And Still (Peter Gabriel song)

"And Still" is a song by English musician Peter Gabriel, initially released on 28 October 2023 as the eleventh single in promotion of his tenth studio album I/O. It is the longest track on the album, clocking in at nearly eight minutes.

Background

According to Gabriel, the song is written for his parents. Elaborating on this in a press release, Gabriel stated:

"I wrote a song for my dad a number of years back, which I was actually able to play him, which was 'Father, Son'. When my mum died, I wanted to do something for her, but it's taken a while before I felt comfortable and distant enough to be able to write something. I was trying also to write a little bit in the style of the music that my parents responded to, so I think there is some music from the 40s probably that had an influence on the song. In the middle I wanted to write my mum a beautiful melody. She loved classical music, so we have a beautiful cello playing there. It took a while to get that right, it can't be too emotional or too underplayed, but I think we got there in the end."

The artwork for the single release was made by artist Megan Rooney, specifically the piece "And Still (Time)". According to Gabriel, they had initially decided on a piece she had already painted, but then confronted Gabriel on wanting to paint something new. However, after working on the new piece, she felt that it wasn't good enough and decided to go back to using an existing piece.

Critical reception

Writing for The Guardian, Alexis Petridis compared the instrumentation of "And Still" to the early work of Genesis, particularly in regards to the piano, flute and cello. He further stated that the song reflected the lyrical theme of aging that pervades i/o and felt that Gabriel was "haunted by the passing of a previous generation on 'And Still'". Helen Brown of The Independent praised "And Still" as "a spine-tingling journey" that offered a glimpse into Gabriel's upbringing.

Personnel

Peter Gabriel – lead vocals, backing vocals, treated vocals, piano, synths, programming, glass harp
David Rhodes – guitars, backing vocals
Tony Levin – bass
Ged Lynch – congas
Richard Chappell – programming

Orchestra

Orchestral arrangement: John Metcalfe and Peter Gabriel
Violins: Everton Nelson, Ian Humphries, Louisa Fuller, Charles Mutter, Cathy Thompson, Natalia Bonner, Richard George, Marianne Haynes, Martin Burgess, Clare Hayes, Debbie Widdup, and Odile Ollagnon
Violas: Bruce White, Fiona Bonds, Peter Lale, and Rachel Roberts
Cellos: Ian Burdge (including solo cello), Chris Worsey, Caroline Dale, William Schofield, Tony Woollard, and Chris Allan
Double bass: Chris Laurence, Stacy Watton, and Lucy Shaw
Flute: Eliza Marshall
French horn: David Pyatt, Richard Bissill
Tenor trombone: Andy Wood, Tracy Holloway
Bass trombone: Richard Henry
Tuba: David Powell
Orchestra conductor: John Metcalfe
Orchestra leader: Everton Nelson
Sheet music supervisor: Dave Foster
Orchestra contractor: Lucy Whalley and Susie Gillis

Charts

Chart performance for "And Still"
Chart (2023)	Peak position
German Downloads (Offizielle Download Top 100)	84

References

^ "And Still". PeterGabriel.com. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
"Peter Gabriel Shares New Song "And Still": Listen". Stereogum. 2023-10-28. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
mikeeves@wxhc.com (2023-10-30). "Peter Gabriel releases new 'i/o' track "And Still"". X101 Always Classic. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
Staff, Rock Cellar Magazine (2023-10-30). "Peter Gabriel Debuts "And Still (Dark-Side Mix)" from 'i/o' Album". Rock Cellar Magazine. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
Redfern, Mark. "Peter Gabriel Shares New Song "And Still"". www.undertheradarmag.com. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
Petridis, Alexis (30 November 2023). "Peter Gabriel: i/o review – a beautiful comeback three decades in the making". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
Brown, Helen (1 December 2023). "Peter Gabriel review, i/o: A sublime and long-awaited return". The Independent. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
"Download Charts Single". GfK Entertainment charts. Archived from the original on 6 November 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2024.

v t e Peter Gabriel
Studio albums	Peter Gabriel (Car) Peter Gabriel (Scratch) Peter Gabriel (Melt) Peter Gabriel (Security) So Us Up Scratch My Back New Blood I/O
Live albums	Plays Live Plays Live Highlights Secret World Live Live Blood Back to Front: Live in London Growing Up Live
Singles	"Solsbury Hill" "Modern Love" "D.I.Y." "Games Without Frontiers" "No Self Control" "Biko" "I Don't Remember" "Shock the Monkey" "I Have the Touch" "Wallflower" "Sledgehammer" "In Your Eyes" "Don't Give Up" "Big Time" "Red Rain" "Shaking the Tree" "Digging in the Dirt" "Steam" "Blood of Eden" "Kiss That Frog" "While the Earth Sleeps" "When You're Falling" "The Barry Williams Show" "More Than This" "Growing Up "Burn You Up, Burn You Down" "Darkness" "Down to Earth" "Panopticom" "The Court" "Playing for Time" "I/O" "Four Kinds of Horses" "Road to Joy" "So Much" "Olive Tree" "Love Can Heal" "This Is Home" "And Still" "Live and Let Live"
Songs	"Here Comes the Flood" "On the Air" "Intruder" "Family Snapshot" "The Rhythm of the Heat" "San Jacinto" "That Voice Again" "Mercy Street" "We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)" "This is the Picture (Excellent Birds)" "Come Talk to Me" "Secret World" "Sky Blue"
Soundtracks	Birdy Passion OVO Long Walk Home
Compilations	Shaking the Tree: Sixteen Golden Greats Revisited Hit Rated PG Flotsam and Jetsam
Concert tours	Secret World Tour Back to Front Tour i/o The Tour
Films	Secret World Live Growing Up: Live Still Growing Up: Live & Unwrapped
Video games	Xplora1: Peter Gabriel's Secret World Eve Myst IV: Revelation
Other	Discography Genesis WOMAD Passion – Sources The Story of OVO Millennium Dome Show Play: The Videos Big Blue Ball And I'll Scratch Yours Real World Records Real World Studios Solid State Logic (SSL)
Peter Gabriel discography

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