If you had suggested this to your typical trendy muso in the nineties at the height of Britpop they'd have spat out their Hooch it was that un-cool to like him. Yet recently he’s published a bestselling autobiography (Not Dead Yet); gone back out on the road; re-mastered and re-issued eight albums; put out a 4 disc album of his work with other people and even had a number of slightly apologetic newspaper profiles published. He even has current, on-trend celebrity fans like Kanye West, Lorde and Taylor Swift.
I suspect the major catalyst of this uprising was his autobiography. I’ve read it. It’s the story of a brilliant but flawed man who freely and bravely admits that he's made mistakes in his life.
Phil Collins in 2018 now has the public profile of a tragic figure. He did play a major role in actually creating this persona himself, firstly with a 2011 Rolling Stone article, then with this autobiography both of which showed him through a series of personal and professional tragedies (his divorces, the injuries that prevent him from playing drums, his history of alcohol/substance abuse etc) to be a lonely, angry, and even suicidal little man.
Am I Fan?
I've been a big Genesis fan for most of my life having virtually all their albums and loving most of them, indeed I’ve also seen them live a few times back in the day. The period from 1976 to around 1983 counts as some of my favourite music ever. Some of the live material from around then shows off his undeniable talent as both a singer and especially as a drummer. But I’ve never really been that bothered about Phil's solo career - I had a couple of albums but that was it.
I must admit I've gone through phases, like most people, of veering between being totally against him and totally ambivalent towards him towards tolerating him. And that’s because he’s not just one thing. The one thing you might like about him might very well be cancelled out by something else you might dislike intensely.
Why the Public Hatred?
Back in the 80s if you were a Top 40 chart fan you really had no choice but to love Phil. He was inescapable in a way that seems almost modern by today’s standards. Yes the post-punk fans didn't like him - the hippy git with his paint pot on the piano! The knocking of him really seemed to start after '...But Seriously' was released and generally implied that it was music for plebs. At the same time, it did seem like he became irrevocably associated with that rolled-up-sleeves Miami Vice aesthetic, which was considered grotesquely unfashionable for a considerable period of time. Also he was so ubiquitous, he was everywhere! Phil said even he was sick of Phil Collins by the end of the eighties.
I've never really understood the hatred though, apart from perhaps that generated by the ‘tax dodging tory’ lies that Piers Morgan printed. Similar things happened in the 80s and 90s with the likes of Abba, Queen and ELO all of which were deeply un-cool to like at the time but are now held up as musical gods.
Phil also got a whole load of flak for ‘Another Day In Paradise’, with critics and other musicians criticising him for being hypocritical about a multi-millionaire creating the song. However, they completely ignore the fact the song has raised millions for homeless charities over the years and that Phil's allowed it to be used by them for free, as well as topping many of those same charities' coffers up with his own contributions. What did I say earlier about him not being just one thing?
Talented?
Phil Collins is a beast of a drummer and has a pretty good vocal range. To cap it all he can be a decent (if a little inconsistent) songwriter. I wasn’t the biggest fan of his solo material (apart from 'In The Air Tonight' which is an amazing track), but the Genesis stuff he played on and eventually sang on (from 'Nursery Cryme' through to the self –titled 'Genesis' album) is brilliant I think. His stuff with Brand X is pretty great too.
Phil Collins is objectively great, but it still blows my mind that he enjoys a genuine, un-ironic fan base among the hip-hop and R&B community to the point that there is an entire compilation album made up of some pretty high-profile, respected urban acts covering his tracks. This album, ‘Urban Renewal’ was released a few years ago and featured artists such as Kelis and Lil' Kim rather than a load of unknowns. You don’t get that sort of accolade if you’re un-cool!
Drumming wise, apart from being a very technically proficient drummer, he's also a very musical drummer. There's a lot of melody in his playing as well as rhythm. He's got amazing natural swing and groove, which I suspect is why he's been sampled so much and why a lot of those rappers like him. Alas, all that has gone now and he can't play at all.
Time To Stop Hating?
After reading his autobiography and buying a couple more of his albums I'm now rather fond of him and his music. His later stuff was very patchy but there’s some real quality in those first two albums he put out. Because he’s been out of the limelight for so long with ill-health I think people like myself are now re-evaluating him and coming to the conclusion that all that hatred they had was unjustified.
To me, people who still hate Phil Collins in 2018 just seem to be very petty narrow-minded people. He may never be cool again but he’s no longer a figure of hatred.
No comments:
Post a Comment