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This September/October time we will celebrate the release of the milestone album "Us" in the year 1992. I think this worth to mention. The reason is simple: the album is an artistic masterpiece. I recently saw a special edition of U2`s album "Achtung Baby" (a kind of 20th anniversary package/edition). There won`t be an "Us"-special edition for us, Peter Gabriel fans, but it`s nice to bring back to mind this album with all the great songs, the background story, arrangements, music, art, videos, remixes, "Secret World Tour" etc. . . ."Us" - a dimension of great music and art. . . .Sshh listen.

all the more ironic that So will see its 25th anniversary edition released the month 'Us' celebrates its 20th anniversary. but commercially, So completely overshadows Us. Too bad, I would have loved to hear demos and abandoned songs for recorded for 'Us', as this album is so rich with sounds and textures.

Maybe some time we'll get the "Us 31 and a bit Anniversary Edition" Jokes aside, its my favourite PG album and my favourite album of all time. There's a demo of "Sky Blue" from that time which is just amazing, and I bet there's a wealth of demos etc that could be uncovered....and agree with JayMuz, the production of Us is just so deep and textured, superior to SO in that regard imo

I guess SO is the most commercial album from PG in terms of the melodies and the arrangements. What I like about US is that PG and Daniel Lanois managed to maintain some more classic song-writing (blood of eden, washing of the water) and add layers of sounds from all around the world, not to mention greats effects on synth and guitars, etc... I agree it's a very well crafted and deserves to be called a masterpiece. Also, I like that the lyrics sound so sophisticated yet focus on personal themes and relationships. Which is a change for PG whom some people used to refer to as the 'cold wave' in the 80s. US is a very warm and personal tone. Also, the variety of arrangement is absolutely fantastic: none of the 10 songs sounds the same. I love that an album offers a sense of progression in the music, that it evolves and makes you travel. It really tells a story and makes you travel. Plus, it was released the week I first dated the one who would eventually be my wife. So I may not be 100% objective as it reminds of a great period of my life!

sorry... me again... I think US is also a better album than SO because it represents the true REAL WORLD spirit to me, which is based on the emulation of sounds from various origins. so many musicians involved in US! UP lost that REALWORLD touch and is more personal, a PG-only album. US symbolises what collaborative work can achieve. It's a bit like Big Blue Ball in spirit, except here all tracks have all originally been written by PG. The REALWORLD label had just started 4 years before US was released so it's no surprise Peter really wanted to showcase all of the artists who'd signed up. And no wonder that after Passion, PG wanted to use all those fantastic sounds and talents again on regular songs.

It'd be great to hear the alternate versions with other musicians that didn't make the final cut, as mentioned in the booklet.

It's overproduced: the demos sound better than the finished version. I remember buying the vinyl and it sounded really bad. The CD was better. The 2002 remaster was quite good though. It has two weaker songs in Kiss That Frog and Steam (worst PG song ever included in an album - Out Out being the absolute worst). But it features several masterpiece songs, excellent lyrics and the best vocals to date. All in all, I like So better because it has Red Rain and Mercy Street. A reissue would be nice.

In my opinion PGIV is a masterpiece , because the refinement of sounds has anticipated the times and influenced music . "US" is a great album , fantastic, but it's not equal to PGIV, and PGIII.

I see what you mean, PGIV would probably be my favourite if not for US

O.k., here comes my 2 cents. I think So is overrated as an album . So was more "commercial," but it can't match the artistry of Us. I am a big fan of "Melt (PG3)," less so of "Security(PG4)," although it definitely has its moments of genius, and I actually didn't like "So" all that much when it first came out. (It's grown on me since.) I understand that there were technological breakthroughs on So, blah blah blah, but from a strictly audiophile standpoint, Us blows So out of the water. IMHO.

I love the early stuff (i'll never forget hearing 'intruder' live; you could feel the bass guitar in your chest) and even further back, lamb lies down, supper's ready...but i have to say that Up is probably my favorite so far; it's a very emotional album for me and I find myself listening to songs from that album much more than any other.

For me, Us is Peter's best work. Everything he'd learnt and worked towards over the previous decade culminated in this album and everything that went with it... the videos, the tour. It was a hugely pivotal and significant album for me at the time it came out and I'll never tire of it. Can't believe it's 20 years!!!

"So" is a well done album, but I agree, it is overrated. Us is my favourite for sentimental reasons, but objectively, I find this one, his third and fourth albums, Up and Passion as better works. In fact, his third, fourth and Passion are much more innovative than So. I don't think it is its weakest though. Long Walk Home and his second album get that dubious honour.

The best way to have celebrated this anniversary would have been to release another hybrid SACD of this album, but this time in surround sound so we could really hear it in a new and exciting way. This constant repackaging and selling of the stereo version and asking high prices for it, is not the way to keep music sales thriving in my view. But offering a hybrid SACD multichannel version, at a price most people can afford, is something worth buying. High priced box sets are great if that is what you want, but they are not inclusive and many fans cannot buy them and why would you just keep buying a stereo version when a surround version would be so much more interesting and something for the 21st century not using technology that is 30 years old!

http://www.genesis-news.com/c-Peter-Gabriel-20-years-of-US-s508.html nice article about "US" - 20 years

Thank you Cimber!

Yes, thank you