1981 was a period in which a musician even remotely any conventions could go free-lance artistic works for and wanted. There is no gift Bohlen or floor, Aitken, Waterman, no boy bands or RTL superstars. The instrumental record "QE2" by Mike Oldfield was last year bestselling LP in Germany. So it should not be surprising that the first solo album by Phil Collins has relatively little to do with what the Englishman today so as "his music "referred to. Stylistically sounds on "Face Value" each piece anderst and suggests that the material has been accumulated over a long period of time. Fresh, crisp up-tempo numbers with sharp brass section, two splendid instrumentals, ballads that get under your skin and the crowning glory "Tomorrow Never Knows" as John Lennon would have enjoyed doing it. Especially the variety and the ever-changing instrumentation allow the album to be a perennial in domestic CD players are. The crystal-clear sound in addition supports the virtuosity of the (guest) musicians. So nice and big can be the musical universe!
