Advanced Search Beta »
Basic Search Fields
Scratch My Back - Peter Gabriel
Scratch My Back Image
Metascore
67 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critics What's this?

User Score
6.3 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 36 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
Rate this:
  • Summary: "Scratch My Back" is Peter Gabriel's first album in eight years--and the first in a series of releases--in which Gabriel covers the works of his favorite artists in exchange for his own collection of covers by those artists in the forthcoming album, "I'll Scratch Yours." The tracklist includes Arcade Fire's "My Body Is a Cage," Bon Iver's "Flume," David Bowie's "Heroes," Lou Reed's "The Power of the Heart," Paul Simon's "The Boy in the Bubble," and Radiohead's "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" to name a few.… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 21
  3. Negative: 1 out of 21
  1. BBC Music
    90
    The result of this is that many songs here, like Elbow's Mirrorball, are fairly modern, and Gabriel rarely dips into the obvious rock canon (Heroes aside). And the sparseness of the arrangements around the singer's tender vocals makes this a thing of beauty.
  2. Drowned In Sound
    60
    It's a decent enough, darkly-shaded mainstream pop album, but the concept is distracting.
  3. Prefix Magazine
    30
    As with all covers records, the crucial issue is whether these renditions bring anything new to these songs. The answer is a resounding no.

See all 21 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 15
  3. Negative: 6 out of 15
  1. ManuelF.
    10
    Gets better and better everytime you listen to it. not just any album of covers, fantastic rendition to an eclectic selection. Masterpiece
    • 1 of 1 users said yes
  2. JuanB
    5
    The outstanding voice of Gabriel in the center of a flat, weak and boring performance.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. TomB
    1
    There is not a single song on this album that was made better by the voice of Peter Gabriel! I always thought that the man could do no wrong...and then he released this schlock! Simply HORRIBLE!… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 15 User Reviews

Recommended Products

  1. New Blood - Peter Gabriel

    • Release Date: Oct 11, 2011
    New Blood Image

  2. Up - Peter Gabriel

    • Release Date: Sep 24, 2002
    Up Image

  3. 50 Words for Snow - Kate Bush

    • Release Date: Nov 21, 2011
    50 Words for Snow Image

Current Music Releases

Full List »
  1. Tago Mago [40th Anniversary Edition] - Can
    Metascore: 99
  2. Live in Europe 1967: Best of the Bootleg, Vol. 1 - Miles Davis
    Metascore: 99
  3. Siamese Dream [Deluxe Edition] - Smashing Pumpkins
    Metascore: 96
  4. The SMiLE Sessions - The Beach Boys
    Metascore: 96
  5. National Treasures: The Complete Singles - Manic Street Preachers
    Metascore: 95
  6. Achtung Baby [Super Deluxe] - U2
    Metascore: 93
  7. Some Girls [Deluxe Edition] - The Rolling Stones
    Metascore: 93
  8. Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down - Ry Cooder
    Metascore: 92
  9. Unto the Locust - Machine Head
    Metascore: 91
  10. Quadrophenia [The Director's Cut] - The Who
    Metascore: 90
  11. Rio [Live] - Keith Jarrett
    Metascore: 90
  12. Bitch Magnet - Bitch Magnet
    Metascore: 90
  13. What Were You Hoping For? - Van Hunt
    Metascore: 90
  14. Charity Starts at Home - Phonte
    Metascore: 89
  15. Nevermind [20th Anniversary Edition] - Nirvana
    Metascore: 89
  16. Journey of the Deep Sea Dweller, Vol. 1 - Drexciya
    Metascore: 88
  17. Bad as Me - Tom Waits
    Metascore: 88
  18. The Singles - Goldfrapp
    Metascore: 88
  19. Undun - The Roots
    Metascore: 88
  20. The Wonder Years - 9th Wonder
    Metascore: 87
All Current Music »