Phil Collins has a new record coming out. Entitled “Going Back”, it features classic soul and Motown covers and no original songs by Collins. He says it’s his best album yet. He has also announced he’s retiring soon. The full story is here.
Below, the critic’s roundtable responds to Collins’ retirement announcement:
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What a sad story for such a monster talent. I spent about half an hour with him in the 1984 in Boston while attending Berklee. He couldn’t have been nicer. And was genuinely interested in MY musical endeavors. HE was the one asking the questions. One of my favorite memories of my entire life.
– Kevin DeBolt
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Phil Collins had/has his place, and I don’t understand the intensity of the knocks – both of himself and by others. The 80s… with Genesis and with his first two solo albums, up until Invisible Touch he kicked ass… shit, even Invisible Touch had a great song. I’ve always had the impression that he was a nice guy with a good, self-effacing sense of humor, and interviewing his son Simon was even more revelatory. I’ve truly felt bad for him re: his medical problem.
Funny how a smug ass like Gallagher – who hasn’t had a semi-original musical notion in his life – would knock a guy who recorded something like “Me & Sarah Jane.”
Steve Stav Another thing that must be pointed out… his love of family. He’s made “band decisions” in the past to be with family, especially when his son Simon went to live in Canada. And, I hear, he has viewed his semi-retirement as a chance to spend more time with his wife and kids. And Kevin, I’m quite envious.
– Steve Stav
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Downing Love his voice and music. Very sad for him. 🙁
– Ann ‘Fred’ Zwanzig Downing
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That’s terrible news about his injured neck. Yes, I’ve printed harsh words about Phil’s Genesis days. I recall spending hard earned money to see his version of the greatest art rock band of the era and coming away feeling empty and cheated. It was a loss rectified by seeing Gabriel’s 1984 tour a few months later. The difference between the two men was striking and obvious.
I don’t blame Phil for his commercial success or solo career, but feel justified in the original criticism. He did guide Genesis into the depths of pablum.
I hate reading articles like this. He probably is a really good guy and a generous soul. I hope that’s never in question. As for the neck injury, there’s always a medical treatment for ulnar nerve damage. Hope he has excellent physicians on the case.
I should also say my very first concert experience was with my cousin in 1975. He took me to see a strange and wonderful group perform something called “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway.”
”I don’t feel we’ve bastardised the way we were”, Collins remarked in an interview with Music Express: “on a generous day I’ll blame me for the change, but I just think it is us growing up, listening to different things.”
This is about as honest of an assessment as we’re going to get on the Genesis story. Then again, Phil’s character on Miami Vice was ‘Phil the Shill.’ Still, fond memories of the man who was Gabriel’s funny man on stage. On the “Selling England By The Pound” tour, Gabriel would go off on his stories between song, Collins would pretend to nod off. He was funny, but behind the theatre he was a raw but disciplined powerhouse drummer.
– Peter Dysart
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it’s very sad…….
– Mj Westlund
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It’s about time!!!
– Linda Kirsininkas
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Peter, very interesting observations and recollections… just a matter of taste, I guess. I don’t dislike the “Gabriel” Genesis, but I much prefer the early post-Gabriel period (though I am a huge Gabriel fan). Invisible Touch was the shark jumper, but if you look at a lot of records released around the same time, there were a lot of shark jumpers. Collins’ first two records were amazing, and of course often quite dark. Banks and Rutherford… could not stand Mike & the Mechanics. In a way, the whole Gabriel-Collins thing reminds me of the Faces-Small Faces fan split.
Heck, just yesterday I asserted that the Rolling Stones should have officially become “The Stones” after Brian Jones’ departure, for they weren’t the same band anymore 😉
– Steve Stav
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Why does Phil Collins get all the blame of Genesis’ “demise?” As far as I know they were a quartet after Gabriel left and then a trio when Steve Hackett left. Look at any Genesis album after Gabriel left and how many songs were written by or in part by Collins. Rutherford and Banks were just as responsible for Genesis’ change to more “pop.”
And look what Genesis became after he left!
– Scott Shepherd
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@Scott – it’s documented that Collins accepted responsibility for the move to commercial success. See my post above.
@Steve – I’m guessing you were less fond of Trick of the Tail than later Genesis releases. As for me, Duke was very acceptable.
After Gabriel left, the band tried to stick to their famous sound, and did a decent job at that. Trick of the Tail and Wind and Wuthering were both solid efforts. With the departure of Hackett, Collins clearly held the creative direction on And Then There Were Three. Slowly the pop hits, soft ballads and commercial success proved to great a temptation. Just because he was the voice of the band, and not Gabriel, he took most of the heat for the commercial direction. The old Genesis was no more.
– Peter Dysart
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