After "Dance Into The Light" was released, I'm sure all of us feared the worst: That Phil Collins had lost his touch. Fortunately we were all proved wrong when Tarzan was released, and showed us just how much talent Phil still had, and Testify is no different.

On this album, Phil has returned to a more grassroots approach to his music. The whole album has a decidedly dark feel to it, the kind we havent seen since But Seriously, or even Hello I Must Be Going. To casual fans, it must sound hard to believe, since DITL is still fresh in our minds (And Cant Stop Loving You isn't very dark). BUT, once you get a listen to the rest of the album, I think you'll be surprised at what you hear....

The most agressive track, by far, is The Least You Can Do, Phil actually starts yelling towards the end of the song. It's almost as if this track were taken directly from "Hello, I Must Be Going!", it's old Phil back again! Incidentally, many people say this is their favourite song on Testify.

Even for a huge fan like myself, Testify was a disappointment on the first listen. However, the more I played it, the more I began to love it. It took about 3 or 4 listens, but eventually I "got it." I have a message for those who believe that Phil Collins has lost it: Give the album a few more listens, and you might change your mind. This is certainly an album which grows on you quickly, if given the chance, and I'm afraid too many people haven't given it the fair chance it deserves.

So, listen with an open mind, and an open heart, and you too will find that Testify is the best thing he's done since But Seriously. And that says alot.

Welcome back, Phil. We missed ya. :)

NO one- and I mean NO ONE- can tell you what is good music and what isn't....it depends on your mood, your taste, your understanding of music....I read both good reviews and bad reviews and then got the cd....was it good music??? for me...yes...very good...did I expect it to sound like the old phil collins? ofcourse not...we don't always want the same old music....in my opinion THIS IS A GOOD QUALITY music cd and I loved it....don't let people make up your mind for you....go listen to it yourself and then decide.

Phil Collins certainly has a lot to be happy about these days. A recent Oscar winner for the "Tarzan" song "You'll Be In My Heart," he's also newly married, and a new father as well. "Testify," Phil's first new solo album in six years, is a reflection of his personal happiness, as the bulk of the songs are obvious love letters to his wife Orianne and their new baby son. But if you're concerned that Phil might have put a little too much "lovey-dovey" material on this album, you needn't worry. "Testify" is a fine Phil Collins album that just gets better & better with repeated listenings. It's light, breezy & simple, with great melodies & emotion. While there's no real *rockers* on display here, the album still has it's share of edgy stuff, like the punch of "Wake Up Call" and the driving electric guitar, gospel choir & Phil's trademark bashing of the drumkit on the masterful title song. "Swing Low" has great mood to it. "This Love This Heart" is a beautiful love song---I'm already thinking of playing it at my wedding! "Driving Me Crazy" is bouncy & appealing, and Phil also serves up an excellent cover of Leo Sayer's "Can't Stop Loving You" (the first single). Phil's classic voice & musical chops remain intact, and the album's sparkling production quality is also a plus.With the whole music business having changed considerably since Phil Collins' glory days of the 80's & early 90's, it's highly unlikely that "Testify" will give Phil any hit singles or multi-platinum album sales. But, as Phil himself has said recently, he's okay with that. And so am I---the man has nothing more to prove to anyone, the new album will sell whatever it sells, and to heck with radio & MTV. I'm just happy to have a new Phil Collins CD at last, and "Testify" is a darn good one. Welcome back, Phil! :-)

Phils 1st solo effort in 6 years proves to be a fantastic one. It seems he's used some new equipment, a new producer, and some new musicians that gives this record a bit of an edge to it that Phil needed. Not to say his 2 prior efforts arent good. They are. Boths Sides is Phils best album ever and is grossly underrated. Phils experimentation with the computer on TESTIFY has produced some atypical "phil collins tunes"; Wake Up Call, Dont Get Me Started, and Driving Me Crazy are truly a suprising treat. Naturally the album also contains a good bit of the typical Phil Collins ballad that all the TARZAN fans will ABSOLUTELY LOVE.

Keep up the good work Phil.

Why artists (new) albums are critiqued at such a high standard is, a mystery, if u dont like phil collins, maybe this isnt the album you should be reviewing. Anyway, The success of Face Value to But Seriously declined with an underatted album, Both Sides. Then came another underated album, Dance Into The Light, now continuing that tradition is Testify. Depsite the songs 'Testify', 'Cant Stop Loving You', 'Dont Get Me Started', 'Wake Up Call', 'Driving Me Crazy', 'Thru My Eyes', 'Come With Me' & 'This Love This Heart' the album is a real bomb. PLEASE NOTICE THE SARCASM. I cant wait for the new tour dvd, the upcoming love songs dble album (his first) and maybe a new album soon, a live album maybe...ooooh how about a serious hits live re-issue...mmmm i smell another dble cd there!

Enjoy fans.

Also recommend: PC-HITS

Peter Gabriel UP (underatted)

Genesis Invisible Touch (yeah thats right you peter gabriel fanatics, there is life in the band w/o PG!)

By the way, the correct spelling of overated escapes me