REVIEW: Peter Gabriel, Xplora1 (IBM CD-ROM)

- Sean Eric McGill

Peter Gabriel seems to be one of the obvious choices when it comes to artists who have crossed into the realm of interactive CD-ROM's. His history of experimentation in his music lends well to the medium, and there are certain parts of Xplora1 which certainly show that. But (and this isn't a bad "but") perhaps the only fault of Xplora1 is that Gabriel has tried to make a CD-ROM which encompassed every area of his artistic range.

Now, let me say that there is nothing on this disk which isn't entertaining. From the interactive tour of the WOMAD Festival to the "it-isn't-really-a-game-but-looks-like-one" search for various objects which allow you passage into other areas of the disk (like backstage at the Grammy Awards), you have the oppourtunity to "Xplore, Xperiment, Xperience" many different areas of Gabriel's work.

There is a tour of his Real World studios that features chances to watch some of the original recording sessions of the Us album, and a chance to remix "Digging In the Dirt". You can also check out the entire Real World Music Catalog, and hear excerpts from each of the artists.

Of course, there is a section which deals with Gabriel's life, from an interactive (albeit on a small scale) scrapbook, to a passport which morphs from Gabriel as a child to a skull and all points in between. It's in this area of the disk where you can also take a look at many of his side projects, including his involvement with Amnesty International and the Witness Project. There is also a complete discography of his solo works, and excerpts from each, but here is where my problems with the disc begin.

Mainly, the word Genesis is never mentioned. For the two of you who don't know, Gabriel began his career with Genesis before embarking on a solo career in the early seventies. This part of his past is totally ignored, and while both Gabriel and Genesis will say that the best thing that happened to the both of them was his leaving the band, it is in this area that you could see the beginnings of the experimentation he has since become famous for.

The remixing part of the disk suprised me, as well. After Todd Rundgren's "TR-I", you would expect Gabriel to offer you a chance to remix a variety of songs, but you only get "Digging In the Dirt", in which you can only manipulate the basic tracks themselves, not the tempo, etc. of the song.

Xplora1 certainly has faults, but for the most part, it is a pleasnat journey through the works of one of the most creative artists working in the field of music today. Odds are that Gabriel will venture into this realm again in the future, and will probably fare better...first impressions are always the hardest ones to make.

The file takes up about eleven megs of hard drive space, so be prepared. Also, the Macintosh version may contain differences from the one reviewed here.