"Eighties Albums (Four)" by PHIL COLLINS - Featuring "Face Value" (February 1981 UK Debut Solo Album after Genesis), "Hello, I Must Be Going!" (November 1982 Second), "No Jacket Required" (February 1985 Third), "...But Seriously" (November 1989 Fourth) on Virgin Records UK and Atlantic Records USA – Guests Include Ronnie Scott, Eric Clapton, Stephen Bishop, Shankar, Steve Winwood, David Crosby, Daryl Stuermer (later with Genesis), Earth, Wind & Fire Horns, The Phoenix Horns with Arif Mardin Arranged Strings and Backing Vocals from Helen Terry, Peter Gabriel and Sting – Four Albums of Eight Inside "Take A Look At Me Now...The Complete Remastered Studio Albums" (November 2017 UK Atlantic 8CD Mini Box Set of 2015 and 2016 Abbey Road Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

<iframe sandbox="allow-popups allow-scripts allow-modals allow-forms allow-same-origin" style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=mabasreofcdbl-21&language=en_GB&marketplace=amazon&region=GB&placement=B076JKKYBZ&asins=B076JKKYBZ&linkId=3b409d274ff6584030e131509b13ee0a&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true"></iframe>
 

<iframe sandbox="allow-popups allow-scripts allow-modals allow-forms allow-same-origin" style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=mabasreofcdbl-21&language=en_GB&marketplace=amazon&region=GB&placement=B0BZL1MX5Y&asins=B0BZL1MX5Y&linkId=af56fb38e3fc6d43bd49fe788dfb0500&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true"></iframe>

This Review and 209 more are in my E-Book

Available on AMAZON 

LET'S GO CRAZY - 80ts Music On CD

Your All-Genres Guide To Exceptional CD Reissues and Remasters

Classic Albums, Compilations, 45s

All In-Depth Reviews from the Discs Themselves

Over 1,650 e-Pages of Info

(No Cut and Paste Crap)

 

"...Another Day In Paradise..."

 

In March 2023 - it's been over 42 years since I played some of these albums and I have to say - what with the 2015 and 2016 Abbey Road Remasters – the first four from the Eighties - "Face Value" (February 1981), "Hello, I Must Be Going!" (November 1982), "No Jacket Required" (February 1985) and "...But Seriously" (November 1989) stand up so well – especially his account-opener, the third and the fourth mega-seller "...But Seriously" that as I recall pushed over 3-millions sales in the UK alone.

 

All four along with another quad from his later career up to 2010 have been gathered together in this November 2017 not-much-frills but great-value-for-money gather-em-all-up 8-disc Box Set from the mighty trio of Atlantic, Warners and Rhino. Each features 2015 and 2016 Remasters done by the much respected Audio Engineers NICK DAVIS and MIKE SHOWELL at Abbey Road Studios and come in oversized gatefold card sleeves with updated facial artwork (no booklets or overall inlay either). Lot to get serious about - to the details of the first four...

 

UK released November 2017 - "Take A Look At Me Now...The Complete Remastered Studio Albums" by PHIL COLLINS on Atlantic/Warners/Rhino 0603497865192 (Barcode 0603497865192) is an 8CD Box Set offering 2015 Remasters of his Studio albums between 1981 and 2010. They play out as follows...

 

CD1 (47:55 minutes):

2015 Remaster by Nick Davis, Mastered Mike Showell at Abbey Road

1. In The Air Tonight [Side 1]

2. This Must Be Love

3. Behind The Lines

4. The Roof Is Leaking

5. Droned

6. Hand In Hand

7. I Missed Again [Side 2]

8. You Know What I Mean

9. Thunder And Lightning

10. I'm Not Moving

11. If Leaving Me Is Easy

12. Tomorrow Never Knows

13. Over The Rainbow

Tracks 1 to 13 are the debut solo album "Face Value" – released February 1981 in the UK on Virgin Records V 2185 and on Atlantic Records SD 16029. Produced by PHIL COLLINS and HUGH PADGHAM – it peaked at No.1 in the UK and No.7 in the USA

 

CD2 (45:56 minutes):

2015 Remaster by Nick Davis, Mastered Mike Showell at Abbey Road

1. I Don't Care Anymore [Side 1]

2. I Cannot Believe It's True

3. Like China

4. Do You Know, Do You Care?

5. You Can't Hurry Love

6. It Don't Matter To Me [Side 2]

7. Thru These Walls

8. Don't Let Him Steal Your Heart Away

9. The West Side

10. Why Can't It Wait 'Til Morning

Tracks 1 to 10 are his second solo album "Hello, I Must Be Going?" – released November 1982 in the UK on Virgin Records V 2252 and in the USA on Atlantic 7 80035-1. Produced by PHIL COLLINS and HUGH PADGHAM – it peaked at No.2 in the UK and No.8 in the USA (title is a Marx Brothers quote from the Movie Animal Crackers)

 

CD3 (50:52 minutes):

2016 Remaster by Nick Davis, Mastered Mike Showell at Abbey Road

1. Sussudio [Side 1]

2. Only You Know And I Know

3. Long Long Way To Go

4. I Don't Want To Know

5. One More Night

6. Don't Lose My Number [Side 2]

7. Who Said I Would

8. Doesn't Anybody Stay Together Anymore

9. Inside Out

10. Take Me Home

11. We Said Hello Goodbye

Tracks 1 to 11 are his third solo album "No Jacket Required" – released January 1985 in the UK on Virgin Records V 2345 (LP) and VCD 2345 (CD) and in the USA on Atlantic Records 7 81240-1 (LP) and 7 812400-2 (CD). Produced by PHIL COLLINS and HUGH PADGHAM – it peaked at No.1 in the UK and No.1 in the USA

 

CD4 (59:49 minutes):

2016 Remaster by Nick Davis, Mastered Mike Showell at Abbey Road

1. Hang In Long Enough [Side 1]

2. That's Just The Way It Is

3. Do You Remember?

4. Something Happened On The Way To Heaven

5. Colours

6. I Wish It Would Rain Down

7. Another Day In Paradise

8. Heat On The Street

9. All Of My Life

10. Saturday Night And Sunday Morning

11. Father To Son

12. Find A Way To My Heart

Tracks 1 to 12 are the CD album for "...But Seriously" – released November 1989 in the UK on Virgin CDV 2620 and Atlantic 82050-2 in the USA. Produced by PHIL COLLINS and HUGH PADGHAM – it peaked at No.1 in both the UK and USA. As was customary with releases in the middle to late Eighties because of the formats extended playing time capabilities over vinyl – the CD variant offered Two Bonus Tracks - "Heat On The Street" and "Saturday Night And Sunday Morning". The 10-track LP in this case on Virgin V 2620 also had a radically altered track line-up. To sequence the LP...

Side 1: Tracks 1, 2, 12, 5 and 11

Side 2: Tracks 7, 9, 4, 3 and 6

The lack of annotation robs you of useful info – especially when it comes to the brilliant musicians he regularly used as his studio band (Daryl Stuermer later with Genesis and Dominic Miller of Sting’s band on Guitars - Leland Sklar, Nathan East and Pino Palladino on Basses) alongside those tasty guest spots - Helen Terry of Pink Floyd’s The Great Gig In The Sky fame, Sting, Peter Gabriel, David Crosby, Stephen Bishop, Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Shankar, Earth Wind & Fire and The Phoenix Horns, Arif Mardin String Arrangements – you get the picture.

 

For instance as Track 12 on the debut "Face Value" fades out, it segues into a Hidden Acapella cover version of the famous Wizard Of Oz song "Over The Rainbow" – it only lasts for 20-seconds or so but is not credited on the LP. The rear sleeve artwork here also stays faithful to the original LP by not printing the Bonus Track at the end of Side 2 so that it appears that his cover of The Beatles Revolver track "Tomorrow Never Knows" finishes the LP. For these CD Remasters and Reissues, Collins has also changed the artwork to a face shot of him in older age rather the 1981, 1982 etc versions.

 

For your info – friend and pal to Collins, Stephen Bishop provides backing vocals for "This Must Be Love" on the debut and the gorgeous/painful "Do You Remember?" on the "...But Seriously", Eric Clapton plays guitar on the terminally sad "If Leaving Me Is Easy" on the debut and "I Wish it Would Rain Down" on platter number four, while the legendary Producer and Arranger to so many stars Arif Mardin does gorgeous Strings work on "If Leaving Me Is Easy" and especially the stunning "You Know What I Mean" when it just Collins and the cellos carrying the loneliness and hurt. Other big contributors include Shankar who would of course feature on so many 80ts albums by Peter Gabriel, Saxophone Solo from Ronnie Scott on "I Missed Again" and the horns of Earth, Wind And Fire. And there are others too.

 

The Phenix Horns and serious session Saxophonists Don Myrick and Gary Barnacle are all over the big breakthrough LP "No Jacket Required" in 1985 that hit the number one spot on both sides of the pond. "Take Me Home" on Side 2 of that album features a bevvy of backing vocals – Helen Terry, Phil, Peter Gabriel and Sting.

 

A box set like this allows you to dip in too - surprises come in the shape of the sparse but emotive "The Roof Is Leaking" on the feeling-for-his-place debut – a tale of a man with a wife expecting, kids cold and another bad winter on the way. Jo Partridge of The Kiki Dee Band puts in superb slide guitar work that puts a menace in the lyrics of a desperate man looking for light up ahead. Daryl Stuermer of Sweetbottom (who contributes subtle banjo plucks) would later become guitarist with Genesis for long stretches. Collins then stretches out musically with the brilliant hum/instrumental "Droned" – both Shankar and Stuermer making their instrument contributions stand out. The Arif Mardin strings on the heartbreak of "One More Night" – the start of his obsession with Soul and R&B covers of the Sixties and Seventies when he did The Supremes hit "You Can't Hurry Love" for the second LP "Hello, I Must Be Going!"

 

The Children From The Churches of Los Angeles provide the nah-nahs throughout the brass-funky gem that is the Side 1 closer "Hand In Hand" on the debut – an instrumental that is still so damn contemporary (someone plays this on the radio and you're gonna want know who it is and then by surprised by the name outcome). You can so hear how Phil Collins has the knack for a hit hook – it might not get there without words – but what a great listen forty-plus years down the road - the Remaster kicking as those fantastic E, W & F horns rock your living room.

 

Too much success seems to put a hex on some artists – the public's viewpoint easily forgetting the body of work. Wildly successful for much of that decade, he seemed to slide for everything after – at least in the eyes of the public. But this set only amplifies what I loved about Phil Collins songs – they hit the feet and the heart. There are so many returned moments of pleasure here that remind me of his uncanny knack with a melody and touching lyrics - always the strongest arrow in his hugely successful six-decade career from 1969 to 2023. Top stuff my son...

"Genesis 1970-1975" by GENESIS (November 2008 Virgin/Charisma 'Hybrid CD, SACD, DVD' Box Set - Tony Cousins and Nick Davis Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review Along With Almost 300 Others Is Available In My

SOUNDS GOOD E-Book on all Amazon sites

1960s and 1970s MUSIC ON CD - Volume 3 of 3

- Exceptional CD Remasters

As well as 1960s and 1970s Rock and Pop - It Also Focuses On

Blues Rock, Prog Rock, Psych, Avant Garde, Underground

Folk-Rock, Singer-Songwriter, Country Rock and more

Just Click Below To Purchase for £3.95

Thousands of E-Pages - All Details and In-Depth Reviews From Discs

(No Cut and Paste Crap)

"...It's Been A Long Time...Hasn't It...."

Here are details for the six saintly shrouded men…

UK and Europe released November 2008 - "Genesis 1970-1975" by GENESIS on Virgin CDBOX 14 (Barcode 5099951968328) is the 3rd box set in an extensive reissue campaign. Each of the original five vinyl albums from the Peter Gabriel period are pumped up here into double 2CD issues - whilst the 1974 2LP-set "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" now becomes a 3-Disc CD set. "The Lamb Lies Down Broadway" is presented in a beautiful Book Pack while the other albums are in 2CD jewel cases.

Disc 1 of each issue is the SACD and CD Remaster of the album with both mixes encoded onto the disc, while Disc 2 is a DVD with 5.1 Surround Sound with extras tagged on at the end of each. The sixth and final double is called "Extra Tracks 1970-1975" and features singles, demos and BBC Sessions - again both in Audio and DVD. "Extras' is housed in a 48-page hardback book with an essay, band contributions, photos and celebrity reviews. Here's a detailed breakdown of the sets:

1. Looking For Someone [Side 1]

2. White Mountain

3. Visions of Mountains

4. Stagnation [Side 2]

5. Dusk

6. The Knife

Disc 1 (42:33 minutes) is their 2nd album "Trespass", originally released on LP in November 1970 on Charisma CAS 1020 in the UK and Impulse 9295 in the USA (the original UK issue had the 'Pink Scroll' label design and the CD reflects that). The DVD Audio version also has a 'reissues interview from 2007'.

1. The Musical Box [Side 1]

2. For Absent Friends

3. The Return Of The Giant Hogweed

4. Seven Stones

5. Harold The Barrel [Side 2]

6. Harlequin

7. The Fountain Of Salmacis

Disc 2 (39:36 minutes) is their 3rd album "Nursery Cryme", originally released on LP in November 1971 on Charisma CAS 1052 in the UK and Charisma 7208 552 in the USA (Pink Scroll Label also). The DVD audio version also has the 'reissues interview from 2007'.

1. Watcher Of The Skies [Side 1]

2. Time Table

3. Get 'Em Out By Friday

4. Can-Utility And The Coastliners

5. Horizons [Side 2]

6. Supper’s Ready

Disc 3 (51:20 minutes) is their 4th album "Foxtrot", originally released on LP in October 1972 on Charisma CAS 1058 in the UK and Charisma 7208 553 in the USA (changes now to the `Mad Hatter' label design for 3, 4 and 5 reflecting the original vinyl). The DVD Audio disc has 3 extras - reissues interview 2007, Brussels, Belgium Rock Of The 70's 1972 clip and Rome, Italy, Piper Club 1972 clip.

1. Selling England By The Pound [Side 1]

2. I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)

3. Firth Of Fifth

4. More Fool Me

5. The Battle Of Epping Forest [Side 2]

6. After The Ordeal

7. The Cinema Show

8. Aisle Of Plenty

Disc 4 (53:39 minutes) is their 6th album "Selling England By The Pound", originally released in October 1973 on Charisma CAS 1074 in the UK and Charisma 7208 554 in the USA. (Their 5th album, "Genesis Live", was released in July 1973 on Charisma CLASS 1 in the UK; it was an official release and no explanation is given for its no show in this box set).  The DVD Audio version has 3 extras, reissues Interview 2007, Shepperton Studios, Italian TV, 1973 clip and Batacain, France, 1973 clip.

1. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway [Side 1]

2. Fly On A Windshield

3. Broadway Melody Of 1974

4. Cuckoo Cocoon

5. In The Cage

6. The Grand Parade Of Lifeless Packaging

7. Back In N.Y.C. [Side 2]

8. Hairless Heart

9. Counting Out Time

10. The Carpet Crawlers

1. Lilywhite Lilith [Side 3]

2. The Waiting Room

3. Anyway

4. Here Comes The Supernatural Anesthetist

5. The Lamia

6. Silent Sorrow In Empty Boats

7. The Colony Of Slippermen [Side 4]

8. Ravine

9. Riding The Scree

10. In The Rapids

11. It

Disc 5 (45:38/48:51 minutes) is their 7th album "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway", originally released in November 1974 as a 2LP set on Charisma CGS 101 in the UK and on Atco 7599 122 in the USA. The DVD has all of the slide show that accompanied the stage shows offering both Surround and standard stereo versions.

Disc 6 "Extra Tracks" (46:44 minutes):

Track 1 is "Happy The Man", a non-album 7" single issued in the UK on May 1972 on Charisma CB 181 ("Seven Stones" is its B-side - a track off "Nursery Cryme")

Track 2 is "Twilight Alehouse", the non-album B-side to "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" issued on 7" single in May 1974 on Charisma CB 224

Track 3 is "Sheppard (BBC Nightride 1970)"

Track 4 is "Pacidy (BBC Nightride 1970)"

Track 5 is "Let Us Now Make Love (BBC Nightride 1970)"

Track 6 is "Going Out To Get You (Demo 1969)"

Tracks 7 to 10 are called Genesis Plays Jackson.  Michael Jackson was a painter who put music to a silent film of "Metropolis" and invited Genesis in to score it. Some tracks were done, but the full project was abandoned. These tapes have only recently come to light and the four tracks are; "Provocation", "Frustration", "Manipulation" and Resignation" - "Frustration" would later turn up as "Anyway" on "Lamb" and "Manipulation" became "The Musical Box" on "Nursery Cryme".

NICK DAVIS prepped the 5.1 Surround Mixes and Stereo CD mixes with the remastering carried out by TONY COUSINS at Metropolis Mastering. Both of these guys handled the preceding box sets to both applause and derision in equal measure. While I admittedly don't have a Surround capability at home, I find the sound quality on the Stereo CD mixes to be GORGEOUS - a revelation. "Trespass" & "Nursery Cryme" are hissy in places, but still so much better sounding than the crap 1994 Virgin remasters we've been lumbered with all these years (which in turn were supposed to replace the dire 80's issues). But the great news is "Foxtrot", "Selling" and "Lamb", each of which now has GORGEOUS SOUND. At 8:15 minutes into "Supper's Ready" on Foxtrot when the acoustic guitars kick in, I was in floods, huge sound filling my room... We've been waiting 35 years to finally hear these great works in DECENT AUDIO.

While the DVD and Audio elements are fantastic and the extras fascinating - I find the packaging naff (typical of all things Virgin). The box lid won't close no matter what you do, the individual booklets are simply the original artwork restored, but again they're too small to read and massively underwhelming compared to the beautiful event feel of the original vinyl gatefold sleeves (especially "Lamb"). And with no new essay, no new photos, nor nothing of their history - when they're released as stand-alone CDs, fans are going to feel mightily short-changed – again. And why no "Live" set - nor the 1975 single edit of "Carpet Crawlers" - or its unique B-side, the live in the USA (Evil Jam) version of "The Waiting Room"? Nor is it cheapest of things either…so with the boys now individually credited as Limited Companies on the rear sleeve - the whole thing is beginning to smack a little too much of corporate greed instead of musical celebration.

The Music is truly incredible and still stands up with "Foxtrot", "Selling England By The Pound" and that amazing 1974 double "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" still eliciting gasps – and I’d have to say that the Audio is gorgeous and revealing throughout. "Trespass" and "Nursery Cryme" have their moments for sure – but it’s the final three in the Charisma period that are Proggy Heaven.

Wonderful in some respects and yet strangely disappointing in others - this eagerly awaited box is 4-stars really when it should have been six. And yet I love it and them in all their mad, imaginative and sprawling brilliance. Fans will know what I mean when I say - "...something tells me I’d better activate my prayer capsule…"