“No drum machine on this one,” Phil Collins announces in the liner notes as if that’s something to be excited about. For those who scoffed at the thought of an acclaimed drummer using computer drums for much of his music, it may be, but I generally prefer drum machines over live drums if only because they don’t succumb to human imperfection.
Percussion is a side note here though. The most obvious change is the sound of the songs themselves. Upbeat world music sways rhythmically in bright contrast to the dark melodic tones of the previous album, Both Sides, which is arguably his best solo set thus far. This new one isn’t quite as good. There are, however, plenty of good songs on it.
There’s a delightful fan dedication entitled Wear My Hat, which, thanks to its Mbaqanga-inspired polyrhythms, will be compared to Paul Simon’s Graceland. It’s In Your Eyes captures the sweet sound of 1960s romance while a remake of Bob Dylan’s Times Are A-Changin shows that both remakes and bagpipes can work well thing if done right.
my rating : 4 of 5
1996