Tim Bracken, wtop.com
WASHINGTON – It’s been a quarter of a century since Peter Gabriel released what may be his most well-known album, “So.”
The now-iconic album solidified Gabriel as a household name with hits that include “Sledgehammer” and “Big Time.” The album also included the song, “In Your Eyes,” which many associate with John Cusack’s role in the 1989 film, “Say Anything…”
Gabriel is celebrating the 25th anniversary of “So” with a re-release of the album, and the “Back to Front” concert tour. The entirety of “So” is performed at each concert, along with other hits from Gabriel’s catalog.
The tour features many of the original musicians from the album.
During an Oct. 6 “Back to Front” concert in Los Angeles, John Cusack brought back memories of his “Say Anything…” role when he emerged on stage and handed a boombox to Gabriel.
Scheduled for release on Oct. 22, the 25-year-anniversary edition of “So” will be available in three versions: a single CD featuring the remastered album; a 3-CD set featuring a live concert recording from 1987; and a deluxe box set.
The “So” box set extras include a live concert DVD, a documentary about the album, a book and never-before-heard songs.
One of the more interesting additions to the box set is a CD that includes demo recordings from the album.
See a video about the demo recordings below:
“I think when we played the album back we knew it was good,” Gabriel said in a statement. “With ‘So’ this was the end of the idea of me being a sort of cult artist at the fringes of the mainstream, especially in America.”
The “Back to Front” tour makes a stop at the Patriot Center Sunday, Oct. 14.
Can’t make it to the concert? Each performance will be recorded live from the soundboard, and will be available for purchase as a two-CD set or on a USB stick through TheMusic.com.
Check out the classic music videos from the “So” album:
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