Phil Collins is the most underrated by rock fans artist ever. They usually say he produced silly adult pop, that really can kill anybody. But it's false. Phil was the Grand Master of pop. No-one but him can produce really great pop, that can never bore you to sleep and in which almost every song is enjoyable. He programmed drum-machines and used synths in his songs like God. He did every song atmospheric and all of his session musicians often were normal players.
There are only two problems with Phil. First of all,he is The Grand Master Of Sad And Deadly Boring Ballads Just Like "One More Night". That ballads are really dull and were made by Phil just to show to everyone how great his voice can be, but... No, his voice is great-it's true, but he showed all the beauty of his voice in only two songs, which are not that dull ballads. In fact, these two songs are not ballads anyway-they are "The Roof Is Leaking" and "Colours".
The second problem is his love to do crazy experiments. He did some absolutely crappy dance-pop record like No Jacket Required and strange experiments with african music on Dance Into The Light, which are certanly not experiments: Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel did it ten or more years before Phil.
And, finally, the third problem: almost every Phil song has this structure: two verses/chorus/verse/chorus/middle part(aka something different from the verse and the chorus)/chorus/part of verse/neverending chorus with echoes and some different vocals... It's quite monotonous, you know.
Anyway, I can review this album (thank Lord, I can!) and what can I say? The album is really a must-have in your collection, it is one of the best pop albums ever. It is a conceptual album, and as Genesis' Duke it's all about relations between Phil and his first wife.
The album opens with the great hit-single "In The Air Tonight". Gloomy atmosphere, angry lyrics, evil drum-machines and Daryl Stuemer's guitar makes this song unforgetable. The final part really rocks, the Roland drum-machine turns really crazy and Phil cries that unforgetable chorus with all of the power of his voice. Great song, and it isn't overrated, as many people say.
Then goes soul-orientated "This Must Be Love". Seems it's just a Stevie Wonder rip-off, but it's a great rip-off! Phil singing is great as usual, the backing vocals are also nice. By the way, there are no keyborads at all!
Then goes a version of "Behind The Lines" from Duke. It's much shorter (it lasts for three minutes, as the original lasts for 5 and a half minutes) and much better - Phil did some great work with The Pheonix Horns or Earth, Wind And Fire - they're both horn-bands and I'm not sure what one Phil used to record this song. Phil sings fast and it makes you dance.
Then goes an unfamous trilogy "The Roof Is Leaking", "Droned" and "Hand In Hand". These songs are in fact one big neoprog suite, and it's really great. "The Roof Is Leaking" is a banjo/piano song with the greatest Phil singing EVER. It has great lyrics, too. "Droned" is an instrumental, really reminds me some moments on Peter Gabriel's third album, on which Phil was also present. Great piano line and Shankar's (future Peter Gabriel session musician, by the way) violin makes this instrumental unforgatable. "Hand In Hand" is an instrumental where Phil just throwed all that he used on Face Value: sax, horns, piano, even there’s a children choir of one of L.A.'s churchs.
The second side of the album opens with "I Missed Again". Great pop number, with a great tenor-saxophone solo in the end. Shankar is credited on this track, but I can't hear anything that can just reminds me about violin. Whatever.
"You Know What I Mean" is a piano-ballad, and it's VERY touchful. It always moves me to tears when I hear that "...and leaved me!" lines.
"Thunder And Lighting" is just an attractive pop-rocker with a great chorus. And it is the only number on the record that has guitar solo. Or just a parody on guitar solo (I mean, Daryl Stuemer is a great guitarist, but he certainly wasn’t the greatest guitarist of all time).
And then goes "I'm Not Moving", the Phil gay-vocal anthem. Joking, of course, it's a solid pop number with some really good vocal harmonies. In fact, it's very 60's-ish, you know, quite similar to all this poppy songs that early Beatles wrote.
OH, the next number is the first ever Sad And Deadly Boring Ballad, what about I was talking: "If Leaving Me Is Easy". What a lousy saxophone! And what with chorus??? What about Phil's voice, I ask you??? He was drunk when he recorded these vocals. By the way, there are two guitarists credited on this track, Daryl and Mr. Eric Clapton, but there’s no guitar at all. Oh no, there's a little Eric solo in the very-very end of this song and it always makes me laugh: IS THIS ERIC CLAPTON??? This song was released as a single, I can intend Eric was just a name that will make this single sell beter. Whoever would buy that song without Clapton? Only total crazy people, I suposse.
And, finally, the ending, a cover of "Tomorrow Never Knows", the John Lennon masterpiece. And I can really say it's one of the best covers I've ever heard, though Phil has forgotten some of great guitar lines in the middle part... Pity, but...
Well, you know what to do - go to your local music shop and buy Face Value.
Add anything? Your thoughts, maybe?
After the big Genesis’ Invisible Touch tour,Phil decided
to record another solo album.It seems he quite tired in those times from brainless
drum-machine/synth-lead pop with happy love lyrics and brainless production(like
on No Jackets Required or on Invisible Touch)and recorded some
great production with great clever lyrics and he finally paid more attention
to such factors as music and arranging that was almost forgotten by him since
Face Value was released.
The whole album is almost for 60 minutes(CD-era finally came to Phil,guys!)and
songs itself became much longer. Moreover,the album contains the longest song
he ever recorded in his solo career-“Colours” is for almost 9 minutes. Funny,but
it is the second album in a row of “the longest of the longest” albums I’ve
reviewed-R.E.M. New Adventures In Hi-Fi was the first.
There are more instruments on here too-Phil finally returned good old The Pheonix
Horns horns section to work and add them into almost every song on the album.The
finest example of great horns work is intro of the first song on here-“Hang
In Long Enough”(idiotic title).The whole song is all “in horns” too.Chours is
very catchy and lyrics are so funny and quite strange.
The next song is “That’s Just The Way It Is” with Phil sings with David Crosby
about Irish conflicts between Catolics and Protestants.Good,relaxing drum-machine
rythm is really good and catchy chours with all of these “Oh why”’s all the
way make great peacuful anti-war atmosphere.
Next song is “Do You Remember?”-a beautiful and touchful ballad about the love
of Phil’s youth.Piano-lead melody is just great and chours just makes you to
sing along to Phil’s voice.
“Something Happened On The Way To Heaven”(great title)is a catchy pop-song with
great horns riffage and anthemic chours.That’s,in fact,all you need to know
about the song”.
Then goes the best Phil song ever-“Colours”.It is long,as I said before-almost
for 9 minutes and consists of two parts-while the first one is calm and relaxing
ballad with powerfull chours,the second one is fast pop song with driving horns
and catchy chours.The lyrics are about the conflicts and rasism problems in
South African Republic,if you was wondering.
“I Wish It Would Rain Down” is the second song in Phil’s entire career that
has Eric Clapton’s playing in it,but,in opposition to the first one-nooding
sissy ballad “If Leaving Me Is Easy” from Face Value-I CAN hear that
guitar lines and they are great lines-that’s for sure.The song itself is the
anthemic pop that features great chours’ back-vocal background.
Next goes maybe the most famous Phil’s songs ever-“Another Day In Paradise”.I
really like this song about homeless people-great synth riff,catchy melody and
chours,though the song itself kinda dumb-that’s I can agree with haters of this
song.
“Heat On The Street” has driving melody and dancy atmosphere at all,but the
chours lyrics suck-what’s that “shout out,shout loud” lines,I want to know?They
suck!
“All Of My Life” is boring,deadly boring typical Collins-ballad like ‘One More
Night” or previously mentioned “If Leaving Me Is Easy”.And it’s almost for 5
and a half minutes!It is VERY hard to listen this one to the end,but I could.Am
I a hero after it?
“Saturday Night And Sunday Morning”(yet another great title)is cute little jazzy
instrumental,almost all written my Thomas Washington also known as Tom Tom.It
has great horns again and drumming-after all,Phil is the god of drums,isn’t
he?
“Father To Son” is cool personal ballad with nice synth-leading melody and dumb
lyrics.Hey,Phil,why not to doing something different from singing to your own
son and advice him how to leave and love girls right?I hope your son wasn’t
so stupid that he followed your advice.
“Find A Way To My Heart” is maybe the best ending on Phil solo album ever.It
is quite little ‘african” melody and great chours that you just can’t get it
out of your head are worthy enough to buy this album.
So,as you may know,go and buy this pop masterpiece now.
Add anything? Your thoughts, maybe?