41 Years Ago - Phil Collins Made The Shift to Face Value

It was 41 years ago to the day that Phil Collins released Face Value. The album is most recognized for the iconic song, In the Air Tonight. However, the album was a game changer for a different reason. It would change the direction for Phil Collins and Genesis. Duke and Genesis were a shift from madrigal lyrics and strong British undertones to contemporary themes that a greater audience can relate and identify to moving forward. 

One of the most significant changes that reflect Duke and Face Value is the introduction of music that provided men the opportunity to reflect upon their own vulnerability. (Here is where we lose the Prog crowd and that's okay. I will explain later) We are introduced to deeply personal songs that reflect the changing times for men. Divorce, acrimony, and sharing our feelings were mostly new to men at that time. 

Think about the male audience of the 70s that loved Genesis. They were hardened men that were not encouraged to share their feelings. Now all of the sudden, this Rock God is asking them to think about the loss of a loved one. Many men in the 80s threw on Face Value because Phil reflected their feelings about divorce and change in one's life. If Leaving Me is Easy was just as important for some as In the Air Tonight was for others. 

The album also gave us hope. The hope that we will triumph over relationship failures. The songsThunder and Lightning are a part of the process that leads to This Must Be Love. He truly provided us new connections that lasted a lifetime for many of his fans. 

Quite honestly, it is this author's opinion that Phil's change was very important to not only music, it was also important for our culture. (This is where the Prog men come in.) 

The men in the 80s that were softened by Phil's willingness to share his heartache found out that being bitter is not the way to find your way out of a problem. You must first connect to the heartache, then move on. This changes a person. Without  change, people including men become very bitter. It leads to disdain and anger. If you ever want to see an example of this type of person, check out social media blogs and pages for Genesis. The Prog crowd love to bully, insult, and criticize the music with a harshness that reflects out society's split today. This crowd makes fun of Phil's current health to prove a point so harshly that they have been harboring these feelings since the release of Face Value and some since Peter Gabriel left. That's a long time one holds on to their feelings. 

For fans of Phil Collins and Genesis that enjoyed the shift, we have been blessed with this change in so many ways. Happy Anniversary to Face Value. An album that changed the music forever.