Phil Collins’ landmark debut solo album Face Value will be revisited for its 45th anniversary with a new 4-LP deluxe vinyl collection and a separate Blu-ray Audio release featuring new Dolby Atmos, 5.1 and stereo mixes.
by Paul Cashmere
Phil Collins’ 1981 debut solo album Face Value will be celebrated on 18 September 2026 with Face Value (Full Value), a four-LP deluxe vinyl edition featuring a half-speed remaster of the original album, rare recordings, previously unreleased live performances, demos and studio outtakes. The anniversary release will coincide with a new Blu-ray Audio edition featuring fresh Dolby Atmos, 5.1 and stereo mixes created by Steven Wilson.
Released in February 1981, Face Value marked the moment Collins moved from being known primarily as the drummer and singer of Genesis into a solo career that would make him one of the most successful artists of his generation. The album transformed personal experiences into a distinctive collection that blended pop, soul, R&B, art-rock and experimental production techniques.
The anniversary project documents the creative process behind an album that reshaped Collins’ career and introduced one of his most recognisable songs, “In The Air Tonight”. The track’s dramatic drum sound and distinctive production became closely associated with the emerging sonic landscape of the 1980s.
Face Value (Full Value) includes a half-speed remaster of the original album produced by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios. The package also features new liner notes from music journalist Tom Doyle, including a new interview with Collins reflecting on the making of the record.
Among the previously unreleased material are live performances from Perkins Palace in 1982 and Irvine Meadows in 1985, an unreleased outtake of Collins’ experimental interpretation of The Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows”, and a complete version of “Over The Rainbow”, an excerpt of which appears at the end of the original album.
The first preview from the collection is the previously unreleased live recording of “You Know What I Mean” from Perkins Palace in 1982.
Face Value was recorded between 1980 and early 1981 while Collins was balancing his role within Genesis with the development of his own material. Produced by Collins with assistance from Hugh Padgham, the album introduced a more personal songwriting approach, drawing heavily from his experiences during the breakdown of his first marriage.
The record’s production became one of its defining elements. The gated reverb drum sound used on “In The Air Tonight” became one of the signature studio techniques of the decade, influencing countless recordings that followed. Collins also incorporated the Phenix Horns from Earth, Wind & Fire, adding a funk influence to songs including “I Missed Again”.
The album also demonstrated Collins’ willingness to experiment. “The Roof Is Leaking” explored a stripped-back acoustic style, while “Tomorrow Never Knows” reworked The Beatles classic through layered vocals, reversed sounds and unusual studio textures.
Upon release, Face Value reached number one on album charts including the UK, Canada and several European markets, while entering the top ten in the United States. The album established Collins as a major solo artist and eventually achieved multi-platinum status.
Over time, Face Value has continued to attract new generations of listeners. In the streaming era, the album has accumulated more than 2.4 billion streams, while “In The Air Tonight” surpassed one billion Spotify streams in 2026.
Collins’ solo career has become one of the most commercially successful in popular music history. Alongside his work with Genesis, he has sold an estimated 150 million albums worldwide and has received numerous honours, including Grammy Awards, BRIT Awards, Ivor Novello Awards and an Academy Award.
In 2026, Collins will also be recognised as a solo artist with induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, having previously entered the institution as a member of Genesis in 2010.
Face Value (Full Value) 4LP Tracklisting
LP1 – Original Album
Side A:
In The Air Tonight
This Must Be Love
Behind The Lines
The Roof Is Leaking
Droned
Hand In Hand
Side B:
I Missed Again
You Know What I Mean
Thunder And Lightning
I’m Not Moving
If Leaving Me Is Easy
Tomorrow Never Knows
LP2
Side A:
Misunderstanding (Live)
If Leaving Me Is Easy (Live)
In The Air Tonight (Live)
Behind The Lines (Live)
Side B:
Hand In Hand (Live)
I Missed Again (Live)
…And So To F… (Live)
LP3
Side A:
In The Air Tonight (Live at The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball)
The Roof Is Leaking (Live at The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball)
This Must Be Love (Live, Irvine Meadows 1985)*
You Know What I Mean (Live, Perkins Palace 1982)*
Side B:
In The Air Tonight (Ben Liebrand Extended Version)
The Roof Is Leaking (Nicka’s Stella Polaris Interpretation)
Tomorrow Never Knows (Outtake)*
Over The Rainbow (Full Version)*
LP4
Side A:
The Roof Is Leaking (Demo)
This Must Be Love (Demo)
Please Don’t Ask (Demo)
Misunderstanding (Demo)
Against All Odds (Demo)
Side B:
Please Don’t Break My Heart (Demo)
If Leaving Me Is Easy (Demo)
I Missed Again (Demo)
In The Air Tonight (Demo)
Hand In Hand (Demo)
Previously unreleased
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