Search - Peter Gabriel :: New Blood

New Blood is a continuum of Peter's previous `Scratch My Back' album - the song-swap project where he covered the songs of others, all to an orchestral backing. Thanks to the precise arrangements by John Metcalf and Peter, the treatment was so successful that Peter very quickly knew where he wanted to take it next, and work began to apply the same principals to his own songs. Great care has been taken - and much discussion shared - in deciding what songs were included on New Blood. It wasn't simply a case of giving the big numbers an orchestral re-rub. Indeed, some of the big hits are missing in favour of lesser-known material. But the intention wasn't a deliberate obliqueness; it was more a case of finding the songs that would be enhanced by the massed strings, brass, woodwind and percussion "The orchestra provides different dimensions to the music that weren't there initially," confirms Peter. "Rock artists work slowly in studios, building up layer by layer, and one of the great, powerful advantages of an orchestra is all these musicians playing at one moment with all sorts of colours and personalities." And in front of orchestra, taking centre stage when necessary, retreating into the shadows when not, is Peter's rich voice. Retaining its trademark emotive power, it returns to lyrics written 20 or 30 years ago, reinvesting them with new meaning and heightened poignancy. New life, new blood. A musical transfusion. The songs live on.