WE'RE ALL AS WE LIE

-- First review for this single -- For his second solo album, following the very pastoral debut The Geese & the Ghost (1977), ANTHONY PHILLIPS, an essential founding member of Genesis as we know, had a change in style which is rather similar to one that Genesis was having simultaneously on their first trio album ...And Then There Were Three... (1978). Wise After the Event (1978) contains tighter songs and a dynamic band sound balanced between accessible poprock and progressive rock. This time Phillips himself sings on each track, with his warm and intimate but technically weak voice.

'We're All As We Lie' is the album's playful opening song and it features a lot of guitars. As on the album in general, there is a notable emphasis of chorus in the song structure but at the same time a richness in details. A nice, suitably catchy song with an atmosphere and sounds comparable to the more upbeat songs of ...And Then There Were Three.

I've had the album on vinyl since my youth, and naturally have noticed that the inner sleeve contains lyrics also for one song NOT included on it, 'Squirrel'. At the time there weren't YouTubes or anything like that, and funnily I never came to hear the song -- until now. This is a mellow, moody, slow-tempo song featuring only vocals and piano. Comparable to 'Regrets' on Wise After the Event, but in my opinion more beautiful as a composition. [ On the release info there's another B side track 'Sitars and Nebulous' which I can't find any trace of, nor is it mentioned on the single's cover design. ]