Review Summary: A 'Best Of' Phil Collins, what else can you expect? Sure he may have written some bad songs, but classics like 'Another Day In Paradise' and 'In The Air Tonight' should be able to provide anyone with a few loveable tracks on this album.
Ah, Phil Collins. This man has done just about everything, and for the most part is either loved as an 80s pop star, hated as the "guy who ruined Genesis", or just respected for being a good artist all around. Well I am sure that anyone who has ever listened to the radio has heard at least five tracks off of this album, if not many more. I wouldn't even need to own the album to write a review for it!
Hits is the first collection of Phil Collins songs released on one album, and the title describes it quite well. It features 14 Top 40 hits, including seven songs that went to #1 in America. This album also contains "Easy Lover", which is a duet with Phillip Bailey, and a remake of Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors". Although it definitely does provide a good collection of Phil Collins' hits, it is noticably missing two key tracks in his career, being
I Don't Care Anymore and
Baby Don't Lose My Number.
But like any good greatest hits album, it features all of the best works by the artist.
Another Day In Paradise is argubaly Phil Collins' biggest hit, a very melancholy and emotional song about homelessness. This particular song was the last #1 hit of the 1980s, and also the first #1 hit of the 1990s. Easily one of Phil's best songs thanks to the amazing synth line and incredibly serious lyrical subject. Also featured on this cd is
Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) and
In The Air Tonight, which are two classic serious Phil songs. In The Air Tonight was the benchmark for the early Phil Collins sound, which was always very dark, drum heavy, and seemingly always influenced by his first divorce. Against All Odds would be Collins' first number one hit (released in 1984), and showed a change from his earlier works. This track was very melodic and piano oriented and contained a much more commercial feel. Even with these changes, it is still one of his best songs.
While we all know the big standout songs, there are some good ones that one may not have heard very much on 90s radio. The upbeat
Easy Lover is not to be forgotten with Daryl Stuermer's fantastic guitar work along with Phillip Bailey's smooth vocals along side Phil Collins.
I Wish It Would Rain Down features Eric Clapton on the guitar in a very slow and beautiful song. I highly reccomend this song as there is no other one like it, with everything flowing perfectly and a phenomenal ending to the song. Another upbeat song
Something Happened On The Way Heaven, which songs like a very strong attempt at a rock song, but still contains that 80s flair that by 1989 Phil Collins was heavily known for. Not the biggest hit, but still not to be missed due to its catchy chorus and solid guitar riffs.
But sometimes we forget, that we are listening to
Phil Collins, and he did release a majority of his music in the 1980s. This is clearly shown by songs like
You Can't Hurry Love (although it was a cover, Phil did manage to turn it 80s),
Two Hearts, and
Sussudio. While Sussudio can be an enjoyable song if one is not annoyed to tears by it, as it does contain some catchy horn work, Two Hearts and You Can't Hurry Love are seemly above and beyond the cheesy level for most people.
One More Night also qualifies for the horrible song status due its sheer lack of anything catchy, standout, or something impressive in general. While Phil Collins may write some solid soft songs, this one lacks due to no climax or any building up of any kind.
Sure people may scoff at Phil Collins, but he managed to write some good songs in the 1980s. I can't say much about the
Tarzan soundtrack, but between Genesis and his solo work he showed why he is one of the most famous solo acts of all time. After 1990 Collins' fame would slowly decrease minus Tarzan, as there is only one song released after 1990 on this best of, being
Both Sides Of The Story. I reccomend this album to anyone who was a fan of any 80s pop, or maybe is searching for some pop music with a more serious subject matter at times.
Reccomend tracks:
Another Day In Paradise
Against All Odds
In The Air Tonight
I Wish It Would Rain Down
Phil Collins
Hits (1998)
3/5
