Customer Reviews
Stunning soundtrack - By: Franz Bieberkopf, 16 Mar 2008 
Peter Gabriel worked for three years on this soundtrack for Scorcese's film "The Last Temptation Of Christ"-it was worth it.This is many people's introduction to world music(Armenian bagpipers to Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn)and it complements the film perfectly.
One of the best soundtracks ever-IMHO only rivalled by Barbieri's score for "Last Tango In Paris".I would advise anyone new to "Passion" to watch "Last Temptation Of Christ" first,to see & hear how the music works within the film.
Gabriel and Realworld's intense ambient start. - By: D. Broad, 24 Sep 2006 Distilling Eastern music for European ears. Peter Gabriel is a pioneerin the field of electronic & avant-garde music; here he created a masterpiece which helped to launch both his Realworld label, & became an essential album for many an 'ambient/electronic/world/eclectic' listener.
Sound-checked by both white label & established electronic artists [I can think of the Future Sound Of London offhand], this melds alternate-scale vocals [of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Youssou N'Dour among others] with his beloved [Nord] synths, awesome percussion [listen to the low-pass filters ending 'A Different Drum' without the hairs on the neck standing on end, I dare you] & abstract samples. A similar approach can be found on Damon Albarn's wonderful collection 'Mali Music'.
My personal favourite is the delicate melody of 'Of These, Hope', but this whole album flows as a journey, & easily surpasses any description of "soundtrack". I still haven't seen the film, & I won't; I luckily got to this first, & I don't intend to spoil things.
If you don't enjoy the cinematic intensity, the superb layered arrangements, the cross-cultural references, & the sheer musical talents on offer here, then I would suggest you need to listen once more with the lights down!
Stunning! - By: Mr. Bg Parkinson, 27 Mar 2006 I only discoverd this album by accidentin the late 90's whilst on a trip to Holland. Being a (relatively new) huge fan of Peter Gabriel's later albums (So, Us - both excellent by the way) I was intrigued by this album - thinking for some reason that it may be similar to So or US. Boy was I wrong! Instead it was quite possibly the most amazing instrumental album I had/have come across & has led me to a whole new world of instrumental/ambient music.
Every piece of music on this album is amazing, & for those budding amateur muscians out there, this album demonstrates the creativeness possible with simple layering of sounds & samples (though nothing about the making of this album was simple I'm sure)
If you enjoy this album then I also strongly recommend getting Long Walk Home - Music From Rabbit-Proof Fence (also by Peter Gabriel) which although slightly different (in a darker way) from Passion is still a brilliant instrumental album.
.....the begining of the 'end.' - By: Andy Ward, 02 Jan 2006 Over 12yrs ago, on hearing the Last Temptations of Christ; I subsequently felt compelled to review my appreciation of all that musically stirred & focused me. If you want to be moved emotionally & spiritually, this is an offering truly worthy of it’s title; Passion.
I have followed Gabriel’s music since his first solo album, & have my own varying levels of appreciation of his works. I am not some eerie or obsessive Gabriel fan who felt it most fitting that their musical ‘icon’ should have been invited to score the controversial Scorsese film. However, if another definition of baptism could be borrowed at this time, then I was truly immersedin a similar fashion when I first heard this passion-led soundtrack.
This really is a remarkable demonstration of spirit, performance & cultural diversity.
For me, without a shadow of a doubt, this album surpasses any collection of sounds ever attributed to Peter Gabriel. It would have been inconceivable that Gabriel could have bettered this work. As expected, his subsequent offerings although goodin parts, are but poor relations that seem to scavenge on the inspired bones of Passion.
This album feels bigger than the emotions it so tirelessly haunts to visualise……..it’s even bigger than the composers themselves. My only frustration isin the albums ultimate credit. This is the work not of one man, but of a gathering of geniusesin the ultimate pursuit of excellence……of which they achieve with absolute divinity. The Feeling certainly begins…..and for me has remained commanding to this day. Congratulations to all those who contributed & to Peter Gabriel for making it happen. It is accomplished.
Gota Passion for Gabriel now - By: , 26 Nov 2003 After the success of 'so' it would had been obvious that gabriel was going to go for a commercial success, but he defied everything by going for a soundtrack album. alltho soundtracks sell like anything, proper soundracks(score music) hardly sells. but with this, gabriel strikes platinum with his best contempery album. as the film was setin the holy land, Gabriel uses the instruments of that country very well, he blends it with that of synths, keyboards & drum machines. &in the moments where his voice begins to take a role, it inlightens thats of the haunting serenity. he took his voice as another instrument not a lyrical means of support. on the track 'A Different Drum' his vocals are imence, he creats a totaly differnt Genre.
This album at this price is a total Bargain, i would advise any one who is a fan of 'Chill-Out' or 'Soundtrack Music' to Buy it.
Rob
