Big Blue Ball is the long-awaited, much-anticipated collection of stand-out tracks culled from the all-star, pan-global collaborations that took place over three years of Peter Gabriel s legendary Recording Week gatherings at his state-of-the-art Real World Studios in the English countryside. Produced by Peter Gabriel, Karl Wallinger (of World Party, Waterboys) and Stephen Hague (Pet Shop Boys, OMD), it s a nonstop stream of poignant, sterling performances by a truly stellar lineup of artists-- including Gabriel, Wallinger, Sinead O Connor, Natacha Atlas, Iarla O Lionaird and James McNally (both of Afro Celt Sound System), Papa Wemba, Joseph Arthur, Tanzania s late music legend Hukwe Zawose, Hungary s Marta Sebestyen, Tim Finn, Cameroonian starFrancis Bebey, Vernon Reid, Justin Adams, Jah Wobble, Billy Cobham, Rupert Hine, gospel group the Holmes Brothers, flamenco guitarist Juan Canizares, Japanese percussionist Joji Hirota, and many more...in all totaling 75 artists from over 20 countries. It s like a wall of sound coming at you, listening to the planet from outer space, says Karl Wallinger of the final mix. It s a real world-view of music, a snapshot of the music-making continents at that time. It s a more apt time to release it now than ever before. I think it s actually gathered weight with time, because it s people from all over the world playing together, just getting on together. There s an iconic aspect about that which is probably more important now. Things have become more partisan. It s a timely reminder of how you can cooperate. Big Blue Ball s songs were created and recorded between 1991 and 1995, but the album has been an active work-in-progress at Real World ever since, a labor of love with ace producer Stephen Hague working closely with Peter Gabriel and Karl Wallinger. Holding the disparate elements in place is the powerful backbone of big drum tracks underpinning many of the songs. Wallinger says, Everyone was in orbit around this groove, and there is a universal language of dance, of dance grooves. That groove is the one bit that s non-denominational on the album. Says Peter Gabriel, It s a fine wine ready to be drunk. It was the most fun music making I ve ever had. I d love to do it again.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Straight From The Heart:
From tapes compiled during the early-1990s festivals for musicians at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios, producers Stephen Hague, Karl Wallinger and Gabriel put together an outstanding retrospective from the events. The list of musicians put the "world" in "World Music," and include Papa Wemba, Billy Cobham, Wobble, Wallinger, Sinead O'Connor and Hukwe Zawose. Gabriel takes the lead vocal role on several tracks, but he is more like a super-glue that brought the artists together to share their styles... more info
Around the World in 11 Songs:
"Big Blue Ball" is a compilation culled from Peter Gabriel's three Recording Weeks in the '90s (1991,1992,1995). Gabriel invited world music artists as diverse as Egypt's Natacha Atlas, Ireland's Sinead O'Connor, Madagascar's Rossy and Hungary's Marta Sebestyen to his home studio in Wiltshire for freeform music. Thousands of recordings were made... and these 11 made into the whole wide world. "Big Blue Ball" is an amazing collaborative work. "Whole Thing" is an inspirational opening song. Natacha Atlas... more info
An enjoyable "Real World Sampler" as good as Plus From Us:
First of all, the listener should know that Peter Gabriel's Big Blue Ball isn't the Next Peter Gabriel Album his fans have been waiting for. The album is the result of a series of annual musicians' festivals that Gabriel's Real World Studios threw in the early 1990s. During these "Recording Weeks" (as they were named), he and a whole bunch his talented friends got together at his studio to have fun, party, play music, and record whatever came out. The result of this was a musical motherlode that Gabriel... more info
Not the best Gabriel album of all time, but it really isn't one:
If I were to rate this as a pure PG album, it would not be on the top of the list, but as a Gabriel inspired and directed project I think it does quite well. The semi-consistant world drum groove in the background of most of the tunes helps provide a general consistency and vibe to the whole album. Burn You Up Burn You Down is a fun tune, as is the title "whole thing". This seems like more of an album you have on in the background than one you actively listen to (like 3, security or melt), but Gabriel fans... more info
Tracks:
Whole Thing (Original Mix) (feat. Francis Bebey, Alex Faku, Tim Finn, Peter Gabriel, Karl Walllinger, Andy White)
Habibe (feat Natacha Atlas, Hossam Ramzy, Neil Sparkes)
Shadow (feat. Juan Cañizares, Papa Wemba)
altus silva (feat. Joseph Arthur, Ronan Browne, Deep Forest, James McNally, Iarla Ã" Lionáird, Vernon Reid)
Exit Through You (feat. Joseph Arthur, Peter Gabriel, Karl Wallinger)
Everything Comes From You (feat. Richard Evans, Joji Hirota, Sevara Nazarkhan, Sinead O Connor, Guo Yue)
Burn You Up, Burn You Down (feat. Billy Cobham, Peter Gabriel, The Holmes Brothers, Wendy Melvoin, Arona N diaye, Jah Wobble)
Forest (feat. Levon Minassian, Arona N Diaye, Vernon Reid, Hukwe Zawose)
Rivers (feat. Vernon Reid, Marta Sebestyen, Karl Wallinger)
Jijy (feat. Arona N Diaye, Rossy, Jah Wobble)
Big Blue Ball (feat. Peter Gabriel, Manu Katché, Karl Wallinger)
