Phil Collins

Hits

(Most Of) Phil's Biggest Hits

Review Score:

(8/10)
There once was a minor rock star who spent years working in the rock and roll quarries touring, making records and living from paycheck to the next uncertain paycheck. Then his band's charismatic singer goes solo followed by the band's hot guitarist departing as well. The remaining members decide to make one last go of it-hoping to kindle some magic of their own. Most of the rock press dismisses any possibilities for the band. Most of the world's attention is focused on the departed singer as he releases a series of enigmatic records. Then our rock star's wife tells him he is to quit the music business and get a regular job or she's leaving him.

Sadly, our rock star goes on tour and his wife indeed does divorce him. Depressed and angry, our rock star writes a series of dark songs which surprisingly turn out to be very popular and raises his band to heights it (and few others) had never known before. Now surrounded with new found riches, our rock star's former wife returns to sue him for a portion of those riches citing her contributions as a "creative influence". And she wins.

As you have probably guessed by now, our rock star is Phil Collins. For nearly twenty years Collins was a member of Genesis. For most of Genesis' history, the band specialized in dark, fantastic songs drenched in progressive musicianship. Little did we know that the last song on 1978's AND THEN THERE WERE THREE would mark the beginning of Collins own personal new direction. "Follow You, Follow Me" was lovely bright and accessible: just about everything Genesis never was before. Genesis would continue on its path for years; but Collins chose to develop a solo career of his own. This began in 1981 with "In the Air"-a song so menacing and vengeful it sort of out "Genesis" Genesis.

In reality, "In The Air" was just a diversionary attack. Collin's solo career really began in earnest with the remake of the very Motown tune "You Can't Hurry Love". Soon it was clear Collins was steering himself back into the mainstream with very popish and blue eyed soul songs. This opened another career in writing and recording songs for movies. As they say, the rest is history.

Most rock opinion makers dismissed this "poppy" Phil Collins as a lightweight and something of a sellout. These opinions turned down right vicious as Collin's solo success eventually changed the direction and sound of Genesis itself.

In surveying this collection, it is surprising how difficult it was to keep Collins' solo material separate from his Genesis material. Generally, I tend to enjoy the Genesis material more and so it's absence effects my appreciation of this CD. I kept looking for "That's All" and "Invisible Touch" until after review these were never on Collins' solo records. Naturally, "Home By The Sea", "In Too Deep" nor "Land Of Confusion" will be found here. I realize that true fans will liken this to expecting to find a Plymouth Neon at a Honda dealership; but I bring this up to warn other record buyers who don't keep a data base in their head that Collins' solo career may be less than you remember.

As it stands, this CD is not in chronological order. This is to it's benefit as a precisely historically ordered presentation would only confirm the prejudice of others such as myself that Collins lost his progressive rock and rock and roll legitimacy the longer he went. Attempts for rock stars to be "socially conscious" such as in "Another Day In Paradise" only invite contempt. The joyful "Motown" songs such as "Two Hearts" and "Something Happened On The Way To Heaven" are Collins at his very best. Romantic material such as "One More Night" and "A Groovy Kind Of Love" tend to put many in insulin shock from the high sugar level but they are excellent with modest exposure. "Sussudio" was mildly interesting the first time I heard it but it becomes grating with each repeated listening. Fittingly, this collection closes with "Take Me Home": a song as attractive and satisfying as "Follow You, Follow Me" was at the beginning of this journey.

Just as changes in the music universe made it impossible for Genesis to return to its progressive stomping grounds, changes since 1990 have banished music of this flavor from the rock charts to the more "adult contemporary" formats. In other words, it is miles from being cutting edge. Still, it is very good for what it is. We have to at least admit that. While I'm happy to have this CD, I also know I won't play it much.

The other day I was watching the local PBS station as it played a recording of concert. The audience was filled with these matronly ladies and gray bearded, potbellied dudes swaying side to side and twisting to the music. On stage was this thin set foursome of middle aged to silver haired men playing what sounded like some very familiar tunes. I found the whole sight very odd. Then I was horrified by the realization that this was the Troggs as they ripped into a lukewarm version of "Wild Thing". I have tried over the years trying to explain how truly groundbreaking "Wild Thing" was when it was released in the mid-1960's. Now here it was on the very vanilla PBS for the love of Pete!!! I guess it only shows you how radical sounds end up being absorbed into the common sonic vocabulary. What is new and revolutionary today just becomes old hat in a short time. It seems to me Phil Collins met this fate much quicker than most.

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