Phil Collins to return with reissued catalog

English pop singer Phil Collins, one of the top-selling artists of the 1980s, will reissue all his solo albums and potentially bring out unreleased material, his label said Tuesday.

Warner Music Group announced a deal with Collins for his full catalog, which will mark the first time his full solo output will be on the same label worldwide.

New York-based Warner Music said it would remaster all eight of Collins' solo albums, starting in the later half of this year with reissues of 1981's "Face Value" -- his first without band Genesis -- and 1993's "Both Sides."

Warner Music said in a statement it would also release "other uniquely curated titles from the vaults."

Tim Fraser-Harding, a Warner Music executive, said to expect "some sensational new releases that will excite his longtime fans while also helping to introduce his songs to new generations of music lovers."

With a string of hits including "One More Night," "Against All Odds" and "A Groovy Kind of Love," Collins has sold more than 100 million solo albums and another 150 million with Genesis.

Collins nonetheless has endured years of battering criticism from reviewers and fellow musicians, some of whom have charged that his work is bland and formulaic.

Collins, 64, announced his retirement in 2011 but has since hinted at a comeback.

But in December he canceled his first public performance scheduled in more than four years, at a charity concert in Miami Beach, due to voice problems.

Collins, originally the drummer of Genesis, has also said that nerve problems have stopped him from playing on the percussion set.

Collins' last album of original material was "Testify" in 2002, although he has since worked on other projects including writing songs for the Broadway musical "Tarzan."
Source: AFP