Classic Albums 2: Phil Collins/ Steely Dan/ U2

The Songs And Stories Of The Greatest Records In Rock History!

Phil Collins: Face Value
Phil Collins first enjoyed international success as the drummer with Genesis and then subsequently as lead singer when Peter Gabriel left the band.In 1981, however, Face Value launched him as a solo artist and remains in many ways his most exciting and unusual music offering.Face Value was immediately a worldwide hit, entering British charts at Number 1, spending almost six years in the Top 75, and selling in excess of 12 million copies.The album went on to make the U.S. Top 10, earning a gold disc.Face Value also gave birth to several hit singles, including the atmospheric "In The Air Tonight," " I Missed Again," and "If Leaving Me Is Easy."This documentary includes several previously unseen performances, as well as rare home movies, archival footage of the studio sessions where Phil Collins worked closely with engineer Hugh Padgham and the Earth Wind & Fire horn section, unique photographs and documents from Phil's own private archive, and insights into the music from an eclectic range of musicians on the album.Many of these musicians recall their work on the album, alongside engineer Hugh Padgham, who returns to the original multitrack master tapes of Face Value, including a fascinating contribution by Eric Clapton on "The Roof Is Leaking".It also includes special performances given by Phil Collins of songs from the album and footage which was finally omitted.Phil also demonstrates how he created the unique drum sound that underpinned "In the Air Tonight," his first Number One record.

Steely Dan: Aja
Pioneering pop/jazz band Steely Dan, formed by Donald Fagen and Walter Backer in the early '70s, had already secured five U.S. Top 40 albums before the release of Aja in 1977.Aja however, was to prove to be the biggest selling album of Steely Dan's illustrious career, reaching Number 3 on the U.S. Billboard chart, spending a year in the Top 40 there, and also reaching Number 5 in the U.K.Aja was the first British Top 10 hit for Steely Dan and also the first album by Becker and Fagen as a duo.Becker and Fagen, renowned for their relentless perfectionism in the recording studios, recall the history of an album that was a year in the making, but rewarded by a prestigious Grammy Award and three major hit singles, Peg, Deacon Blues, and Jose.Future Doobie Brothers member Michael McDonald, who did guest backing vocals on Aja, British rock performer and songwriter Ian Dury, record producer Gary Katz, and the legendary session musicians who worked on Aja also contribute to this fascinating documentary.

U2: The Joshua Tree
Released in March 1987, U2's The Joshua Tree quickly became the fastest-selling album in British chart history, selling almost 250,000 copies within the first week of release.In the U.S., it was equally successful, topping the Billboard album chart for nine weeks, spending 58 weeks in the Top 40 there and earning a Grammy Award for Album of the Year.The Joshua Tree gave birth to several major hit singles, including "With Or Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," both of which reached Number1 on the Billboard Top 100 in the U.S., and "Where The Streets Have No Name."The story of the making of The Joshua Tree is told here via interview and archival film footage, with contributions from band members Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen. U2's long-time manager Paul McGuinness reveals how the album catapulted the band into the category of rock superstars.