Phil Collins
The Singles
Atlantic/Rhino
By David Chiu
Phil Collins doesn’t have to justify or apologize for the massive success of his ‘80s solo career away from Genesis—some people wish they could be that ubiquitous. And it’s a good time to be a Collins fan since his reemergence from semi-retirement with both his new memoir Not Dead Yet, the reissues of his studio albums, and now this new compilation (available in 2-CD and 3-CD formats) of his smash songs, which greatly surpasses 1998’s Hits. It is amazing in retrospect how prolific Collins especially at the height of his popularity with seven U.S. number ones numerous Top 40 hits. You have to be stone-cold if you can’t appreciate “Sussudio,” “One More Night,” “Take Me Home,” “Two Hearts,” “Against All Odds,” Separate Lives,” “Easy Love,” and of course the iconic song that kick started his solo career, “In the Air Tonight.” Casual fans who might only those tracks will also rediscover songs from The Singles that they perhaps missed the first time around and deserve another listen–“I Don’t Care Anymore,” “I Missed Again,” “We Wait and We Wonder, “ “Wake Up Call,” and “That’s the Just the Way It Is” –all of which showcase Collins the songwriter than just the hit maker. It’s been such a long time since Hits and Love Songs for a truly proper compilation that really summed up the full breadth of Collins’ output, and The Singles accomplishes that.
NewBeats 