No stranger to stage dramatics, Peter Gabriel created one of rock's great spectacles on 1993's "Secret World" tour. Seen by over a million people across five continents, only U2 and the Stones have rivalled it for theatrical excess. Robert LePage's stage designs still astound—and a still youthful-looking Gabriel matches them with his own charismatic presence on songs like "Sledgehammer".
It's the 20th anniversary—already—of the groundbreaking TV pop show where enigmatic New Order vocalist Barney once furrowed his brow, stared at Paula Yates' arse and said to me: "Cor, I wouldn't half mind shagging that." Ah, melancholy '80s indieland, where the boys were poets and the girls were, if they had any gumption at all, somewhere else having a life. A splendid 37-track compilation this, as much for Wham! and Frankie as for Echo And The Bunnymen, Iggy Pop, U2, The Human League and The Jam.
