Comments on: On Music: The Evolution of Phil Collins

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 09:38:33 +0000

I love Phil (maybe it’s the youngster in me) but it’s a different kind of love that I have for Genesis, and the concert I was at last weekend was almost entirely throwback to the classics. Except for the god-awful “I Can’t Dance” Phil on the drums was worth every penny.

By: Iain

Iain — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 21:10:52 +0000

Listening to the music clips on this page reminds me why I’m not a Phil Collins fan. The clips went from great (In the Cage) to progressive-ly worse and worse.

I’ve always been a Peter Gabriel fan and an early Genesis fan. I really like the first few Genesis albums with Collins at the helm (”A Trick of the Tail” and “Wind & Wuthering”). I also like Project X with Collins on drums.

Back around 1985 friends offered me a ticket to see Genesis in concert. Having been dragged to see the Phil Collins solo band a year earlier I thought I’d end up seeing the same dribble, so I declined. Big mistake. My friends reported back that Genesis, even with Collins at the helm, played many of their old classics.

By: Paul in SF

Paul in SF — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 19:03:06 +0000

Alas, popularity is rarely an indication of quality. Give me Gabriel-era Genesis or any of Gabriel’s solo work (even the less-than-inspired recent stuff) over Collins-era Genesis or solo Phil Collins (especially the pop pablum he has been reduced to more recently).

Yes, Phil Collins is an AMAZING drummer, but his place is behind the drum kit, sans microphone. Unless he’s singing backup for Gabriel…

I’m still hoping beyond hope that the mid-70s lineup of Genesis has a reunion tour, and that it includes Gabriel and Hackett.

By: Dawn Lorraine

Dawn Lorraine — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 16:15:25 +0000

I’ve found the following “album art rule of thumb” works well as it relates to this particular topic…

Band photo or atmospheric image…music good.

Big fat Phill face photo…music bad.

By: ianrey

ianrey — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 15:25:55 +0000

There’s another reincarnation, the Disney Phil. I thought Tarzan was pretty good, riffing on the jungle imagery of the film and incorporating the themes and rhythms. Brother Bear was sappy dreck.

By: spinhead

spinhead — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 13:42:25 +0000

Using only these clips, I lose interest after “That’s All” – but “No Jacket Required” had some real rock on it, including backing vocals by Peter Gabriel on “Take Me Home.” Collins’ first three albums had some very Gabrielesque stuff, but I lost interest as the quieter love songs started to crowd out the psychedelic rockers. But you can’t listen to Phil’s solo work, Peter’s solo work, and Genesis (in either incarnation) and compare them any more than you can say “Who’s better, the Stones or the Beatles?” There’s four fairly different subgenres there, and other than the late Phil solo, I’ll take any of ‘em over 98.6% of what’s on the radio here in Sacramento.

By: gus

gus — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 12:00:28 +0000

Being a non-fan who likes some of each singer’s work, let me say Peter’s solo work has been better. Yet, Phil can play the heck out of the drums.

By: Bassman

Bassman — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 11:51:56 +0000

You’re either a Phil Collin’s person or a Peter Gabriel person.
I’ll stick with Peter Gabriel.

By: sandburr

sandburr — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 07:46:28 +0000

As a long time Genesis fan ( before Phil was even in the band ) it is my opinion that the music got progressively worse starting around 1979. The more that they tried to be comercial and reach a wider audience with catchy pop-tunes, the more the songwriting suffered. But there is no accounting for the tastes of the music-buying masses. The drivel that sells and gets played on the radio today is pure crap ( gangsta-rap, Bitchny Spears, manufactured new-country “stars” ). But as a friend of mine thats is in the business once said, “music is mostly sold to eighth-grade drop-out, divorced housewives and teenagers that dont know any better”