Peter Gabriel - Love to be Loved

Peter Gabriel is, well, strange. It's hard to pinpoint what instruments he uses, his lyrics tend to be odd, many of his album titles are just two-letter words, and he often uses rather unorthodox time signatures. "Solsbury Hill," for example, is written in 7/4.

It's also hard to pinpoint a genre. His most famous album was So, which includes his well-known '80s hits "In Your Eyes" and "Sledgehammer." Tonight's song, from about a half-decade later, appears on 1992's album, Us.

Peter Gabriel's gravelly voice, which has only gotten better and more distinctive over time, is prominent on this track. Including the heartbeat sound effects and reverberation, it has a bit more of a new-agey sound than his older hits, but also reminds one of "Mercy Street."

He's not quite as prominent as Bono, but Peter Gabriel keeps a hand in global humanitarian initiatives.

Sophie B. Hawkins - Before I Walk On Fire

I guess I am into hot songs this week. This one could easily follow Tuesday's recommendation in a playlist.

From her debut album Tongues and Tails, this track from Sophie B. Hawkins includes, in addition to her wonderful voice, a tambourine (a common fixture in Sophie's songs) and the cello, which she herself plays on her more recent albums.

Her songwriting and singing exude passion and her own flavour of independence. Speaking of independence, she's not currently signed to a record label, having released her two most recent albums on her own.

If you happen to purchase the CD, be sure not to miss the photographs in the liner notes.

By the way, I plan to write these on Saturdays and Tuesdays from now on.