| Testify | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Phil Collins | ||||
| Released | 12 November 2002 | |||
| Recorded | 2000-2002 (Switzerland & United States) | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 57:16 | |||
| Label | Face Value / Atlantic | |||
| Producer | Rob Cavallo | |||
| Phil Collins chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Testify | ||||
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Testify is the seventh studio album and final album to feature original material by English singer Phil Collins. The album debuted at #30 on the American Billboard Charts, which was also the album's peak position. To date, the album has peaked the lowest of his solo efforts. It was also the second Collins studio album where no track cracked the American Top 40 singles chart. It was also his lowest charting album in the UK, becoming his only solo effort not to reach the Top 5. However, the album received much greater success and favor across Continental Europe.
Meat Loaf's album Couldn't Have Said It Better was originally to be titled "Testify", but was retitled in anticipation of Phil's release.
Despite the lack of success the album achieved, his subsequent First Final Farewell Tour proved to be very popular.
Contents |
Testify was crafted over a two-year period at Collins' home in Switzerland, and was recorded in France and Los Angeles. Most of the album's twelve tracks are derived from demos Collins made in his bedroom studio and finished off with the help of producers Rob Cavallo and James Sanger, engineer Allen Sides, guitarist Tim Pierce, and bassist Paul Bushnell. Collins worked extensively with computers during production, work that can be seen throughout the album. After Collins made Dance into the Light without any drum machine, he returned to the device for Testify.[1]
The album begins with an up-tempo "Wake Up Call". It was based on a 16-bar doodle Collins wrote, and only began to formalize when he brought it into studio. The title track, the longest and most complex sounding song on the album, is according to Collins "one of the most direct and most personal love songs I have ever written". Another up-tempo song, "Don't Get Me Started" follows a tradition of critical statements about politics and society Collins began with "That's Just the Way It Is", "Another Day in Paradise", and "Both Sides of the Story" in his previous albums.[1]
The soulful "It's Not Too Late" refers to lost faith in dreams - "It's never too late to make your dreams come true. We all should try it". "Driving Me Crazy" is another upbeat track. Collins said the song is about the narrow path between love and dangerous obsession.[1]
Songs such as the aforementioned "Testify" and "This Love This Heart" were inspired by Collins' then-wife, Orianne, while their first child, Nicholas, was the main inspiration for tracks "Come with Me" and "Swing Low". "Come With Me" was originally a lullaby Phil sang to his daughter Lily when she was a baby when on tour in 1990, Seriously Live! and the lyrics were developed when Nicholas was born.[1]
Collins collaborated with long time associate, Daryl Stuermer, for "The Least You Can Do", providing the lyrics, arrangement and lead guitar on the track. It is followed by "Can't Stop Loving You", a cover of Leo Sayer's 1978 country hit. Collins heard the song on the radio and brought a modern feel to country song "I heard Leo Sayer’s version of "Can’t Stop Loving You" on vacation and I was impressed by the fantastic melody. I have attempted to breathe new life into this song and change its feel." It was the first single off the album, hitting No. 1 in the Adult Contemporary Charts. The album ends with "Thru My Eyes" and "You Touch My Heart", another song inspired by his son. ("Thru My Eyes" is not to be confused with "Look Through My Eyes", a song recorded by Collins for the Brother Bear soundtrack in 2003.)[1]
Initial critical response to was generally negative. The album debuted at #30 on the American Billboard Charts, which was also the album's peak position. To date, the album has peaked the lowest of his seven solo efforts. Following Dance into the Light it was the second Collins studio album where no track cracked the American Top 40 singles chart.
In the United Kingdom, it peaked at #15, his only solo album not to make the Top 5. It was, however, a much greater success in Continental Europe.
In France, the album even peaked at #2 in early 2003 and remained at that position for three weeks. It became his biggest-selling album since ...But Seriously.
In Australia, it went no higher than #96 in November 2002 on the ARIA Album Charts.
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 34, based on 7 reviews, which makes it number 4 on the site's worst reviewed albums.[2]
The lead single from the album, "Can't Stop Loving You", had success on the Adult Contemporary charts and minor airplay overall. The single peaked at #76 on the Billboard charts while hitting #1 on the Adult Contemporary charts. Other singles, "Wake Up Call", "Come with Me" and "The Least You Can Do" didn't enjoy much success either. The last single, "You Touch My Heart", was released in 2005.
Collins said at the time that this was to be his last studio album, but has since recorded a new CD entitled Going Back, a collection of covers of Motown and other soul songs. It was released on 13 September 2010.
All songs written and composed by Phil Collins, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wake Up Call" | 5:15 |
| 2. | "Come with Me" | 4:34 |
| 3. | "Testify" | 6:31 |
| 4. | "Don't Get Me Started" | 4:41 |
| 5. | "Swing Low" | 5:08 |
| 6. | "It's Not Too Late" | 3:59 |
| 7. | "This Love This Heart" | 4:04 |
| 8. | "Driving Me Crazy" | 4:37 |
| 9. | "The Least You Can Do" (lyrics: Phil Collins / music: Daryl Stuermer) | 4:21 |
| 10. | "Can't Stop Loving You" (Billy Nicholls) | 4:17 |
| 11. | "Thru My Eyes" | 5:07 |
| 12. | "You Touch My Heart" | 4:42 |
| Japanese Edition | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | |||||||
| 13. | "High Flying Angel" | 4:44 | |||||||
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