Phil Collins: "Face Value" book by Mark Bell now available in English!

Mark Bell's book about the creation and impact of the Phil Collins album Face Value is now available in English language!

Mark Bell: Face Value (Phil Collins 1979-1981) – From Crisis to Star: The Amazing Rise Of Phil Collins is the title of the English version of a book about the legendary first solo album by Phil Collins. The book was first published two years ago in German language and is now available in English. It's the third in the Album Age series.

About the author

Mark Bell has been fascinated by sophisticated music since the 1970s. With a doctorate in history and cultural studies, he began writing concert and record reviews at an early age. Since meeting a group of like-minded people at an English university, the plan has matured to present the history of benchmark albums at an academic level, while retaining universal appeal.

About "Album Age"

Wasn't it pure magic when the needle sank into the groove of a new LP for the first time and opened the door to unknown worlds with a slight crackle? Each album was a cosmos in and of itself, always waiting to be discovered anew. And we hoped that this would last forever … Album Age rekindles the fascination of benchmark albums! The first book of the series was about The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (also available in English), the second about Foxtrot (so far, only in German) and Face Value is the third. Mark Bell has already published the fourth book about New Gold Dream (Simple Minds) in Germany.

The Face Value book

The long-awaited world's first book on Phil Collins' legendary debut solo album, Face Value, featuring the smash hit In the Air Tonight, which dispels many myths and misconceptions surrounding this seminal work.

January 1979: after returning from the And Then There Were Three world tour with Genesis, Phil Collins wants to save his marriage, which has been in a serious crisis for some time, at all costs: he puts the band on ice and follows his wife and children to Canada. After just a few weeks, however, he admits his defeat and returns to England. Vacillating between melancholy, sadness and anger, he fights his way out of his deep life crisis by throwing himself into numerous musical projects, including with Peter Gabriel, in the spring/summer of 1979. Above all, however, he processes his feelings in his first songs as a solo artist, songs created in his home studio in 1979.

In his new book, Mark Bell provides the first comprehensive account of how the drummer and singer succeeded in transforming his major personal life crisis into one of the most important albums of the 1980s and establishing his career as a solo star.

In the third volume of the successful Album Age series (and the second to be translated into English), historian Mark Bell reconstructs the complex background and genesis of the album. The collaborations with musicians like Eric Clapton, Alphonso Johnson, and the Earth, Wind & Fire Horns receive special attention, as they significantly contributed to the album's exquisite musical quality. Equally important, however, is Collins' ability to secure Hugh Padgham as engineer, who was largely responsible for the album's excellent sound. In the central sixth chapter, Mark Bell explains the music and lyrics of the album track by track.

A particular focus is placed here on the background and the making of the smash hit In the Air Tonight. Finally, the epilogue examines how the enormous success of Face Value would influence the further development of Collins' band Genesis and how Collins' album significantly shaped the soundscapes of the 1980s.

Important Topics:

– Phil Collins Phil Collins Biography and Development 1951-1978
– Phil Collins' difficult separation in 1978/79 and eventual divorce as the backdrop for "Face Value"
– Phil Collins' collaboration with, among others, Brand X, John Martyn, and Peter Gabriel in 1979 and its crucial importance for the creation of Face Value
– How Phil Collins, with the help of Atlantic founder Ahmet Ertegün, was able to secure his dream musicians for Face Value
– The hiring of co-producer Hugh Padgham as a decisive step
– The Making of Face Value in 1980

– The Creation of the Celebrated Gated Reverb Drumsound
– Lyrics and Music of Face Value Track by Track Explained
– Musical and Lyrical Background of In the Air Tonight
– The Concepts Behind The Album Cover and Album Name
– Release, Marketing Campaign, and Chart Success
– The Album's Impact e.g. on the careers of Phil Collins and Hugh Padgham, on Genesis, and on the soundscapes of the 1980s
– The Planning and Failure of the Face Value-Tour

Our review

Back in 2024, we have published a review on our german website. Since this is a translation of the German book, we have also translated the review, which you can now find here in English language.

How to order the book

Mark Bell: Face Value (Phil Collins 1979-1981) – From Crisis to Star: The Amazing Rise Of Phil Collins is available exclusively on amazon worldwide (here are links to amazonUK*, amazonFR* and amazonDE*). You can also order your copy by contacting the author via albumage@posteo.de.

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* Affiliate-Link: By purchasing through these links, we receive a small advertising reimbursement.