Review by Doug Cornell

Few artists have had the career longevity of Peter Gabriel.  Beginning as the kooky front-man for the art-rock outfit Genesis, Gabriel soon struck out on his own and released a very compelling body of solo recordings.  His first solo record is considered to be a near-masterpiece by many, but his most well-known songs represent the "poppier" side of his songwriting talents.  Gabriel is now an elder-statesman in the business of rock-and-roll, but he is still releasing honest, complex music and touring regularly.

Still Growing Up - Live and Unwrapped contains live concert footage of some of Gabriel's 2004 concert tour.  The songs chosen for this DVD are mostly different from those on the Growing Up Live release, with the exception of "Red Rain" and "Solsbury Hill."  Recorded in concert halls, city parks, and other smaller venues, Still Growing Up offers a more intimate approach to Gabriel's music.  Don't be fooled, Gabriel still considers himself to be a "performance artist," and that means that there is quite a bit of his uniquely goofy choreography.

The DVD begins with a long, haunting whistle performance that is played while Gabriel and his excellent band walk from the dressing room to the stage.  A somber tone is established with the tracks "The Feeling Begins" and "Red Rain."  Gabriel jokes with the French audience in their native language between tracks, but he is mostly content to play keyboards and sing his songs.  His lovely daughter Melanie provides gorgeous backing vocals, and Tony Levin has a commanding stage presence as he masterfully plays bass guitar.

It's difficult to become overly interested in this DVD until the tempo and temperature is turned up with the classic track "Games Without Frontiers."  The song seems even more poignant in today's post 9/11 environment than it did when it was released 20 years ago.  "Solsbury Hill" is another winner, and "San Jacinto" also commands attention.  Unfortunately, Gabriel just looks goofy as he rides around the stage on a Segway scooter with his daughter.

Luckily, the DVD is slavaged by the three closing tracks, the ever-popular "Sledgehammer," the intense "Come Talk to Me," and the crowd favorite "Biko."  Gabriel and his crew's live sound is unsurpassed in the music industry, and the camera work and overall DVD production is first rate.  The performances would have benefited from more improvisation, as sometimes it seems that Gabriel is stuck within the confines of the original studio recordings.

The second disc of the 2 DVD set contains interviews with Gabriel talking about his musical legacy and the joy of performing and touring with his band, interspersed with clips of the same performances included on the first disc.  Only the most devoted fans will find this content of any value.  Of more interest are the "live in the studio" performances of 3 excellent songs, "Darkness," "No Way Out," and "Growing Up."  It's interesting to note that these songs are much more entertaining without the trappings of the live stage performance and all of the choreography.