In Gabriel’s Eyes

One day, either it was just an out-of-the-ordinary day or Starbucks changed its music playlist (or more, its music director), the place didn’t play jazz tunes as it usually does. Instead, it played some great songs of the 80s. Even David Bowie’s Heroes [1] made the playlist. The punchline, for me, was when they played Peter Gabriel’s In Your Eyes. It was a surprise —good one— since never before a public hangout place played any of his tunes, at least not that I know of. And I never suspect that such place would be the ‘jazzy’ Starbucks.

As the song went, my mind gazed to my Ponti days. Around 1996, there was a period when every early morning for several weeks we played Peter Gabriel’s Secret World Tour Live laser disc. When played, it would wake up the rest of us, and joined whoever pushed play. We would make admiration remarks on the band, the music, the stage sets, the lights, the cameras—anything! We would danced along (yes, I danced!) doing those funny footwork with the band, especially the one on Shaking the Trees.

They ended the show with In Your Eyes. I think the song fits perfectly as a closing as it started with ease and ended with glee, from empty to full instruments, from only one vocal to many. A solemn start with joyous end would definitely left the show lingering in everyone’s head for days. That stage act was not only musical, but theatrical. It always puzzled my friends that I —a dance and theatre hater— would actually enjoy Mr. Gabriel.

I think In Your Eyes tells a man’s [2] adoration toward his love [3]. Gabriel described him as a genuine life fighter —which I think he meant workaholic. The peace and the comfort he lacked, he could only find in her. And there is where he wanted to stay. I notice Gabriel put a contradictory personality on the girl. Though it’s peace and comfort she yielded, it didn’t necessarily make her a calm person, but lively instead. Thus the man said, “I see the light, the heat, in your eyes.”

Gabriel left Genesis after a long mouth fight in 1976 and replaced by Phil Collins. Both Gabriel and Genesis (and Collins) are famous in separate fashion. It may be correct that Collins didn’t make Genesis’ song theme any different than Gabriel’s, but Genesis did changed and people noticed. Though both are very much emotional at heart, Gabriel’s more emotional traits made him spiritual. Where Collins describes love mostly as playful (Two Hearts, Can’t Hurry Love, etc), Gabriel digs it deeper (Secret World, Kiss The Frog, —surprise!— In Your Eyes). His choice of words shows it clear (instinct, burn, doorway, fruitless, etc) and his sentences even more (I will touch this tender wall [4], I’m a man whose faith has long deserted [5]). Why do you think the band was named Genesis [6] in the first place?

Gabriel doesn’t only projects his spiritual side through words, but also tunes and sounds. I don’t think he’s satisfied with the vibe acoustic instruments make that he amplified it by playing electric keyboard and computer. Mostly he makes sounds of nature more magical. He would make birds sound chirpier, low frequency sounds sharper, or combines keyboard sounds with human voice. At first, this made sounds feels fabricated rather than spiritual, but later on he managed to suit things more to the way he wanted them felt.

Gabriel illustrated In Your Eyes in rich various ways. On this tour, he collaborated with vocalist Paula Cole, bassist Tony Levin, violinist Paul Shankar, guitarist David Rhodes, and drummer Manu Katche— all of which are famous for the very value Gabriel is famous of: spirits. It is easy to find that Cole as the most immature one. While others has reached stable and calm phase, she still sing with somewhat rage[7]. Even so, Gabriel still managed to calm Cole down. Also as an additional player, Manu Katche was a perfect catch. He played In Your Eyes as if notes came out of his toms and cymbals: from light to deep, soft to little hard, and empty to rapid. This may sound strange, but Gabriel even managed to make Katche, a sitting drummer—I’m emphasizing—, dancing on his seat along with the rest of the band.

In early 90s, Gabriel’s love to African music began to show more acutely. I suspect the spirits of both African beats and vocal accommodate him perfectly. As if he found his lost love, Gabriel collaborated with a number of African musicians: vocalist, percussionist —you name it[8]! In Secret World Tour, he played —the way a child does— with these musicians. One of them is Papa Wemba[9]. All the African souls on stage strengthen what the Gabriel’s ‘man’ saw in ‘her’ eyes.

Gabriel is a musician whom I know is very much aware that various forms of symbols in communication are available to tweak— visual, audio, touch and speech. He orchestrated every band member to play not only with tunes, but also sounds. He conducted all the people on stage to dance in the most honest sense —to move naturally. All these elements on stage are what he tried to convey as ‘the light and heat’ —the lively atmosphere. He made me and my Ponti friends aware of that atmosphere. He made us dance. He made me dance.


PS:

• It is interesting that Gabriel is named after an angel whose job is to convey God’s messages to its prophets —an angel of communication, in a way.
• I decided that Starbucks would probably be a good choice of place to write at. When writing, they’re playing jazz tunes :-)

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[1] Later made popular again by Jacob Dylan’s band (Bob Dylan’s son) —The Wallflowers.
[2] This would apply to women, too, I guess.
[3] Considering the lyrics, the word ‘love’ suits more than ‘woman’ or ‘girlfriend’
[4] Excerpted from In Your Eyes
[5] Excerpted from Don’t Give Up
[6] Read: Book Of Genesis.
[7] In 1997 Paula Cole released her second album This Fire. Some rage she has.
[8] He made the term ‘world music’ famous.
[9] If memory serves, he’s the guy singing the overwhelming African chant in the opening song of Disney’s Lion King.