The article revisits Peter Gabriel's first four solo albums, released between 1977 and 1982, tracing how they charted his evolution from a member of the collective decision-making process in Genesis to an artist forging his own singular identity. Originally published in Prog in 2015 to mark the reissue of these self-titled records, the piece explores how each album pushed progressive rock beyond its 1970s roots and helped establish the template Gabriel would follow for the rest of his career, culminating in the sound and confidence that defined his later work, including So.

The piece charts Gabriel's growing creative control across the four records, from being guided by producer Bob Ezrin on his debut, to collaborating with Robert Fripp on the second album, before taking the driving seat himself on his third and fourth, working with Steve Lillywhite and David Lord respectively. It also recounts his withdrawal from music after leaving Genesis in April 1975, his return to recording by mid-1976, and his choice of Ezrin as producer over Todd Rundgren, partly influenced by Ezrin's work on Lou Reed's Berlin.