"WE DO WHAT WE'RE TOLD (MILGRAM'S 37)" PETER GABRIEL (1986)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

While “Shock The Monkey” certainly thrusted Peter Gabriel into the mainstream spotlight, the So album is really the output that made him a permanent fixture among the masses. “Sledgehammer”, “Big Time”, “In Your Eyes”, “Don’t Give Up”, everyone knows these songs thanks to MTV, mainstream radio and a coming-of-age flick called Say Anything. But lurking in the back end of this landmark album are two prog anthems – “This Is The Picture (Excellent Birds)” and “We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37)” – that prove Gabriel never lost the itch for something far more unexpected.

“We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37)” is a far cry from the track that precedes it (“Big Time”) in every regard. It’s a slow, prodding track that prefers to crawl under your skin rather than whack you in the head. The synthesizer and guitar notes are sparse and haunted. Minimal. The words resemble an existential poem more than a rock song. And the impression is far less immediate. A song that may not have an immediate impact on you, but days after hearing it you might find it lurking inside your head.

“One doubt. One voice. One waR. One truth. One dream.”

"IN YOUR EYES" PETER GABRIEL (1986)

This month, I’m jumping into the #APlaceInTheSong challenge from @JukeboxJohnny2. Great songs have that special ability to describe places in a way that makes us feel like we’re right there. Each day, I’ll pick a track that I think accomplishes that feat.

If you’re an 80’s child, you simply can’t forget the scene. Lloyd Dobler hoists a boombox above his head outside Diane Court’s bedroom window. He doesn’t say anything. He just lets a masterpiece by Peter Gabriel do all the talking, to prove he loves her. Most teenage boys have pathetically tried to copy Lloyd’s move or at least thought about doing it. Which is ridiculous when you think about it. What made Lloyd cool was the fact that no one else thought of that before him. Everyone else post-Lloyd is simply uncool. The song he played, of course, is “In Your Eyes”.

This is not your average ballad. It’s a cultural phenomenon, partly due to its unique persona. It’s one of the greatest recordings ever to merge pop with worldbeat – and do so in a way that didn’t cheapen either genre. But it’s also a phenomenon because of the movie scene. Say Anything, without a doubt, gave “In Your Eyes” an identity that was attached to the movie’s hip. In fact, when Gabriel played the first few bars of the song during a performance at the Hollywood Bowl about ten years ago, John Cusack walked onto the stage, handed him a boombox and took a bow, before quickly walking off again. The scene and the music are forever inseparable.

“I SEE THE DOORWAY TO A THOUSAND CHURCHES IN YOUR EYES.”

"IN YOUR EYES" PETER GABRIEL (1986)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

Movie: Say Anything

One of the most memorable movie scenes from the 80’s is when Lloyd Dobler lifts his boombox high above his head outside of Diane’s house with Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” blaring from the speakers. At the time, most guys — myself included — knew immediately that Lloyd made us all look like second rate romantics in that single moment. Some of us were pathetic enough to copy the move with our own love interests because we were too unoriginal to think of our own thing. Whether you’re guilty as charged or not, the scene is engrained in the mind of every 80’s child — and the scene is nothing without the song.

I remember the first few times I heard “In your eyes” I didn’t and I couldn’t fully appreciate it for what it was. The more you listen to it, the more you realize it’s far more than just a great pop song. It’s sage, not sappy. It’s world music, not worldly. and it remains ambiguous as to whether “In your eyes” is about romantic love, or love of god, or both. I bet Lloyd had no idea.

“ALL MY INSTINCTS, THEY RETURN. THE GRAND FACADE, SO SOON WILL BURN. WITHOUT A NOISE, WITHOUT MY PRIDE. I REACH OUT FROM THE INSIDE.”

"IN YOUR EYES" PETER GABRIEL (1986)

After spending an entire month looking back at the 80’s, I realized one thing. I need more. Luckily, a couple of fellow music fans on Twitter came up with the brilliant idea to highlight #30DaysOf80sMovieSongs during the month of April. I couldn’t resist at the opportunity to keep going, to keep listening, and to keep celebrating the decade that has meant more to me than any other from a musical standpoint. Each day I’m playing a different soundtrack favorite on the Mental Jukebox.

Movie: Say Anything

If you’re an 80’s child, you simply can’t forget the scene. Lloyd Dobler hoists a boombox above his head outside Diane Court’s bedroom window. He doesn’t say anything. He just lets a masterpiece by Peter Gabriel do all the talking, to prove he loves her. Most teenage boys have pathetically tried to copy Lloyd’s move or at least thought about doing it. Which is ridiculous when you think about it. What made Lloyd cool was the fact that no one else thought of that before him. Everyone else post-Lloyd is simply uncool. The song he played, of course, is “In Your Eyes”.

This is not your average ballad. It’s a cultural phenomenon, partly due to its unique persona. It’s one of the greatest recordings ever to merge pop with worldbeat – and do so in a way that didn’t cheapen either genre. But it’s also a phenomenon because of the movie scene. Say Anything, without a doubt, gave “In Your Eyes” an identity that was attached to the movie’s hip. In fact, when Gabriel played the first few bars of the song during a performance at the Hollywood Bowl about ten years ago, John Cusack walked onto the stage, handed him a boombox and took a bow, before quickly walking off again. The scene and the music are forever inseparable.

“I see the doorway to a thousand churches in your eyes.”

"SOLSBURY HILL" PETER GABRIEL (1977)

The decade in which I was born has given me a strange perspective on its music. I discovered pretty much all of the 70’s sounds – from prog rock to punk to disco – well after they came into the world. It wasn’t until the late 80’s that I discovered what I was missing. I would characterize the decade as one where budding genres leaped off their inspiration pads and came to fruition. For the month of February, Mental Jukebox will feature some of these gems with a different 70’s song each day. #28DaysOf70sSongs

My exposure to the music of Peter Gabriel started with MTV. Great, artistic videos. Songs like “Shock the Monkey” and “Sledgehammer” were these infectious, mid-tempo bangers. The videos looked great and the music sounded great. But it wasn’t until I was later introduced to Gabriel’s wider palette in his solo work that I truly became a fan. “Biko”, “Games Without Frontiers” and “Solsbury Hill” were the bridge to this proggy world of rock. The latter is playing non-stop today on my Mental Jukebox.

“Solsbury Hill” is a song about letting go from the past and looking ahead to the future. It’s a sentiment captured in the amazing lyrics and reflected in the timing. It was Gabriel’s solo debut, written and performed on the heels of his departure from Genesis. And it’s a sentiment revealed in the music. Each note bearing an apparent sense of optimism. Without being corny or insincere. Which, when you think long and hard about it, puts “Solsbury Hill” in a very small group of distinguished rock songs.

“Standing, stretching every nerve. Had to listen. Had no choice.”

"MERCY STREET" PETER GABRIEL (1986)

For the month of October, I’m selecting a song each day from the decade that has the most meaning to me: the 80s. It was the decade that I grew up in. The period of time where I discovered my love for music — and explored many different genres. For the next 31 days, I’ll highlight a handful of songs that I truly loved and that were representative of the decade. #31DaysOf80sSongs

It’s not lost on me that So still holds up as one of the greatest albums of the decade. It was a weird space. Here, Peter Gabriel, one of prog rock’s pioneers showed a more accessible side. He crossed over fully here. Yet, there isn’t anything watered down on the album. “Sledgehammer” and “Big Time” may have gotten all the airplay. “In Your Eyes” benefitted from one of the most iconic movie scenes of the 80’s. And “Don’t Give Up” is as powerful a duet as it gets. But back then, and even today, my favorite song on the album is still “Mercy Street”.

Every song on So makes you feel something. An emotion that you can easily identify in a lineup of other emotions. Every song was like that, except “Mercy Street”. It lived in ambiguity. There was this mysterious quality about it. I knew it was making me feel something, but I didn’t know what. All I knew is I couldn’t stop listening to it, even as I grew tired of the other tracks. Gabriel’s ominous vocals are joined along by several different instruments in “Mercy Street”. But the one element that carried the most weight was the unsuspecting and haunting triangle, with its steady, insistent clang.

“All of the buildings, all of the cars were once just a dream in somebody's head.”

"IN YOUR EYES" PETER GABRIEL (1986)

Exceptional soundtracks can make good movies great. They can also take on a life of their own, becoming a greater highlight than their respective films. In this series, I’m selecting some of my favorite soundtrack songs. While quite a few are well-known recordings, I’m also including a few that have flown under the radar over the years.

One of the most memorable movie scenes from the 80’s is when Lloyd Dobler lifts his boombox high above his head outside of Diane’s house with Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” blaring from the speakers. At the time, most guys — myself included — knew immediately that Lloyd made us all look like second rate romantics in that single moment. Some of us were pathetic enough to copy the move with our own love interests because we were too unoriginal to think of our own thing. Whether you’re guilty as charged or not, the scene is engrained in the mind of every 80’s child — and the scene is nothing without the song.

I remember the first few times I heard “In Your Eyes” I didn’t and I couldn’t fully appreciate it for what it was. The more you listen to it, the more you realize it’s far more than just a great pop song. It’s sage, not sappy. It’s world music, not worldly. And it remains ambiguous as to whether “In Your Eyes” is about romantic love, or love of God, or both. I bet Lloyd had no idea.

“All my instincts, they return. The grand facade, so soon will burn. Without a noise, without my pride. I reach out from the inside.”

"MERCY STREET" PETER GABRIEL (1986)

Inspired by Albumism, I’m doing my own version of Flying Solo with individual tracks. Band breakups and hiatuses are never fun, but these solo jams were defining moments in my life’s soundtrack.

So was a true landmark album in many ways. While commercially successful, Peter Gabriel didn’t give in to the pop sounds surrounding him. Instead, he rose above them, elevating pop with songs like “In Your Eyes”, “Sledgehammer”, “Big Time”, “Red Rain” and “Don’t Give Up”, one of a few collaborations he’s had with Kate Bush. But to this day, my favorite track on the album is still the understated and underrated “Mercy Street”.

Surrounded by mega hits “In Your Eyes” and “Big Time” on Side B, “Mercy Street” was complicated. It was haunting, yet inviting. It wasn’t merely sung. It painted a picture like all the best songs do. When you turn it on, you can see the empty streets and the fog-covered sea. This artistic depth proved Peter Gabriel never lost the progressive itch that made him so unique.

“Looking down on empty streets, all she can see are the dreams all made solid, are the dreams made real.”

"GAMES WITHOUT FRONTIERS" PETER GABRIEL (1980)

Inspired by Albumism, I’m doing my own version of Flying Solo with individual tracks. Band breakups and hiatuses are never fun, but these solo jams were defining moments in my life’s soundtrack.

Before his foray into alternative rock and world music, Peter Gabriel carried the prog rock themes of early Genesis into his solo work. With “Games Without Frontiers”, he made prog rock more accessible.

One of my favorite Peter Gabriel anthems, just about everything in it was progressive, from the vocals to the keys to the guitar to the whistling. But the melody was palatable, even catchy. Each track on Peter Gabriel 3 was like a unique book that you could pull off the shelf, dust off and devour. “Games Without Frontiers” felt like a post-apocalyptic narrative, like The Hunger Games, Battle Royale and Lord of the Flies rolled up into one 4 minute jam.

“If looks could kill they probably will. In games without frontiers - wars without tears.”

"SOLSBURY HILL" PETER GABRIEL (1977)

This is a song about letting go from the past and looking ahead to the future. It’s a sentiment captured in the amazing lyrics and reflected in the timing. It was Gabriel’s solo debut, written and performed on the heels of his departure from Genesis. And it’s a sentiment revealed in the music. Each note bearing an apparent sense of optimism. Without being corny or insincere. Which, when you think long and hard about it, puts “Solsbury Hill” in a very small group of distinguished rock songs.

“When illusion spin her net, I'm never where I want to be. And liberty she pirouette when I think that I am free. Watched by empty silhouettes, who close their eyes but still can see. No one taught them etiquette. I will show another me.”