"Both Sides" by PHIL COLLINS - Album Review (2023)

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

Thanks for watching! Let me know what you think about this record... and don't forget to sign up for our latest Phil Collins Giveaway: everythingphilcollins.com

[@cheriecraighead1502]

Both Sides is one of my favorite Phil Collins albums.I wrote and sent him my CD booklet.A few weeks later I got it in the mail autographed.

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

Amazing. What a dude!!

[@MatthewSwanton]

As Phil explains in his biography, “Hero” was a song David Crosby had lyrics for but no music and approached Phil to help him out. The finished song is on Crosby’s thousand Roads album. Phil is on backing vocals and is also in the music video.

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

Awesome!

[@roxancarle1166]

and WE FLY SO CLOSE is simply a masterpiece

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

Agreed

[@stefanschaffer5020]

I also love "Everyday" so much, playing it almost every day to calm down myself. "Both Sides" is my favorite. Thanks for your great analysis of this album!

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

Glad you enjoy it! Thanks for the comment!!

[@RVPMatt123]

I've come to the conclusion lately that Both Sides is my favourite Phil Collins album. It definitely has a lot more stripped back songs compared to the previous four albums, but I feel like it helps this record in a way, both instrumentallly and vocally. And personally, the whole vibe of the album makes me feel really chilled out and relaxed and I usually find myself sticking on one of the songs when I'm returning home from an evening out. And the fact that Phil pretty much did everything on this album? Simply amazing. Of course, my mind is always gonna change when it comes to my favourite album from Phil, but most often? Both Sides sits there at the top. Can't wait to get a physical copy soon!

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

I adore this record!!

[@darkmanalmighty9683]

True test of an artist is the ability to reinvent themselves and change their style and still be accepted among fans. Just like us we do not stay the same and our listening can be based on moods and that's how I see Phil's work. This has to be one of my favorite albums of his, not just the arrangement but also the lyrics and themes of songs. Definitely an album to chill. I spent many nights falling asleep to this.

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

Great to hear!!! Totally agree!!

[@MrKP258]

Very good timing! Just stumbled on a CD copy at a thrift store a couple days ago and then you uploaded this! Honestly had not listened to the album before and was impressed to read in the liner notes about how Phil did all the tracks himself on this one. I will admit that I think that the fake instrument synths make the production sound more akin to a demo in some ways, but it does have it's charm. It's a really great album overall though and I'm glad to be exploring more of Phil's discography!

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

Charm is a great word for it!! Thanks for watching!!

[@michaelstaley6747]

There’s definitely a big John Martyn and The Blue Nile influence on this one. Can’t Turn Back the Years (those “give it up” b vox at the end) is very John Martyn, and he covered it on his final album of course. As is Everyday (those “everyday” b vox are pure John Martyn). I’ve Forgotten Everything is clearly inspired by Over the Hillside by The Blue Nile, and Please Come Out Tonight has a bit of Blue Nile too (they even have a song called Let’s Go Out Tonight!). Phil loved their album Hats. I think if he’d done a tight 40 minutes of this sort of stuff, without the big rock songs that he probably thought he had to include, then this album would be more highly thought of (by critics). It’s a shame he didn’t pursue this style rather than thinking he should have hits and try and compete with the mainstream, but that’s possibly down to Tony Smith…….

[@stefanlivesey8068]

I've made a custom, two-disc version of Both Sides including all the B-sides. It's become my preferred way of listening to this great album. Oh, and Survivors was written for his daughter Lily.

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

Very cool!!

[@stefanlivesey8068]

@@EverythingPhilCollins Thanks, man. I've done the same with all his albums and the Genesis ones, too. It's very time consuming, getting the sequence just right - and I've done some amateur remixing of some of the tracks - but really rewarding😁

[@glynlewis5512]

Both Sides has certainly grown on me over the years. Your enthusiasm for it has certainly helped me to appreciate it fully. I have the remaster on vinyl, and I have just bought a brand new copy of the original pressing for the bargain price of £13.

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

Urgh!! I’m jealous! Great find. And thanks for watching!

[@toronto360]

Both Sides was one of my top albums. Funny that you brushed over "Can't Find My Way". That is one of my all time Phil favs. It still kills me that he never released this tour on DVD. It was such a great show from the cool stage set up to the dark and light sets. You'd think old Tony would be pushing Phil to release everything just to get his hands on some more cash. Maybe one day....

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

Been listening to a great bootleg of this show. Super good setlist!!

[@smarsey]

Is Tony smith kind of a jerk? There’s a clip on “the long goodnight” DVD that really makes him look difficult.

[@life5161]

My two favorite songs on it are definitely "We Fly too Close" and "Survivors" . Just a great album. 👍 Sorry for all the comments.

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

No problem! Appreciate it! And I agree! Great tracks!

[@jonathanmarkbotterell1926]

....bought it on release in 93. It blew me away. At the time in UK, not well received. Favourite track.....We fly too close, reason is the chord change. Absolute genius. It cuts through me because you don't expect it. Another is We wait and we wonder. Huge drum power, belting vibes. Terrific stuff. Soft spot for Survivers, just beautiful. Great album.😎

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

Going to put it on right now!! :)

[@lippa2105]

I own all the original CDs and all original vinyl pressings, including this album, Both Sides. My original vinyl copy of Both Sides was still in shrinkwrap when I purchased it in 2014. It is in fact a double LP.

[@WCD199317]

This was my second favorite Phil Collins (behind ''...But Seriously''). Who he made a piece of work. A dark icy and cold production and a raw vocal performance. Also cited his most introspective album of all his studios albums. It's was at his peak of creativity with this album and his quality really falling out after this album. ''We Fly So Close'' was my second favorite Phil Collins song of all time (behind ''Another Day in Paradise''). I think after i listen ''...But Seriously'' and ''both Sides'', it's crazy how theses two albums was his two albums of maturity and it's reflect lyrically and also vocally. Also, Peter and Phil Collins did all so excellent albums during this period (because i love ''Us'' and ''Both Sides'' so much). It's also remains the same thing, when Madonna transfered almost all her demonstrations of her demos to her final product with the ''Erotica'' album. Phil also transfered his demos to his final product.

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

Love to hear this! Agree!!

[@subwaygaragemusic]

Oh I could go full nerd on the gear side of this album. There's definitely a Korg 01W that you mentioned, which I believe most of the "real" instruments and the We Wait and We Wonder bagpipe came from as well. Now I don't have the 01W but I've got the Korg M1 plugin which has some of the sounds from later Korg keyboards, and I can find a lot of patches in the plugin that sounds like many of the sounds on the album like the Can't Find My Way slap bass, the Everyday oboe solo and the guitar in the bridge, the We Fly So Close nylon guitar/harp and the I've Forgotten Everything flugelhorn. Heck you don't even need a real 01W, just download the full M1 plugin and you can pretty much recreate the entire album. And then there's a Roland D50 used at certain places as well like on the title track in the chorus. It's a patch called "Fantasy" which you could find on your Roland JV keyboard too. Phil also used the D50 a lot on But Seriously like the weird noise at the beginning of Another Day in Paradise. I am waging between the Prophet 5 and the Korg Wavestation for most of the pad sounds but it's probably the Wavestation since that's what Tony used on We Can Dance and Phil might've liked the sound of that. The electric guitar on the album might even sound like it came from the Wavestation as well. There's a patch on the Wavestation expansion card called "Gotham" that has an electric guitar chord at the keyboard's lower register, and it sounds a lot like the guitar chords on the title track and We Fly So Close. The pad on We Fly So Close came from the Wavestation as well, a patch called "Beyond the Clouds" And then there's a 909 on the title track as you mentioned, but I'm waging it's not an actual 909. It probably came from something like an SP12 since I recognized the tambourine sound and it definitely came from the SP12. And a Roland CR78 on We Fly So Close. That's pretty much what I can recognize from comparing sounds on the album to most of the instruments that I own.

[@kingsdrummer]

I bought Both Sides the day it came out back in the early 90's. I got home and played it and hated it. I took it back to the music store and wanted my money back. Many years later, a friend who is also a Phil fan burned it on cd for me. I would slowly start to like this album. By 2016, I got the remaster on vinyl and cd. I like about half the songs on it. I do think it's a good album. That's big considering how much I hated this album at first. Great review of this album. Love your channel!

[@TheBshoen]

This is almost exactly how I feel about it. I can tell I liked it a little more than you at the beginning, but it took many, many, years for me to come around to believing it was a 'good' album. It's got some tracks I have to skip through. I do really like "Cant turn back the years" and "We Wait and We Wonder", both are great songs. There are more good ones than bad ones, but it's close.

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

Great story. I think a lot of fans felt the same way.

[@thejeangenie6176]

Congratulations on this Excellent Review of this Excellent Album..My favs are: Both Sides Of The Story ( 1st Fav )-There’s A Place For Us ( 2nd Fav )-We Fly So Close ( 3rd Fav )-Survivors ( 4th Fav )-We Wait & We Wonder ( 5th Fav )..Perfect Album, same as his other Album of the 1990’s Dance Into The Light, which I encourage you to make a review of too ( I love that Album too, as much as Both Sides )..I remember buying Both Sides on CD the day it came out here in Spain in 1993..I was a huge Fan of Phil’s & Genesis by then..Both Albums are Masterpieces to me! Congrats then!

[@life5161]

My dude got the Tony Banks set up on those keyboards. NICE!! Love it.

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

:)

[@richmkw]

yess been waiting for this one, my fav phil collins album

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

Me too!!

[@smarsey]

You mentioned “Can’t turn back the years” was played live on the Both Sides tour. It was in a Europe I think. But I was at the Denver show on July 27,1994 show and he didn’t play it. He played “Everyday” in Denver. This is probably because it was popular in the States at that time.

[@thejeangenie6176]

And one final thought: How important is the order of the tracks on an Album, it’s one of the things that can make an Album just good or Great or Outstanding..Thinkin’ of Bowie’s Let’s Dance or Ziggy Albums or Phil’s Face Value or Hello, I Must Be Going! or Both Sides Albums or Genesis’ Duke or A Trick Of The Tail or Wind & Wuthering Albums..So perfect all on the order of the tracks

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

That I agree with! Something I’ll need to evaluate in a future video!

[@thejeangenie6176]

@@EverythingPhilCollins Oh Thank You Man! Glad to be Inspiring to you & your Wonderful Channel!

[@KarenWatson-r5c]

Love ❤️ This Album Takes me back to my younger years... 😢

[@luigisworld7694]

I love Phil Collins Both Sides (1993) album! Both Sides is the first album that Phil Collins made the album all by himself! He did a great job for making Both Sides album by himself, He is so Independent!

[@chrisstory563]

I think the intro to sons of our fathers focus life in a more simpler time and the rest of the song focus what going on with the current generation at the time the song was recorded. in some strange way, it a bit of two parted song. to me, it one of my favorite songs off of Both Sides.

[@SimonPetryszyn]

Hello from the UK. Lovely show as always. A little controversy: the casually dismissed Live Over Europe is the best live release as a core trio. Phil’s last dance before the years took their toll and he sings and plays amazingly. I think it will grow in stature among the Genesis faithful

[@amateurmusicresearch1972]

I remember at the time there was a bit of a Phil vs. Peter controversy over the bagpipes and other stuff , Phil was accused of copying the 1992 peter gabriel album, US, which also opens with a song that has bagpipes, Come talk to me. But possibly, this is a case of great minds thinking alike.

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

Totally!!

[@tamellison2334]

I absolutely luv Both sides of the story😍🥰😍🥰Im also fascinated with the album cover with those BEAUTIFUL green EYES🤩🤩🤩

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

Great artwork!!

[@frk75]

if you remove the synth fretless bass imitation, and let some other keyboard player take care of the solo's, and bring back daryl on proper guitar, the whole album would have sound amazing. i'm aware of collins motivation to do it all by himself, but he's not stevie wonder....my take on it is if you cant play guitar, just dont put any guitar even if ''technology'' allows you to do so. if you stay among your limitations it will give an even more intimate record . that s his only mistake, otherwise the songs are not that bad in general

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

Yah I would love to hear a universe where this is recorded with session musicians. Having said that, I’m warm to the quaint demo feel of it as well. Phil’s “Nebraska” if you will… lol

[@PhiObt]

Very good Video. I have to say that I was wondering if I should buy this album, because I loved "Both Sides Of The Story"; "Everyday" and "We Wait And We Wonder" on the Singles. And I got this album on Christmas on Vinyl (the original from 1993) and on CD (the remastered 2-Disc version of 2016). I really like it. It's a good album for being in a thinking mood. Also I agree, with "Sons of our fathers". I was very tense on hearing it...but it just don't fits. I mean I like the topic and the lyrics but really not the music. All in all it's an fantastic record, which helps me in a strange time now and gives me very much. I hope I will have more good times with it in the future. All the best from Germany 🤘

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

Thanks for the comment! Glad you also enjoy the album! A very special one!

[@djjorj1985]

Move over,tony banks, peter robinson,brad cole, introducing scott "fantastically fabulous orr

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

Lol

[@landischorsch]

In Canada, Phil Collins had lots of success during the 1980s and each of his first four studio albums were huge sellers there. 'Both Sides' suffered from a slump in sales, especially in North America. And Canada was no exception. In Europe it was still a decent success, especially here in my home country Germany where it managed to sell 1.5M certified units, although here as well a new generation of disc jockeys began openly despising him. All in all, if you believe ChartMasters, the album has sold about 8M worldwide, which is huge compared to nowadays sales, but compared to 24M of its predecessor'...But Seriously' it was a huge flop. It had different reasons: 1) as already said, a music change around 1992 to focus more on alternative, hip hop away from mainstream/soft rock. 2) PC's atypical approach compared to his first four studio outings, this time without any help of studio musicians and co-producers with the result of a rather demo-like sounding album which didn't fit the listener's expectations. 3) PC's image change from "Mr. Nice Guy" to "Everybody's Boogeyman" due to his second divorce and move to Switzerland shortly after 'Both Sides' release. Some influential journalists claimed he left UK for tax reasons. Indeed, it was an unproven suspicion, but it damaged his reputation and therefore his career... unfortunately.

[@Vonnies1929]

😍😍😍😍😍That's my man love it!!! He was very proud of it! I love the way you explained this.

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

Thank you so much!!

[@roxancarle1166]

one of the best albums of all times

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

Agree!!!

[@briangriffin4182]

I hope he will return to perfoming

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

We all do!

[@collinstestify81]

Almost all the songs are about Lavinia and his affair with her. Hero is a song that he did with Davud Crosby in 1993

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

Yes, I think you’re right, the affair can be heard a lot throughout this record. It certainly didn’t do anything to save his current marriage at the time.

[@atari2602]

I bought "Both Sides" the first day it came out and I tried very hard to convince myself that I liked it, but I don't. The title itself points to a problem with the album. Phil thinks he's being very thoughtful by considering two points of view, but there are many aspects to the problems he takes on here and many different perceptions to be considered. And the simplistic tone of the album title's extends to its songs. I have many more gripes with this record, but the biggest is that Phil cites "Both Sides" as part of his reasoning behind leaving Genesis. He was so impressed with what he had done here that he couldn't see himself going back to be one third of band that was generally more light-hearted. That was a real disappointment to people like me who greatly prefer Phil-era Genesis to his solo records. I think it adversely affected his career as well. Other than the Tarzan songs, the market for solo Phil dried up in the late 90s and early 2000s, but I think a Phil-led Genesis would still have been able to move albums and would certainly have done fine on tours. I think Both Sides cost us two to five more Genesis albums and for that I'll never forgive it : )

[@TheChadTI]

I just began investigating this album after ignoring it for years. Slowly going through tracks (just spent some time on first 3, several listens to each track over the last week) liking it quite a bit. Also his social justice songs are about actual social justice not the modern kind (group X demands this or that, ect)

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

Great album especially after a few decades of time…

[@scottemmitt297]

This is my favourite album. A " grown up" album in my opinion

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

So true!!

[@scottemmitt297]

Thanks your agreement lol. . If I can be a bit contro. Some of testify has a grown up vibe too?

[@scottemmitt297]

On testify. Least you can do always brought a tear to my eye at the time. Wanted someone and couldn't have them 🫣😥

[@reneelyons6836]

You know his ex's name. ha ha There's A LOT of music on this album. To me, it has that intimacy, that you have talked about before.I am a Genesis fan. But i absolutely LOVE PHIL I see and hear how much he loves music. That much comes thru to me. It is decent, mellow album.

[@life5161]

When it first came out I was still a kid and didn't really like it. However as an adult it's definitely my favorite of his next to Face Value.

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

Amazing to hear! Yah it’s grown on me so so much!

[@pault2651]

I agree this album together with Face Value are IMO his best Too bad this album has been a bit under rated but it is quite a masterpiece

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

Totally!

[@stefanlivesey8068]

It's an outstanding album but not what the average PC fan wanted at the time. Their loss!

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

So so true!!

[@thejeangenie6176]

I can’t understand why Phil is not or is but just honorable mentioned ( what a shame ) for who makes those rankings of the best drummers of all time..Or he appears but not in the 1st positions, which I can’t believe, really…When Phil, for me is the Best Drummer ever..You just gotta listen to Duke’s Travels/Duke’s End Suite to get that Phil is an Outstanding Drummer & Musician in general but so underrated in terms of drum playing..It’s like Brian De Palma on cinema, excellent filmmaker but so sadly underrated..Just wanted to share these thoughts with you, man…

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

His drumming is unreal and incredibly hard to attempt!!

[@paulkeilman3510]

Nice review, great album. Note, the bagpipes are real and Phil does play them.

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

I’m not quite sure. There’s a few late night interviews where he says the pipes on the album are fake and then he brings out a real set and says he’s learning to play… The sound on the record sound a little to thin and crisp. But I guess it’s possible.

[@djl5918]

Everything Phil Collins … you are correct!! Phil admits they were synthesizer bagpipes and not real ones. He was just learning to play. He tried to play Amazing Grace (poorly but did the best he could with just learning) on David Letterman and once in concert on the BS tour. He enjoyed the bagpipes it seems because it helped him also warm up his voices. But again you are right and sorry Paul, the bagpipes are synthesized.

[@paulkeilman3510]

@@djl5918 I remember on But Seriously That's Just The Way It Is Phil was quoted were a keyboard. I gotta find where he said it was real on Both Sides. Keep up the good work.

[@mick998r]

Phil should remix this album with 'proper' instruments. I absolutely hate this album for the fakery.

[@josephadams2088]

This is probably my least favorite Phil record. However it does grow on you. That country intro irritates me too. The first three are all rock solid for me. Even my least favorite Phil Collins record is still really good and gets better with every listen.

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

Yah it’s a grow for sure!!!

[@yankeehank1897]

Love Phil's solo albums 4, but in my opinion, Both Sides of the LP suck

[@EverythingPhilCollins]

:)