Notes:
The U.S. digital download included a remix of “Habibe” as a bonus track. A remix of “Whole Thing” was added to the U.K. digital download as a bonus track. Both versions added the video “Story of the Big Blue Ball, Pt. 1.”
Big Blue Ball
Peter Gabriel et al
Review:
“Almost eighteen years in the making, Big Blue Ball” BB “is an album by multiple artists” WK “from all around the world working together.” WK It “grew from three extraordinary recording weeks at Real World Studios in the summers of 1991, 1992 and 1995.” BB “The project’s originators and curators were Real World founder Peter Gabriel and Karl Wallinger of World Party and The Waterboys.” BB
They invited friends and musicians from around the world to participate in weeklong collaborative writing and recording sessions at Real World Studios.” SW “The focus was as much on writing together as playing together, and the final tracks stand as an extraordinary testament to the common elements that bind so many different forms of music and music making together. Though not everyone who was there is present on the finished album, each artist's input was invaluable to the spirit of the enterprise.” BB
“Overall, the album crosses the globe-trotting multiculturalism of Music and Rhythm (the first WOMAD compilation) with the slick production of Gabriel’s Us (released about the same time these sessions took place). Couple the fact that Gabriel’s solo work has been increasingly infused with world music beginning with Security and the fact that he’s got one of the more recognizable voices in music, and Big Blue Ball almost plays like a lost Peter Gabriel album.” SW
“This is not meant to diminish the strong contributions of others. Hossam Ramzy and Natacha Atlas take the lead on Habibe and Márta Sebestyén, Sinéad O'Connor, Rossy, and Papa Wemba all turn in great vocal performances. Joseph Arthur and Iarla Ó Lionáird’s Altus Silva actually sounds a bit like Gabriel, and when Arthur joins Gabriel on Exit Through You, the result could easily be a So outtake.” SW
“The sound changes a bit at the end of the album, moving from the Peter Gabriel ‘90s sound to something a bit more 21st century with the Malagasy rap of Jijy and the sampled horns of the title track.” SW
Gabriel has said, “It was the most fun music making I've ever had.” WK He has also explained that “the initial recording was finished in three years during the early ‘90s, but ‘the tapes were left in a mess and it's taken this long to sort out.’ Producer Stephen Hague was finally called in to sort out the project.” WK
“The first track released from the project was Whole Thing, included on the soundtrack album for the TV series Long Way Down. A version of Burn You Up, Burn You Down was also included on Gabriel’s 2003 compilation album Hit with a radio edit released as a single.” WK
“It’s a bit odd that Big Blue Ball was so long in coming, but Peter Gabriel fans will find it was worth the wait.” SW
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