It’s been a good while since I reviewed another live release
from one of the most mind-blowing tribute bands honoring the solo career of
Peter Gabriel. Last year, they released their third live album entitled, Contact. The concerts were recorded
between the States in November of 2016 and in Japan in April of last year. I’ve
always admired of what Security Project has been doing by honoring Gabriel’s
work to show more and staying true to his vision.
In October of 2016, Happy Rhodes took over vocal duties and
taking over Brian Cummins who appeared on the first two Security Project
releases (Live 1 and Live 2). When I first heard Security
Project’s music back around that time frame in 2016, I was completely
spellbound on how they captured Gabriel’s career work. And while they threw in
some of the work he did with Genesis including two of the tracks from The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, I knew
right away this was not just a tribute band, but keeping the vision of Peter
Gabriel’s machine going.
There are 11 tracks on Contact.
One of which is a Kate Bush composition from her fifth studio album in
1985, Hounds of Love. The
reinterpretations of the classics bring new life and seeing where Security
Project will take them next into. Happy Rhodes’ vocals on Mother Stands for Comfort, is one of the most smoothing and ominous
compositions thanks to Trey Gunn’s touch guitar that creates this jazzy
scenario as Cozzi’s marching guitar rhythm takes a walk into the unknown.
The walking into the mysterious jungle of the wild on No Self Control is walking through a
dangerous maze with traps. Jerry Marotta’s percussion adds the tension and the
danger that comes with it and watching your step after the maze. If you make
one wrong step, you’re dead. The music adds the tension as the vocals of the
titled line is a chilling response and knowing that the pain can be
excruciating.
Security Project delve into the waters of King Crimson’s THRAK-era with the song, Intruder. Rhodes makes you feel as if
she’s hypnotizing you while Cozzi, Marotta, and Jameson created these visual
mysterious effects as if something terrible is creeping up behind you and the
danger is towards the victim and there’s no chance in hell of escaping.
Jameson’s keyboards set up the scenario of the News crew
arriving to see what is happening to know what is true or false and knowing
that the killer is ready to hunt its next target before the rhythm section sets
up the intensity of what he’s doing next on the haunting version of Family Snapshot. The seguing between Games without Frontiers and Of These, Hope from the score of
Scorsese’s 1987 controversial classic, The
Last Temptation of Christ, is an interesting combination.
You have the twist of war along with the diplomacy being a
children’s game and the line “Jeux Sans
Frontieres” and becoming this cat-and-mouse section of what to do in case
of the dangers the politicians doing one thing wrong after another it suddenly
changes as the atmosphere becomes ambient as Marotta and Cozzi follow suit and
knowing that the rope is close to being loose and there’s about 25 seconds to
climb up.
It gave me chills when I listen to this. It felt at times
like a suite of the two Gabriel compositions and knowing that Security Project
got it nailed down on wood. This is my fourth and fifth time listening to Contact. And I have to say I’m very
impressed of what they’ve accomplished and I hope one day they come to Texas.
This is worth checking out and they’ll start touring at the late end of May on
the 24th at Woodstock, NY at the Bearsville Theater to a two-day gig
in Canada between Toronto and Montreal.
So if you admire the first four albums of Peter Gabriel's solo career before hitting the big time with So, please check out
Security Project which they'll appear at the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, NY on Thursday May the 24th. You won’t be disappointed.
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