Phil Collins

Dance Into The Light

The Title Speaks its Truth

Review Score:

(10/10)
I originally listened to this CD because of the song "Lorenzo," after learning it was written about Lorenzo Odone, the young boy with ALD whose courageous parents took on the medical establishment and pursued their own discovery process of a treatment for their son, as chronicled in the 1992 film "Lorenzo's Oil" starring Susan Sarandon and Nick Nolte. I am a high school English teacher, wanting to use the film in conjunction with an essay project on how ordinary people can demonstrate immense courage in the face of defeatist attitudes and what seem to be impossible odds -- so I was looking on the net for information associated with the film, and discovered this link to Phil Collins and the song, inspired by Michaela Odone's poetry about Lorenzo.

The album's title fits in so many ways with the process of moving "into the light" that Lorenzo's parents achieved for him. The uplifting rhythms and spiritual orientation of many of the album's lyrics make it a favorite of mine when I'm working in the garden, cooking, or dancing with my 9 year-old daughter.
I suspect Phil Collins responded to the story of Lorenzo as many of us have -- with such unending gratitude for the ability to dance, and do so many other things that sufferers of illness can no longer do -- and with a sense of awe at the relentless love and perseverence of the Odone's to insist on "The Light" for their son no matter the cost to themselves.

The multicultural influences on rhythm and melodic structures add to a sense of how both joy and sadness combine in simplicity at the most poignant moments on the album -- as they do in life.
If you want an album that will uplift and inspire you in both its music and its intentions, this is a perfect choice.

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