Face Value (album)

Face Value
Studio album by
Phil Collins
Released13 February 1981 (1981-02-13)
Recorded1979 (demos)
August–December 1980 (overdubs and mix)[1]
Studio
Genre
Length47:49
LabelVirgin
Producer
Phil Collins chronology
Face Value
(1981) 		Hello, I Must Be Going!
(1982)
Singles from Face Value
  1. "In the Air Tonight"
    Released: 9 January 1981 (UK)[6]
  2. "I Missed Again"
    Released: 27 February 1981 (UK)[7]
  3. "If Leaving Me Is Easy"
    Released: May 1981[8]
  4. "Thunder and Lightning"
    Released: November 1981 (Germany)[9]
Alternative cover
A monochrome close-up image of Phil Collins at an older age and in the same position as its original cover.
2016 reissue cover

Face Value is the debut solo studio album by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins, released on 13 February 1981, by Virgin Records in the United Kingdom and Atlantic Records in North America.[10][11] After his first wife filed for divorce in 1979, Collins began to write songs during a break in activity from Genesis with much of the material concerning his personal life. The album was recorded from mid-1980 to early 1981 with Collins and Hugh Padgham as producers. Additional musicians include the Phenix Horns, Alphonso Johnson, and Eric Clapton.

Face Value was an instant commercial success and reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart for three weeks and No. 7 on the US Billboard 200. It has since sold over 5 million copies in the US and over 1.5 million in the UK. The album received widespread praise from critics and launched Collins' solo career whose commercial success would ultimately outstrip that of Genesis. Its lead single "In the Air Tonight", released in January 1981, reached No. 2 on the UK singles chart and became known for its drum arrangement and use of gated reverb. In January 2016, Face Value was reissued with bonus tracks and new photography in the style of the original but featuring a present-day Collins.[12]

  1. ^ Tracking sheets featured in inner gatefold of Face Value vinyl LP edition
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference AllMusic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Galluccci, Michael (9 February 2016). "35 Years Ago: Phil Collins Releases His First Solo Album, 'Face Value,' About His Crumbling Marriage". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  4. ^ Lynskey, Dorian (11 February 2016). "Phil Collins returns: 'I got letters from nurses saying, "That's it, I'm not buying your records"'". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  5. ^ Stanley, Bob (13 September 2013). "1985: What the Fuck is Going On?". Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 594. ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.
  6. ^ "BPI > Certified Awards > Search results for Phil Collins (page 3)". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
  7. ^ "Phil Collins singles".
  8. ^ "Phil Collins singles".
  9. ^ "Phil Collins singles".
  10. ^ "British album certifications – Phil Collins – Face Value". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  11. ^ "American album certifications – Phil Collins – Face Value". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  12. ^ Reed, Ryan (2 September 2015). "Phil Collins Details 'Face Value,' 'Both Sides' Reissues". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 13 October 2015.