Like Face Value before it, Both Sides could be characterized as a "divorce album," but marriage wasn't the only thing Phil Collins was leaving behind in 1993.
He was two years removed from We Can't Dance, the 1991 album that turned out to be his last with Genesis, so at a personal and professional crossroads, Collins holed up in his home studio to write and record the songs that became Both Sides.
Apart from the relatively chipper "We're Sons of Our Fathers" and "We Wait and We Wonder," a percolating number that feels like a retort to Peter Gabriel's Us, Both Sides is moody without being menacing; it never slides into the stark, skeletal territory that gave "In the Air Tonight" a sense of unease.
Rather, Collins turns inward, reveling in a hushed melancholy that conveys heartbreak and loss while skirting the edge of desperation.
Song titles tell the tale: there are "Both Sides of the Story," but you "Can't Turn Back the Years," and "Can't Find My Way" and you wind up as "Survivors." By abandoning his thirst for big pop hooks and swapping introspection for art rock, he winds up with an album that is quietly compelling: it lacks the big hits but it feels complete as an album.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Both Sides of the StoryPhil Collins | Phil Collins | Play | 06:43 | 15 MB | 0 MB |
| 2 | Can't Turn Back the YearsPhil Collins | Phil Collins | Play | 04:40 | 10 MB | 0 MB |
| 3 | EverydayPhil Collins | Phil Collins | Play | 05:43 | 13 MB | 33 MB |
| 4 | I've Forgotten EverythingPhil Collins | Phil Collins | Play | 05:15 | 12 MB | 26 MB |
| 5 | We're Sons of Our FathersPhil Collins | Phil Collins | Play | 06:24 | 14 MB | 37 MB |
| 6 | Can't Find My WayPhil Collins | Phil Collins | Play | 05:09 | 11 MB | 28 MB |
| 7 | SurvivorsPhil Collins | Phil Collins | Play | 06:05 | 13 MB | 41 MB |
| 8 | We Fly So ClosePhil Collins | Phil Collins | Play | 07:33 | 17 MB | 42 MB |
| 9 | There's a Place for UsPhil Collins | Phil Collins | Play | 06:53 | 15 MB | 40 MB |
| 10 | We Wait and We WonderPhil Collins | Phil Collins | Play | 07:01 | 16 MB | 51 MB |
| 11 | Please Come Out TonightPhil Collins | Phil Collins | Play | 05:47 | 13 MB | 32 MB |
| 67 mins | 154 MB | |||||
| 55 mins | 334 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phil Collins | Composer, Drums, Liner Notes, Multi Instruments, Percussion, Primary Artist, Producer, Vocals |
| 2 | Paul Gomersall | Engineer |
| 3 | Trevor Key | Photography |
| 4 | Bob Ludwig | Mastering |
| 5 | Mark Robinson | Assistant Engineer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |