Phil Collins - Face Value - on 180g Black Vinyl in Gatefold Sleeve. To Be Released 13th November

£27.00

Phil Collins - Face Value - on 180g Black Vinyl in Gatefold Sleeve. To Be Released 13th November.

The writing and recording of Face Value were born out of raw heartbreak and isolation following the breakdown of Phil Collins’ first marriage. Left alone in his Surrey home while his family relocated to Canada, Collins began using music as a therapeutic outlet, transforming his bedroom into a makeshift studio equipped with an 8-track tape machine, a Roland CR-78 drum machine, and a Fender Rhodes piano.

Working alongside co-producer Hugh Padgham at the Townhouse Studios in late 1980, these intimate home demos were meticulously translated into studio recordings. The sessions birthed a revolutionary sonic breakthrough: the gated reverb drum sound on the iconic track "In the Air Tonight." This thunderous, atmospheric percussion effect, coupled with a deliberate emphasis on R&B influences, a punchy horn section provided by Earth, Wind & Fire's Phenix Horns, and guest contributions from Eric Clapton, defined the album's stark, moody, and deeply personal production style.

Released in February 1981, Face Value received an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response, immediately establishing Collins as a formidable solo artist outside of Genesis. Critics praised the album's emotional vulnerability and sonic innovation, particularly lauding "In the Air Tonight" as a masterpieces of dark pop perfection. The record became an instant commercial triumph, hitting number one on the UK Albums Chart and reaching the top ten on the US Billboard 200, eventually going 5× Platinum in the UK and triple-Platinum in the States. Audiences were captivated by the album's striking contrast between bitter, haunting tracks and soulful, upbeat grooves. Decades later, Face Value remains widely considered by music historians to be one of the most influential pop/rock debuts of the 1981 music scene, with its signature gated drum production permanently altering the sonic landscape of 1980s music.

Tracklist

Side A:

In the Air Tonight

This Must Be Love

Behind the Lines

The Roof Is Leaking

Droned

Hand in Hand

Side B:

I Missed Again

You Know What I Mean

Thunder and Lightning

I'm Not Moving

If Leaving Me Is Easy

Tomorrow Never Knows

Craft Recordings Cat. No. PCLP81 2026

Phil Collins - Face Value - on 180g Black Vinyl in Gatefold Sleeve. To Be Released 13th November.

The writing and recording of Face Value were born out of raw heartbreak and isolation following the breakdown of Phil Collins’ first marriage. Left alone in his Surrey home while his family relocated to Canada, Collins began using music as a therapeutic outlet, transforming his bedroom into a makeshift studio equipped with an 8-track tape machine, a Roland CR-78 drum machine, and a Fender Rhodes piano.

Working alongside co-producer Hugh Padgham at the Townhouse Studios in late 1980, these intimate home demos were meticulously translated into studio recordings. The sessions birthed a revolutionary sonic breakthrough: the gated reverb drum sound on the iconic track "In the Air Tonight." This thunderous, atmospheric percussion effect, coupled with a deliberate emphasis on R&B influences, a punchy horn section provided by Earth, Wind & Fire's Phenix Horns, and guest contributions from Eric Clapton, defined the album's stark, moody, and deeply personal production style.

Released in February 1981, Face Value received an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response, immediately establishing Collins as a formidable solo artist outside of Genesis. Critics praised the album's emotional vulnerability and sonic innovation, particularly lauding "In the Air Tonight" as a masterpieces of dark pop perfection. The record became an instant commercial triumph, hitting number one on the UK Albums Chart and reaching the top ten on the US Billboard 200, eventually going 5× Platinum in the UK and triple-Platinum in the States. Audiences were captivated by the album's striking contrast between bitter, haunting tracks and soulful, upbeat grooves. Decades later, Face Value remains widely considered by music historians to be one of the most influential pop/rock debuts of the 1981 music scene, with its signature gated drum production permanently altering the sonic landscape of 1980s music.

Tracklist

Side A:

In the Air Tonight

This Must Be Love

Behind the Lines

The Roof Is Leaking

Droned

Hand in Hand

Side B:

I Missed Again

You Know What I Mean

Thunder and Lightning

I'm Not Moving

If Leaving Me Is Easy

Tomorrow Never Knows

Craft Recordings Cat. No. PCLP81 2026