Us

Personnel: Peter Gabriel (vocals, flute, harmonica, keyboards, bass, percussion, programming); Daniel Lanois (vocals, guitar, percussion); Ayub Ogada, Richard Maophall, Peter Hamill, Marilyn McFarlane, The Dimitri Pokrovsky Ensemble (vocals); David Rhodes, Leo Nocentelli, Bill Dillon, Gus Isidore (guitar); Richard Evans (mandolin); L. Shankar (violin); Caroline Lavelle (cello); Chris Ormston (bagpipes); Kudsi Erguner (ney flute); Tim Green (tenor saxophone); Reggie Houston (baritone saxophone); Renard Poche (trombone); John Paul Jones (keyboards, bass, surdu); Richard Blair (keyboards, programming); Malcolm Burn (synthesizer); Tony Levin (bass); Manu Katche, Assane Thiam, Babacar Faye, The Babacar Faye Drummers, Daryl Johnson (drums); Hossam Ramzy, Levon Minassian, Manny Elias (percussion); David Bottrill, William Orbit (programming); Doubou N'Diaye Rose (drum loop); The Adzido Drummers (percussion loop).
Recorded at Real World Studios, England, Kingway Studios, New Orleans, Louisiana & Studio 2000, Dakar, Senegal. All tracks have been digitally remastered.
"Steam" was nominated for a 1994 Grammy Award as "Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo."
"Steam" won the 1994 Grammy Award for "Music Video, Short Form."
Personnel: Bobby McFerrin (vocals); Habib Faye (guitar); Juan Cañizares (Spanish guitar); Soriba Kouyiate (kora); Caroline Barnes, Sonia Slany (violin); Sian Bell (cello); David Sancious (piano, organ); Arona N'diaye (djembe, sabar).
Audio Mixer: David Bottrill.
Audio Remasterer: Tony Cousins.
Recording information: Kingsway Studio, New Orleans (1980); real World Studios, England (1980); Senegal (1980); Studio 2000, Dakar, Senegal (1980).
Introduction by: Mic Smith .
Photographer: David Scheinmann.
Unknown Contributor Role: Karen Christie.
After the worldwide success of 1986's SO, Peter Gabriel produced collections of movie soundtrack music, busied himself with the Amnesty International tour and started his own label. Released in 1992, US was long-awaited to say the least. It was not the commercial smash that SO was; instead it was Gabriel's most personal and introspective work. In the years after SO, Gabriel's marriage broke up and he went into analysis, which he addresses on "Digging in the Dirt." In the past, Gabriel wrote songs in the guise of various characters and invoked epic themes, but here even with exotic rhythms and eclectic influences, Gabriel was grounded in the real world.
While lyrically and thematically distinct from SO, parts of US recall its predecessor. "Steam" is strongly reminiscent of "Sledgehammer," while "Love to Be Loved" has a hypnotic pulse reminiscent of SO's seductive beds of rhythm. "Kiss That Frog," with its hip-wiggling beat, is the record's lightest moment. Elsewhere, Gabriel combines gorgeous melodies, poignant vocals and the lush, atmospheric production of Daniel Lanois, especially on the soaring "Come Talk to Me" (sung with Sinead O'Connor), "Blood of Eden" and "Secret World."