Defend Phil Collins

Oh man, I'm gonna make it a Frida Friday. Thanks Josh.

fabulous pants!

Over the holidays I asked my sister if she wanted to hear my Phil Collins impression, and then I just yelled 'TONITE!'

She thought it was pretty funny. I could have used a gated snare drum, though.

Oh, and in defense of Phil: A Trick of the Tail; Down and Out; Most of ABACAB; I'm Not Leaving; Easy Lover with Philip Bailey; Two Hearts, from the movie Buster.

i'm not moving anywhere!

Well, I'd be the first to say that I don't care for a lot of what he did in his solo career. However, I do think he's a great singer and an even better drummer, particularly on Genesis' '70s works: 'Watcher Of The Skies', 'The Musical Box', 'Dance On A Volcano'... I could imagine Phil getting on a lot of people's tits in the '80s due to his ubiquity: hits with Genesis, a successful solo career, various collaborations and guest appearances both as a singer and as a drummer, that Concorde thing at Live Aid etc. But now that he's no longer in the public eye to the degree that he once was, it's easier to look past that, I guess. While you'll never catch me listening to No Jacket Required, I definitely have time for A Trick Of The Tail or Duke (or nearly every Gabriel-fronted Genesis record), and I enjoy his work with Brand X.

Wasn't this case settled years ago? Collins recorded a lot of material, much of it good, some of it first-rate, some terrible. Nothing to apologize for.

otm

phil solo > pete solo. there, i said it

consider catching yourself listening to no jacket required, it's pretty good

why wouldn't you catch yourself listening to NJR?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E86cxhOTfFo

charity shop find 3 weeks ago : 3 cd boxset of face value, no jacket required, and ..but seriously : £3

not listened to them properly yet, but there are some interesting tracks here and there.

Second album underrated.

agreed - was gonna say, hello i must be going >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> but seriously

yeah, i did wonder they skipped that album.

aaaaaaannnd in today's big coincidence: http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/magazine/key-tracks-phil-collins-no-jacket-required

Awesome!

Per Hugh Padgham elsewhere, there's a cool Phil Collins drum exercise in "I Don't Care Anymore." The song starts out with the drums totally dead and '70s, then as the song progresses, they gradually fade in more effects and room, until we arrive at the classic '80s Phil gated reverb drum sounds. It's a pretty cool trick, if you pay attention.

I used to wonder how the he played that part on Frida's "I Know There's Something Going On." Then he did it on Letterman and I was like, ok, that's pretty cool (at 2:57):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eDaMSBJF4w

That's great. He's such a musical drummer, I can see why he pairs well with someone else. I could watch him and Steve Jordan play all day.

Totally forgot "Against All Odds" was nominated for an Oscar. But it's no "Tarzan."

I think Against All Odds might be the best of his spate of self-pitying and self-righteous and bitter ballads.

love the bit where phil plays 'going to a gogo' with the letterman band in that video above - have always adored that opening drum lick.

I actually like "Against All Odds", it's better when you get the movie and video out of your head, you can think of your own situation, someone who left you, and really feel it, man.

welcome to the gay experience

really feel it, man.

Phil sure does.

I think Phil the wounded soul belter gets a bad rap. HIs vox on this and "I Don't Care Anymore" are great. Not in the real soul man sense, but better than, I don't know, Michael Bolton. Like, you might not like his voice, but I don't think anyone would say he's not singing the hell out of these.

that legendary oscars performance of against all odds, which phil moans about in the letterman clip above
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWNvlT44nlw

are the poles really Michael Bolton vs soul?. Collins is a fine pop singer except when he bellows.

But I like the bellowing. He only does it when he is really feeling it.

ahah. I have always liked "Against All Odds". Ever since I was a kid !
I'm all for cheesy 80s ballads.
and more generally, I find PhilCo OK.
For all the terrible and uncool aspects about him many of his songs have a nostalgic impact on me.
the sound of more simple, superficial days...

Against All Odds is like the king of 'you treated me like crap so i killed myself i bet you feel bad now' balladry

precisely why I like it !
(no, actually, it's only for the music since I have never cared for the lyrics).

i'm with weller on this: the bitterest phil is hard to swallow

Pretty great episode of This American Life where they randomly call up Phil Collins to school them on how to write a break-up song. Seems like a good dude:
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/339/break-up

love the bit where phil plays 'going to a gogo' with the letterman band in that video above - have always adored that opening drum lick.

― #Research (stevie), Thursday, February 5, 2015 10:45 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah, that's a great bit. I wonder if Phil saw the Letterman appearance as an opportunity to remind those who might've forgotten that he was also (and still) a drummer.

This thread has a terrible side-effect : It makes me want to listen to PhilCo for the first time since... the early 90s !
Beware spotify !

by the way, for those interested in PhilCo AND football : the classic pep music for the entrance of the players of PSG at Parc des Princes is "who said I would" !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRRh-AOh-Nk

As a kid, I was a sucker for that '80s archetype of the loveable shlub embodied by Phil, Huey Lewis, Bill Murray, etc.

I also linked him in my brain with Robin Williams, maybe because they were both irrepressible hams who were absolutely everywhere that decade. An association made worrying by RW's suicide and PC's late struggles with what sounds like depression.

Steve Jordan with the tambourine swag on that Letterman clip. man, Phil was (and probably is) a great drummer.

i thought he had back issues that made it hard for him to play now :(

this is so ill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA3rJXV4R4E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpul9Xmjlv4

Best Phil story ever:

"There’s a great little anecdote from Phil Collins in the latest issue of either Uncut or Mojo (I forget which). Apparently Phil played congas on “Art of Dying” on a session for All Things Must Pass, but there were no congas in the final mix and he wasn’t credited on the album. Years later, when he heard that George was remastering ATMP, he mentioned this to a mutual friend. A few days later, a tape showed up in the mail with a note from George saying “is this you”? Phil played the tape and heard a version of “Art of Dying” with absolutely horrible congas, at the end of which he could hear George saying to Phil Spector “let’s try it again without the conga player.” Phil was mortified. A few days later, George called and asked if he got the tape. Phil started to say George didn’t have to embarrass him like that, but George laughingly interrupted and said that it wasn’t really Phil’s congas, that he had Ray Cooper play really bad congas on purpose and sent it to Phil as a joke, and that Phil’s congas were fine. Phil was finally credited on the ATMP reissue."

George is awesome.

i imagine that there's a cryptic reference to linda mccartney's legendary backing vocals in that practical joke

that is a fantastic fantastic story

yeah, reading that was a cracking start to the day.

i keep hearing this thread title as the name of an action movie

starring Jason Statham.

i keep hearing this thread title as the name of an action movie

ahahah. after "saving private ryan".

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Phil-Collins-made-an-honorary-Texan-by-the-6127933.php

"You'll Be In My Heart" is the most touching Academy Award winning song from a Disney movie released in 1999, hands down.

Been looking forward to this interview...I'm only halfway through but Phil sounds like a battered and humble(d?) dude these days.
http://www.thetrapset.net/127-phil-collins-genesis-brand-x-phil-collins/