Phil Collins: A Nasty Man?

JusLisn wrote: I think many are too rough on him. At the time that Genesis swayed toward pop-rock, it was better (proggier) than anything else being played on the radio (remember, no internet). Maybe we should give Genesis credit for keeping progressive-rock alive and not completely dissapearing from the music scene.

Sorry to disagree, but IMHO he did nothing remotely Progressive with genesis (low case is not a mistake in this case), he didn't helped to keep Prog alive.

That honor is for Neo Prog who  kept Progressive Rock alive despite being underrated, simpler bands not accepted by mainstream listeners and seen as second class by progheads. But hey did good Prog Rock, simpler than Symphonic, but some very good.

This were the guys that kept Prog Alive, because a bald guy who sings crappy ballads is doing nothing to save the genre only to fill (rhymeds with Phil) his pockets.

But that's not the only problem, when he saw Prog was not profitable he helped to throw trash to Prog, his interviews were really incredible.

• I rather listen Punk than a Pink Flloyd or Yes album.
• I never understood The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
• I would never let Peter rejoin Genesis (Genesis a History)
• If we were ever remotely popular is when Peter left.
• Yes genesis music is boring, but boring is good also....he, he.

But 15 years after, when only Prog fans care for Genesis, he changes his argument for:

• My all time favorite album is The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.
• I would only rejoin Genesis (Now with high case) if Peter sings.
• Yes was always my favorite band.

He's a wonderful drummer (A top 10 IMHO), a very good backing vocalist and a decent singer, but a lousy songwritter that spoke in the most contradictory way possible.

So sorry for Phil, but he got what he deserved.

Iván

Whats so bad about Phil Collins?  You can't blame him alone for the direction Genesis took- if the other members didn't want to go that direction why didn't they stop him? 

Well he was co-responsible, but lets be honest, Shapes, Invisible Touch and We Can't Dance sound almost as Phil Collins solo stuff, not as Rutherford or Banks solo stuff, so he gets the biggest share.

 Anyway Peter Gabriel's early solo albums are just as poppy as Phil Collins' and later Genesis (although Gabriel hasn't sunk to the level of Disney soundtracks yet).  Heck, I just heard Salisbury Hill (sp?) on some commercial today.  I swear to God he wrote that track just cause he knew film previews would be using it for generations to come. 

Do you know what is the meaning of Solsbury Hills???? It's the explanation of why he left Genesis, PGI, II and III are absolutely Prog.

While Genesis was selling out, Peter lost his last penny in a non profitable but artistic project called WOMAD, so he had to release a couple of simpler tracks in 2 albums (PG IV and SO), but even then the videos were so advanced that it was a prove he never stopped experimenting.

My point is that Gabriel wasn't the prog element of Genesis, and Collins can't be blamed for ruining it.

Gabriel was the lyricist, frontman and leader of the band, his word was law, when he was at the band everything was clear, so he was the element of everything in Genesis.

Anyway I don't think anyone hates him.  Its not a bands job to please their fans.  The relationship between musicians and their fans is mutual.  If you don't like it, don't buy it.

Yes, it's the band's job to please the fans. My job is to please my clients because they pay y bills, fans pay their rich and famous life style.

There's something called gratitude and loyalty. This stupid fans were the guys who bought Genesis albums when they didn't have enough to pay the bills, the ones that followed them everywhere when the rest of the world hated them.

This are the same fans that recieved a loud "I don't care what you want" from Phil when genesis (with low case) got a new fanbase and the same ones that heard from Phil Collins that Prog was crap that fell from the trees like rotten apples when Punk came.

And now he's licking some arses because  POP fanbase vanished when they stopped being cool and he became a Disney joke.

If they want to change it's ok, but it's not fair tp speak as Collins did about the genre that not only feed him, but that made him a famous musician, before Genesis the most memorable thing he made was Calamity the Cow, and without Genesis he would never been famous.

At least Steve Hackett, despite his successful solo career made a tribute to the band that made him famous, despite the fact that he was the only member not invited to the Milton Keynes reunion, he was so humble hat he accepted to play the encores for Peter and for his fans.

That's loyalty.

Iván