"...I Can Feel It..."
What
I remember about Phil Collins and his 1981 debut album "Face Value"
was that stick in a tin of paint sat on his piano as he sang "In The Air
Tonight" on Top Of The Pops. Then those huge drums kicked in about 3:55 –
and we – le general publique – were duly impressed.
In
March 2022 - it's been over 41 years since I played this album and I have to say
- what with the 2015 Abbey Road Remaster – "Face Value" stands up as a varied kick-ass
account-opener. And I got my copy cheap through the eight-disc November 2017
Box Set – so to the details...
UK
released November 2017 - "Take A Look At Me Now...The Complete Remastered
Studio Albums" on Atlantic/Warners/Rhino 0603497865192 (Barcode
0603497865192) is an 8CD Box Set offering 2015 Remasters of his Studio albums
between 1981 and 2010. Disc 1 is the "Face Value" debut...
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 V 2185.
As
Track 12 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 also stays faithful to the original 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 this CD Remaster and Reissue, Collins
has also changed the artwork to a face shot of him in older age rather the 1981
version (see both photos above).
A
definite downside to the tasty looking gatefold card sleeves is that they are
all devoid of track-by-track annotation, which for the debut would have been an
enlightening thing. Info like Stephen Bishop provides backing vocals for "This
Must Be Love", Eric Clapton plays guitar on the terminally sad "If
Leaving Me Is Easy", 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.
Surprises
come in the shape of the sparse but emotive "The Roof Is Leaking" – 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
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" – 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.
When all is said and done, you
would have to admit that there's something disjointed about Phil's debut, like he
was searching for a direction and therefore threw many pots of musical
paint at many studio walls to see what pattern emerged as the most effective. And remembering that this is the 80ts (excess all areas when it comes to production and drum machines), the still contemporary feel to the whole LP is more than impressive.
Too
much success seems to put a hex on some artists – the public's viewpoint easily
forgetting the body of work. So as a canny starter, you can't help but admire "Face
Value" by Phil Collins. And these returned moments of pleasure remind me
that his knack with a melody and touching lyrics - always the strongest arrow
in his his hugely successful six-decade career from 1969 to 2022. Top stuff my son...
