I think what’s wonderful about Face Value is just how varied it is, he really covers all the bases here, from kind of ambient to Motown to soft rock and home made psych, country, folk it’s all there in some capacity plus soft rock and funk. He would make great albums again but here he’s really going for it and showing the world what he can do.
Ahh, the one Phil Collins album “it’s ok to like” (I like them all, to be honest but no serious music fan would ever admit to enjoying more than the debut, at least not in the UK. - which is sad.)
Face Value is Phil’s best solo effort and a classic IMHO. It has a real edge that is missing in the later solo work. I won’t go into the individual tracks but it’s a varied showcase of his talents.
I actually got Face Value after Hello I Must Be Going. While his 2nd album will always remain my favorite, you can’t argue with the quality of songs on this record. It Must Be Love and Thunder And Lightning have always been the standout songs for me on Face Value, aside from the obvious which was played to death. But Face Value just like the follow up is stacked with atmospheric music, which vanished once he recorded No Jacket Required never to be seen again. This is a classic album and I while I don’t play it as often as Hello, when I do I always really enjoy it.
I’m from the UK and I always admitted to liking the first 2 albums. Then again I’ve never given two s..ts what people think... but I do know what you mean. Oh and I’m a real serious music fan.
A stunning debut from one of the best rock drummers who turned out to be a phenomenal vocalist and very able front man for a very successful band. Phil could now add deft home studio musician and ace songwriter to his credits. A record where John Martyn, Eno, Weather Report and Motown intersect. Also the last record where technology worked to enhance his music rather than (in a good many cases) dull and date it. As others have said it's a shame that none of his other records share this sense of adventure and home spun quality. Knowing Phil's future life it's completely understandable that this would be the case. I do wish that Phil had found a different guitarist than Daryl to join him here and forever more. Hand in Hand exudes joy and is an excellent example of why Phil is such a great drummer. I'll always float a little when listening to this one.
"In the Air Tonight" Single by Phil Collins from the album Face Value B-side "The Roof Is Leaking" Released 1980 (Music Video version) 5 January 1981[1] Format 7", 12" Recorded Townhouse Studios London, 1980 Genre Experimental pop, soft rock Length 5:34 (album version), 4:57 (single edit) Label Virgin, Atlantic Songwriter(s) Phil Collins Producer(s) Phil Collins,Hugh Padgham "In the Air Tonight" is the debut solo single by the English singer-songwriter and drummer Phil Collins. It was released as the lead single from Collins' debut solo album, Face Value, in January 1981. Collins co-produced the single with Hugh Padgham, who became a frequent collaborator in the following years. The song was an instant hit, quickly climbing to No. 2 on the UK Singles chart but was held off the top spot by the posthumous release of John Lennon's "Woman".[2] It was also an international hit, achieving top 10 status in Australia, New Zealand and several European territories, reaching No. 1 in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Sweden. It peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, and was later certified Gold by the RIAA, representing 500,000 copies sold. The song's music video, directed by Stuart Orme, received heavy play on MTV when the new cable music video channel launched in August 1981. "In the Air Tonight" remains one of Collins' best-known hits, often cited as his signature song, and is especially famous for his drum break towards the end, which has been described as "the sleekest, most melodramatic drum break in history" and one of the "101 Greatest Drumming Moments".[3][4] The song was ranked at number 35 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 80s" in 2006.[5] In 2007, Mike Gruss, former columnist for The Virginian-Pilot, referred to the song as a "soft rock classic."[6] There are an awful lot of interesting facts and figures and info in the wiki link - In the Air Tonight - Wikipedia -------------------------------------------------- As I said when this song first came out, it was a little too somber and strange for my preteen tastes. It didn't take long for me to get on board with the song, but initially it seemed like a strange song to be the number one in Australia. This song is an absolute classic, and one of the biggest songs of the eighties. The dynamics and atmosphere are what sold it to the general public. The video probably worked well also, but again, as a preteen, the video was just this weird close up of some guys face to me, and it didn't work for me at that age lol There have been debates about what the lyrics are about for years, and I am going to side with Collins in that he just made some words up. It was generally Collins' methodology to have some vocalisations to go with the music and later rewrite some words that make more sense to go with the music and recreate the vocalisations. So there wouldn't really be any surprises for anyone familiar with the way he tends to write. The way the atmosphere is constructed is quite brilliant and back in the eighties, every man and his dog was waiting for the drum section so they could play some air drums to it .... Was this one of the first songs to encourage air drums? Anyway, this is a rock classic, and it never hurts to open your album with a rock classic. The Album version The Single version/video Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight (Official Music Video)
In the Air Tonight is a stone-cold classic. Haunting melody, hypnotic production, all icy control until the drums explode, which is one of the greatest, most thrilling moments in pop music, if you ask me.
Time may have dulled it's edge a little but this is still an incredible track and a really out there hit single for someone who is now seen as part of the MOR brigade. It's become almost over played to the point where unfortunately I sometimes skip it when listening to Face Value, but it will forever be his defining moment and quite rightly, it's an absolute classic
It’s one of the all time classics and an absolute must for a best of the 80s collection. The mood is set for the rest of the album even though it has a range of styles. Love the drum break but really the whole thing just builds mood brilliantly. A big shout out for The Roof is Leakin’ as the B- side. Great track. In the Air Tonight is very close to Phil’s best track IMHO overplayed but still under appreciated.
In the Air Tonight is great, loved it when I first heard it. Lot of people are calling this MOR now, but back then it was considered pretty edgy and alternative, you have to remember this was 1980/81 so lot of mediocre disco in the top40's. Lot of people also didnt "get" this song until they heard it on Miami Vice.
Face Value: I bought this album on CD around the summer of 1997 along with two other Genesis albums. Thanks to my older brother, I was well versed in this album as kid in the early 80s. So it was great revisiting this album. As said before, good atmospheric songs and I really like the flow of 'Roof', 'Droned', & 'Hand'. I still keep this album in rotation to this day.
In The Air Tonight: I'll admit, I fall into the 'Miami Vice' crowd for terms of exposure. It's a great song. Iconic is best described. Atmosphere with a powerful build up and then drums kick in. Who can't resist to air drum to that? I almost can picture this song on 'Abacab'. Seems to be a good fit.
I have a Roland CR-78 sitting close by, the drum machine part from In the Air Tonight is a preset rhythm on the 78. The 78 was also used in Heart of Glass and Roxy's Same Old Scene. Also love the Roland VP-330 vocoder washes in this track. ITAT was also used to accompany another dark driving scene in The Americans. How perfect would it have been for his old chum Peter Gabriel to cover this on his bland covers album? Phil could have scratched his back, returned the favour and done a cover of The Barry Williams Show. Here's what Ahmet Ertegun had to say about the song.....
Face Value: My late sister was a fan of the Collins-meister. Her husband was more of a Genesis fan. So she had this album from 1981. I remember as a 10/11 year old being on holiday down with them in Cornwall where they drove around with the cassette of this album playing in the car. It is unquestionably an outstanding album. In The Air Tonight: It is easy to forget how incredibly powerful this very different sounding track was on radio when it first appeared on Top Of The Pops it was after it had debuted at #36, the impact of that performance saw it fly up to #4 the next week, as it captured the imagination of the public and the tabloid newspapers due to the story behind it. The suitably placed paint pot is a reminder that his first wife left him for a painter/decorator whilst he was away on tour with Genesis. 5.0/5
His second album is in a similar vein to the first one. It's odd that you would have such a wildly different opinion about it.
