Phil Collins

Both Sides

Better with time

Review Score:

(8/10)
There are two sides to Both Sides, there's the side of Phil we have become familiar with; and there's another that we are just now getting used to.
Phil Collins has gone the way many past artists have gone before him on Both Sides, think of John Lennon when he made Instant Karma; the theme I am refering to here is social commentary and political expression. As a matter of fact, Phil did take that direction first when he recorded But Seriously, but here he takes us deeper inside.
The title track and first single from the album, Both Sides Of The Story, is a clear statement that there are always two sides to every story. Phil uses the Irish struggle, a family going through divorce, and a ghetto kid confronting a rich man stranded in a poor part of town, as excellent examples of the everyday issues every society faces. It is one of the highlight songs on the album, and one of Phil's best. The album keeps the theme going in tracks like We're Sons of Our Fathers where Phil speaks of modern day family values and how different it is from the old days. We Wait and We Wonder is a critical song about life in Britain facing Irish resistance. That's the side that many fans found as Phil's taking a new direction.
The other side is the sweet and catchy ballads and tunes. Everyday is a nice treat, a ballad about how one is getting used to coping with a break up. Can't Turn Back the Years is another beautiful track about how we can't change the past. The song I found to be special on the album was We Fly So Close. This song was probably written while Phil was listening to In The Air Tonight because it has the same drum beat and the same theme. You feel as if you are in space listening to this song, the same effect you get when you listen to In The Air Tonight.

Recommended

B

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