Both Sides

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Both Sides
Both Sides (Phil Collins).jpg
Studio album by Phil Collins
Released 9 November 1993
Recorded 1992–1993
Length 67:10
Label Virgin (UK and Ireland)
Atlantic (US and Canada)
WEA (Rest of the world)
Producer Phil Collins
Phil Collins chronology
Serious Hits... Live!
(1990)Serious Hits... Live!1990		 Both Sides
(1993)		 Dance into the Light
(1996)Dance into the Light1996
Singles from Both Sides
  1. "Both Sides of the Story"
    Released: 18 October 1993
  2. "Everyday"
    Released: 27 January 1994
  3. "We Wait and We Wonder"
    Released: 29 April 1994
  4. "Can't Turn Back the Years"
    Released: 1994 (Promo)[1]
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic 3/5 stars[2]
Entertainment Weekly B− link
Rolling Stone 2.5/5 stars link

Both Sides is the fifth solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Phil Collins. Featuring an adult-oriented soft rock based sound, the release came out in November 1993. Collins notably created the album entirely by himself without any collaborations from outside songwriters and performers, and he picked up mixed to positive critical reviews with the release, with Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic stating that the album's "artistically satisfying" songs feature "troubled, haunting tales".[2]

A special two-disc edition of the album featuring the Live from the Board – Official Bootleg EP[3] as a second disc,[4] titled Far Side... of the World: Gold Souvenir Tour Edition after the final leg of the Both Sides tour, was released in Southeast Asia and Australia in 1995. It peaked at No. 13 in Australia.[5]

The album achieved commercial success, reaching number one in the U.K., number eight in Australia, and number thirteen in the U.S. Collins also went on the highly successful Both Sides of the World Tour upon its release. That effort involved over a hundred performances in a tour that went over a year,[6] and it showed that he remained a big performer live despite the shifts in the Anglo-American musical landscape taking place.

Development

Both Sides was notable for the fact that Collins made it entirely on his own, without usual collaborators producer Hugh Padgham, guitarist Daryl Stuermer, bassist Leland Sklar and the Phenix Horns. After recording demos at home, the album was finished in just six weeks at the Farm with the help of producer/engineer Paul Gomersall. For the first and only time in his career, Collins played all the instruments himself as well as taking care of the primary production duties. In addition, Collins wrote sleeve notes explaining the meaning of each song, another first.

Collins claims this album to be the one of which he is most proud.[citation needed] It is seen as his most personal album. "In the end I had 17 songs, and kicked out all those that did not fit that mood. As far as performance is concerned this has more heart and soul than anything I have done before."[7]

Collins expresses both his feelings and personal problems and addresses political issues over the course of the album. He touches on politics and "the daily cloud of terrorism Britain seems to live under" on "We Wait and We Wonder", but also on a maturing disenchantment with the youth culture on "We're Sons of Our Fathers". The overall sound of Both Sides marked a return to the dark and melancholy style of his early albums Face Value and Hello, I Must Be Going!, which were largely grounded on the themes of relationship breakdown and loss. Mirroring the circumstances in which those albums were conceived, Collins' second marriage to Jill Tavelman was also failing around the time that Both Sides was written. About the influence of his emotions on his songs he adds: "I have reached this point. Very intimate, very private songs seem to flow easily. I suddenly felt I had a lot to say."[7]

Critical response

Both Sides was met with lukewarm reveiws, particularly on adult contemporary radio, being criticised for its over-reliance on slow, dark and downbeat songs. The album was preceded by the title track as the first single, reaching No. 7 in the UK and only No. 25 in the U.S. (in a disappointing chart performance considering the lead singles from his two previous albums were No. 1 hits in America). The album itself was released weeks later only reaching to No. 13 in the U.S., though it still went platinum there. Both Sides was a hit in other European countries such as the UK (where it was the 8th biggest-selling album of 1993, though it was only available for the final eight weeks of the year), Germany or Switzerland, reaching No. 1 all over Europe, but with a limited success, due to the lack of hit singles. The ballad "Everyday", released in early 1994, was another Top 20 hit in the UK, peaking at No. 15, and became the biggest hit single from the album in the U..S, reaching No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The third and last single, "We Wait and We Wonder"—a political anthem on which Collins plays bagpipes—reached only No. 45 in the UK.

Track listing

All songs written, performed and produced by Phil Collins. All instruments except the drum machine were played live.

No. Title Length
1. "Both Sides of the Story"   6:42
2. "Can't Turn Back the Years"   4:40
3. "Everyday"   5:43
4. "I've Forgotten Everything"   5:15
5. "We're Sons of Our Fathers"   6:24
6. "Can't Find My Way"   5:09
7. "Survivors"   6:05
8. "We Fly So Close"   7:33
9. "There's a Place for Us"   6:52
10. "We Wait and We Wonder"   7:01
11. "Please Come Out Tonight"   5:46

Unreleased tracks

Several instrumental tracks were recorded and subsequently released as extra tracks on both singles for "Everyday" and "We Wait and We Wonder". These instrumental tracks include "Rad Dudeski" and "Don't Call Me Ashley". In addition, there were other various B-sides that were released from the Both Sides sessions ("Take Me with You", "For a Friend") and a few cover songs that made it on other various albums.

There has been discussion about a song called "Deep Water Town". It is from the Both Sides sessions and did not make the cut. It was never released or widely circulated amongst collectors. A very early "demo" of it was released on the official fanclub in 2011. In fact, this is more of an improvisation from which only a bit of the chorus will make it to the completed track. This completed track features an atmospheric drum machine, keyboard sounds (no piano) and vocals by Collins telling a story about a disaster at sea and families left behind.

In November 2004, Collins himself commented on the song on the forum of his old official website: "DEEP WATER TOWN...again I scratch my head and ask how did someone get it... I don't think it was ever released, or am I going slowly senile. It was a pretty song about a disaster at sea, and the families left behind. Obviously one of my more cheerful pre-divorce moments. Circa Both Sides...."[8]

The Both Sides of the World Tour

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Main article: Both Sides of the World Tour

Although Both Sides failed to reach the same heights as ...But Seriously and No Jacket Required, the supporting tour was a huge success. A mammoth 13-month tour, which saw over 150 performances over 6 continents, The Both Sides of the World Tour once again proved Collins to be one of the most popular artists in the World.

Personnel

  • Engineered by Paul Gomersall
  • Assistant engineer: Mark Robinson
  • Recorded at home on 12 tk (PC engineering) with additional overdubs recorded at The Farm (Surrey, England)
  • Mastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering (Portland, Maine, USA)
  • Continuous surveillance by Geoff Callingham and Mike Bowen
  • Cover photography by Trevor Key
  • Artwork: Hills Archer Ink

Charts and certifications

References

  1. ↑ Phil Collins "Can't Turn Back the Years" at Discogs
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Both Sides at AllMusic. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ http://www.noise11.com/news/phil-collins-starts-work-on-catalogue-remasters-20150513
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Genesis News Com [it]: Phil Collins – Both Sides – CD review. Genesis-news.com. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  8. ↑ http://genesisgts.conforums.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=pcsolo&num=1309780636&start=15
  9. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Phil Collins – Both Sides". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  10. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Phil Collins – Both Sides" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  11. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Phil Collins – Both Sides" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  12. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Phil Collins – Both Sides" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Phil Collins – Both Sides" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  16. ↑ source: Pennanen, Timo: Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972. Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava, 2006. ISBN 9789511210535. page: 280
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ "Officialcharts.de – Top 100 Longplay". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ http://www.oricon.co.jp/
  21. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Phil Collins – Both Sides". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  22. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Phil Collins – Both Sides". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Phil Collins – Both Sides". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  26. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Phil Collins – Both Sides". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  27. ↑ November 1993 "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  28. ↑ "Phil Collins – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Phil Collins.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter Phil Collins in the field Interpret. Enter Both Sides in the field Titel. Select album in the field Format. Click Suchen
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Click on næste to go to page if certification from official website
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Select PHIL COLLINS and click OK
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Select Album e Compilation in the field Sezione. Enter Phil Collins in the field Filtra. The certification will load automatically
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ THE FIELD id (chart number) MUST BE PROVIDED for NEW ZEALAND CERTIFICATION.
  40. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  41. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  42. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Select the "Chart", enter ' in the field "Year". Select ' in the field "Semana". Click on "Search Charts"
  43. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  44. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  45. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter Both Sides of the Story in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
  46. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
Preceded by UK number one album
20 November 1993 – 26 November 1993		 Succeeded by
Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell by Meat Loaf
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