Phil Collins

Hits

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Review Score:

(10/10)
Phil Collins is a man who needs no introduction. He has been singing and recording music, with and without Genesis, for nearly thirty-five years. This is an excellent collection of some of his greatest singles as a solo artist including one new track, "True Colors".

I became interested in Phil's music shortly before I began high school. From the time I got my first Genesis album, I knew I had to own all of his recordings, those that made the pop charts and those that didn't. It took me five years worth of Christmases and birthdays to acquire them all. (I plan to get the Genesis Archive 2 boxed set sometime in 2001.)

Needless to say, this album brings back a lot of memories. Phil was literally the soundtrack of my high school years. After I taught myself to play "In The Air Tonight" on the piano---and sing while I played it---completely out of the blue---I was so thrilled that I had to share it with my school choir. That same year, since I had a lot of friends in that choir who were graduating before I was, I told them: "Wouldn't you agree/baby, you & me/got A Groovy Kind of Love." "Sussudio" was the nickname I once gave to a girl I was madly in love with. Those are just a few examples.

What I love most about the music of Phil Collins is that he continues to surprise me. Just when you think you've got his game all figured out, he turns around and does something entirely unexpected. Who would have thought that after the commercial failure of "Both Sides" (really a shame, since for the first time he sings every vocal line and plays every instrument) he would bounce back in 1996 with "Dance Into the Light"? Or that he would take the "Tarzan" soundtrack and turn out tremendous honors for "You'll Be In My Heart"?

"Hits" is a must for every Phil Collins fan you know. Happy 50th Birthday in 2001, Phil!

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