination was, in hindsight, an inevitable one: artists around the world were already mixing western and nonwestern music over the course of the past decade, from Music/YellowMagicOrchestra's blend of western ElectronicMusic sounds and traditional Japanese compositions to Music/FelaKuti's integration of Nigerian folk music with African-American {{jazz}} & {{funk}} (creating the {{Afrobeat}} genre in the process) to even Music/DavidBowie's explorations of various "ethnic" sounds mixed with post-punk-infused art rock on ''Music/{{Lodger}}''. However, it was Gabriel who first consolidated such a mix effectively enough to prove to western listeners that it was more than just a novelty and could make artistically compelling music on part with that of already-established western giants, consequently thrusting what would later be known as "worldbeat" into the mainstream.

This third SelfTitledAlbum marks [[NewSoundAlbum a radical departure in sound, style, and tone]] from not only Gabriel's previous output, but the direction of western popular music as a whole, combining elements of progressive rock, art rock, PostPunk, NewWaveMusic, and WorldMusic in a manner that had never been done before by any artist up to that point. The combination was, in hindsight, an inevitable one: artists around the world were already mixing western and nonwestern music over the course of the past decade, from Music/YellowMagicOrchestra's blend of western ElectronicMusic sounds and traditional Japanese compositions to Music/FelaKuti's integration of Nigerian folk music with African-American {{jazz}} & {{funk}} (creating the {{Afrobeat}} genre in the process) to even Music/DavidBowie's explorations of various "ethnic" sounds mixed with post-punk-infused art rock on ''Music/{{Lodger}}''. However, it was Gabriel who first consolidated such a mix effectively enough to both immediately captivate the world and thrust what would later be known as "worldbeat" into the western mainstream.

This third SelfTitledAlbum marks [[NewSoundAlbum a radical departure in sound, style, and tone]] from not only Gabriel's previous output, but the direction of western popular music as a whole, combining elements of progressive rock, art rock, PostPunk, NewWaveMusic, and WorldMusic in a manner that had never been done before by any artist up to that point.

In addition to its commercial success, ''Melt'' was rapturously received by critics as well, who praised its adept blend of widely disparate sounds and styles and considered it the definitive sign of Gabriel having finally come into his own as an artist, proving he could make innovative and compelling music both distinct from and outside of Genesis. To this day, it ranks among ''Security'' and ''Music/{{So}}'' as one of Gabriel's best albums by fans and critics alike, with some going as far as calling it his absolute greatest. Alongside Music/TalkingHeads' ''Music/RemainInLight'' later in 1980, this album would instigate a major series of shifts in popular music, making it far more open to influences from non-western music and sparking the worldbeat boom that would reach its peak with ''So'' and Music/PaulSimon's ''Music/{{Graceland}}'' in 1986. Furthermore, the opening track "Intruder" is also generally cited as the song that first birthed the gated reverb drum sound that would become omnipresent in popular music for the next 11 years; tellingly, the drummer on that song was Phil Collins, who would bring gated reverb directly into the mainstream with his own [[Music/FaceValue "In The Air Tonight"]] in 1981. As of 2020, the album sits at No. 649 on ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums list of the most critically praised albums of all time]].

Most significantly, the album's closing track and third single "Biko" would be credited with sparking western interest in the anti-apartheid movement, raising awareness of the killing of UsefulNotes/{{South Africa}}n black activist Steve Biko by white police officers while in custody, and consequently bringing to the mainstream forefront the true face of apartheid brutality. The song would be cited as a direct source of inspiration by countless anti-apartheid activists in the west, Gabriel himself would become a prominent figurehead of the movement, and while apartheid law wouldn't be abolished until 1994, the fact that UsefulNotes/TheApartheidEra ended at all can be traced in part to the exponentially increasing foreign pressure that started with Gabriel's song. Thus, this is an album that not only ended up changing popular music, but also directly affected the course of broader human history as a whole in the decades after its release.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Far, ''far'' darker than anything Gabriel put out before or since, with an aggressively haunting musical landscape and lyrics about mental and social decay.

In addition to its commercial success, ''Melt'' was rapturously received by critics as well, who praised its adept blend of widely disparate sounds and styles and considered it the definitive sign of Gabriel having finally come into his own as an artist, proving he could make innovative and compelling music both distinct from and outside of Genesis. To this day, it ranks among ''Security'' and ''Music/{{So}}'' as one of Gabriel's best albums by fans and critics alike, with some going as far as calling it his absolute greatest. Alongside Music/TalkingHeads' ''Music/RemainInLight'' later in 1980, this album would instigate a major series of shifts in popular music, making it far more open to influences from non-western music and sparking the worldbeat boom that would reach its peak with ''So'' and Music/PaulSimon's ''Music/{{Graceland}}'' in 1986. Furthermore, the opening track "Intruder" is also generally cited as the song that first birthed the gated reverb drum sound that would become omnipresent in popular music for the next 11 years; tellingly, the drummer on that song was Phil Collins, who would bring gated reverb directly into the mainstream with his own [[Music/FaceValue "In The Air Tonight"]] in 1981.

'''''Peter Gabriel''''', better known by its FanNickname '''''Melt''''', is the third album by the English ProgressiveRock musician [[Music/PeterGabriel of the same name]]. It was released through Charisma Records in the United Kingdom, and Creator/MercuryRecords in the United States, on 30 May 1980. It would later be re-issued in the US by Creator/GeffenRecords in 1983.

''Peter Gabriel'', better known by its FanNickname ''Melt'', is the third album by the English ProgressiveRock musician [[Music/PeterGabriel of the same name]]. Released in 1980, this third SelfTitledAlbum marks [[NewSoundAlbum a radical departure in sound, style, and tone]] from not only Gabriel's previous output, but the direction of western popular music as a whole, combining elements of progressive rock, art rock, PostPunk, NewWaveMusic, and WorldMusic in a manner that had never been done before by any artist up to that point.

** Fellow Music/KingCrimson member Tony Levin provides Chapman stick parts on "I Don't Remember". Fripp and Levin have an association with Gabriel that stretches back to his debut album.

-->'' You can blow out a candle\\

-->You can blow out a candle\\

* YouCannotKillAnIdea: "Biko"

* InTheStyleOf: "Family Snapshot" is structured, both musically and lyrically as if it jumped out of a Broadway musical, which makes it [[LyricalDissonance incredibly jarring]] when juxtaposing it with its subject matter about assassinating a governor for clout.

** "I Don't Remember" opens with Peter Gabriel pulling a MetalScream that is very clearly a nod to the SignatureRoar of Franchise/{{Tarzan}}.

* {{Instrumentals}}: "The Start"

* LastChorusSlowDown: Done to chilling effect in "Family Snapshot" as a lead-in to Arthur Brenner's FreudianExcuse.

* LyricalDissonance: "Family Snapshot", a mostly triumphant-sounding song about the shooting of Alabama governor George Wallace; given that the song's narrated from the perspective of his assassin, it's likely an InvokedTrope.

While Gabriel's UK label Charisma didn't raise much of a fuss, the resultant album was the subject of heavy skepticism from Gabriel's US label, Creator/AtlanticRecords, who were turned off by its heavily experimental sound and misinterpreted its lyrical themes of mental decay as the product of a CreatorBreakdown, specifically singling out "Lead a Normal Life", ultimately dropping Gabriel at the recommendation of A&R executive John Kalodner. Incensed, Gabriel quickly signed onto Creator/MercuryRecords to distribute the album in America, and let the album do the rest: it shot up to the top of the UK Albums Charts, peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard 200 his highest chart placement at that date, and was certified gold by the BPI just ''three days'' after its release (later being certified gold in France and the U.S. as well), overall acting as Gabriel's BreakthroughHit as a solo artist in the UK. Additionally, lead single "Games Without Frontiers" peaked at No. 4 on the UK Singles chart and became the 54th best-selling single of the year in Britain. The song reached a respectable No. 48 on the Billboard Hot 100, but was popular on American rock radio. Billboard wouldn't develop a chart to measure airplay on AOR stations until the following year. Egg on his face, Kalodner, now working for the fledgling Creator/GeffenRecords, quickly rushed to make amends with Gabriel by signing him on in the US and Canada for 1982's ''Music/{{Security}}'' and reissuing the album once Mercury's ownership rights lapsed in 1983; Gabriel would remain on Geffen west of the Atlantic all the way until 2008.

While Gabriel's UK label Charisma didn't raise much of a fuss, the resultant album was the subject of heavy skepticism from Gabriel's US label, Creator/AtlanticRecords, who were turned off by its heavily experimental sound and misinterpreted its lyrical themes of mental decay as the product of a CreatorBreakdown, specifically singling out "Lead a Normal Life", ultimately dropping Gabriel at the recommendation of A&R executive John Kalodner. Incensed, Gabriel quickly signed onto Creator/MercuryRecords to distribute the album in America, and let the album do the rest: it shot up to the top of the UK Albums Charts, peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard 200 his highest chart placement at that date, and was certified gold by the BPI just ''three days'' after its release (later being certified gold in France and the U.S. as well), overall acting as Gabriel's BreakthroughHit as a solo artist in the UK. Additionally, lead single "Games Without Frontiers" peaked at No. 4 on the UK Singles chart and became the 54th best-selling single of the year in Britain. The song reached a respectable No. 48 on the Billboard Hot 100, but was popular on American rock radio. Billboard wouldn't develop a chart to measure airplay on AOR stations until the following year. Egg on his face, Kalodner, now working for the fledgling Creator/GeffenRecords, quickly rushed to make amends with Gabriel by signing him on in the US and Canada for 1982's ''Security'' and reissuing the album once Mercury's ownership rights lapsed in 1983; Gabriel would remain on Geffen west of the Atlantic all the way until 2008.

* GuestStar: Oh boy, where to begin?
** Music/PhilCollins, Gabriel's former bandmate in Music/{{Genesis}}, performs drums on "Intruder", "No Self Control", "Family Snapshot", and "Biko".
** Music/KateBush provides backing vocals on "No Self Control" and "Games Without Frontiers".
** Paul Weller of Music/TheJam plays guitar on "And Through the Wire".
** Music/KingCrimson leader Robert Fripp plays guitar on "No Self Control", "I Don't Remember", and "Not One of Us".
** Fellow Music/KingCrimson member Tony Levin provides Chapman stick parts on "I Don't Remember". Fripp and Levin have an association with Gabriel that stretches back to his debut album.
** David Gregory of Music/{{XTC}} plays guitar on "I Don't Remember" and "Family Snapshot".