Phil Collins – Face Value (2CDs)

During the Eighties there were few other male solo artists bigger than Phil Collins. After a successful run with Genesis the drummer/vocalist decided to go out on his own and release some solo material. The first such body of work was Face Value and the hit singles “In the Air Tonight” and “I Missed Again” made his debut a winner. It is an album chock full of emotion in that it was a trying time for Collins as his wife had just left him. The sentiments on the album run the full gamut of a person going through this. It is also interesting to see what sound was going to come out of him without his bandmates alongside him. The answer was a variety from soft rock to Motown to funk. The high production values highlight the strong drumming (obviously) and vocals, punchy horns and the fact that the guy could really write a hit song. Collins penned ten of the twelve songs on the album. This rerelease coming thirty five years after its original release was curated by the man himself. On the second CD you get live and demo versions of the songs. Really shows you the evolution of the songs before and after being recorded.