Phil Collins - Face Value

The beginning of Phil Collins's massively successful solo career coincided with the discord in his first marriage, turning Face Value into a compelling churn of emotions, from the utter disgust of "In the Air Tonight" (where Collins dryly comments, "If you told me you were drowning / I would not lend a hand") to the delight he feels in exploring a new relationship ("This Must Be Love"). Collins's thundering drums and punchy horn arrangements--a close approximation of Earth, Wind & Fire's sound, actually--clicked with the public, turning "I Missed Again" and "In the Air Tonight" into Top 20 singles and launching Collins's career as one of the biggest and most unlikely stars of the '80s. --Daniel Durchholz Amazon.com essential recording

The Greatest Album Ever Made

The greatest album ever made.
Face Value is an amazing combination of jazz, rock, R&B and pop. The fact that it was written and recorded after Phil's first divorce, forces real emotion to the lyrics and feel of the music. You can't help but feel his pain. Yet, no two songs are alike. Since it was never intended as a public release, the entire work is extremely personal. Each song is a story by itself. Real thought and emotion goes into the lyrics. It isn't just 3 or 4 words sung over and over again like many modern songs we are used to hearing on the radio. People who give this album an undeserving one star, seem to be disgruntled Gabriel fans, who are upset with Phil filling his shoes in Genesis.
1. In The Air Tonight -The crème al la crème of all Phil Collins. Arguably, Phil's best vocal recording ever. The songs starts off slow and haunting with the relentless sound of the drum machine (necessary for the mood), then builds into an explosion of drums and emotion. The energy released is like an atomic bomb. Just unforgettable. Lyrics like "If you told me you were drowning, I would not lend a hand", even though they are fictional, still send chills up the spine. A true masterpiece.
2. This Must Be Love- One of Phil's divorce songs. The lyrics tell the story of how bad the pain can be of being in love. We've all been there and we all can relate.
3. Behind the Lines- A sped up version of the Genesis version of the same name. The horns add another dimension to an already amazing song. I'm not saying it's better or worse than the Genesis version. I'm saying it's different.
4. The Roof is Leaking- A moving story about a poor family trying to get through the cold of Winter and surviving the elements. The picture is painted so perfectly, you can actually feel the cold and wind and see the water dripping through the ceiling. If it were a film, it would be worthy of an Oscar.
5. Droned- A short instrumental that works well as a bridge between "Roof is Leaking" and "Hand in Hand". Alone, it can put you in a trans like mood, thanks, in part, to the contribution of Ravi Shankar.
6. Hand in Hand- Absolutely amazing! Although there are no lyrics, there are so many things going on in this song, it is almost sensory overload. One of Phil's most amazing demonstrations of his drumming ability. It's the exact opposite of his drum machine sound of "In the Air Tonight", yet keeps the rhythm of the song flawlessly. The sound of overpowering horn section hasn't been this good since the "Big Band" era. If you try to listen to each track individually, you'll think they are all doing their own thing, which makes you appreciate how it all fits together into a single song. You can listen over and over without it getting boring. Yes, it's THAT good.
7. I Missed Again- A poppy song that is also very catchy. Another nice combination of drums, horns and vocals. Great for the radio.
8. You Know What I Mean- A song that will rip your heart out. The lyrics are very powerful. Anyone who has ever been in love can relate to how painful it is to break up, yet still have feelings for the significant other. Pure torture.
9. Thunder and Lightning- a jazzy song that uses the power of a thunderstorm to paint an amazing picture in your mind.
10. I'm not Moving- Another divorce song that can show the conflict of love and hate. The stubbornness of not wanting to move on, even though it would be the best choice to make.
11. If Leaving Me Is Easy- Arguably, the best ballad ever written. The song paints a perfect picture of the love Phil had for his wife. It turns your heart to jelly, but then, towards the end, the song literally STABS with pure emotion that pours like blood from a bleeding heart. You can actually feel the pain in Phil's voice. Like a 5 minute feature film...unbelievable.
12. Tomorrow Never Knows- A Beatles remake that features some of the tracks from this album played backwards. A worthy attempt at a tribute to the "Fab 4". Make sure you turn up the volume all the way at the end to catch Phil sing "Somewhere Over The Rainbow".
Face Value June 16, 2008

Big fan of In the Air Tonight

I am a big fan of In The Air Tonight. I just wish I could find the version that they play on the radio with the bongos. It is so sexy. May 27, 2008

Phil Collins Best Solo Work

This debut solo album of Phil Collins is definitely his best. The albums that would follow would not reach the skill of this one. Lots of great songs and just an all-around good album. Definitely recommended for Phil Collins' fans as well as Genesis fans. March 7, 2008

No Value

I am sure that Phil Collins is a nice guy, he just is not a good singer. I just don't get how Mr. Collins sells so many records when the music is so bad. Phil's version of the great Beatles classic "Tomorrow Never Knows" is just horrible. If you must listen to this album, please make sure you are the only one that can hear it. November 28, 2007

Phil Collins' classic solo debut 25 years on

Genesis singer and drummer Phil Collins' first proper solo album Face Value was released in February of 1981.
Phil was the last member of Genesis to do a proper solo album (the Brand X albums were a collaboration of sorts). When Face Value hit the streets, people were in awe over the excellent production, Phil co-produced with Hugh Padgham, and engineering of Hugh Padgham and were immediately aware that this album was a collection of letters to his wife whom left him during Genesis' And Then There Were Three Tour in 1978.
Also, the Face Value album has a collage of musical styles (Genesis to Motown to jazz to funk to soft rock to regular rock to art rock).
The opening US Top 20 hit "In the Air Tonight" was a classic that used the metaphor of a drowning man as the demise of his divorce. The track, like all the others features Phil's superb vocals and drumming but also showed he could play keyboards and write great songs. He wrote ten of the album's twelve tracks himself. "I Missed Again" was the album's other US Top 20 hit and is another highlight featuring the Earth Wind and Fire horn section giving this track a Motown feel. "This Must Be Love" is an optimistic song about Phil rebounding from the demise of his first marriage to find peace with a new love in his life. "The Roof is Leaking" is a great country blues number with some killer slide guitar from Joe Partridge (although Eric Clapton did play on an earlier take with the dobro) and banjo from Genesis touring guitarist/bass player Daryl Stuermer.
The two instrumentals "Droned" and "Hand in Hand" are superb as well. My favorite track on the album is the ballad "If Leaving Me is Easy" which is a very sad song and will bring a tear to your eye after listening to the lyrics and the melody and orchestrations on the track. If this doesn't do the trick then you either are insensitive or a robot.
The Genesis track "Behind the Lines" was redone as a funk tune after Phil played the original recording back at double speed during the Duke sessions in 1979 and a new version was born complete with horns. His cover of The Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows" (the album's closer) is the best cover version of the song I ever heard and a great album closer. He slowed the speed down and made this song as it was his own. Ironically, the track is now a tribute to John Lennon who passed away two months before this album was released.
The other tracks "You Know What I Mean" and "I'm Not Moving" are great songs as well but people overlook these.
When released, the Face Value album shot straight to #7 in the US and sold four million copies (which was more than any Genesis album up to that point) in the States alone.
I first discovered this album when my dad had the cassette when I was a child. Then, in late August of 1997 I bought the CD on a whim and was in my 7 CD changer along Genesis' Abacab, the fourth batch of KISS' reissues and Genesis' Duke for three months straight and was the soundtrack to the fall semester of college for me that year.
Highly recommended! November 12, 2007

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