We are nearing the end: On the October full moon, And Still is released - as expected by most - as the penultimate track for i/o. Initially in the Dark-Side Mix, which again corresponds to the expectation that the less "opulent" desired tracks are first released in the version by Tchad Blake.
And Still tells of death, also deals with loneliness. You hear someone being alone with their thoughts.
It is certainly Gabriel's most personal song on the album (although there are already several of them). In 2016, his mother Irene died at 95 and he wanted to write a piece of music for her - similar to what he had already done with Father, Son. There is the story about his father, who is still alive, and who was then able to wish for the song for his funeral. The track for his mother was written after her death, its character is different.
The song is simple in its narration and clear in its words. Someone sits with the deceased mother.
All gone away, it says. Descriptions of touches follow that were once warm but are now cold. The images that arise, the sensations that are named, are a little upsetting. They testify to loss and grief.
The chorus then says, and still the winds will blow, rivers will flow, in every place one choose to go.
In an intermediate passage, the house of childhood is spoken of, in which memories are everywhere - and everywhere the presence of the mother.
In a second intermediate passage, an arc is drawn from the house to an even earlier place of protection: to the belly in which one was and was warmed, as if by the sun. And there is also talk of the hustle and bustle, of family, dog and horse, out of all of which the spirit finds its place, its home - and the music (which was probably introduced to Gabriel above all by his mother).
The last verse returns to the place with the deceased. Still the touch is cold - but the certainty is there that you carry your mother inside you, no matter where you go.
And Still expresses melancholy - but also a deep love and gratitude for having been given into the world by the mother. And thanks to her, to now be able to go further into the world.
All lyrics of the album can be found on Peter Gabriel's website here.
The accompanying painting is by the Canadian Megan Rooney and is called And Still (Time) (2022, acrylic paint, pastel and oil pastel on canvas, 200 x 152 cm). It shows an abstract colour composition in mainly blue and yellow tones.
Rooney paints almost exclusively in this style - and also likes to paint in this large format, which corresponds to the arm span of a majority of all women. But she also works in sculpture, installation and performance.
Rooney's interest in her paintings is strongly focused on colours and what they trigger when we look at them. In addition, her paintings show forms that one can read into or recognise. Representational things - or stories that are to be told.
What is also special is that the layers of applied paint are sanded down and painted over several times. So the gaze always goes back to the beginnings of the painting - which apparently also has no defined end. But always a past.
Rooney was apparently one of the first artists approached for the i/o project. Originally she wanted to create her own painting for the album, but didn't finish (Gabriel shows understanding for this). So now it has become a painting from her collection after all.
More about all artworks and the artists behind them is gathered here.
And Still carries calmness - and at the same time high vibration. The arrangement in the Dark-Side Mix is open, allows emptiness, is not tipped over with musical means.
The track is divided into several sections - one could also call them 'acts' - which describe a bit of an inner journey with developing perception.
The prevailing melancholy is simultaneously accompanied by great confidence. A combination that Gabriel has always mastered. Loss and sadness also have beauty and strength here.
The song begins with a restrained orchestral introduction. Lying string lines, quiet, mournful - but gripping. This also includes the first cello solo figure. - Sitting with the dead mother.
After a good half minute, piano enters, playing a sequence with a rather static effect, despite the upward movement. Shortly afterwards, programmed drums join in, everything advances - not really carried, rather incessant.
At the same time, the vocals begin. Gabriel's voice is well embedded in the accompaniment - not clearly in front of it, as in other pieces. He sings calmly, with restrained power - but not brittle, as in So Much.
The harmony structures remain the same throughout the verse and chorus, as does the accompaniment. This makes it difficult to see through the progression, to recognise the individual sections, because the vocal melodies are constantly varied or an additional line is added to the verses.
This creates a convoluted effect, uneven and impossible to penetrate. At the same time, the consistency in the rhythm also gives something unshakable. Gives confidence and trust.
To the chorus, which stands out mainly because of the text structure, discreet background singing is also added. It's always just Gabriel's voice, but alienated, sometimes garnished with electronic gimmicks. A lot emerges from one individual.
At 2:30 then a real change: a first interlude that tells of the childhood home. The rhythm track is reduced to a calmly pulsating drum and the cello comes into focus again. This pause lasts for four lines of text, then we return to the verse - with the vocal line changed again, now intensified.
This changes abruptly into another interlude: Lurking upward lines in the harmony suddenly create restlessness, tension. Snarling, creaking noises from the bass can also be heard. In speech song, Gabriel describes the obviously restless state in the mother's belly. Until the spirit finds its place - and also the music (the first word sung again).
This leads via a lying tone into a long instrumental part, to which the rhythm loop again completely falls away. A graceful, perhaps also wistful melody from the cello, supported only by discreet string accompaniment. A piano joins in and changes the style - everything becomes more determined, the harmony also lighter, the ensemble soars to a redeemed crescendo - and then everything returns to the composure of the verse arrangement. At first only through the piano, then finally the rhythm loop resumes.
A final verse is sung - we are back in the opening situation. The following chorus, however, seems a little more transfigured through slight additions. Something has changed.
The track ends with the thought that one carries the mother in every place, which leads quite steeply into a single violin that fades away, still leaving room for a final performance of the main piano theme, only to finally fall silent.
And Still is not a song that you can sing along to, it is not catchy. No dreamy melancholy here. Its appearance is too composed for that. The track demands involvement, is musically demanding.
Gabriel says he also tried to pick up on the music of his parents' youth, which is the one of the 40s. In addition, it should have a classical component, because his mother particularly loved this music. That led to the solo cello.
On the one hand, there is a big build-up here, because the orchestra is there again. In full instrumentation - strings and winds this time. On the other hand, it is used surprisingly discreetly. The winds are not really to be heard - at least here in the Dark-Side Mix.
The solo cello, which is all the more central, is played by Ian Burdge, a member of the orchestral section for the i/o recordings.
Otherwise, the usual i/o studio band plays with Rhodes on guitar, Levin on bass and Gabriel on piano and keyboards - but Manu Katché is not there. Instead of drums, there is drum programming - from the hands of Gabriel and Richard Chappell. Ged Lynch can also be heard again - this time on the congas (you only learn this from the CD booklet, he was forgotten in the Bandcamp credits).
Also absent is a large vocal accompaniment - no choir this time, no Melanie Gabriel - just Peter singing with himself. But this is clearly alienated in parts.
A funny mention at the end: Gabriel also plays "tuned wine glasses"...
This Bright-Side Mix is a little surprising. In keeping with its usual style, it also presents more elements and a denser sound. On the other hand, however, it also takes a lot of things back and places quite unconventional emphases. This leaves the song untouched in its basic appearance, but characterises the individual statements.
Once again, Spike Stent's mix has more reverb, more volume. This is not yet noticeable in the gentle intro, but then with the use of the piano. Once again, everything has a greater gesture, but the bass is reduced, which gives this version less impact and weight overall.
The beginning of the opening verse seems to disprove this at first - the programmed drums become enormously dominant here. A moving melody on the flute also enters here and fills the arrangement. Both elements are already familiar from the Dark-Side Mix, but are much further in the background there.
They also clearly set the opening verse apart from the next one, to which everything diminishes somewhat. This is new - or at least more noticeable.
Gabriel's vocals are also further forward and drier (so there is actually something with more reverb in the Dark-Side Mix). It seems lonely, sounds vulnerable. The choir vocals, which Gabriel performs alone, are further back and are only a delicate addition. The distortion on the vocals has become more perceptible.
In the bridge, the character of the main vocal becomes completely different again. In addition to the fact that the muffled creaking of the bass is no longer there, the stronger reverb and effects on the voice make the passage seem even stranger. But perhaps also more directionless.
The subsequent cello solo has more treble in the sound, making it a little more cutting and probably also more present. And the fact that the musical intensification is weaker with the use of the piano means that the cello remains in focus throughout. Nevertheless, it is not really emphasised. As a result, the passage loses some of its grace and significance.
A murmur and sigh can then be heard in the resumption of the central motif. This also exists in the Dark-Side Mix, but here it is a much more superficial effect. It sounds a bit like voices from the afterlife at a séance, creating drama.
There is also further skirmishing in the final phase - the last repetition of the piano theme is therefore not so prominent, which detracts from its intention.
Due to the many minor and major shifts in emphasis, this Bright-Side Mix (like the one from This Is Home) seems to be more playful and experimental than the Dark-Side Mix. However, this also means that concentration and emotionality are lost.
While the opening strings make you wonder whether you've really got a Dolby Atmos mix here, the piano and cello come in after just under 40 seconds and provide clarity. The cello in particular has a spatial sound and a somewhat more prominent role than in the other two mixes.
When the lead vocals come in, the often-described 3D effect that you can hear when moving your head with Apple AirPods Pro is finally noticeable. In the verse, electronically buzzing background sounds are also present, which are either mixed softer in the Dark-Side and Bright-Side Mixes or not used at all.
The strings and bass can be heard in a very differentiated way throughout the entire track. The bass has a very warm colouring that suits the song well. In contrast, Gabriel's electronically processed background vocals are significantly quieter than in the other two mixes. The whole song has a rather acoustic and string-emphasised overall sound, which is given an interesting contrast by the programmed drums and the subtle off-beat sounds in the background.
At around 4:15 minutes, there are brief electronic sounds in the transition before the instrumental string section begins. In the last chorus, the guitar with a rotary sound can also be heard a little more clearly.
As with the other In-Side Mixes, it should be noted that And Still has not been overdone with 3D effects. The track has a spatial sound and the typical Dolby Atmos effect, but in contrast to Love Can Heal, the mix is less playful. In keeping with this, the lead vocals are rather dry throughout the song and are not accompanied by any noticeable reverb effects.
Overall, the mix with its focus on strings, piano and vocals in combination with the slight contrast of the smaller electronic sounds and the drum programming is harmonious.
The name of this alternative version is a little misleading, as there are clearly strings right at the beginning. But they are sampled. Gabriel had also talked about them in the introductory video and called them "sul tasto" (a certain way of playing string instruments that produces particularly soft and quiet tones). He was so enthusiastic about the quality of these samples, which John Metcalfe brought in, that they can still be heard at the beginning and end of the final track alongside the real orchestra. Here they are used exclusively.
Otherwise, it is somewhat difficult to categorise exactly what this recording represents here. In a way, this is a demo recording. Everything seems provisional, meant as a placeholder and is also partially flawed. However, as the track was probably not mainly finalised in a regular band session but through ongoing development, this version is probably also a fairly early intermediate stage of the final version.
At the beginning, strings that are already very similar to the later final version. They are just less subtle and graduated in appearance.
The piano, which is also familiar, enters in the main section. Here, however, it has a flatter sound and is less gently struck. As usual, the programmed drums are then added. The rest of the accompaniment is limited almost entirely to piano and bass. A few synth sounds are interspersed, which are strangely rough in the mix. The whole mix is sometimes very unbalanced.
Gabriel's vocal recording is a preliminary one. It also seems a little shapeless and thrown in. The variations in his phrasing are sometimes quite interesting though.
The first interlude begins with a slight interruption, then reduces the accompaniment considerably. Sampled wind instruments can also be heard here.
The second interlude has a lot of reverb and even echo, which creates a mysterious atmosphere. However, the vocals are pretty much drowned out.
There is no cello in this recording. The solo is played on the piano. In its simplicity, it seems fragile and quite touching.
The running time of this version is around 20 seconds longer than the main mixes. The triggers are spread out a little: the introduction of the first interlude is delayed by one and a half bars; half a bar is missing before the instrumental part (the cello solo starts with a slight delay in the main mixes); the instrumental part on the piano is played at a slightly free tempo (like the intro) and is slightly slower overall. But above all: in the main mixes, the vocals end with a final "carry you inside of me". Here, another complete run-through of a verse is inserted beforehand (largely without lyrics), before the sentence finally comes.
The accompaniment then breaks off almost completely - to be replaced by a twenty-second outro with sampled strings, which play a more static progression with which the track then ends.
Besides the fact that there is no real orchestra, Ged Lynch on real congas is mentioned in the credits. He was not listed for the main mixes - although congas can be heard. And he is mentioned again in the album booklet. So it seems you have to take a closer look everywhere...
Apart from that, the personnel is the same - it's also rather manageable for the main mixes.
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