petergabriel.com

Does anybody know more about it? I read somewhere (?) Dickie had taken some sounds on a hill?

I think that's probably about it - and the hill is Solsbury Hill, just outside Bath. But I don't know what special noises can be captured on that particular hill?

Mr.Beef, please do not kill me, but i really do not understand your avatar, i think it's bit disrespectful.

. . .the track "A Quiet Moment" is 5 minutes long, the sound is described as "ambient sound". It could be a complete new track.

From what i understand, i guess it must be only ambient sound because curiously PG didn't want to put "Solsbury Hill" on NB. That's why "Solsbury Hill" is on NB as a bonus track. He decided to separate it from the rest of the other tracks with "A Quiet Moment". It must be strange to listen to

A Quiet Moment is the track that everyone that buys New Blood is going to skip. I used to live within walking distance of Solsbury Hill. Sounds in the eare included barking dogs; traffic; blowing wind; drunks passing wind; off-key singing and public urination.

*area* not *eare*

I've taken a few walks there and I know what you mean Rraven - it's not as romantic and inspirational as the song suggests - and I hope it wasn't me that you could hear in your ear area. . . . Having heard Solsbury Hill at the cinema screening in London last week, I can understand why PG wouldn't want to include it (then why is it included?) because the orchestral treatment absolutely murdered the song.

I disagree that the orchestra murdered "Solsbury Hill". It was a lot of fun to listen and watch during the concert. It contained an extra dash of joy that is not there in studio versions. In fact, the original 1977 version is quite creepy. Was it the creepiness you liked, Mr. Beef?

I don't know Rraven - I have to admit that I only went to see this almost by accident, because I was in London that day. . . it had been a long day and maybe I was tired, but I didn't really enjoy a lot of it (except Darkness & Signal to Noise). . . or maybe it was the wretched multiplex - we used to have nice, old fashioned cinemas from the 1930s in England until multiplexes wiped them out. I hate the way multipexes smell (a combo of plastic, pop corn, nachos, air conditioning and everything synthetic).

. . . oh and the fact that they are always "out of town", hidden by a maze of flyovers and big roads. . . hell if you're a pedestrian - t's all too American for me.

I think it is absolutely beautiful. I love the spaciousness it offers to the album. As ego-driven humans we are way to interested in content filling up the spaciousness that is our true self. It takes courage to recognize that spaciousness within yourself. I support you all to take a moment and reach into your spaciousness. Find peace in it. Then listen again to this song. Brilliant.

I totally agree Cornflower. It's great on headphones and in fact I'd rather Solsbury Hill wasn't on the CD and A Quiet Moment was either the last track or at least preceded something else more in keeping with the introspective feel of the rest, something quiet and reflective. Hey ho. It's not even a brilliant version of SH. The live ending was better and more spirited, but personally if he was going to do the song, he should have stripped it back like he did with Here Comes The Flood all those years ago.