"Sledgehammer (2012 Remaster)" by Peter Gabriel

The 2012 remaster of Sledgehammer puts the horn section in your lap. That opening hit is all brass and breath, tight and forward. The texture on the snare is wildly good and never gets lost in the mix.

Peter Gabriel and Daniel Lanois's production on So is a benchmark for depth and separation. The remaster sharpens the low end and gives the kick and bass some real body without losing the detail. Synths and percussion sit wide. Gabriel's vocal stays centered and present. On a good system the layers peel apart and you'll still catch new details across many listening sessions. It still sounds like 1986, but in the best way.

Listen for: No matter how much I listen to this I can't get over the way the snare hits are captured. This is one of my go-to tracks any time I'm expecting incredible detail out of a stereo rig.

► Stream "Sledgehammer (2012 Remaster)" by Peter Gabriel

Data

Song: Sledgehammer (2012 Remaster)
Album: So (2012 Remastered)
Artist: Peter Gabriel
Genre: Pop Rock, Art Rock
Year: 1986 (remaster 2012)
Length: 5:12
Engineer: Kevin Killen, Daniel Lanois
Producer: Peter Gabriel, Daniel Lanois