Actually. Well, actually.

If you look at the song extremely sober, then you could easily pick apart in the air, it actually. And maybe you should do so. A sentimental, mostly one-dimensional text, a rather unspectacular melody in a watered-down package. The theme itself was at that time not necessarily new, since it has happened many times before, that family members away from the own clan lingered and were zurückgesehnt in the ranks of their loved ones (or vice versa), and we find appropriate lyric relatively frequently. And also the implementation of a telephone conversation between education creditors and Scion had at that time not an absolute novelty. The idea appeared in 1974 almost to hang in the air, after all, published in France Claude "Cloclo" François together with the small Frédérique Barkoff the same subjects "Le téléphone pleure", and also in the US was a "Telephone Call" held between George & Tammy & Tina (under this group name were George Jones, his former wife Tammy Wynette and her daughter Tina Byrd active).
Even Gabriel family was evident in 1974 with the citizens with a telephone, and then father and daughter Yvonne Gunter could exchange on the current situation, in which the parents are separated, possibly even lived in divorce. This was in turn and is in the hit area a quite rare themed initial situation and appropriate songs found both before and after that only rarely make their way to a single, significantly in this respect from that time more than Udo Jürgens '"Divorced" (1974), Andrea Jürgens' "And I love you both" (1977) or Rita Wackers "Now I am 22 and divorced" (1979).
In addition to the courage to break taboos you have to keep this song all Edelkitsch despite at least two things benefit. First, the interpretation over long distances seems very authentic. Gunter Gabriel comes less creaky than usual over, he uses his voice a rather cautious and quite thoughtful and unusually introverted in this way. Secondly, there are one or two text passage where you probably already could rub outstanding at the time of publication itself. Whether it was calculus, lack of wrongdoing, habit or simply chutzpah that persuaded Gabriel, quite ruthlessly questioning in this imaginary telephone conversation his interlocutor on matters her mother, who came on him for anything more, can probably not clarify exactly - it gives this title definitely a "bad aftertaste" that other interpretations of this topic is missing. Whether a taste of this spice or not, every listener should decide for themselves.
Sure, on the surface it is still a hit the cheesy variety, and at the same time an extremely polarizing piece. From the perspective of Gunter Gabriel, who had just released a handful of singles and a few months ago with the "30 ton diesel" and "Hey Boss - I need more money" was in the spotlight, this publication was certainly an uncertain proposition that contradicts itself Expect paid off, it brought him next to his to this day (as of 2015) the highest chart position (5th place) increasingly a reputation as a performer and a songwriter who did not shrink even before taboo subjects.