So (album) Totally Explained

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So is the fifth studio album (and seventh album overall) by British rock musician Peter Gabriel, released in 1986. Many of its songs reflect a more conventional pop-writing style which became radio hits. Others still retained Gabriel's dark, brooding sense of experimentalism and are held as classics by his more eclectic fans.
It is Peter Gabriel's second album produced by Canadian artist Daniel Lanois. The previous year, the two of them had worked together on Birdy. Lanois had been previously known for his ambient collaborations with Brian Eno as well as producing U2 since 1984. As he'd with the soundtrack to the film Birdy, Lanois brought many of his own ambient sensibilities to this recording.

Songs

The album begins with an emotionally charged piece titled "Red Rain". Inspired by a recurring dream which Gabriel had of swimming in a sea of red water, its lyrics vividly depict dream imagery that reflect a sense of vulnerability. The song is one of the works in the story of Mozo, a wandering stranger who appears in several Gabriel songs. Other Mozo works include "On the Air" and "Exposure".
   The second track is Peter Gabriel's most popular single, "Sledgehammer". "Sledgehammer" is an upbeat piece with strong Motown influences, and a world music touch from its famous use of the shakuhachi. This song also shows Tony Levin's abilities on the bass and his use of"Funk Fingers" to give the bass its unusual punchy sound. The video for "Sledgehammer" won MTV's 1987 Top Music Video Award. Directed by Steven Johnson, it features stop motion animation by Aardman Animations of Wallace and Gromit fame. The dancing chickens were animated by Nick Park. The video ends with Gabriel dancing in silhouette, covered with lights taped on his suit by a runner who later became a producer for the Wallace and Gromit films. While performing "Sledgehammer" on his 2002 tour, Gabriel recreated this image by wearing a jacket covered with LED lights.
   Tracks 3–6 cover more serious emotional content. These tracks include a duet with Kate Bush titled "Don't Give Up," "That Voice Again," and hit single "In Your Eyes". "Mercy Street" is dedicated to poet Anne Sexton and takes its title from her 1969 play, Mercy Street (Sexton also posthumously released a book of poetry, 45 Mercy Street).
   Track 7 is the album's last upbeat pop piece, "Big Time". This song is a send-up of the narcissism of the 1980s. It was also accompanied by a video in the vein of "Sledgehammer", although to less popularity. "Big Time" was recently used as the theme music for WrestleMania 22.
   Then comes the album's darkest and most experimental track titled "We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)". The title refers to the 37 out of 40 compliant subjects of Milgram Experiment 18.
   The album ends with a pictorial and meditative piece titled "This Is the Picture (Excellent Birds)". This song features vocals with co-writer Laurie Anderson. This track isn't included on the original vinyl release of the album, but was added to the audio cassette and CD editions. Anderson had previously recorded a different arrangement of the song entitled "Excellent Birds" for her 1984 album, Mister Heartbreak, which also featured vocals by Gabriel. She performs the song in her concert film, Home of the Brave, released around the same time as So.

Title

It was Gabriel's first studio album to bear an official title. His previous regular albums were simply titled "Peter Gabriel". It is sometimes rumoured the name corresponds to the fifth note of the scale "do re mi fa so la ti do". However, according to Peter Gabriel himself, the title didn't have any meaning. "It doesn't mean anything", he said in an interview with Smash Hits in 1986. "We just liked the form of the word and the two letters. That's all".

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