| Track: | Rating: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Um And Aargh | | | | | |
| 2. I Want Your Love | | | |||
| 3. Holy Deadlock | | | | ||
| 4. Lucy Will | | | | ||
| 5. Side Door | | | | ||
| 6. Sisters Of Remindum | | | | | |
| 7. Bleak House | | | | | |
| 8. Magdalen | | | | | |
| 9. Nightmare | | | | | |
| Bonus tracks: | |||||
| 10. Souvenir | | | | | |
| 11. Magdalen (instrumental) | | | | | |
All tracks by Anthony Phillips.
Anthony Phillips, the former Genesis guitarist, has been refreshingly honest about the artistic compromises he has made throughout his career. In the Bowler & Gray history of Genesis, he is quoted as saying that only about half of his artistic output has been entirely to his satisfaction, and that commercial pressures have dictated the course of the rest. Invisible Men receives the primary brunt of this criticism, with Phillips admitting that the blatantly commercial nature of the project caused him to lose interest before it was finished, and the album "went horribly wrong" accordingly.
Although Invisible Men is clearly a low mark on Phillips's solo career, there have been other compromises as well. The aforementioned text suggests that Wise After The Event and Sides were also partial capitulations to the commercial side of the recording industry. On the latter release, Phillips himself seems to have provided a number of clues to prove this point.
To begin with, free copies of the Private Parts And Pieces album were issued with the first pressing of Sides. It has been suggested that this was a deliberate attempt to placate the more traditional progressive fans who would have been offset by the "poppier" elements of the latter album, and it is difficult for one who has heard both works to disagree.
Secondly, the front cover of Sides shows a variation of the "mechanical soccer" children's game, wherein wooden figures of different colours on both sides attempt to shoot the ball in the opposing side's net. These figures (which strongly resemble AP himself, of course) are red on one side, blue on the other. When one considers that the album is divided almost equally into "poppy" and "serious" pieces as per the two sides of the album, it becomes rather difficult to regard this as anything other than an admission of the inherent conflict involved between the performer and the business.
Finally, the opening track on the "poppy" side of the album is a criticism of the music industry which manages to be both subtle and obvious in varying manners. "Um & Aargh" is easily the best track on the "pop" side -- the introductory Oldfield-esque phrasing and the subsequent 6/4 riff suggest a continued basis within the progressive idiom, and the presence of Mike Giles gives the track a vaguely jazzy/Canterbury-esque feel that corresponds well with the humourously obscure lyrics (the sudden reference to Rudolph Steiner must be regarded as atypical for a pop song). The chorus of the song, however, consists of a dialogue which obviously condemns the record industry for its manipulative powers over its audience (sample: "`This is much to good for the people', he said/I said, `Don't people have minds of their own'/And it's better that you agree/In this best of best industries"). Phillips' cry of "ATTACK!" in a demented general's voice adds a bit of useful perspective as well. Despite the minor annoyance of the (obviously parodic) ABBA-esque chorus, this is a fairly good pop number, and an extremely self-aware number as well.
Sadly, the rest of the first side ranges from average to banal. "I Want Your Love" is an easy choice for the worst track of the album, consisting as it does of a horribly saccharine-drenched chorus (in terms of both music and lyrics). Phillips's natural strength as a writer of "traditional English ballads" allows for a bit of vaguely engaging narrative in the verses, but this isn't much. This track can be ignored fairly easily.
"Holy Deadlock" begins in a quasi-reggae manner which bears the obvious imprint of The Police, but sadly isn't a good enough song to exist as a successful stylistic hybrid. The music doesn't develop after the initial thematic statement, and the lyrics are generally a waste of time (a series of cliches involving a man's loss of revenue through a divorce, presented as humour). The chorus melody has some interesting tricks, but, again, there really isn't terribly much to speak of here.
"Lucy Will" is slightly better, a more intelligent ballad featuring the pastoral guitar accompaniment which Phillips frequently gives to such works. The arrangement isn't much to speak of, and the vocals are in much the same position; as against this, the narrative of the singer's love for a famous starlet is at least presented in an articulate manner. Not an essential track, but fair enough for what it is.
"Side Door" is a bit of an embarrassment, beginning as it does with a disco-oriented verse structure and a wretchedly poppy vocal line. Some of the ingredients for a more successful recording make their appearance felt in the chorus (the Oldfield-esque grandeur returns again in this context), but it's doubtful that even the best of all possible arrangements could have completely salvaged this number. One suspects that it was probably a bit of a throwaway novelty, but that doesn't help its rating. Thus concludes side one.
The second side of Sides begins with a rather obvious statement of a change of style -- "Sisters Of Remindum" is an overtly "proggy" number, featuring a stately piano introduction and interesting percussive accompaniment (courtesy of Morris Pert, no doubt; interestingly, the piano bit sounds slightly like "Anyway" at times). A full band arrangement appears for the closing section of the work (featuring some impressive playing from Giles and Perry), and later returns to a keyboard spotlight (thereby highlighting the diversity of Phillips's performance skills). The general sound of this piece is still in the general "loop" of mid-period Genesis and (as should be predictable by now) Mike Oldfield -- and the work is quite successful as such. This song was a clear statement to the effect of "the real music begins here", and deserves praise accordingly.
The following two tracks aren't quite as good, but possess fairly interesting moments. "Bleak House" begins with a haunting piano part, and develops into a narrative of lost love and forced migration (the exact nature of the story isn't quite clear, which actually adds to the strength of the characters involved). This track might not have been overly out of place as a Trespass outtake, though the arrangement would probably have been rather different. It should also be noted that, while Newman's voice is not terribly strong, it does not hurt this track significantly. This track contains a few vaguely "power balladish" sections, but these (thankfully) are not given the chance to develop.
"Magdalen" also begins with a gentle acoustic passage, converts to a standard AP ballad, and thereafter switches into a variation on the melody to "Moonshooter" (from Wise After The Event, Phillips's previous album). The track is a fairly impressive progressive number, in both the "Moonshooter" and other sections; the reference to the Sistine Chapel at the end of the work, moreover, gives the subject of the song away in fairly clear detail.
"Nightmare" is the best track on the album, beginning with a dark, progressive guitar line and continuing in an ominous manner into a full-band development. Some jazzy, Canterbury sections appear throughout the piece, with Giles again coming to the forefront. An excellent work, and possible proof that Phillips's band was most suited to brooding instrumental works of this sort.
Two bonus tracks were included on the CD reissue. "Souvenir" is an impressive ballad in the traditional English style, featuring a solitary individual lamenting his lost love in the presence of intoxicating spirits; as might be expected, the character development is significantly more important that the general plot in successfully relaying this work. Newman(?)'s suffering vocals actually fit this track fairly well. The final track is an instrumental recording of "Magdalen", which merits a slightly higher rating by virtue of the fact that the song's better elements are placed more in the foreground here.
Although Sides is not the best choice for a progressive fan's introduction to solo Anthony Phillips (The Geese And The Ghost or Private Parts And Pieces I, II, V, or VI would be the answer to this question), there is enough good material here to satisfy the curious observer. If the listener is willing to take the bad with the good, this is a fairly valuable purchase.
(review originally posted to alt.music.yes on 25 November 1997)