Testify (Phil Collins album)

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Testify
Studio album by
Phil Collins
Released11 November 2002 (UK)[1]
Recorded2000–2002 (Switzerland and United States)
GenrePop rock
Length57:16
Label
Producer
Phil Collins chronology
Tarzan: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack
(1999) 		Testify
(2002) 		Brother Bear: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack
(2003)
Singles from Testify
  1. "Can't Stop Loving You"
    Released: 28 October 2002
  2. "Come With Me"
    Released: 2003
  3. "Wake Up Call" / "The Least You Can Do"
    Released: 2003
  4. "You Touch My Heart"
    Released: 2005 (promo for First Final Farewell Tour)
Alternative cover
2016 reissue cover with updated photograph
2016 reissue cover

Testify is the seventh solo studio album by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It is his most recent album of new original material as of 2019. The album debuted at No. 30 on the American Billboard 200 albums chart, which was also the album's peak position. It was also the second Phil Collins studio album where no track peaked within 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 achieved success in some countries of Continental Europe. It is his second album not to be co-produced by Hugh Padgham, who co-produced Collins' most successful albums.

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.[citation needed]

Despite the shortage of success the album achieved, his subsequent First Final Farewell Tour proved to be very popular.[citation needed][2]

The album was reissued as a deluxe edition on CD, vinyl and digital on 15 April 2016, including a new second disc with bonus tracks.[3]

Production

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. Phil worked extensively with computers during production, work that can be seen throughout the album. After Phil made Dance into the Light without any drum machine, he returned to the device for Testify.[4]

The album begins with an up-tempo "Wake Up Call". It was based on a 16-bar doodle Phil wrote, and only began to formalise when he brought it into studio. The title track, the longest and most complex sounding song on the album, is according to Phil "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 Phil began with "That's Just the Way It Is", "Another Day in Paradise", and "Both Sides of the Story" in his previous albums.[4]

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. Phil said the song is about the narrow path between love and dangerous obsession.[4]

Songs such as the aforementioned "Testify" and "This Love This Heart" were inspired by Phil's 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.[4]

Phil collaborated with longtime 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. Phil 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).[4]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic34/100[6]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Blender[6]
E! OnlineC[6]
Mojo[6]
People(mixed)[7]
Q[6]
Rolling Stone[8][9]
Uncut[6]
USA Today[10]

The album was released to generally negative reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 34, based on 7 reviews, making it the worst-reviewed album of 2002.[6] The album debuted at No. 30 on the 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 Phil Collins studio album where no track cracked the American Top 40 singles chart.

In the United Kingdom, it peaked at No. 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 No. 2 in early 2003 and remained at that position for three weeks. It became his biggest-selling album since ...But Seriously.

In Australia, it peaked at No. 96 in November 2002 on the ARIA Albums Chart.

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 No. 76 on the Billboard charts while hitting No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary charts. Other singles, "Wake Up Call", "Come with Me" and "The Least You Can Do" also enjoyed their most success on the Adult Contemporary chart. The last single, "You Touch My Heart", was released in 2005.

Phil 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. However, Phil has since announced that he is out of retirement and has been working on another album.[11]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Phil Collins, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)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 Stuermer4:21
10."Can't Stop Loving You"Billy Nicholls4:17
11."Thru My Eyes" 5:07
12."You Touch My Heart" 4:42
Japanese and Australian editions
No.TitleLength
13."High Flying Angel"4:44
Additional Testimony bonus disc (Disc two of 2016 deluxe edition)
No.TitleLength
1."High Flying Angel" (B-side)4:43
2."Crystal Clear" (B-side)3:05
3."Hey Now Sunshine" (B-side)5:02
4."TV Story" (B-side)4:05
5."True Colors" (live rehearsal 2004)5:31
6."Come with Me" (live 2004)5:13
7."It's Not Too Late" (live 2004)4:03
8."Can't Stop Loving You" (live 2004)4:33
9."It's Only Loving" (demo)5:22
10."Tearing and Breaking" (demo)5:43

B-sides

  • "Hey Now Sunshine"
  • "Tears of a Clown" (Re-recorded for Going Back in 2010)

Personnel

Production

Charts

Illegal chart entered Germany2|3
Chart (2002) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[12] 96
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[13] 5
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[14] 11
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[15] 3
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[16] 31
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[17] 2
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[18] 30
French Albums (SNEP)[19] 2
Irish Albums (IRMA)[20] 30
Italian Albums (FIMI)[21] 16
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[citation needed] 63
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[22] 14
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[23] 12
Scottish Albums (OCC)[24] 24
Spanish Albums (AFYVE)[25] 10
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[26] 4
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[27] 2
UK Albums (OCC)[28] 15
US Billboard 200[29] 30
Chart (2003) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[15] 3
French Albums (SNEP)[30] 2
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[22] 14


Certifications

‹See Tfd›‹See Tfd›
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)[31] Gold 25,000*
Belgium (BEA)[32] Gold 25,000*
France (SNEP)[33] 2× Platinum 600,000*
Germany (BVMI)[34] 3x Gold 300,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[35] Platinum 80,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[36] Platinum 100,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[37] Platinum 40,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[38] Gold 100,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[39] Platinum 1,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

External links

References

  1. ^ "BPI > Certified Awards > Search results for Phil Collins (page 2)". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
  2. ^ "Phil Collins Testify Deluxe Edition". Google Play. Google. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  3. ^ Sinclair, Paul. "Phil Collins / No Jacket Required and Testify deluxe editions". Super Deluxe Edition. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e http://www.genesis-news.com/philcollins/reviews/testify_cd.htm[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ Allmusic review
  6. ^ a b c d e f g "Critic Reviews for Testify". Metacritic. CNET Networks, Inc. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  7. ^ People review
  8. ^ "Testify". Rolling Stone. 5 November 2002: 92. Retrieved 9 June 2012. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ Rolling Stone review at CD Universe
  10. ^ USA Today review
  11. ^ https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/phil-collins-plotting-comeback-i-am-no-longer-retired-20151028
  12. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  13. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Phil Collins – Testify" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  14. ^ "Ultratop.be – Phil Collins – Testify" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  15. ^ a b "Ultratop.be – Phil Collins – Testify" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  16. ^ "Top 40 Albums - 47 / 2002". Tracklisten. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  17. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Phil Collins – Testify" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  18. ^ "Phil Collins: Testify" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  19. ^ "Lescharts.com – {{{artist}}} – {{{album}}}". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  20. ^ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 46, 2002". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  21. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Phil Collins – Testify". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  22. ^ a b "Norwegiancharts.com – Phil Collins – Testify". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  23. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  24. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100 – 17 November 2002 - 23 November 2002". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  25. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  26. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Phil Collins – Testify". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  27. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Phil Collins – Testify". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  28. ^ "Phil Collins | Artist | Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  29. ^ "Phil Collins Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  30. ^ "Lescharts.com – Phil Collins – Testify". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  31. ^ "Austrian album certifications – Phil Collins – Testify" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  32. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2002". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
  33. ^ "French album certifications – Testify" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
  34. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank ('Testify')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  35. ^ "Dutch album certifications – Phil Collins – Testify" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 15 July 2012. Enter Testify in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 2002 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  36. ^ certyear AND certweek ARE REQUIRED for SPANISH CERTIFICATION.
  37. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Testify')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  38. ^ "British album certifications – Phil Collins – Testify". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 July 2012. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Testify in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  39. ^ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2002". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.

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