Peter Gabriel: And I'll Scratch Yours

This was initially released as a series of singles on which Peter Gabriel covered a song by an artist and that artist covered one of his songs. The singles had an encapsulated conceptual feel, making each one a distinct artistic endeavor. When it came time to compile these recordings, they were issued separately as Scratch My Back (featuring only Gabriel’s covers of other artists) and And I’ll Scratch Yours (featuring only the different artists covering Gabriel). A third option is where both albums are combined as one purchase, still with all the songs and artists pulled away from each other. What occurs here is the successful illusion that this was an easy feat to accomplish—yet a graveyard filled with well-intentioned “tribute” albums to beloved artists says this isn’t always so. However, by combining A-list veterans with an equal number of A-list newer artists, this set has a great balance. Paul Simon does a world-class reading of “Biko,” while Bon Iver treats “Come Talk to Me” with a gentility that’s touching. Lou Reed unleashes a scalding treatment of “Solsbury Hill,” while Arcade Fire pursue a very Gabriel-like take on “Games Without Frontiers.”