Valorize? Is that a verb?
He's a VERY talented man.
3
One of the best concerts I've ever seen - and I'm happy to say I've seen them all over the past 50 years - was Phil Collins at the Polaris Amphitheater in Columbus, Ohio, in 1994. Unforgettable.
Call him what you will - I call Phil Collins one of the greatest entertainers of our time.
Call him what you will - I call Phil Collins one of the greatest entertainers of our time.
5
As someone who, yes, grew to adulthood in the 80s, you neglected to mention the myth-making urban legend surrounding In The Air Tonight, Every (then) teenager remembers hearing the story of how Phil Collins allegedly watched a man watch someone else drown (I was there and I saw what you did...), invited the man to a concert, shone the spotlight on him while telling the story and singing the song (why Phil Collins didn't try to save the allegedly drowning person is never asked). This resulted in many, many listens trying to decipher exactly what Phil was saying.
The song was also used during Tom Cruise and Rebecca DeMornay's sex scene on the Chicago El during Risky Business, which also could account for it's popularity.
My favorite album was Hello, I must be going. My favorite songs" Don't let Him Steal Your Heart Away and I Cannot Believe It's True.
The song was also used during Tom Cruise and Rebecca DeMornay's sex scene on the Chicago El during Risky Business, which also could account for it's popularity.
My favorite album was Hello, I must be going. My favorite songs" Don't let Him Steal Your Heart Away and I Cannot Believe It's True.
6
Why loathe Phil Collins? Just look for a better radio station.
I saw the guy once on a TV talk show in Germany. In other words, in a country where he had made lots of money. During his interview he could find nothing better to do than cast insults at the German audience and the show's host. And he wasn't even "man enough" do it openly, but packed it all in language and an attitude that many could not see through. Classy guy.
I saw the guy once on a TV talk show in Germany. In other words, in a country where he had made lots of money. During his interview he could find nothing better to do than cast insults at the German audience and the show's host. And he wasn't even "man enough" do it openly, but packed it all in language and an attitude that many could not see through. Classy guy.
3
Is this TMZ? Another article written presumably to fill space...Do we like him or don't we...about a drummer, singer, songwriter from the '80s, at least 35 years ago. I liked some of his work..so what? He can be a jerk..so what? Everyone has opinions..SO WHAT?
4
I didn't realize Collins was a whipping boy until I read this article and the comments! I'll agree, some of his later pop stuff was overly-sugary, but to judge him by that alone is short sighted, and ignores some of the great material he produced with Genesis and in his solo work. Also, Collins is not just a pretty good drummer - he's an excellent drummer; better than many in the rock/pop world. Three Sides Live, a post-Gabrial live Genesis album really showcases Phil's talents - drumming, vocals, and songwriting. Listen to "Dodo", "Duchess", "Me and Sarah Jane", "You Might Recall", "Evidence of Autumn", and "Open Door" - great stuff. I'd also recommend lesser known tracks on Face Value like "I'm Not Moving", "You Know What I Mean", and "This Must Be Love". I'd look a little deeper before writing off a guy with that much talent.
3
"Why can't it wait until morning?" on the Fourplay Elixer album.
This Gen Xer really enjoyed reading that. Thank you. Your'e right--it really does come down to that one killer track.
2
Yes, I still loathe him.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
8
I didn't really like his stuff, and like a lot of people, I just sort of tuned it out. But I got to hate it when it got over-played. I mean, man, it was EVERYWHERE. I even quit a job where I couldn't get away from it. For me, that's how it went to absolute hate.
There is other music people feel that way about. If you doubt it, at a party, just bring up the question of bands or hit songs that got over-played till you hated them, and watch the room go mad!
There is other music people feel that way about. If you doubt it, at a party, just bring up the question of bands or hit songs that got over-played till you hated them, and watch the room go mad!
2
Magazine wasted a lot of what I thought was valuable space publishing this piece. Why so much animosity? Don't listen if you don't like it.
He sure sold a lot of albums(?) for being so bad.
He sure sold a lot of albums(?) for being so bad.
5
I saw Genesis when I was in college at a small half full venue in Cincinnati on the Foxtrot tour. I was already a big fan of Nursery Crime and the show was amazing in every way. Peter Gabriel was clearly the frontman but they were all pretty great, including Phil. After The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, a true masterpiece came the pretty good Wind & Wuthering, sans Gabriel, but if concerned me from the moment I heard that I wiould probably drift away because the music was blander and the electricity was gone. I never much liked Collins solo stuff, just to safe and commercial for me, but I still think he's a great drummer.
4
Sure I heard that poor " You Can't Hurry Love" too many times; But that was because it was on the same album as "I Don't Care Anymore", possibly my favorite all time song.
1
"Does Anybody Still Loathe Phil Collins? (Even ‘In the Air Tonight’?)"
Yes, I most certainly do.
Yes, I most certainly do.
6
"In the Air Tonight" would not have been as successful as it is without the Miami Vice episode that featured it. That combination was new and different in the 80s, now not so much.
4
Anyone who was seriously interested in music dismissed Collins while he road the Top 40. In fact, the general 'loathing' of Collins began when Gabriel left Genesis, and took that group into the Top 40 realm of simplistic toe-tappers. To be fair, Gabriel's stab at Top 40 stardom, 'Sledgehammer,' was also pretty lame, but at least it was funny, and the video was a silly tour de force. Collins may have been a very good drummer with a knack for pop tunes, but at the time he was considered drivel, along with most Top 40. As pointed out in the article, one or two of his songs actually did get better and more interesting with time, and that's not a small achievement. But his adoring fans were either there and had extremely questionable taste, or not there and looking at him through the lens of our culture of disposable digital music, where everything bad is somehow really good and, bad or good, judgment is shaped by generations raised on winning awards for merely participating. Of course, none of this is really very important in the context of today's world. As they used to say, whatever floats your boat.
4
"Sledgehammer" is brilliant, as is every song on the album "So," one of the few perfect albums in rock history. And I love Phil Collins's work too, both with Genesis as a solo artist. I don't understand the animus toward certain artists or what motivates people to say how much they hate them.
6
I do loath Collins solo stuff. He took his brilliant work of Gabriel/Hackett era Genesis and threw it all away for commercial pop stardom. "In The Air Tonight" is a particularly grating song for a variety of reasons, the most prominent is the fact that it's a blatant ripoff of Peter Gabriel's song "Intruder" which Collins played drums on (from PG's 3rd solo album). No need to mention any other gimpy tunes from Collins's bland solo resume'. His gross sellout made him overly wealthy and absurdly famous and totally impossible to listen to objectively. His work with Genesis from 1971-1976 remain his legitimate artistic achievement.
12
Additionally, he was a founder, I believe, of 'Brand X', a prog/jazz/avant-garde rock group that's more Zappa-esque than a later era fan would even suspect.
2
It was a bad song them, it's a bad song now.
5
"How did this successful, gifted musician ever become such a whipping boy?" I wasn't aware he had become a whipping boy! I didn't love every single track he put out in the 80s, but his songs were amazing and remain a big part of the background music of my own 80s experiences. One song I didn't see mentioned is "I Don't Care Anymore". It's one of those songs I can play after a particularly bad day, and the words and rhythm perfectly capture my mood.
On top of that, Phil is one of the best rock drummers ever, in my opinion. He is one of those drummers whose style you can recognize after just a few beats, even if it is a song you never heard before.
I am glad Phil is making music again and I look forward to hearing how age and (hopefully) wisdom have influenced his music.
Well you can tell everyone I'm a down disgrace
Drag my name all over the place.
I don't care anymore.
You can tell everybody 'bout the state I'm in
You won't catch me crying 'cause I just can't win.
I don't care anymore
I don't care anymore
On top of that, Phil is one of the best rock drummers ever, in my opinion. He is one of those drummers whose style you can recognize after just a few beats, even if it is a song you never heard before.
I am glad Phil is making music again and I look forward to hearing how age and (hopefully) wisdom have influenced his music.
Well you can tell everyone I'm a down disgrace
Drag my name all over the place.
I don't care anymore.
You can tell everybody 'bout the state I'm in
You won't catch me crying 'cause I just can't win.
I don't care anymore
I don't care anymore
10
When I heard his material It sounded as a fabrication of recording technology. I doubt he could have been received favorably in a sparse setting with just his voice, his material and an accompanying instrument. He may have been cursed by the mandatory wizard of OZ technology of those times.
As a wanted to be musician, I can't understand the phil Collins as "whipping boy' phenomenon. it seems to be a result of those with low self-esteem who need to denigrate someone to smugly feel that they are somehow superior.
Phil was at least a great drummer -no small feat there - and a great singer and songwriter. Anyone who has been down on their luck and has listened with compassion to 'Another day in Paradise' can attest to the power and beauty of Phil Collins art.
I had a musician friend who deprecated Phil's work and took it as a sign of anger and jealousy because nothing he produced sounded as listenable as Mr. Collin's songs.
Phil was at least a great drummer -no small feat there - and a great singer and songwriter. Anyone who has been down on their luck and has listened with compassion to 'Another day in Paradise' can attest to the power and beauty of Phil Collins art.
I had a musician friend who deprecated Phil's work and took it as a sign of anger and jealousy because nothing he produced sounded as listenable as Mr. Collin's songs.
15
Just because you like him doesn't mean everyone has to. To assume that the reason they don't stems from jealousy or the need to feel superior is baloney. As to his drumming, you're wrong there too. He's not without skills, but he can't even be mentioned in the same breath as guys like Keith Moon, Ginger Baker and Mitch Mitchell.
2
From what I've read over the years, the "genesis" of the gated drum sound was Phil's playing on Peter Gabriel's third album, specifically the tracks "Intruder" and "No Self Control". This album was released in 1980, a year before Face Value. Peter insisted on no cymbals, which is also a feature of "In The Air Tonight".
3
I think Phil Collins' fate was probably similar to that of Neil Diamond in the 70's. Eventually people got tired of hearing his music real frequently.
I suppose there are people who escape that fate like the Beatles. Maybe that's partly because they were together for a relatively short number of years which we, as baby boomers, tend to associate fondly with our youth.
I suppose there are people who escape that fate like the Beatles. Maybe that's partly because they were together for a relatively short number of years which we, as baby boomers, tend to associate fondly with our youth.
5
Who "loathes" Phil Collins? It's not like he is Billy Joel or the Eagles... the man has real talent and adapted that talent through several decades.
11
I've never understood the animus directed at musicians such as Collins, Billy Joel, and the Eagles. They're all talented musicians. If you don't enjoy their music, don't listen.
7
I agree! I'd rather take a bath in ice water than sit through a Billy Joel concert. I'm from Long Island and I know this is sacrilege, but man oh man, Billy Joel makes me want to listen to Phil Collins just for the ear bleach factor.
1
"...the fact is that Collins has been, and continues to be, a combative, attention-seeking dude with an A-list ego."
Having talent is no excuse for being an inexcusable prat. His fanboy Kanye West is living proof. Some of Collins music is truly great, but unfortunately, he is not.
Having talent is no excuse for being an inexcusable prat. His fanboy Kanye West is living proof. Some of Collins music is truly great, but unfortunately, he is not.
3
Reading the comments reminds me of something I realized years ago after once again being perplexed as to why my friends were not moved to a state of bliss by another newly discovered song that seemed to penetrate my soul. Musical tastes are personal. We all like what we like and not everyone likes the same music. No amount of persuasion from me could make my friends embrace something they didn't like. PC gave me many hours of enjoyment through his music. I look forward to reading his autobiography.
9
Great drummer & songwriter....boring article
10
I never loathed Phil Collins. Great musician. The guy won an academy award, was nominated for another and was featured in a very inovative band, Genesis, and produced a lot of terrific music as a solo. The " eighties" had it's characteristic sound as did other decades. Why must critics create controversy where none really exists. I loved his voice. Have you even listened to Abacab? In the air is haunting. Whatever.
11
I don't think anyone who cut their R&R teeth on the likes of Led Zeppelin, The Allman Brothers, Hendrix, Cream or The Eagles could ever take Phil Collins very seriously. When you've been courted and won over by bands of real and lasting substance, his throw-away, feather light, syrupy synth pop is an in-one-ear-and-out-the-other aural experience that collapses under repeated listenings. There is no there there.
9
Interesting that you included the Eagles among the bands worthy of attention, as they are often dismissed (as in the comments on this article) as hacks. I like all of the artists you name, including Collins, and I take them all seriously.
2
The writer left out the cruel taunts Collins made after Freddie Mercury's death,indicating that the gay community was getting what it deserved..
7
I once drove cross country and with only a FM radio in the car found it impossible to escape Phil Collins as every radio station across the country seemed to loop his hits from one city to the next. I wanted to kill myself.
Nice article though and my criticism could just as easily be against the vapid mindless corporate radio execs of the time - fortunately we've moved on.
Nice article though and my criticism could just as easily be against the vapid mindless corporate radio execs of the time - fortunately we've moved on.
4
"Expressionless mug"?
You're thinking of Tony Banks.
You're thinking of Tony Banks.
3
"Overexposed" may be the most apt description in the article. I vividly remember telling Collins-loving friends that Phil was the "Kenny Rogers of rock".
4
As a drummer growing up in the 80s, Phil Collins was a huge influence on me creatively, first with Genesis and then with solo works.
His drumming style is not extremely technically difficult, but the musical way he approached a drum part, somehow familiar and yet fresh and exciting, is where Collins really shines. Although his signature "magic break" is arguably a Steve Gadd fill [Steely Dan], I'd offer that the cymbal+drum fills in "Against All Odds" are an even greater creative contribution. And for the curious, his playing on Robert Plant's first couple of solo albums is stunning.
For song-smithing and producing, it's true that he was over exposed. He really was everywhere. But while some of the singles were too polished and overplayed in the 80s, the deeper tracks still had bite. It wasn't until later that the bite left. I remember seeing a televised concert "in the round" from Paris and remarking how utterly flat and passionless it sounded. But I'm glad he's back. His "This American Life" episode was brilliantly humbling, and it sounds like his musical bite might be back too.
There is a lot to love about this man's work - even the haters would find something if they dug a little deeper than the "Sussudios" of his long and storied career. I for one, owe him a lot.
K.Snedeker
Winchester Revival
His drumming style is not extremely technically difficult, but the musical way he approached a drum part, somehow familiar and yet fresh and exciting, is where Collins really shines. Although his signature "magic break" is arguably a Steve Gadd fill [Steely Dan], I'd offer that the cymbal+drum fills in "Against All Odds" are an even greater creative contribution. And for the curious, his playing on Robert Plant's first couple of solo albums is stunning.
For song-smithing and producing, it's true that he was over exposed. He really was everywhere. But while some of the singles were too polished and overplayed in the 80s, the deeper tracks still had bite. It wasn't until later that the bite left. I remember seeing a televised concert "in the round" from Paris and remarking how utterly flat and passionless it sounded. But I'm glad he's back. His "This American Life" episode was brilliantly humbling, and it sounds like his musical bite might be back too.
There is a lot to love about this man's work - even the haters would find something if they dug a little deeper than the "Sussudios" of his long and storied career. I for one, owe him a lot.
K.Snedeker
Winchester Revival
11
Thoughtful article. While Phil Collins oversaturated the airwaves with some cheeseball songs, his significant talent shows up in songs like "Man on the Corner", "Against All Odds" and, as well noted in the article, his amazing "In the Air Tonight". So the man wanted some acclaim and money in the 80s-- understandable. He took chances and not all worked, like any artist. He will be remembered for his highlights.
6
Hate Phil Collins? Are people mad? Well, certainly the haters are. But that they had a miniscule amount of his talent. Bravo, Phil. I for one cheer your comeback.
5
Bad opinions and poor command of facts in this article. To pick one: the gated snare sound came from sessions for Peter Gabriel's solo album, to which Collins contributed. Not a "mistake" recording Collins LP. But don't let that stop self-described "hip hop journalist" Aaron from building a thesis on an unstable foundation.
6
I don't really care for Phil Collins, but I found this to be such a breathtaking piece of writing that I read the entire thing twice!
1
I'm reading this right now while listening to The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and all I can think of is that this writer has got to be one of the most artful "mediocrity apologists" ever.
5
Before 'In the Air' ('81), Collins/Padgham's drum sound was found for Peter Gabriel's third solo album ('80) song 'Intruder'. After leaving Genesis, for years I'd thought Gabriel and Collins were foes 'till I put together the timeline and figured out they were at least colleagues (maybe friends?). From Wiki:' Like the rest of the album, this song features the "gated drum" sound created by Hugh Padgham and Phil Collins and contains no cymbals. In fact, the song was built upon a simple drum pattern that Gabriel asked Collins to play while he wrote the words and the music...'.
I'd posit the sound eventually evolved from Fripp/Eno's work on Bowie's 'Heroes'.
Also from Wiki: '...Gabriel developed a new interest in world music (especially percussion), and for bold production, which made extensive use of recording tricks and sound effects. His third album is often credited as the first LP to use the now-famous "gated drum" sound. Phil Collins played drums on several tracks, including the opener, "Intruder", which featured the reverse-gated, cymbal-less drum kit sound which Collins would also use on his single "In the Air Tonight", becoming his signature sound in the 1980s.'
I'd posit the sound eventually evolved from Fripp/Eno's work on Bowie's 'Heroes'.
Also from Wiki: '...Gabriel developed a new interest in world music (especially percussion), and for bold production, which made extensive use of recording tricks and sound effects. His third album is often credited as the first LP to use the now-famous "gated drum" sound. Phil Collins played drums on several tracks, including the opener, "Intruder", which featured the reverse-gated, cymbal-less drum kit sound which Collins would also use on his single "In the Air Tonight", becoming his signature sound in the 1980s.'
3
Phil Collins' number one fan?
Patrick Bateman.
Enough said!
Patrick Bateman.
Enough said!
1
About that "magic break." The gated drum sound came first from Phil's drumming on Peter Gabriel's song "Intruder."
1
He wasn't engineering his sound. I doubt he heard a gated drum effect before the technology was applied. He benefitted from studio experimentation. That doesn't automatically denigrate his earnest musicianship.
1
All art, no matter how mind-bogglingly innovative and powerful it may be at the outside, can be reduced to cliche through overexposure. But no doubt about it, upon first hearing, 'In The Air Tonight' is a knock down, drag out, hauntingly beautiful recording. I suppose Collins could have refused to allow it to be played nonstop in commercials and movies, in strip joints and on elevators -- but there were millions to be made, after all, and can he be blamed for cashing in?
Decades later, if it isn't merely played at me as musical wallpaper, if I really listen and let it smack me full on, 'In The Air Tonight' still cuts like a knife.
Decades later, if it isn't merely played at me as musical wallpaper, if I really listen and let it smack me full on, 'In The Air Tonight' still cuts like a knife.
5
And you think of Collins as a hack(?)
1
Why do I get the feeling that Patrick Bateman wrote this epic meditation on intangibility?
3
Don't care what you or anyone else says. Still don't like it.
3
Collins's production and percussion contribution to Frida's "I Know There's Something Going On" has the same darkness as "In the Air Tonight."
1
I think anyone who loathes Phil Collins probably loathes the 80s. What a great decade it was.
24
Great is a strong word.
3
The 80s? Never. The 60s was where it was at. More talent and playable music than any other decade.
1
What a disappointing and somewhat superficial attempt to capture the essence of a gifted, if troubled, musician. Collins was one of a handful of artists that shaped and defined the 80s, and early 90s: no mean feat.
His link to and influence on the series 'Miami Vice' (1987-89), and then 'The concert in Berlin' (July 1990), bear witness to his influence, far more than much of that which the article stumbles through. C- grade, I'm afraid.
His link to and influence on the series 'Miami Vice' (1987-89), and then 'The concert in Berlin' (July 1990), bear witness to his influence, far more than much of that which the article stumbles through. C- grade, I'm afraid.
12
"B-I-N-G-O!"
I had prayed he went away for good, but now like the "bad penny" he returns. My musical tastes run broad and deep but somehow managed to exclude Mr. Collins banal, boring elevator music.
Still loathing Phil Collins? Yes!
Still loathing Phil Collins? Yes!
28
He was boring then and he's still boring.
24
Good article. Despite having the (earned) millstone of Dad Rock on him, the guy is a true innovator and musician. Not mentioned here is that Collins is a producer (Clapton, etc), session drummer (he's on the liner notes of tons of stuff - his playing on Tears For Fears "Woman in Chains" still takes my breath away) and arranger (he completely remixed and re-arranged a bland Howard Jones tone "no one is to blame" into a monster hit). His weaknesses as a bland frontman/actor/ego tend to overshadow his legacy.
16
The short answer: yes. Does the New York times really need to devote this much space -- or any space -- to Phil Collins?
18
Space? Limited only by the boundaries of one's cranium, articles like this and the wide periphery of thought they incite is why the New York Times is still (and always will be) the best journalism on the Planet.
No mention of Miami Vice? The reason that song (In the air tonight) was so popular is because it was featured prominently in one episode of the show.
Crockett and Tubbs are riding in the black Ferrari on the way to a drug deal, that may well kill them. The Camera shows them rolling down and empty street that is glowing from being sprayed down, along with neon lights everywhere, the shot of the tire rolling, the shot of the reflection of the Neon in the car doors, and that song playing, was cutting edge television back then and still should be.
Phil also guest starred on Vice in a separate episode called "Phil The Shill"
That show did as much to make Phil big in the 80s as anything else he did.
Crockett and Tubbs are riding in the black Ferrari on the way to a drug deal, that may well kill them. The Camera shows them rolling down and empty street that is glowing from being sprayed down, along with neon lights everywhere, the shot of the tire rolling, the shot of the reflection of the Neon in the car doors, and that song playing, was cutting edge television back then and still should be.
Phil also guest starred on Vice in a separate episode called "Phil The Shill"
That show did as much to make Phil big in the 80s as anything else he did.
33
Exactly! This scene for me is the song's proper video. Hit hard back then (esp. for a teenager in East Germany).
1
The author was not a young adult in the early 80s and so doesn't have a lived context of the time. With only commercial radio and a newly-born MTV, we all were bludgeoned with Phil Collins, and I speak as a Genesis fan who loved "Duke" and met him on their tour for that album. If you listened to the radio then, you could not escape Phil Collins. He wrote catchy songs but he was right in assessing he was over-saturating the then-limited media airwaves. Even the most talented musician will be the target of derision at that level of exposure. Re-invention is great, the Gen-Xers are wanting nostalgia, here comes Phil again. It's cool, but his music etched permanent grooves in my brain that will never fade and I don't need to ever play his music again to hear it in my head.
1
My thought exactly. While not being a Phil Collins hater, his work on Miami Vice was the high point of his artistic career.
1
Charles, thank you for a great article. I'm dating myself here, but I remember hearing In The Air Tonight on the radio when I was in high school in England. It really stood out from everything at the time and was a huge departure from the dreadful posh boy self indulgence of Genesis.
Misery often creates great creative works, the result of his first marriage breaking up resulted in an outstanding solo album. After that his output became sappy, dull and generic. (Maybe he was happy). Bryan Adams suffered from the same disease. I guess when money can be made from blandness why put the effort into creating original, challenging and creative music.
Misery often creates great creative works, the result of his first marriage breaking up resulted in an outstanding solo album. After that his output became sappy, dull and generic. (Maybe he was happy). Bryan Adams suffered from the same disease. I guess when money can be made from blandness why put the effort into creating original, challenging and creative music.
6
Anything Phil Collins has done is infinitely better than the dictionary definition of noise that passes itself off as music today.
37
It's been my privilege and pleasure to have worked with Phil Collins in his touring bands since 1990. Thank you for writing a thoughtful assessment of Phil's career and impact on the current pop music scene, which I think is quite significant, instead of the usual hatchet job he gets. His influence can be heard in both the style and substance of many artists two generations removed from the 1980s. One example: Adele's "Hello" could be thought of as the "In the Air Tonight" of this decade.
26
For me, the rehabilitation of Phil Collins came with a This American Life story where he helped Starlee Kine write a break-up song: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/339/break-up?act=... . All the arrogance was gone, and he revealed himself to be a guys with marital problems and a sense of humor -- even about himself and his image. At one point he made a disparaging comment about Michael Bolton and then notes that others probably made similar comments about Phil himself.
10
Phil is the greatest musician ever and the greatest songwriter since the Beatles.
Yes, I still loathe '80s Phil Collins. Mostly because I love 70's Phil Collins.
27
Phil Collins' music is amazing and it always makes me smile when I randomly hear it.
6
Some people believe every word Genesis says. I don't even think Phil Collins is a good drummer!
2
Listen to all of Selling England By the Pound, or Morrocan Roll, and then get back to me.
4
This is such a refreshing article to read! I mean Phil Collins is whatever, but writing style and use of words, sentences and organization of thoughts! Such better writing than what you usually find in online articles. Charles arron you've restored my faith in journalism.
11
The genesis, if you will, of the audiophile's loathing of Phil Collins is no great mystery. More than any other musician who peaked (creatively-speaking) in the first half of the heady 1970s, Collins embodied the subsequent transition to the high-fructose, corporate soullessness of 1980s pop. It happened to a lot of musicians from that era, but no one could quite match Phil in so transparently trading radical art for mass-produced, plastic trinkets.
While Peter Gabriel was still fronting Genesis (one of the "holy trinity" of prog rock bands), and even into the latter years of the '70s after Gabriel departed, Collins' drumming was arguably second only to Bill Bruford within that sprawling, highly inventive genre. On top of that, his harmonizing with Gabriel's otherworldly voice was quite impressive. Collins' work with the fusion band, Brand X, was also deservedly well-received.
1980s Genesis and Collins' own solo work, by contrast, regrettably rode the crest of a wave of popular swill. When has society ever been more self-consciously determined to close itself off from beauty and curiosity and innovation as during the rise of Reagan and Thatcher? Phil Collins provided much of the soundtrack to that betrayal of values and retreat into spiritual decadence, and for that he can never be completely forgiven.
While Peter Gabriel was still fronting Genesis (one of the "holy trinity" of prog rock bands), and even into the latter years of the '70s after Gabriel departed, Collins' drumming was arguably second only to Bill Bruford within that sprawling, highly inventive genre. On top of that, his harmonizing with Gabriel's otherworldly voice was quite impressive. Collins' work with the fusion band, Brand X, was also deservedly well-received.
1980s Genesis and Collins' own solo work, by contrast, regrettably rode the crest of a wave of popular swill. When has society ever been more self-consciously determined to close itself off from beauty and curiosity and innovation as during the rise of Reagan and Thatcher? Phil Collins provided much of the soundtrack to that betrayal of values and retreat into spiritual decadence, and for that he can never be completely forgiven.
62
I hope your "holy trinity" of proggressive rock bands includes King Crimson. Michael Giles drumming would make Phil Collins run for cover.
2
Although I'm his few studio interactions with Eno no doubt had some impact on his later recordings, the author really should give Collins' association with Tony Banks credit instead of Brian Eno for inspiration in how "In The Air Tonight" was written and recorded. Unlike nearly all of the solo material that follows, that particular song most closely resembles Genesis, and in particular Tony Banks' style than anything else.
6
I love Phil Collins he is an amazing artist and talent! I never heard of people not liking his music. "Air tonight" was amazing and still is. Who wrote this? Don't know where the writer is getting his facts.
13
Maybe you didn't read the entire article and also missed the eighties.
3
I hate him and so does just about everyone I know. Now you've heard of someone.
7
I still loathe Phil Collins.
6
Saw PC in concert while he was still with Genesis.
He destroyed his kit.
Still a fan after all these years.
He destroyed his kit.
Still a fan after all these years.
4
I have always loathed Phil Collins. He's ,in my opinion, in the same category as Chicago (the band) or jazz. I don't like to be in the same county with any of them.
7
Chicago the band? You mean one of the longest-lived, popular, and musically adaptable bands ever? I'm not a huge fan of their music after "17" but their earlier stuff is pure gold.
12
I make no apologies for loving the entire Face Value album. I do apologize to the several people I've almost plowed into over the years...caused by acting out that magic break on my steering wheels.
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if Phil Collins is a cabdriver in NYC, I wouldn't mind chatting w/ him through the rear mirror in rush-hour traffic. and if he starts singing, I would stare out of the dirty cab window and reminisce the 80's.
4
The vitriol aimed at Phil Collins over the years has always been incredibly unfair. The man, in my opinion, was/is a master talent: brilliant drummer, powerful vocalist, and a master at melody. I always have at least one of his albums in my CD player.
26
After hearing this song a million times on the Michelob ads I grew to hate it.
2
This article is absolute nonsense! Phil Collins was successful because he was/is an incredible musician. He'd had great success with Genesis (barely mentioned in this article) and went on to have a glittering career on his own alongside Genesis. It was not as a result of 'In the air tonight' that he had success in the eighties, as this article suggests- 'in the air tonight was just a small part of it' in fact here in the UK it was not one of his 'lasting' hits at all, it was only after he Cadbury's ad that everyone seemed to claim it was a great song.
Phil Collins is a musical genius, who rightly essences his place in the history of rock & pop, he has inspired many artists and collaborated with even more. I listen to a broad spectrum of music, but still regard Phil Dollins very highly indeed- I wish he would continue to make music and maybe then he can prove to all the doubters what a true genius he really is!
Phil Collins is a musical genius, who rightly essences his place in the history of rock & pop, he has inspired many artists and collaborated with even more. I listen to a broad spectrum of music, but still regard Phil Dollins very highly indeed- I wish he would continue to make music and maybe then he can prove to all the doubters what a true genius he really is!
18
Excellent essay. As a teenager, I genuinely loved Genesis, both the Peter Gabriel version, and the Phil Collins late 70s version. And, I can tell you exactly where I was and who I was with the first time I heard the Magic Break, as the author references it. That said, I've always found Phil Collins to be compelling, enigmatic, and vexing in equal measures. But time has validated at least one thing - the man is one of the most innovative and gifted drummers of the rock era. Ask any indie rock drummer working today if you doubt his influence.
16
That's the thing. Whatever else you want to say about him, he's a great musician and contributed massively to one of rock's greatest and most innovative and interesting bands. When he was just another exceptional musician he was something to see. That's the way I prefer to think about Phil. But otherwise, yes, the 80s Collins is not something to remember, in the air or otherwise.
1
Every few years the music industry lost traction and songs like "In the Air Tonight" and "Betty Davis Eyes" alternsted on a continuous loop providing driving-to-somewhere background music for people without access to a college radio station.
While a similar low point 1971-72 mercilfully let up with the emergance of Sprinsteen, all we got in the 80s was a music industry that had finally harnessed punk to produce some catchy dance tunes.
While a similar low point 1971-72 mercilfully let up with the emergance of Sprinsteen, all we got in the 80s was a music industry that had finally harnessed punk to produce some catchy dance tunes.
4
71 to 72 was a low point? In my opinion that was one of the most creative times in rock.
4
Nope, I have to disagree with you Ryan. As a child of the '60's whose "retirement project" has been to collect every single Billboard Top 40 hit since 1955, I have listened to a lot of music, and for my money (and taste) the 1980's remain the best decade for the kind of music I like... and besting the 1960's and the Beatles is saying something!
2
The song isn't that great or that important, but I do remember when I first noticed "that showstopping tom-tom detonation," so there's that. Very shrewd article, all in all.
3
now I know where Sinaid O'Connor got her idea for the "Nothing compares to You" video...
1
Yea from Prince who wrote it?
5