Sign-In
Cart
Iconic Albums Peter Gabriel Peter Gabriel 4 Security Era (1983): A Track-by-Track Journey Through Rythm and Paranoia
Paperback
Series: Iconic Albums, Book 4
MusiciansPop/RockMusic Reference
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: May 29 2026
Pages: 426
Weight: 1.25
Height: 0.87 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
A dark, rhythmic, and visionary journey into Peter Gabriel's most unsettling solo masterpiece.
Peter Gabriel 4, later known in America as Security, marked the moment Peter Gabriel fully stepped into his own musical universe. After the breakthrough darkness of Melt, Gabriel pushed even further into strange emotional territory - building an album around drums, loops, electronics, global rhythms, distorted identity, spiritual unease, political compassion, and the vulnerable human body under pressure.
This book explores Security in depth, tracing how Gabriel created one of the most distinctive albums of the early 1980s. From the ritual intensity of The Rhythm of the Heat to the spiritual climb of San Jacinto, from the urban anxiety of I Have the Touch to the psychological panic of Shock the Monkey, from the healing drama of Lay Your Hands on Me to the political tenderness of Wallflower, every track is examined as part of a larger artistic transformation.
More than a song-by-song study, this book looks at the world surrounding the album: Gabriel's growing fascination with global music, the birth of WOMAD, the role of Jerry Marotta, Tony Levin, Larry Fast, and David Lord, the influence of the Fairlight and electronic production, the album's distorted cover image, its American breakthrough, and the path it opened toward So.
Security is an album of fear, touch, ritual, technology, rhythm, and survival. It is strange, physical, spiritual, political, and deeply human - one of the essential records in understanding Peter Gabriel's evolution from former Genesis frontman into one of rock's most visionary solo artists.
For fans of Peter Gabriel, Genesis, art rock, progressive music, world music, and classic album analysis, this book offers a detailed journey into an album that remains as unsettling, ambitious, and powerful today as when it first appeared.
Inside, you'll discover:
The making and meaning of Peter Gabriel 4 / Security
A detailed track-by-track exploration of every song
How Gabriel expanded the innovations of Melt
The importance of rhythm, percussion, electronics, and global influence
The story behind Shock the Monkey and Gabriel's American breakthrough
How Security helped lay the groundwork for So
Why the album remains one of Gabriel's defining artistic statements
Security offers no easy comfort.
But it gives us rhythm, vision, compassion, and the sound of an artist becoming fully himself.
Also from
Ward, Richard
Iconic Album John Lennon The Double Fantasy Era (1980): A Track-by-Track Journey through Love, Rebirth and Return
Ward, Richard
Paperback
Iconic Albums Queen The Queen Era (1973): A Track-by-Track Through the Birth of a Legend
Ward, Richard
Paperback
Iconic Albums U2 The Zooropa Era (1993): A Continent in transition, A band reinvented, A different kind of future
Ward, Richard
Paperback
Iconic Albums Electric Light Orchestra The ELO 2 Era (1973): A Track-by-Track Journey through Expansion and Ambition
Ward, Richard
Paperback
Iconic Albums Phil Collins No Jacket Required Era (1985): A Track-by-Track Journey Through Intimacy and Invisibility
Ward, Richard
Paperback
Iconic Albums Genesis The Genesis Era (1983): A Track-by-Track Journey Through Darkness and Identity
Ward, Richard
Paperback
Iconic Albums Genesis The Trespass Era (1970): A Track-by-Track Journey through Ambition and Adventure
Ward, Richard
Paperback
Iconic Albums - The Beatles White Album Era (1968): A Track-by-Track Journey Through a Double Album Classic
Ward, Richard
Paperback
Iconic Actors Sean Connery: A Definitive Study of Film, Persona and Influence
Ward, Richard
Paperback
Iconic Albums - The Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols
Ward, Richard
Paperback
Iconic Albums - David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
Ward, Richard
Paperback
Iconic Albums John Lennon The Imagine Era (1971): A Track-by-track journey through dreams and reflections
Ward, Richard
Paperback
Iconic Albums - A Hard Days Night Era (1964): A Track-By- Track Journey Through A Cinematic Classic
Ward, Richard
Paperback
Iconic Albums John Lennon The Rock 'N' Roll Era (1975): A Track-by-Track Journey Through Roots, Rebellion and Return
Ward, Richard
Paperback
Iconic Albums Phil Collins The Face Value Years (1981): A Track-by-Track Journey through Heartbreak and Confession
Ward, Richard
Paperback
Iconic Albums Bob Dylan The Bringing It All Back Home Era (1965): A Track-by-Track Journey Through
Ward, Richard
Paperback
Iconic Albums U2 The Achtung Baby Era (1991): A Band Reinvented, A City Transformed, A New World Ahead
Ward, Richard
Paperback
Iconic Albums U2 The Joshua Tree Era (1978): A band a landscape a global voice
Ward, Richard
Paperback
Also in
Music Reference
Time's Echo: The Second World War, the Holocaust, and the Music of Remembrance
Eichler, Jeremy
Hardcover
Nothing But Love in God's Water: Volume 1: Black Sacred Music from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement
Darden, Robert
Hardcover
Days of Miracle and Wonder: Paul Simon and the Trials and Triumphs of Graceland
Kahn, Ashley
Hardcover
Emo Revival: Community, Diy, and Rebirth in Post-Hardcore and Emo (2008-2018)
Sacher, Andrew
Paperback
Punk in 50 Pieces: Punk Rock, Post-Punk, New Wave, and the Five Years That Changed Pop Music Forever
Dettmar, Kevin
Hardcover
Resident Punk: How I Smoked, Drank, and Stumbled My Way Through the '70s Punk Scene (and Beyond)
McNeil, Legs
Hardcover
A Whole Lotta History: One Direction and the Sound That Shaped a Generation
Lipshutz, Jason
Hardcover
With a Little Help from Their Friends: The Beatles and the People Who Made Them
Maconie, Stuart
Hardcover
Bust a Move: Matt Dike, Delicious Vinyl, and the Hip-Hop Hits That First Conquered Pop
Relic, Peter
Hardcover
Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles
Massey, Howard
Emerick, Geoff
Paperback
Dolly Parton: The Stories Behind the Songs: The Very Best Tracks, Explored and Explained
Zaleski, Annie
Hardcover
Meet Me in the Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001-2011
Goodman, Lizzy
Paperback
The Cello Who Loved Me: An accidental pilgrimage to master the world's most beautiful instrument
Sorensen, George
Paperback
Here Beside the Rising Tide: Jerry Garcia, the Grateful Dead, and an American Awakening
Newton, Jim
Hardcover
Where Are Your Boys Tonight?: The Oral History of Emo's Mainstream Explosion 1999-2008
Payne, Chris
Paperback
Raised on Radio: Power Ballads, Cocaine & Payola - The Aor Glory Years 1976-1986
Rees, Paul
Hardcover
Such Great Heights: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion
Deville, Chris
Hardcover
Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991
Azerrad, Michael
Paperback
Raps of Resistance: How Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole Reignited a Hip-Hop Tradition
McCool, Jeremy C.
Hopkins, Earl
Hardcover
Mystery Train, 50th Anniversary Edition: Images of America in Rock 'n' Roll Music
Marcus, Greil
Paperback
Quadrivium: The Four Classical Liberal Arts of Number, Geometry, Music, & Cosmology
Lundy, Miranda
Ashton, Anthony
Sutton, Daud
Hardcover
This Is What It Sounds Like: A Legendary Producer Turned Neuroscientist on Finding Yourself Through Music
Ogas, Ogi
Rogers, Susan
Paperback
Made on Earth for Rising Stars: The Electro-Harmonix Story
Scott, Josh
Danger, Daniel
Epstein, Dan
Paperback
Altamont: The Rolling Stones, the Hells Angels, and the Inside Story of Rock's Darkest Day
Selvin, Joel
Paperback
Burning Down the House: Talking Heads and the New York Scene That Transformed Rock
Gould, Jonathan
Hardcover
Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey
Broughton, Frank
Brewster, Bill
Paperback
Good Rockin' Tonight: Sun Records and the Birth of Rock 'n' Roll
Escott, Colin
Hawkins, Martin
Paperback
Ocean of Sound: Ambient Sound and Radical Listening in the Age of Communication
Toop, David
Paperback
Beethoven's Hair: An Extraordinary Historical Odyssey and a Scientific Mystery Solved
Martin, Russell
Paperback
Let's Spend the Night Together: Backstage Secrets of Rock Muses and Supergroupies
Des Barres, Pamela
Paperback
Positively Fourth and Mercer: The Inside Story of New York's Iconic Music Club, the Bottom Line
Altman, Billy
Pepper, Allan
Hardcover
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions: The Official Story of the Abbey Road Years 1962-1970
Lewisohn, Mark
Paperback
Stradivari's Genius: Five Violins, One Cello, and Three Centuries of Enduring Perfection
Faber, Toby
Paperback
Love Goes to Buildings on Fire: Five Years in New York That Changed Music Forever
Hermes, Will
Paperback
Pink Floyd All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track
Guesdon, Jean-Michel
Margotin, Philippe
Hardcover
The Guitar Chronicles: Smoke, Sweat, Scars and Soul: Extraordinary Vintage Guitars and the Stories They Tell
Jane, Eleanor
Hardcover
Uncharted Territory: What Numbers Tell Us about the Biggest Hit Songs and Ourselves
Riva, Chris Dalla
Hardcover
The Majesty of Chicago Jazz: Twenty-Five Visionaries Who Define the City's Sound
Reich, Howard
Hardcover
Willie, Waylon, and the Boys: How Nashville Outsiders Changed Country Music Forever
Fairbanks, Brian
Hardcover
Are We Still Rolling? Studios, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll - One Man's Journey Recording Classic Albums
Brown, Phill
Paperback
The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band
Sixx, Nikki
Lee, Tommy
Neil, Vince
Paperback
Beatles Gear: All the Fab Four's Instruments from Stage to Studio, the Ultimate Edition
Babiuk, Andy
Hardcover
A Modern Guide to Old World Singing: Concepts of the Swedish-Italian and Italian Singing Schools
Jones, David L.
Paperback
The Jazz Barn: Music Inn, the Berkshires, and the Place of Jazz in American Life
Gennari, John
Hardcover