Gabriel shows top form in ‘Passion’

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Sept. 10, 2004 | 9:28 a.m.

Fifteen years before Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" stirred up emotions and controversy, Peter Gabriel created a "Passion" of his own.

Gabriel's version came in soundtrack form, accompanying Martin Scorsese's "The Last Temptation of Christ," a movie that set up off a reaction nearly as contentious as that of Gibson's 2004 production.

Whatever your feelings about either film, however, there's no debating the magnificence of Gabriel's "Passion," which ranks among the British singer-songwriter's greatest work as a solo artist and as an early member of Genesis.

So many soundtracks and scores lose their appeal over time, as the movies they are partnered with begin to fade in our memory.

Not so with "Passion." The 21-track disc sounds as vibrant today as it did when "The Last Temptation" was still in theaters, perhaps more so since it now exists independently of any supplemental visual images.

Famous for penning imaginative lyrics, Gabriel demonstrated an equal capacity for crafting instrumental music with "Passion." Inspired by the music of North Africa and the Middle East, he presented sonic flavors few Americans had experienced at the time of its release in 1989.

Those sounds are produced not only by a synthesizer, but also by a variety of exotic instruments including the kementche (fiddle), tabla (double drum) and ney flute (end-blown flute).

Pieces range from intense and upbeat to calm and hypnotic. One of the best, "Of These, Hope," combines both ends of that spectrum, driving aggressively forward even as a drone wails in the background.

Ideal for reading, writing or other solitary activities, "Passion" stimulates the senses best when taken in through headphones.

For an even more heightened experience, check out this year's SACD version, which plays the music in 5.1-channel surround sound (though be aware, the SACD disc will not work in a standard CD player).

Artist: Peter Gabriel.

Title: "Passion."

Year of release: 1998 (reissued 2002, Geffen Records).

Tracklisting: "The Feeling Begins," "Gethsemane," "Of These, Hope," "Lazarus Raised," "Of These, Hope -- Reprise," "In Doubt," "A Different Drum," "Zaar," "Troubled," "Open," "Before Night Falls," "With This Love," "Sandstorm," "Stigmata," "Passion," "With This Love -- Choir," "Wall of Breath," "The Promise of Shadows," "Disturbed," "It is Accomplished," "Bread and Wine.