Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt
Photo: Jeffrey Mayer/ WireImage

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have just set a date night for January 11, when they'll be dressed to the nines with a lot to celebrate. That's right, the nominations for the 66th Golden Globe Awards have been announced, and, as we predicted, both superstars made the cut.

The star factor will be high that night even if you miss the biggest couple since Bogart and Bacall. Anne Hathaway, Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn all will be there too, with best actress and actor nominations for critically lauded leading roles in "Rachel Getting Married," "Revolutionary Road" and "Milk" respectively. There was also a nod to the shattering performance as the Joker by the late Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight," earning what many felt was an inevitable and well-deserved supporting-actor nomination.

But it's never just about the drama at the Globes. Will Tom Cruise don a fat-suit and Robert Downey Jr. slap on the heavy makeup for their trip down the red carpet? They weren't very recognizable in their gut-busting performances in "Tropic Thunder," but that didn't stop the Hollywood Foreign Press from acknowledging their work. They're going up against each other, Ledger, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ralph Fiennes for best supporting actor.

(Head here for a complete list of Golden Globes nominees -- and our take on them.)

A few giants of music will be well-represented in the Best Original Song — Motion Picture category: Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, Peter Gabriel and Bruce Springsteen all got nods for their contributions to "Cadillac Records," "Bolt," "WALL-E" and "The Wrestler." But don't count out a Hollywood legend in that race — Clint Eastwood is nominated for a song he co-wrote and performed in "Gran Torino."

A trio of serious flicks were the big winners on Thursday morning. Pitt's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" earned five nods in all, equal to the number tallied by fellow nominees for Best Motion Picture — Drama, "Doubt" and "Frost/Nixon."

"30 Rock," "Entourage" and "Mad Men" each earned three nominations, but it was a cancelled HBO series, "In Treatment," that led the TV pack with five nods.

Say what you will about the Globes, they're not the Oscars. Most viewers don't know (or probably care) how the awards are even determined by the infamous Hollywood Foreign Press Association. But when it comes to putting on a show, nobody but nobody does it like the Globes. It is a more relaxed ceremony than some of its stiffer competition. The tuxes come out, but so does the liquor, for the affair, which is held as a dinner at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. Toss in the fact that the Globes acknowledge dramas and comedies in separate categories, as well as television shows and stars right alongside their big-screen brethren, and year in and year out, the result tends to be a pretty irreverent affair by Hollywood awards-show standards.

Of course, for some, the Globes are the simply ultimate warm-up act for the Academy Awards which will happen over a month after the Globes are handed out in January. Traditionally, the Globes can be seen as a decent indicator for Oscar success. Last year, for instance, both Daniel Day-Lewis (""There Will Be Blood"") and Marion Cotillard (""La Vie en Rose"") took home Globes before attaining Oscar glory.

Last year's Globes were stripped down to an awkward news conference due to the writers' strike. Some have feared that an impending work stoppage by the Screen Actors Guild could once again interfere with the festivities, but the current timetable of the potential strike looks more likely to affect the Oscars than the Globes this time around. If all goes according to plan, the Globes will be broadcast live on NBC on January 11.

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

• Before They Were Golden Globe Nominees

• 2009 Golden Globe Nominees
• Rainn Wilson, Elizabeth Banks, Terrence Howard, More Announce 2009 Golden Globe Nominees

• Beyoncé
• Miley Cyrus
• Bruce Springsteen
• Peter Gabriel

Menomena

Now that the Austin dust has settled, it's time to gain some perspective on last weekend's South By Southwest madness. Thousands of signed and unsigned bands descended on the Texas city like a swarm of locusts (locusts with demos). Ultimately, there were only a handful of bands truly worth recognizing. While Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse and the Stooges may have garnered the most press -- here are some of the bands that may have regrettably slipped through the cracks.

Who: Yeasayer

Where are they from? Brooklyn, New York

Is there a record out? No, not yet. But its debut will be released via Baltimore, Maryland's Monitor Records this coming summer. In the meantime, you can hear a couple of demos on their MySpace page.

Website? Click Here

What do they sound like? At times, the foursome projected a wholly distinct vibe like a manic Peter Gabriel -era Genesis channeled through Animal Collective but the band also manipulates their collective vocals (yes, they all sing) producing a sweet, harmonious cacophony.

The great moment: Performing the whole time under a green hoodie, front man Chris Keating walked intermittently into the audience frantically slapping his tambourine in the air.

Who: Ra Ra Riot

Where are they from? Syracuse, New York

Is there a record out? The band doesn't have a label yet, so there's only a self-released EP (which, incidentally, doesn't do justice to the live show). But based on the buzz of its SXSW performances this will all change very, very soon. What, you can't hear the labels bidding in the background?

Website? Click Here

What do they sound like? The six college aged kids create an enormous, hefty sound complete with a cello and violin, not unlike the Arcade Fire or the Olivia Tremor. And singer Wesley Miles croons earnestly but still not emotive enough that it's emo. Ra Ra Riot has enormous potential and considering the band is only a year old, the actualization is inevitable.

The great moment: Guitarist Milo Bonnacci and bassist Mathieu Santos rested their respective foreheads on one another's shoulders while riffing on their instruments.

Who: Jamie T

Where are they from? London, England

Is there a record out? Jamie's debut Panic Prevention is available in Europe on Virgin Records and at this current time, he has no American label.

Website? Click Here

What do they sound like? The cockney cockiness of the Arctic Monkeys meets the disjointed, slurred flow of the Streets meets the middle-finger attitude of the Clash meets the pop sensibility of Lily Allen meets the carelessness of the Fall. Basically, a lot of meetings.

The great moment: When an audience member noted, "This guy is completely wasted." And it was probably true.

Who: Menomena

Where are they from? Portland, Oregon

Is there a record out? The debut I Am the Fun Blame Monster (an anagram for The First Menomena Album) was released on indie label filmGUERRO and features an 80-page flipbook. This year's critically acclaimed Friend And Foe was released on Barsuk in January and it's inarguably one of the year's strongest records.

Website? Click Here

What do they sound like? The unpretentious side of art-rock. There hasn't been a threesome as competent at playing their respective instruments since Rush. Justin Harris, Danny Seim, and Brent Knopf craft oddly timed, intricate pop songs that are heartbreakingly fragile.

The great moment: When drummer Seim flailed on his kit like the octopus prodigy of Keith Moon.

Who: The Black Lips

Where are they from? Atlanta, Georgia

Is there a record out? There are three indie releases out already but the forthcoming Los Vallentes del Mundo Nuevo, a live album recorded in Tijuana, is their first for Vice Records.

Website? Click Here

What do they sound like? Dirty, dirty rock and roll. The Nuggets -influenced retro-ruckus of the Lips is no revelation but these four rarely sober characters bring the party wherever they go.

The great moment: Considering the band performed thirteen times over the span of four days, there was no definitive great moment. Let's just say that all those live sets culminate into one massive great moment.

Who: The Twilight Sad

Where are they from? Glasgow, Scotland

Is there a record out? Fat Cat Records is currently offering two EPs but the full-length Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters will be out in just a few weeks.

Website? Click Here

What do they sound like? Orchestral rock with a honed passion. The guitar, bass, and drums project an aural fullness while singer James Graham's heartfelt, moving vocals soar above it all. Like Snow Patrol with bite, or Mogwai with sensitivity training.

The great moment: When Graham looked down pensively at the floor holding on to the microphone stand with extreme intensity while his band set off power-chord fireworks.

Who: Datarock

Where are they from? Norway

Is there a record out? Yes, but Datarock Datarock is only available on import and via iTunes, although, Nettwerk will release it this coming spring in the US.
Website? Click Here

What do they sound like? Based on the unabashed silliness of the Datarock uniform--a red hoodie, red sweatpants, and mirrored visors--this band is refreshingly brazen about having fun. Their songs reference the dance rock of Franz Ferdinand, the angular zaniness of Devo and the geeky white boy funk of Hot Chip. There wasn't a still person in the room.

The great moment: When front man Fredrik Saroea riled the crowd up into a frantic clap-along.

Watch videos from this year's artists.

VH1 Blog: Complete SXSW Coverage.

• Amy Winehouse
• The Stooges
• Peter Gabriel
• Animal Collective
• Arcade Fire

Chuck D arrives at the 2003 Rock the Vote Awards
Photo: MTV News

So as not to compete with the plethora of post-Grammy soirees Sunday night, the folks at Rock the Vote and Blender magazine decided to get their party started a day early with an awards ceremony that featured performances by Robbie Williams, the Flaming Lips, Vanessa Carlton and Public Enemy, and a midnight bash spiked by a set from the most star-studded supergroup cover band in the world. (Click here for photos from the red carpet.)

In keeping with tradition, the 10th annual Rock the Vote Awards in memory of Patrick Lippert, hosted by MTV's Quddus, took place the night before the Grammy Awards, at New York's Roseland Ballroom Saturday. The rationale was that an array of celebrities in town for music's big night would make an appearance, and once again the logic worked. Film and music stars, from actor Vince Vaughn to P-Funk's George Clinton, were on hand to witness Peter Gabriel and Alanis Morissette receive Rock the Vote Patrick Lippert Awards, and Public Enemy's Chuck D accept the 2003 Rock the Vote Founders Award.

Named for the organization's first executive director, who died from an AIDS-related illness in 1993, the Lippert Awards recognized Gabriel's Witness project, which arms activists with video cameras, and Morissette's involvement with a variety of benefit concerts. Chuck D was honored with the Founders Award for working with advocacy groups like Rock the Vote, the National Urban League and the National Alliance of African American Athletes.

After receiving the award, which was presented by India.Arie, Chuck D's acceptance speech read like a call to arms in the tense international climate. "Somebody out there please tell your president that he has to listen to the rest of the world," he said.

The Public Enemy MC also accused Grammy organizers of warning anyone scheduled to take the stage Sunday not to speak about the conflict in Iraq, or else they'd be censored (CBS spokespeople said on Sunday [February 23] that was not the case). "That to me is ridiculous," he said angrily.

Chuck furthered his politically charged tirade with Public Enemy's set, setting aflame such songs as "Welcome to the Terrordome," "Fight the Power" — which featured a cameo by Bootsy Collins — and the condemning "Son of a Bush," off the group's latest album, Revolverlution, that was punctuated by a buffoon in a George W. mask.

"You see this f---ing guy?" Chuck asked. "He stole the presidency."

While Public Enemy were all seriousness (save for the unintentional comic relief derived from comments by the group's Flavor Flav, decked out in his prison issue orange jumpsuit), Camp Freddy, the supergroup cover band composed of the Cult's Billy Morrison, GN'R's Matt Sorum, Dave Navarro and Donovan Leitch, simply brought after-hours unadulterated fun. Joined by a host of guests, including actress Gina Gershon (see "Gina Gershon Fronts Ex-GN'R Members At Sundance Concert"), Slash, Moby and Linda Perry, to name just a few, the band tore through classic rock covers such as David Bowie's "Jean Genie" and "Rebel Rebel," Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" and the Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar." A tribute to the Clash featured Twisted Sister's Dee Snider singing "Tommy Gun" and Bush's Gavin Rossdale performing "(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais."

"Check this sh-- out, New York, we got the real Guns N' Roses here onstage," said Fuel's Brett Scallions, surrounded by Sorum, Slash, and bassist Duff McKagan, before they blasted into GN'R's "It's So Easy."

The cameo-spiked jam culminated with Melissa Etheridge joining Kid Rock for a cover of Bad Company's "Feel Like Makin' Love." Rock, emphasizing his expected lewdness, just wouldn't be himself if he didn't alter a few lyrics to reflect that he felt like making that sweet love with Etheridge. A sing-along cover of the Stooges' "I Wanna Be Your Dog" brought out the entire cast for the first encore, while the second one ended with Kid Rock straining his vocal chords on GN'R's "Paradise City" after everyone else had left the stage.

The Flaming Lips performed first, offering up three songs from their last two albums, 1999's The Soft Bulletin and last year's Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. Flanked by troupes of plushy-suited dancers with flashlights and accompanied by four inflatable robots, the Oklahoma City oddballs also provided the cutesy amenities that make their shows so compelling. The video screen behind the band flashed images of erotically aerobicizing women, scenes from "Cool Hand Luke," and the perspective of the mic cam, which mostly showed the interior of singer Wayne Coyne's nostrils. The band sang "Happy Birthday" to one lucky fan, and some of the giant red and green balloons that fell from the ceiling at the first note lingered until the end of the night.

Before a black lacquered grand piano, Vanessa Carlton, in a demure blue and gray dress, played "Ordinary Day" off her Grammy-nominated debut, Be Not Nobody, and three new songs, including "Papa," written for her father, and "C'est La Vie," a self-described ode to her "lack of speaking French." All were constructed around a cascading piano foundation and her hushed vocals.

Robbie Williams commanded attention with his set, acting the boisterous rock star even if many in the audience weren't familiar with the wildly successful British import.

"I'm Robbie Williams and I'm from England," he announced after performing "Let Me Entertain You." "I come over here once in a while to play for my fan ... and there she is."

The cheeky humor permeated the entire set, as Williams performed sexual innuendo with the mic stand and a Poland Spring bottle, while alternately posing for the camera and showing off his bum. His six-piece band and two backup singers aided him through "Let Love Be Your Energy" and "Rock DJ" from 2000's Sing When You're Winning, and a couple of tunes from his forthcoming Escapology, including its single, "Feel."

Someone needs to teach old dog Triumph some new tricks. With his opening monologue, "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" 's Insult Comic Dog may be on his way to meeting former MTV personalities Jesse Camp and Pauly Shore in obscurity, as he joked comedian Andy Dick was in the process of doing, if he doesn't update his act a bit. There were some zingers, sure. Honoree Peter Gabriel was immune to the puppet mutt's barbs, having suffered enough by "working with Phil Collins for 10 years," and Triumph's obsession with "schtupping" one of the Flaming Lips' plushy pink bunnies was obscenely amusing. But dragging out the tired jokes about Eminem, whom he clashed with at last year's MTV Video Music Awards (see "Was Eminem Out Of Line At VMAs, Or Just Being Real? Fans (And Triumph) Weigh In"), was a bore, except when the shtick turned offensive when he accused Slim Shady of "being just another white guy stealing black music."

Luckily, the ill-received humor was over early, freeing the crowd to enjoy the remainder of the evening without any such awkward moments.

• Guns N' Roses
• Vanessa Carlton
• The Flaming Lips
• Robbie Williams
• Public Enemy

Alanis Morissette
Photo: Amy V. Cooper

Alanis Morissette, Peter Gabriel and Public Enemy's Chuck D are set to be honored at the 10th annual Rock the Vote Awards party which is being held at New York's Roseland Ballroom on February 22, the night before the Grammy Awards.

Morissette and Gabriel will both be bestowed with the Patrick Lippert Award, named for the Rock the Vote president who spearheaded the young-voter drive in 1992, while Chuck D will receive the Rock the Vote Founders' Award, according to the organization. Lippert died of AIDS-related pneumonia in 1993.

Morissette garnered recognition for efforts that include participation in the benefit concert Groundwork, which raised money for the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), as well as various fundraisers for gun control and September 11th relief. Meanwhile Gabriel is active in the Witness project, which arms activists with video cameras to prevent human-rights violations. He was also among the organizers for the Human Rights Now! Tour with Amnesty International, and participated in the various benefits and events organized by Nelson Mandela and Greenpeace.

A longtime supporter of community service organizations, Chuck D is being honored for his Rock the Vote efforts, in addition to his work with the National Urban League and National Alliance of African American Athletes.

Dave Matthews and Destiny's Child were last year's recipients of Patrick Lippert Awards (see "Destiny's Child, Dave Matthews Feted At Lippert Awards").

• Alanis Morissette
• Peter Gabriel
• Chuck D
• Public Enemy

Avril Lavigne, John Mayer, and Nelly announce 2003 Grammy nominations
Photo: MTV News

When nominations for the 45th annual Grammy Awards were announced Tuesday morning, reactions ranged from sincere congratulations to "What were they thinking?" (Click here for the list of nominees.)

Few readers writing to MTVNews.com's You Tell Us forum had sour sentiments about demure Norah Jones, the jazz-influenced singer/pianist who's got a chance to sweep the four biggest categories — Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Best New Artist (see "Eminem, Avril Lavigne, Nelly, Norah Jones Nab Most Grammy Noms"). Jones is also among the eight artists who garnered five nominations. (Click for photos of this year's Grammy nominees.)

"I'm sooo happy for [Norah Jones]," wrote 18-year-old Lexi, from Seattle. "I know many people haven't heard her music, but those who have know how great it is. Big ups to the critics for giving this girl the credit she deserves."

Jones' Come Away With Me faces stiff competition from The Rising, Bruce Springsteen's return to form, and, to a lesser extent, The Eminem Show. Although the mainstream seems to have embraced the volatile rapper, with hardly a protest over his third major-label album or his fictionalized biopic "8 Mile," the Grammys might not be ready to bestow such a prestigious honor to a man who had a hit with a song that talks about killing the mother of his child and stuffing her in a trunk.

Then again, Eminem already has five golden gramophones in his trophy case (though none in the big four categories), and the Recording Academy did grant an Album of the Year Grammy to Steely Dan in 2001, for Two Against Nature, which featured the song "Cousin Dupree," about incest. But old guards like Donald Fagen and Walter Becker have always had Grammy odds in their favor, which is why Springsteen stands such a good shot. And even if The Eminem Show doesn't win for Album of the Year and "Without Me" doesn't lay claim to Record of the Year, Eminem is likely to make good on at least one of his other three nominations.

While Jones stands as the artist with the smallest presence at radio compared with fellow new-artist nominees R&B songbird Ashanti, singer/songwriter Michelle Branch, sensitive guy John Mayer and pop-rocker Avril Lavigne, most of you think the latter stands as her fiercest competition.

"I think Avril Lavigne definitely deserves Best New Artist," wrote 14-year-old Ashley of Thief River Falls, Minnesota. "She's worked so hard and accomplished so much this year."

"There is no doubt that Avril Lavigne should win Best New Artist," echoed 14-year-old Danielle, from Somerset, New Jersey. "She writes her own music, had three top 40 songs in 2002, sold over 4 million copies of her debut, Let Go, and hates Britney Spears. What more could you want in a Best New Artist?"

While statistics may garner gold records, they don't necessarily translate to a Grammy. Awards are (theoretically) doled out to those who demonstrate genuine artistry in their work. And that's Avril Lavigne, isn't it?

"Avril has no business being nominated for as much as she was," disagreed 19-year-old Andrea. "As far as music and creativity go, Britney is more creative — and you know that's a stretch, especially since Britney is nothing but manufactured bubble gum. Avril may have had something going with her and her ties but let's face it, MTV, that's all she has had."

After yesterday's announcement of the nominations, Lavigne has a lot more attached to her, namely a monumental mistake when she mispronounced David Bowie's last name. When reading the list of artists up for the Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, she mispronounced Bowie as "bow-wie" (rhymes with oh, wowee!). An unnerving hush immediately enveloped Madison Square Garden.

"Am I the only person who realizes what a poser Avril Lavigne is?" queried 22-year-old Kim, from Denver. "First of all, she botched the pronunciation of David Bowie, one of the most influential musicians of our time. ... Does Avril know anything about music? ... My point is, although everyone seems to be touting Avril Lavigne as some new prodigy, the fact is that she is not a true musician or artist and is just as fake and untalented as Britney Spears."

And here we thought Avril was the anti-Britney.

While Mayer's the only guy among the gals in the Best New Artist pack, his fans warn not to count him out just because he's outnumbered.

"John Mayer deserves to win the Grammy for Best New Artist," declared 18-year-old Tiffany Johnson, from Austin, Texas. "He is just on a different level from the rest of the nominees. The guy is brilliant."

Nelly, who's up for Album of the Year, Best Male Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Album honors, among others, is feeling the brunt of haters. For the nearly 5 million copies of Nellyville sold, the St. Louis rapper seems to have just as many, if not more, detractors.

"I want to know what the Grammy folks see in Nelly," demanded 19-year-old Jason Curtis of Seattle. "Everyone is hypnotized by his so-called 'skills,' which are by no means good. As far as I'm concerned, Nelly doesn't deserve a Grammy."

It wasn't all trash talk directed at the St. Louis rapper, however. Many have their fingers crossed that the Band-Aid bearing MC will leave with even more gold than he came in with.

"I'm really anticipating seeing Nelly take home the Grammy for best album," wrote 14-year-old Linzi, from Sandusky, Michigan. "I mean, his music is totally hot, and I'm pretty sure that I don't know anyone who isn't into Nelly."

Linzi, meet 21-year-old James, from New Haven, Connecticut.

"It is clear once again that the awards honor what is popular, not what is good," James began. "Nelly has sunk so far down in the talent pool that he's left rapping about sneakers and some sort of heat wave that has apparently swept Nellyville. Talk about meaningless music. Seriously, if it's that hot in 'herre,' then drink a glass of water. Don't make a freakin' song about it."

Fellow hip-hopper Petey Pablo, up for Best Rap Album with Diary of a Sinner: 1st Entry, faced some harsh reactions, with fellow nominee Mystikal also catching some heat.

"I am very upset to see that Pete Pablo has been nominated for Best Rap Album," expressed 25-year-old Curtis, from Tallahassee, Florida. "Also, Mystikal's Tarantula album was very disappointing. How come someone like Trick Daddy or Cee-Lo never gets nominated? He is pure trash, and I understand why people like Jay-Z protest the Grammys. If we want to make it mainstream for all these old white people, let's nominate Will Smith. Even though his album sold probably 200 copies, he does not curse."

Such outrage over those who were nominated couldn't rival the furor over those who were left out: uber-producers the Neptunes and anyone from the neo-garage school, such as the Hives, the Vines, the Strokes or the White Stripes.

"How did Dr. Dre get nominated in the Producer of the Year category, while the Neptunes were ignored?" wondered Venni, 18, from Blacksburg, Virginia. "Dre didn't do anything in 2002. Every single song on the radio was produced by the Neptunes."

OK, Venni may be exaggerating a bit, though Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo are responsible for Justin Timberlake's "Like I Love You," Nelly's "Hot in Herre" and Mystikal's "Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against the Wall)," all of which are Grammy-nominated.

"I'm surprised the new 'the' bands didn't get major nods," typed an aghast CJ, 18, from Newmarket, New Hampshire. "I'm sad that the White Stripes were shafted, when overrated Avril Lavigne gets all the credit. Well, the Grammys are pretty lame either way."

If the nominations aroused such fervent feelings in these folks, they'd better be prepared for the shock of February 23. While some surprises can be expected with the nods, utter jaw-droppers like the over-the-hill Jethro Tull winning for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance in 1988 are unmatched.

Stay tuned and stay calm.

For a look back at previous big Grammy winners, red carpet photos and much more, visit our Grammy News Archive.

• Eminem
• Norah Jones
• Nelly
• Dixie Chicks
• Bruce Springsteen

Peter Gabriel performs in Minneapolis, MN on 11.15.2002.
Photo: Kris Schumacher-Rasmussen

MINNEAPOLIS — Peter Gabriel's first major solo tour of the U.S. in a decade features a giant egg, a huge transparent rubber ball, dancers from Tanzania and a bicycle.

As the man himself sings in his latest single, "what a show."

Elaborate props and stagecraft are nothing new from the man who — while the lead singer for Genesis in the early 1970s — came onstage dressed as a flower. But they're surely out of step with the times now, when performers are rightfully shy of devices that might remind jaded concertgoers of the Stonehenge scene in "This Is Spinal Tap."

Even Spinal Tap acknowledged that there's a fine line between stupid and clever, though, and Gabriel always made sure that the theatrics served the music on Friday night in his two-and-a-half-hour set heavy on songs from his new album, Up, and Ovo, music he recorded for a visual project in London's Millennium Dome in 2000 (see "Peter Gabriel's Up Is A Downer, But In A Good Way"). It was also short on fan favorites and the hits that turned him into an MTV icon in the 1980s. The unfamiliar set list made for challenging listening and recurrent technical problems prevented the show from maintaining momentum, but by the time he and his six-piece ensemble rolled into his 1992 hit "Digging in the Dirt" halfway through the set, the cumulative effect of sight and sound created a palpable energy in the Target Center arena.

Gabriel opened the elaborate show with a minimalist touch, a solo piano version of "Here Comes the Flood" from his 1977 solo debut. Following it with the brooding, new "Darkness" and the majestic "Red Rain," he set the tone for the rest of the evening, which reflected more the artist's early prog-rock tendencies than the pop and world music explorations that marked much of his work in the late '80s and '90s. Most of the newer material is introspective, which seemed at odds with the communal "theater-in-the-round" stage setup; it was difficult for the audience to focus on the quieter material when the spotlights kept much of the crowd in view even during the quieter numbers.

Still, when it worked, the center-stage setup was stunning. During the slowly building "Sky Blue," gospel quartet the Blind Boys of Alabama (who also opened the show) rose from the middle of the stage to sing backup. Bass singer Clarence Fountain provided a low-end counterpoint to singer (and Peter's daughter) Melanie Gabriel's alto during the song's wordless chorus, as the giant egg — the "ovo" — rose above the bandmembers.

Unfortunately, that's also when the technical problems began. The PA system dropped out completely, meaning that only those closest to the stage could hear the quartet's harmonies. The problem continued during "The Barry Williams Show," and when Gabriel circled above the stage with a video camera trained on the audience, it just seemed kind of silly without the song's music and lyrics being audible.

As technicians worked to solve the sound problems, longtime Gabriel bassist Tony Levin and drummer Ged Lynch worked up a rhythm to get the crowd going, turning an otherwise awkward stretch into the night's first clap-along moment. With the PA fixed, Gabriel and his daughter duetted on the ballad "Mercy Street" before the band tore into "Digging in the Dirt." The atonal interplay of guitarists David Rhodes and Richard Evans emphasized the song's themes of domestic discord as Gabriel delivered an angry performance miles away from the thoughtful ruminations of the Up material.

For one of that album's few uptempo numbers, "Growing Up," Gabriel crawled into a transparent rubber ball, singing the entire song as he rolled and bounced around the stage, marking a turn in the concert's momentum toward a celebratory vibe that made the rest of the evening seem like a different show than the 90 minutes that had come before. "Animal Nation," a song that grew out of his musical work with primates (see "Peter Gabriel Teaching Monkeys to Play Keyboards"), was a playful romp, while "Solsbury Hill" and "Sledgehammer" gave the night its sonic and emotional high points.

He closed the main set quietly, with the arty "Signal to Noise," but returned for the Gen X love anthem "In Your Eyes" in the encore, with his Tanzanian backup singers filling in for West African singer Youssou N'Dour, who sang on the original. By that time, the crowd had all but forgotten the sound problems and darker moments from earlier in the night, and came together in a sing-along that served as a reminder of just how powerful a Peter Gabriel concert can be.

Peter Gabriel tour dates, according to his publicist:

• 11/18 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Union Center
• 11/19 - Cleveland, OH @ Gund Arena
• 11/21 - New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
• 11/22 - New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
• 11/24 - Washington, DC @ MCI Center
• 11/25 - Boston, MA @ FleetCenter
• 11/26 - Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino
• 11/28 - Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
• 11/29 - Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
• 12/2 - Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
• 12/3 - Auburn Hills, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills
• 12/5 - Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
• 12/8 - San Diego, CA @ San Diego Sports Arena
• 12/11 - Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
• 12/12 - Phoenix, AZ @ America West Arena
• 12/14 - Oakland, CA @ Network Associates Coliseum
• 12/15 - San Jose, CA @ Compaq Center at San Jose

For more sights and stories from concerts around the country, check out MTV News Tour Reports.

• Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel
Photo: Stephen Lovell-Davis

Six years into the process of creating his eighth studio album, Peter Gabriel decided to name the record Up. Down may have been a more appropriate title.

Only the record's single, "The Barry Williams Show," about the preposterous nature of reality shows, is at all upbeat (see "Peter Gabriel Pens Very Brady Single On Death-Inspired Up"). The rest of the disc is full of darkly beautiful songs with listless, drifting melodies that range from melancholy to despairing.

The beats surface slowly, as if emerging from the depths of the sea, thumping almost imperceptibly at first and then crashing like surf. Hints of 1992's Us are present, but the music is even more adventurous, combining electronic clamor with delicate synth atmospheres, melding somber strings with spare, cracker-thin piano lines.

"I think sometimes by going down, you create the possibility of being up," Gabriel said, explaining the disc's dark tone. "In other words [there's a] catharsis. Sometimes by allowing stuff to come out, you get to a real positive place."

Even in his early days with Genesis, Gabriel addressed misery and mortality between grandiose, dramatic gestures. "Death was never taboo to me," the singer explained. "Growing up on a farm where you see animals born and dying all the time, it seems to have a place in life rather than be one of the great unmentionables."

From the beginning of Up to the end, Gabriel explores the darker realities of life, first through the eyes of a child, and later from the perspective of an adult overcome with grief. As death-obsessed as he may seem, he frequently finds something positive within morbid topics. In the evocative "I Grieve," he sings, "I grieve for you and you leave me/ Let it out and move on ... / They say life caries on," and suddenly the music shifts from gloomy to buoyant.

The opening track on Up, the appropriately named "Darkness," seesaws between a delicate, haunting melody and a rhythm that shudders like Nine Inch Nails. It's about confronting childhood fears. "The song was going to be called 'House in Woods,' " Gabriel said. "In the woods where I was growing up, there was an old lady who lived there, and she had newspaper all over her windows, and we were terrified of her. ... She seemed like a witch to us small boys. Of course it was ridiculous, but at the time it was very real."

Another song, "My Head Sounds Like That," uses classical instrumentation and gurgling percussion to explore how certain experiences sometimes lead to a heightened sense of reality.

"The example I like to give is sometimes when you're about to throw up, suddenly your sense of smell gets really vivid," Gabriel said. "The same thing happens with hearing, whether it's a knife scraping on the toast or a guy hammering on the next wall. You just become very sensitive to that."

The late Qawwal Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, introduced to Western ears by Gabriel on the 1989 soundtrack to "The Last Temptation of Christ," is featured on Up's epic, string-saturated "Signal to Noise," recorded eight years ago.

"It means a lot to me because he's like a Pavarotti figure — one of the great singers of our time," Gabriel said. His family has been sending us some other tapes, so we're trying to find some stuff that would be good to release that would still honor what he's done in the past, but some of them are not very good recordings."

Up may not be as upbeat as 1986's So or as melodic as Us, but fans will likely find Up worth the wait. The question is, why did Gabriel take so long?

"Part of the reason is, whenever I get bored I come up with a new idea," he explained. "So we ended up with about 130 ideas. Also, I did this Millennium Project that was supposed to be this six-month diversion [but] ended up taking two years. I've also been pursuing other things with human rights, working with apes and world music stuff with WOMAD."

Fans probably won't have to wait another decade for the follow-up to Up, though. "I think there will be three or four records that come out of this [past] period [of writing], so that way it's not so bad. It's still slow by most people's standards, but sometimes I get writer's block."

• Peter Gabriel

Justin Timberlake previewed his new LP, Justified, Tuesday night at New York's Centrofly. Musiq, as well as one of the album's producers, Timbaland, were on hand to help the singer celebrate. Among the songs J.T. previewed was "Take It From Here," where he sings, "I wanna be your air/ So sweet and dear." ... To raise awareness about drunk driving, Timberlake will write and produce a 30-second public service radio and television spot for RADD, Recording Artists, Actors, and Athletes Against Drunk Driving. The singer was moved to become a spokesperson for the organization after a fan, Anna White, was killed by a drunk driver outside of a radio station in Los Angeles earlier this month. ...

Renegade 3LW member Naturi Naughton spent the weekend in Atlanta at producer Jermaine Dupri's studio, where they "just vibed." Although no tracks were recorded, she said a collaboration is possible. ... The Murderdolls, Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison's side project, will film an episode of the WB TV series "Dawson's Creek" in Wilmington, North Carolina, Thursday. The horror-flick-inspired quintet will play themselves performing at a Halloween party in the episode, which is titled "Living Dead Girl" and is set to air October 30. ...

Peter Gabriel will launch his first North American tour in nearly a decade on November 5 with a date at Philips Arena in Atlanta. The 20-date trek in support of his just-released studio album, Up, is currently slated to run through a December 15 date at the Compaq Center in San Jose, California; a dollar from each ticket will be donated to Witness, a human rights organization co-founded by Gabriel. ...

In the midst of sessions for their third album, Houston, Texas, punkers Fenix TX have thrown in the towel. The group cited the age-old "creative differences" as the reason for the split, and it is not known at this time if the songs the group completed for its follow-up to 2001's Lechuza will be released. ... A section of State Highway 19 near Nutbush, Tennessee, will be renamed the "Tina Turner Highway," after powerhouse diva Tina Turner, according to The Tennessean. Nutbush, Turner's birthplace, is the subject of her 1973 hit song, "Nutbush City Limits." ...

High on Fire have announced two separate tours through the U.S., one with Superjoint Ritual (starting October 7) ,the other with Mushroomhead and Shadows Fall (starting October 24). ... Earache Records has signed Matt Zane's band Society 1. Zane is the adult film director responsible for the "Backstage Sluts" series. The band will release Exit Through Fear in early 2003. ... Steve Von Till of Neurosis will release his next solo album, If I Should Fall to the Field on October 1. ... Traktor 7 Records has finally opened its doors and released the first album by the band Crash and Burn. ... Carnal Forge have returned to the studio to work on their next album, The More You Suffer. ... Lounge singer Bud E. Love has recorded lounge versions of a batch of Black Sabbath songs. The album is called, fittingly, Diary of a Loungeman. ...

English dance duo Basement Jaxx are currently in the studio working on the follow-up to their 2001 album, Rooty, which featured the dance hit "Where's Your Head At." So far, they've written about 30 new songs and hope to have the record ready for release next spring. ... The Chemical Brothers will release the appropriately titled U.S.-only AmericanEP on November 19. The five-track EP will feature rare and unreleased remixes of "Star Guitar (Trisco LA Funk Dub)," "Come With Us (H Foundation Mix)," the B-side "HIA," "Electronic Battle Weapon 6" and a live version of "Temptation/Star Guitar," in addition to videos for "The Test" and "Star Guitar." ... Chicago Tribune rock critic Greg Kot has signed on with Broadway Books to write "Wilco: Learning How to Die." Not just a history of the band, the book is said to be a study of music business politics as well. The book has a projected release date of spring 2004. ...

09.24.02

Britney Spears will be honored with the Children's Choice Award at the Neil Bogart Memorial Fund's annual Bogart Tour for a Cure on November 4 in Los Angeles. The pop princess has established both a namesake foundation and a performing arts camp to benefit sick and disadvantaged children and raised $1 million during her Dream Within a Dream Tour for children affected by the September 11 attacks. ... Ever since 'NSYNC's Joey Fatone joined the cast for "Rent" last month, ticket sales have doubled, to the tune of $100,000 more a week. Of course, that pales in comparison to the millions raked in by new entry "Hairspray" — this year's "The Producers" — but for a long-running production ("Rent" is in its seventh year), the box office rebound is setting Broadway records, "Rent" reps say. ... A pre-trial hearing of second-degree assault charges brought against R&B singer Keke Wyatt for allegedly stabbing her husband took place Tuesday (September 24) in Kentucky's Shelbyville County Circuit Court. Attorneys were given 20 days to file motions and 30 days thereafter for responses, before the judge determines whether the case goes to trial. ...

Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell and wife Leighanne are crossing over, and we're not talking about transcending radio formats. The couple will be featured on Thursday's episode of psychic TV show "Crossing Over With John Edward," during which Edward will connect Littrell with a late childhood friend with whom he once shared a hospital room (check local listings for airtimes). ... The "Crossing Over" episode was filmed in the home of Littrell's groupmate A.J. McLean, who will appear in a future episode of the series. ... Meanwhile, fellow BSBer Howie Dorough and his sister Pollyanna will co-host and perform at the United Catholic Music and Video Association's third annual Unity Awards, taking place October 26 on the campus of Washington, D.C.'s Catholic University. In addition to performing "Fly to Heaven" with his sister, Dorough and his family will be honored with the Inspiration Award for the Dorough Lupus Foundation. ...

Def Jam impresario Russell Simmons celebrated the 10th anniversary of his hip-hop fashion brand Phat Farm with a runway show Sunday at New York's Bryant Park. The spring 2003 lines of Phat Farm and its Baby Phat women's apparel brand were examined by fashion insiders as well as music celebrities like Mya, Tweety from Next, Queen Latifah, Damon Dash and Mario. ... Guitarist Trey Anastasio and bassist Mike Gordon performed publicly for the first time since Phish went on hiatus during an impromptu jam session Monday at the Woodstock Film Festival at a party for the Allen Woody documentary "Rising Low," which Gordon directed. Gov't Mule (Woody's band) drummer Matt Abts, Widespread Panic bassist Dave Schools, Deep Banana Blackout guitarist Fuzz and DJ Logic also sat in. ...

"Who's the Boss" star Tony Danza has released his first album, The House I Live In, named after the title track, a remake of Frank Sinatra's 1949 hit. The album also includes the actor's rendition of "God Bless America." ... Alanis Morissette has contributed a new song, "Offer," to a benefit album for the Sabera Foundation for abandoned girls in Calcutta organized by actresses Melanie Griffith and Penelope Cruz, according to the Los Angeles Times. Ricky Martin, Elton John, Bob Dylan and Sting are donating previously released tracks — some with a chorus made up of girls receiving health care and education from the foundation added to them — to the project, due November 19. ... Badly Drawn Boy (a.k.a. Damon Gough) has pushed back the release date of his third album, Have You Fed the Fish?, from October 22 to November 5. His tour kicks off on October 17 at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. and, after winding through New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, Chicago and Portland, winds up at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles on November 8. ...

The now-defunct Toadies will release the live album Best of Toadies - Live From Paradise on November 19. The 18-track collection, recorded before the band broke up in May 2001 at Boston's Paradise club, features a cover of the Pixies' "Where Is My Mind." ... A cover of Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" and "Fred Jones Part 2" featuring Cake's John McCrea are among the gems on the final track list for Ben Folds Live, due October 8. Folds will promote the album, the first 100,000 copies of which will include a bonus DVD with 35 minutes of live footage, with a tour beginning October 10 in Englewood, New Jersey and ending November 3 in Walla Walla, Washington. ... SR-71 have signed on for a residency at Los Angeles' famed Viper Room for three consecutive Wednesdays beginning October 2. The group are promoting their new album, Tomorrow, due October 22. ...

• Justin Timberlake
• *NSYNC
• 3LW
• Jermaine Dupri
• Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel from his "Sledgehammer" video
Photo: Geffen

It's hard not to smile when you see the White Stripes cast in Lego and jamming away in the video for "Fell in Love With a Girl." Will the whimsical Michel Gondry video, nominated for Breakthrough Video at this year's MTV Video Music Awards, go on to be considered one of the most innovative and influential in music video history?

If you're thinking stop-motion-animated children's toys aren't significant enough to inspire future generations, keep in mind that dancing chickens and singing fruit were among the striking images that made Peter Gabriel's 1986 video for "Sledgehammer" so legendary.

The concept that directors Stephen R. Johnson, the Brothers Quay and Nick Park ("Wallace & Gromit") executed with "Sledgehammer," which went on to win nine VMAs (including Breakthrough Video), paved the way for videos such as Primus' "Sailing the Seas of Cheese" and Tool's "Prison Sex."

"It felt pretty exciting at the time, I must admit," said Gabriel of the video, which also featured the singer's head being circled by a train and bashed with hammers. "I think Stephen and myself were determined to get something that was a bit groundbreaking, and we were extremely lucky to be able to pull in the Brothers Quay. There was a team thing about that which was really fun and exciting, so it was easy to explore lots of different ideas."

As jaw-dropping as it was at the time, music videos have evolved considerably since "Sledgehammer" was a staple of MTV's daily playlist. While time and creativity have turned techniques such as rapid-fire edits, unearthly morphing and explosions worthy of the next "Star Wars" into commonplace elements of video's vernacular, they were all, at one point, considered groundbreaking.

Indeed, had Weezer not been transported to the set of "Happy Days" in the irony-drenched, Spike Jonze-directed clip for "Buddy Holly" (1995's Breakthrough Video), Foo Fighters might not have imitated a Mentos commercial in "Big Me." And if the Smashing Pumpkins hadn't made their own version of the 1902 film "A Trip to the Moon" with "Tonight, Tonight" (1996's Breakthrough Video), 'NSYNC might never have emulated a Charlie Chaplin movie in the beginning of their video for "Gone."

When MTV first hit the air on August 1, 1981, with the Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star," there was little indication that music videos would eventually feature Lego rock bands, a breakdancer with a giant nose for a head (the Crystal Method's "Name of the Game") or a dude stepping into a puddle and falling through the sidewalk (Maxwell's "This Woman's Work"). Those clips are all nominees for the 2002 Breakthrough Video, as are Coldplay's animated "Trouble," DMX's stark, caption-heavy "Who We Be" and Cake's novel "Short Skirt/Long Jacket," in which a seemingly random assemblage of people listens to the song on headphones and offers criticism.

Breakthrough Video winners have mostly been influential in one of two ways. Either they spawned new camera, editing or effect techniques that altered the look and feel of the video landscape, or they offered visual icons and thematic elements that were borrowed by other directors down the line.

Some Breakthrough Videos have directly inspired other media, including film. Richard Linklater's 2001 film "Waking Life" uses rotoscopic animation techniques reminiscent of those in A-Ha's 1985 video for "Take on Me." And in Joel and Ethan Coen's 2000 movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?," many of the backgrounds were treated in post-production with a glazey sheen not dissimilar to the silvery desert shots in the Red Hot Chili Peppers' 1992 Breakthrough Video, "Give It Away." Hollywood isn't the only entity to exploit new mediums — elements from Breakthrough Videos frequently surface in television commercials.

"In the five years following [the "Sledgehammer" video], I saw a lot of advertisements that seemed influenced by what we had done," Gabriel said. "The companies are amazingly cheeky sometimes, because the ad agencies will just ask you to send copies of your work, then they rip off all the ideas and never pay you a penny. But then, that's the business."

The first VMA celebration in 1984 awarded its inaugural Breakthrough Video distinction, then called Experimental Video, to Herbie Hancock's "Rockit," which was directed by Godley & Creme. The video depicted robots carrying out pedestrian tasks, while much of the footage jerks back and forth in tandem with the scratching in the song. Elements of that editing style later surfaced in clips for Orbital's "The Box," Roni Size/ Reprazent's "Brown Paper Bag" and Swizz Beatz' "Guilty," and they're echoed in the dance routine from Daft Punk's "Around the World."

If "Rockit" raised the bar for the art of music videos, MTV's Experimental Video for 1985, Art of Noise's "Close (To the Edit)," set a new standard both conceptually and stylistically. The clip, directed by Polish avant-garde filmmaker Zbigniew Rybczynski, features long, single-edit shots of a little punk girl guiding three men in laying waste to musical instruments, such as demolishing a piano with a buzzsaw, a chainsaw and a power drill. Much of the footage is sped up and jittery, and the visuals are stark and industrial.

This creepy vibe lives on in clips such as Nine Inch Nails' "Closer" and Marilyn Manson's "The Beautiful People." The Prodigy have said that their video for "Firestarter" was influenced by "Close (To the Edit)," and Faith No More might have raised a glass to Rybczynski when they detonated a piano at the end of their video for "Epic."

The success of "Rockit" and "Close (To the Edit)" helped open the door for experimentation in mainstream music videos, but the vid for A-Ha's "Take On Me," the 1986 Moonman winner, was probably as influential as "Sledgehammer." The piece features a girl who steps into a comic book and is swept into another world where she falls in love with the cartoon hero. The Rotoscopic animation created a conduit for filmed characters to enter an animated environment, and vice versa. Incubus' "Drive," Limp Bizkit's "Boiler" and U2's "Elevation" have employed similar devices.

"['Take on Me'] was one of the first super, super creative videos," said director Francis Lawrence, who lensed P.O.D.'s "Alive" as well as videos by Nelly Furtado, Jennifer Lopez, Destiny's Child and loads of others. "It almost created the music video genre by incorporating performance into a little story with a gimmick."

The concept took a quantum leap 14 years later when Chris Cunningham took advantage of tremendous advances in digital technology to create Björk's "All Is Full of Love," one of the most stunning sci-fi videos to date. The video depicts the singer as an assembly line robot who falls in love with another female robot. But what's most remarkable are the digital effects, which convert the singer into a lifelike mechanical being.

"In my opinion, it's the most flawless video ever made," said Nathan "Karma" Cox, who co-directed Linkin Park's "In the End." "I remember watching that video and wanting to hang up my hat and get a job at a gas station. I watched it over and over and tried to figure out what was digital and what wasn't."

A similar style of digital wizardry was employed by Linkin Park DJ Joseph Hahn in the band's video for the "Points of Authority" remix. Its influence can also be seen in Basement Jaxx' "Where's Your Head At?" and even Backstreet Boys' "Larger Than Life."

Any modern music video that incorporates beautiful, reverent imagery owes a nod to R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion," which was named 1991's Breakthrough Video. The provocative clip, which was directed by Tarsem Singh, depicts singer Michael Stipe as a wounded angel and is filled with lingering shots of painterly tableaux. (Singh later used some of the same techniques in his movie "The Cell.") Metallica's "Unforgiven," Stone Temple Pilots' "Sour Girl" and the intro and outro to No Doubt's "Don't Speak" refer back to "Losing My Religion."

"The portrait work in that was just amazing," said director Cox. "It felt like a work of art instead of a video. It had ascended from pop art into high art of some sort."

Also approaching high art is director Stephane Sednaoui's video for the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Give It Away," which won a Breakthrough Video Moonman in 1992. Set in the desert, the video conveys the Peppers' colorful quirkiness in black and white as they gyrate away in gilded body paint and satyric makeup, using cinematic techniques reminiscent of '60s underground movies. Later videos that put artists in alien, arty environments include No Doubt's "Hella Good," Busta Rhymes' "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" and Garbage's "Queer."

When this year's Breakthrough Video envelope is opened and the winner is announced, the victor — whether it includes Lego, a big nose, animated birds, a puddle jumper, spiraling words or amateur music critics — will surely be reflected in clips for years to come (click for the complete list of 2002 VMA Nominees).

• The White Stripes
• Peter Gabriel
• Primus
• Weezer
• The Crystal Method

Peter Gabriel
Photo: Stephen L.

On his first studio album in a decade, Peter Gabriel is moving in the right direction.

Up, due September 24, follows in the two-letter tradition he started with 1986's So and continued through his last studio recording, 1992's Us. The determining factor in coming up with the title of Gabriel's ninth proper album (not including 1989's Passion, his soundtrack to the Martin Scorsese film "The Last Temptation of Christ") was left to his fans. He gave them the choice between Up or I/O, which stands for "input/output." As he explains it, his options were limited.

"The title was there about 10 years ago," Gabriel said. "I was playing with words, and I put myself in this two-letter-title box for a number of years."

For the follow-up to So, which featured the hit "Sledgehammer," Gabriel simply changed one letter to come up with Us. Another quick fix led to Up, and I/O will probably be the title of the next LP, noted the methodical former leader of Genesis at their '70s prog peak.

Despite the immediate connotation of the title, Up is anything but cheery. It's actually downright gloomy, rife with themes of loss, loneliness and — the most obvious premise derived from song titles like "Darkness," "Dark" and "I Grieve" — death.

The music enhances such surface feelings with sparse melodies and delicate structures held aloft by breathy electronic atmospheres. Gabriel's trademark worldbeat influences abound, but unlike before, they're not immediately perceived as celebratory. The telltale track "I Grieve," as it moves from solemn to a more upbeat groove, helps makes sense of the album as a cohesive body of work, especially in its mantralike chorus: "They say that life carries on."

"Quite a few of the songs are about death, and in a way, people think that's a pretty miserable, depressing subject, but I would say the opposite probably," he explained. "If you live in a dominant youth culture that pretends death doesn't exist, you're sort of ending up going directly toward it. Whereas if you face it head on and accept it as a part of life — as a lot of other cultures do — then you live life more fully."

The LP's first single is one of the few offerings on the 11-track album that's more social commentary than introspective soul baring. While it may seem "The Barry Williams Show" would be the best thing to happen to the actor familiarly known as Greg Brady since The Return of Johnny Bravo, it actually has nothing to do with him. Rather, the song, ominously driven by a plunging bassline and punctuated with horns, is about the proclivity of reality TV.

"In some ways it's more outside observation and less of an internal track," Gabriel said. "But somehow sonically it still feels of the same palette."

Gabriel is planning a video to accompany the song, though he kept ideas for the treatment under his hat. However, he did reveal his choice for the ideal director: Sean Penn.

"I like his films a lot," said Gabriel, who met with Penn Thursday to bandy ideas about. "And this track should have a dark edge to it, and he definitely knows how to get that."

Obviously, Gabriel's is a condemning view of the current TV craze, so you won't be seeing him on "Dog Eat Dog" anytime soon, but that doesn't mean he's not watching.

"I think we're probably just beginning with reality television in some ways," he said. "I can enjoy watching it myself sometimes, but it's a little like junk food — after consuming it, you feel like sh--. And you're just conscious that some people's suffering is turned into advertising dollars, and it doesn't always feel very good."

• Peter Gabriel

Artists Who've Never Been #1: Ozzy, Kiss, The Cure, More

• David Bowie
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• The Smiths
• Morrissey
• The Who

Alanis, Vanessa Carlton, Robbie Williams, More Rock The Vote

• Alanis Morissette
• Peter Gabriel
• Robbie Williams
• Vanessa Carlton
• Chuck D

45th Annual Grammy Award Nominees, Presenters, And Performers

• Ashanti
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