Phil Collins

Hits

Some absences are glaring, but can still enjoy what's here

Review Score:

(8/10)
Phil Collins is no doubt one of the most flogged personalities in popular music. But being a child of the 1980s, music like Phil's helps bring back many nostalgic memories for yours truly. A complete collection of hits (or better yet a retrospective with some key album tracks) would require a double-disc, so naturally this HITS collection will omit some people's favorites. However, with what is contained here anyway, those arguments may be rather small.

After Genesis released 1980's DUKE, Phil wasted no time in starting work on his first solo album FACE VALUE (1981), which managed to sell more than any Genesis album up to that time. It spawned 2 hits with "In The Air Tonight" & "I Missed Again". Also, with the then-cutting edge MTV debuting, the videos were rotated heavily & remain classics of the decade. The former's inclusion is definitely warranted, but the latter is mysteriously absent & if album tracks had been included, "If Leaving Me Is Easy", "You Know What I Mean" & even Phil's surprisingly successful cover of the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows" might fit in nicely.

1982's HELLO I MUST BE GOING followed right on the heels of 1981's ABACAB, so Phil was definitely busy already. HELLO was a step down & this was slightly reflected in its chart performance. Phil's cover of "You Can't Hurry Love" was his first solo top 10 & while faithfully done, the lesser hit "I Don't Care Anymore" might have been a more appropriate entry. Non-singles "Like China" & "Thru These Walls" could also work here.

Even as early as 1984, Phil was in demand as a producer, soundtrack contributor & duet partner. Sure enough, Phil's first #1 hit was "Against All Odds [Take A Look At Me Now]" from the film AGAINST ALL ODDS. #1 for 3 weeks & nominated for an Oscar, the song is a longing ballad that does its job in just 3 1/2 minutes. Later in 1984, Phil helped out Earth, Wind & Fire's Philip Bailey on his solo album CHINESE WALL. Their song "Easy Lover" was taken from there & peaked at in impressive #2 & you can tell that both Phils are enjoying themselves on this song.

1985's NO JACKET REQUIRED no doubt elevated Phil to iconic status, topping the charts for 8 weeks & spawning 4 top 10 hits. The heartfelt ballad "One More Night" & the insanely catchy "Sussudio" were the chart toppers, with "Take Me Home" peaking in the top 5. The other hit "Don't Lose My Number" doesn't make it on here, but getting NO JACKET REQUIRED itself is no problem, for it is quite a solid album & perhaps his best overall.

That same year, Phil contributed "Separate Lives" from the WHITE NIGHTS movie. This #1 duet with Marilyn Martin is another ballad equal to the drama & heartbreak of "Against All Odds". Acting has been mostly a hobby for Phil, but he won his first starring role in 1988's BUSTER. He contributed two new songs, both of which went to #1. His cover of "Groovy Kind Of Love" was questioned, but I think he turns an originally upbeat ballad into one more somber & that's commendable. The Motown flavor of "Two Hearts" is no small assumption for it was co-written with Motown legend Lamont Dozier & could easily have been successful coming from the Supremes or The Four Tops.

1989's BUT SERIOUSLY had Phil flipping the script of NO JACKET REQUIRED by creating less bouncy material in favor of more introspective fare. While the critical carps only got louder, it is still superior to its predecessor & even better in its success rate (6 singles!). The Grammy-winning ballad about the homeless "Another Day In Paradise" was #1 for 4 weeks, with the horn-driven rave-up "Something Happened On The Way To Heaven" following it into the top 5, along with the gospel-inflected "I Wish It Would Rain Down" (containing an incendiary solo from Eric Clapton & one of Phil's finest vocals). A prime album track would definitely have been "Colours", the 9-minute epic indictment of apartheid that editing down would have diminished its power.

1993's BOTH SIDES was an even darker affair, continuing the serious state of BUT SERIOUSLY & even more so by having Phil play all the instruments. "Both Sides Of The Story" was an impassioned critique on issues from street violence to spousal abuse & a bold choice for the first single. It may have killed the album commercially, but "Everyday" was a more traditional ballad that became Phil's last top 40 hit for 5 years & unfortunately is missing from here.

1996's DANCE INTO THE LIGHT was Phil's first album not to spawn a top 40 hit, indicating that his days as a chart regular were pretty much done. The horn-drenched title track & the major-key ballad "It's In Your Eyes" were minor hits that didn't crack the top 40, but only the former is included on HITS, even if its enthusiasm does sound a bit forced.

With HITS having been released in 1998, most recent hits like his top 40 comeback with the Oscar-winning "You'll Be In My Heart" from TARZAN, or from his 2002 album TESTIFY (being hailed as his best since BUT SERIOUSLY) are obviously not present. But hopefully a HITS, VOLUME 2 will include those when it does appear. Still we have the solitary new song in Phil's cover of Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors". It certainly won't make people forget Cyndi's classic, but Phil still does an admirable job, Babyface's pseudo-New Jack Swing backdrop fitting Phil rather well.

Again, HITS might not be a comprehensive collection, but for what was included, it's still a joy to listen to in order to recapture old memories for those who grew up in the '80s. Call it disposable, call it vapid, but no one can fault Phil Collins for being a world-class creator of infectious pop music & that's a legacy I'm sure any artist would love to have.

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