Released in 1992, “US” is Peter Gabriel’s sixth studio album. It was released six years after the phenomenally successful So, was, at that time, arguably Peter’s mot personal record yet as he stepped into the confessional to explore and dissect many of the relationship issues he was then experiencing. But “US” is far from just being bleakly introspective featuring several songs that have gone on to be amongst the most cherished in the Gabriel songbook.
Singles taken from the album included “Digging in the Dirt”, “Steam”, “Blood of Eden” (an early version of the track was previously featured in the 1991 Wim Wenders film Until the End of the World), and “Kiss That Frog”. Promotional singles also included “Come Talk to Me” and “Secret World.”
On this album Gabriel explored the pain of recent personal problems; his failed first marriage, his relationship with actress Rosanna Arquette, and the growing distance between him and his first daughter.
The album was supported by the Secret World Live tour, named after its closing track, “Secret World”. The tour spawned a live album and a concert film. The album was also promoted through a first-of-its-kind interactive multimedia software released for Macintosh computers called Xplora1: Peter Gabriel’s Secret World, which featured several music videos from the album.
“Although US was not nearly as big a seller as So, I’m pleased that it is now getting better regarded, with hindsight, and I think it has some of my best songs on it.
Part of the idea of using US, other than the fact that it was another two-letter title which doesn’t give me huge room for variation, was the sense that there is a dividing line between ‘us’ and ‘them’. The further back you can push the dividing line, the less problems the world is going to have. The more people you feel compassion, sympathy and understanding for the better. It’s very easy to fall into a state of mind where you just put blame and responsibility on other people and you don’t connect with them. I know that my life works much better when I don’t do that.” ~ Peter Gabriel.
The Fat Angel Sings 