"Scratch My Back" will doubtlessly go down as one of Peter Gabriel's most contentious albums. Known for thundering drums and uvula exposing vocal explosions, Gabriel evaded all expectations and instead released a mellow, all orchestral album. Reviews seem very mixed and even long time fans are divided on what to think about this puzzling release.

First off, Gabriel has never recorded a cover album. Sometimes these serve as stop gap distractions while performers prepare new batches of original material (naysayers would probably like to think that such is the case here). Many such albums become throwaways. Instead, Gabriel claims that this motley collection of somewhat contemporary tunes represents his most personal endeavor to date. A deeply personal cover album? Gabriel's oeuvre, burgeoning with passionate political and social statements from his own pen, would seem a more likely fountain of personal expression than orchestral covers. In any case, there it is.

Credit definitely goes to Gabriel for trying on new pants, so to say. "Scratch My Back" is completely unlike anything else the man has ever released. Taking his work as a whole, "So" arguably feels closer to "Foxtrot" than to this album. Here the Gabriel "wall of sound" has disappeared. Innovative cracking rhythms give way to flourishing strings. Vocals float in front of often sparse orchestral and piano arrangements. "Here Comes The Flood" and "Wallflower" approach such sparseness, but everything on "Scratch My Back" outdoes even these quiet ballads in this sense. Sparse, in fact, serves as an apt one word description of this album.

Then there's the song selection. Gabriel definitely mined some of the best: Talking Heads, Paul Simon, Lou Reed, Radiohead, Randy Newman, David Bowie, etc. None of his interpretations outdo the originals. No one would replace Gabriel's version of "Listening Wind" on their copy of "Remain in Light," for example. But that doesn't really say much. The original versions of these selections are so entrenched in our collective psyches that any cover faces an obstinate wall of inertia and presupposition. But that doesn't mean these are good covers, either.

Some of the interpretations definitely work better than others. "Heroes" will definitely repulse some on a first listen. It will subsequently grow on some and off others. "Flume" soars with everything Gabriel has to offer. "The Power of the Heart" provides a decent alternate take to Lou Reed's love sonnet to his now wife, Laurie Anderson. "My Body is a Cage" drags along like carcasses on a Bruce Nauman carousel, as does "Street Spirit (Fade Out)." The rest of the album remains a little up in the air. Nonetheless, it delivers some genuine moving moments as well as some awkward moments. The bridge in "Philadelphia" contains some inchoate dissonant wailing. It's unpleasant. "I Think It's Going To Rain Today" falls a little flat, sounding less rich than Newman's 1968 arrangement. Also, Gabriel's voice seems a little unsteady and overly self-conscious at times. "Scratch My Back" is far from his best vocal performance. On the plus side, "The Book of Love," a simple ditty, provides a memorable track, though some may wince at the borderline corny lyrics.

Ultimately, "Scratch My Back" plays better in segments than as a whole. The full ride can get a little tiresome given some of the repetitive arrangements (silent and slow, rise to a crescendo, then silence to fade out). Nonetheless, the album does contain some memorable moments, but far fewer than most Gabriel albums offer."Scratch My Back" is not for everyone, not even for all Gabriel fans. It's way off of the radar from his other work, is often slow and brooding, and provides challenging interpretations of some very familiar songs. But many will appreciate the starkness and find themselves spinning this one in certain moods. Maybe time will reveal whether or not this album turns out as Gabriel's only dud or as an unappreciated masterpiece. In the present tense, it has some fans scratching their heads.

When singers get to a certain stage in their careers, they usually get the dreaded itch and do a covers album. Peter Gabriel's new CD is the first part of an intriguing project. "Scratch my back" comprises covers of 12 songs by 12 different artists. Eventually, a CD titled "I'll scratch yours" in which the 12 artists will cover different Peter Gabriel songs will be released.

Additionally, Gabriel's CD consists of orchestra only; no guitars or drums. Rod Stewart he ain't! Opening cut David Bowie's "Heroes" is a gradually ascending string-swathed piece, while Paul Simon's "The boy in the bubble" is transformed into a melancholic piano piece shorn of all its Afrocentric traces.

The remaining 10 songs comprise mostly more recent fare of which I only knew 5 originals; Elbow's "Mirrorball" (even more sublime here with just strings), Bon Iver's "Flume" (piano and strings unlike the original's folky guitar), Arcade Fire's "My body is a cage" (with icy strings replacing the original's drum/guitar bursts), Regina Spektor's "Apres moi" (a stunning swelling symphonic makeover), and a delicate piano reworking of Radiohead's "Street spirit ( Fade out)".

The other songs are Talking Heads' "Listening wind" (with a Celtic feel), Lou Reed's "The power of the heart", The Magnetic Field's "The book of love" (with some female harmonies - stirring and truly beautiful), Randy Newman's "I think it's going to rain today" (hymnal with a heartfelt quivering voiced delivery), and Neil Young's "Philadelphia".

Dark and forlorn yet beautiful, these already sound like Gabriel originals. It will be exciting to hear what Arcade Fire, Radiohead, Bowie and the rest do with the Peter Gabriel songs they select.

I have been a Peter Gabriel fan since I purchased my first record album ever in 1967 ... "From Genesis to Revelation." Last week I read that Peter was not going to attend the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction for Genesis because, "...it was like going back to high school." And he has moved on, or something like that. With "Scratch My Back" he has moved on to a nursing home. I'm not a musician, so I am not really sure what makes this disc so incredibly boring, but to me every song sounds nearly the same. Are they all in the same key? Not sure. Same timbre? Could be. Perhaps it's that what makes Peter Gabriel such an amazing artist for me is the music he writes. So I can partially blame it on his poor choice of artists and songs for which he will presumably get like treatment. Bottom line is this. I read the reviews and was skeptical. But I always think the price of the disc is worth it if there is just one song I can listen to over and over. Sorry, but not this time. Wish I had better news.

Peter Gabriel is a true artist. In an era where American Idol assaults the senses with manufactured pop, it is refreshing to know that there is still sonic artistry in this world. I first saw Peter Gabriel in 1978, during the PG II tour. I've waited patiently for each album. I knew that new artistic ground would be broken with every release. Therefore, I appreciate Scratch My Back for what it is, not what it should be.

You cannot listen to this album lightly. The songs demand attention. Each song is crafted with a stunning degree of attention, and while this would not be the first album I would recommend to someone wanting to learn about Peter's music (that would be PG III), this album sits with Passion as a milestone in growth and potential.

For an artist in a genera where innovation is only as good as the package you can sell, Peter Gabriel shines as someone who is true to his art. That is why Scratch My Back is an excellent album. The artestry is uncomprimising. Very few in the industry can be held to that ideal, and I applaud Mr. Gabriel for a beautiful work, that grows with every listen.

Who really expects Peter Gabriel records to be fun? Even upbeat tunes have always been dark humor at best - Shock the Monkey, Big Time, Sledgehammer, etc. I'm not familiar with any of these songs save Boy in the Bubble and I Think It's Going To Rain Today, so maybe that makes me less critical than others. To me this is a beautifully orchestrated disk with Gabriel doing great job of expressing lyrics. Perfect for late night/rainy day listening. Relax and dig.