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Phil Collins 'In the Air Tonight' back in charts after twins' viral video

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Oh no, really? It was bad enough the first time.

-15 ( +4 / -19 )

Silly me obviously has no appreciation for music. When the drums kick in... a great turn!

13 ( +14 / -1 )

Never heard of these cats but I liked it when Mike Tyson was singing it in the Hangoverl

5 ( +5 / -0 )

BigYenToday  09:14 am JST

One of the greatest singles of all time, and I'm not particularly a fan of Phil Collins' post-Genesis career. That a 40 year-old song can knock out a couple of 22 year-old Afro-American guys in Gary, Indiana, says everything about the power of good music to get across barriers and give us all a buzz.

Tim and Fred, good on you guys, and I'll bet Phil Collins (not a well man these days) is sending his best also.

I am a major fan of Phil. His music whether it'd be Genesis, Flaming Youth, Brand X, Band Aid and solo as well as his TV and movie appearances has greatly enriched my life and several others. I was very fortunate to have seen his live solo show in my hometown in October 2018. It was completely sold out and the audience spanned both sexes, all races and colors, generations ranging from mine (X) to boomers and teenagers. I remember this hit when I was 15 and supposed it only reached #19 on the US charts. Air Supply was topping the chart during August 1981 but who remembers that? This song stands out. It's a bonafide classic.

the power of good music to get across barriers and give us all a buzz.

It certainly does. It starts with a drum machine pattern, then an distorted feedbacked guitar strike, soft synth, etc. Phil's vocals glide the song and then suddenly he slams the crap outta them drums - his 'trademark'.

Now due to his injuries he can't drum but his son is a full fledged Jedi now, he can drum very well. Phil is still entertaining us because he loves it, it's his life. We all knew about his limitations at the show and didn't care. Just like his other songs he sang, he poured it out on this classic number. And it is epic.

Phil collins has made his historical impact on rock with this number, unquestionably. That and thanks to him he also made up a new name for females. Yes Virginia, thanks to Phil there are now living women who have the name 'Sussudio'.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Am in two minds over the baffling success of Tory supporter and public schoolboy, Phil Collins. Yes, he's a great drummer and yes, In the Air Tonight is a cracking 80s single that sounds quite unlike anything else.

I'll still lean towards the Peter Gabriel era of Genesis, when every member of the band was on top form.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Toasted HereticToday 11:15 am JST

Am in two minds over the baffling success of Tory supporter and public schoolboy, Phil Collins.

Collins was a child prodigy and stage school graduate, which is probably why he developed into an all-round entertainer later in his career. The rest of Genesis were public school boys, from Winchester School.

As someone who lived through Collins near ubiquity on global media in the 1980s, I'd hoped never to have to hear any of his music ever again.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Am in two minds over the baffling success of Tory supporter and public schoolboy, Phil Collins.

He’s allowed to be a Tory. I don’t think he was a public schoolboy, was he? I know Gabriel, Banks and Rutherford were privileged kids.

I remember reading an article about the gentrification of popular music. Mumford and Sons said they were fed up of being labeled as ‘posh’ and preferred to tour in the States. Jake Bugg said they look like posh farmers. What interests me is that in pop music, the posh get ripped, but on stage and screen, the posh seem to get away with it. The Phoebe Waller-Bridge-Grant-Cumberbach-Redmayne-Bonham-Carter crowd don’t suffer the same abuse.

Pop music should be by the plebs, for the plebs?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

He was unfairly maligned in the 80s for writing "empty" pop music. There were other rich performers with far worse stuff that didn't get the same flack he did. He was singled out because he came from Genesis and prog rock, so all his old fans went off on him. His songs of the period were mostly well written and good pop sings - but people expected more from him so they trashed him, and others joined the bandwagon.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

He was unfairly maligned in the 80s for writing "empty" pop music. 

I thought it was unfair. Part of the fun of a lot of 80s pop music was that it was ‘empty’.

Here’s a few deep, meaningful records from ‘serious’ artists in the 80s:

David Bowie - Let’s Dance

Stevie Wonder - I just called to say I love you

The Kinks - Come Dancing

I actually don’t mind all three songs. Fun.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

He’s allowed to be a Tory.

Sure. I have no problem with listening to tories through the medium of song. It's the grating hypocrisy of them that annoys. Just another day in paradise, indeed...

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

Was it not Miami Vice that put this song on the map?

Must confess that all my shoes were white at the time.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Sure. I have no problem with listening to tories through the medium of song. It's the grating hypocrisy of them that annoys. Just another day in paradise, indeed

Oh, yes but you do have to say it isn’t just Tories. Remember the messianic figure of Bono saving humanity while dodging what he owed to the taxman?

Plenty of hypocrisy to go around,

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Face Value was the first album I ever bought as a kid and In The Air Tonight the obvious standout track on it. It’s iconic.

His live performances of this song back in the 80’s and 90’s are still a pleasure to behold - go YouTube it and enjoy the pulsating thudding and singing after the real drums break in. (The gorilla playing the drums was a good version too.)

It’s a song that’ll find fans for eons.

The hit launched Collins' solo career back in 1981, after he left British rock group "Genesis" as its frontman and dummer.

He didn’t leave Genesis until the mid 90’s, but who’s counting :)

I never understand the crap about the Gabriel era being better. It was just a different era, and people grew out of that stuff. Gabriel was just the singer and lyric writer on their final album - the rest of the group who then survived him were the ones who wrote The Lamb’s music, and they kept writing good stuff after he left. Gabriel’s 80’s hits like Sledgehammer and Big Time were similarly poppy to the Phil Collins stuff, just a product of the time, when new sound technologies were being developed.

My favorite Genesis music is the live performances of “...in that quiet earth...”, I love the combination of frenetic keyboards, guitar and pulsating dual drummers.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

I never understand the crap about the Gabriel era being better. It was just a different era, and people grew out of that stuff

I remember listening to Nursery Cryme ( that ‘y’ is really silly ) and thinking it was a load of pretentious drivel. Fountain of the Salmacis is standout nonsense.

It made less sense than ‘Sussudio’.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I admit to loving the Gabriel era stuff too :) Never understood a word of the lyrics of course!

Firth of Fifth... there’s another Gabriel era tune that was fantastic live. Great piano and guitar solos, and more pulsating drums. What the heck is an “undinal song” though ?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Sure. I have no problem with listening to tories through the medium of song. It's the grating hypocrisy of them that annoys. Just another day in paradise, indeed...

Why the leftist politics? We’re talking about the music here.

Joe Strummer ( probably one of your heroes) was from a very priveliged background and was a school prefect for gods sake, and there are plenty more where that came from if you want to get into it - which I dont.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

commanteerToday  12:19 pm JST

He was unfairly maligned in the 80s for writing "empty" pop music. There were other rich performers with far worse stuff that didn't get the same flack he did. He was singled out because he came from Genesis and prog rock, so all his old fans went off on him. His songs of the period were mostly well written and good pop sings - but people expected more from him so they trashed him, and others joined the bandwagon.

There is no bandwagon here. Phil's solo work had him exploring soul music and other styles. He worked with EWF and Holland-Dozier-Holland and Quincy Jones. He covered a Supremes song and he even wrote a song for the Four Tops. He did a CD of mostly Motown covers too. He simply took his talents in different directions in his solo work, that's all.

Now that Top 40/pop music has litterally gone to the crapper, people are realizing that Phil Collins is one of the most talented and diverse entertainers of the past 50 years, just like (Jeff Lynne's) ELO, RUSH and other acts are finally getting their just respects and critical acclaim after critics bashed them too for years.

Good music stands out over time.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Why the leftist politics? We’re talking about the music here.

To be fair, both sides do this. The Tories like to wheel out Tory-voting pop and rock stars and other celebrities around election time and so do the other parties. For better or worse, class and politics have always been a part of pop music in the UK.

On the extremes, the far-right are absolutely delighted with Morrissey.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Why the leftist politics? We’re talking about the music here.

Music is more than just a bunch of harmless love songs. And Collins himself put politics in the frame when he wrote Another Day in Paradise. He was criticized (and rightly, in my opinion) for making money out of the plight of the homeless and being a hypocrite.

Joe Strummer ( probably one of your heroes) was from a very priveliged background and was a school prefect for gods sake, and there are plenty more where that came from if you want to get into it - which I dont.

Thanks for mentioning Joe. I love The Clash and The Mescaleros and he got people to discuss important issues like the Contras and American hegemony. He wore his heart on his sleeve.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Now that Top 40/pop music has litterally gone to the crapper, people are realizing that Phil Collins is one of the most talented and diverse entertainers of the past 50 years,

They're not really, unless you count one Guardian article, which must have been written as a tongue in cheek effort.

And there's plenty of good music out there. You're just getting older, and every generation thinks what the kids listen to today, is garbage/noise and their time was the best time for music, etc.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

You're just getting older, and every generation thinks what the kids listen to today, is garbage/noise and their time was the best time for music

There is an element of that, but I regard the sixties ( before my time ) as the most creative and interesting time for popular music. This seems to be a very common view among artists from or not from that period. I find it hard to put forward a case that the 80s were the best period for pop music, although I like a lot still like a lot of that music.

There can be peaks and troughs.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

There is an element of that, but I regard the sixties ( before my time ) as the most creative and interesting time for popular music. This seems to be a very common view among artists from or not from that period. I find it hard to put forward a case that the 80s were the best period for pop music, although I like a lot still like a lot of that music.

There's a shedload of great stuff from every decade. The 80s was a hugely innovative decade, with dance music, indie, industrial, power pop, city pop, new wave, metal and so many more genres breaking out, borrowing, stealing, sharing and breeding. As music has always and will continue to do so. I can't really chose any particular decade, though. I love jazz, blues as well as pop, metal, reggae and all the rest. That's a good century or so to ingest.

There's a few Collins tracks that I'll happily listen to. I also like Brian Ferry, Kate Bush and many others whose politics diverge from mine. But admittedly, there's always going to be a few who I find difficult to separate from their politics (or lack of).

2 ( +2 / -0 )

There's a few Collins tracks that I'll happily listen to. I also like Brian Ferry, Kate Bush and many others whose politics diverge from mine. But admittedly, there's always going to be a few who I find difficult to separate from their politics (or lack of).

Mine’s Bono. Worse than Phil Collins in my opinion. I always found Bono’s messianic posturing cringeworthy, and when I learned he tried to shield his many millions from the taxman, it was too much to take.

Morrissey’s flirtation with far-right crap was another I couldn’t stomach although I always liked the Smiths for Johnny Marr’s guitar playing rather than Morrissey’s supposedly superb lyrics.

It’s a tough one.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Worst song in the world. I will avoid all elevators and combini, until the Santa Claus music starts in October.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Oh no, really? It was bad enough the first time.

Worst song in the world. I will avoid all elevators and combini, until the Santa Claus music starts in October.

So apparently its ok to be critical of Phil Collins and his music, but not Taylor Swift. After Swift announced her tour would be cancelled in March, I wrote "Finally some good news" and my comment was deleted. Not fair.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Toasted HereticToday  04:22 pm JST

There's a shedload of great stuff from every decade. The 80s was a hugely innovative decade, with dance music, indie, industrial, power pop, city pop, new wave, metal and so many more genres breaking out, borrowing, stealing, sharing and breeding. As music has always and will continue to do so. I can't really chose any particular decade, though. I love jazz, blues as well as pop, metal, reggae and all the rest. That's a good century or so to ingest.

There's a few Collins tracks that I'll happily listen to. I also like Brian Ferry, Kate Bush and many others 

Jimizo I find it hard to put forward a case that the 80s were the best period for pop music, although I like a lot still like a lot of that music.

There can be peaks and troughs.

It's more than generational. And yes there are peaks and troughs. I like Bryan Ferry as well, seen him live in a packed theater and he can still charm those ladies! And I have several of his solo CDs and the 'RoxyBox' (Roxy Music).

I dig a lot of reggae too, seen Ziggy Marley 4 times. There's quite a number of newer 'indy' acts out there now that I like too like Warpaint, Plastiscenes, Mocu Moctar, 57 (from SK, pronounced 'Oh Chill'), STRFKR and others that you can 'discover' by YouTube, TMZ, sources on the Internet. Radio has gone corporate again in America and I generally don't listen to it. It sucks. Only now some stations are 'catching up' to the Ramones for crying out loud! RAMONES.

And there's some stuff from my teenage + early adulthood years that I don't ever want to hear again because it don't stand up. Acts that had derivative chumpy slop that topped the pop cxharts in the 80s like Air Supply, Deneice Williams, Will to Power, New Kids on the Block, Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, Bonnie Tyler, Lee Greenwood, horrible horrible trash, forgettable disposable yucky stinky rubbish that doesn't stand up or say anything, who wants to remember that? Not me. Every decade has its trash and smashes.

And Phil Collins' 'In the Air Tonight' is a smash and a classic that stands out. Time is the revealer.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Bonnie Tyler

Classic 80s. Hairspray all over the place. Total Eclipse of the Heart? Come on. How can’t you love the raspy “forever’s gonna start tonight”? Totally over the top but what’s wrong with that? Bryan Ferry going full lounge lizard with ‘Avalon’ is another great moment. Simon Le Bon’s highlighted barnet is timeless.

Give me Bonnie’s grandiosity, Ferry’s sliminess and Le Bon’s highlighted mullet over Peter Gabriel gibbering about the return of the giant hogweed any day of the week.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Bonnie Tyler

'80s music sucks almost across the board. There are like three good songs from the entire decade.

And Total Eclipse of the Heart is one of them! Classic.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

80s music sucks almost across the board. There are like three good songs from the entire decade.

And Total Eclipse of the Heart is one of them! Classic.

A bit harsh by limiting it to three, but you are clearly a discerning type.

I Just hope Girls just wanna have fun is one of your other two. I won’t have a word said against St Elmo’s Fire ( Man in motion ) either.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

JimizoAug. 15  11:25 pm JST

Bonnie Tyler

Classic 80s. Hairspray all over the place. Total Eclipse of the Heart? Come on. How can’t you love the raspy “forever’s gonna start tonight”? Totally over the top but what’s wrong with that? Bryan Ferry going full lounge lizard with ‘Avalon’ is another great moment. Simon Le Bon’s highlighted barnet is timeless.

Give me Bonnie’s grandiosity, Ferry’s sliminess and Le Bon’s highlighted mullet over Peter Gabriel gibbering about the return of the giant hogweed any day of the week.

Bryan Ferry as lounge lizard is awesome. His shows are classy and his music is stellar. Even though Duran Duran was hyped as the Fab Five I always liked them too because they have musicality, class, style and a sound I always dug, even if they got the girls in my school squealing. Theirs to them than that. Duran Duran stands out because they're terrific. And they scored with a James Bond theme, very fitting for them. A total class act they are. Even if LeBon's lyrics are 'oblique' at times, who cares? He's special, one of a kind.

As for 'Total Eclipse' I just don't like the production of Jim Steinman. Can't stand him, he mucks everything up. And the video of that song has scenes resembling an awful acid trip and other things that just give me the creeps and bad memories. That may be just me.

Peter Gabriel on his own is innovative and terrific, I've seen him two times doing just his solo stuff. He's outstanding and unique by himself. And he's better with those 'world music' explorations than anybody else because he creates innovative music, not New Age Muzak. Big difference.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

These kinds weren't prepared at all for what was coming to hit them when they listened to "Hurt" as sang by Johnny Cash:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jE4k1wMyBL0

2 ( +2 / -0 )

KumagaijinAug. 15  08:44 pm JST

Oh no, really? It was bad enough the first time.

Worst song in the world. I will avoid all elevators and combini, until the Santa Claus music starts in October.

So apparently its ok to be critical of Phil Collins and his music, but not Taylor Swift. After Swift announced her tour would be cancelled in March, I wrote "Finally some good news" and my comment was deleted. Not fair.

Taylor Swifi isn't that good, she is terrible at every genre she tackles. Her rap persona is disgraceful, her 'country' is a joke and her pop sucks. Remember when she dueted with Def Leppard on the Country Music Awards? Def Leppard doesn't want to remember that either.

Phil Collins has spread his talents not just as an artist or a Genesis member but also in session work and as a producer. Check out his 4 CD box set 'Plays Well With Others' and see - he's played with artists as diverse as Brian Eno, David Crosby, Tony Bennett, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Frida from ABBA, a wide spectrum. He played congas on George Harrison's 3 record set 'All things Must Pass'.

He's like Prince, surely there's something somewhere you may fancy that has his fingerprints on it.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Remember the messianic figure of Bono saving humanity while dodging what he owed to the taxman?

For sure. But, despite that, he was a good frontman in the day. Saw them live three times and they rocked.

Currently listening to Lankum, Fontaines DC, Rusangano Family and Imelda May. Far more representative of Irish music today.

But back to Collins and the 80s. I suppose, for me, his Live Aid concorde jaunt summed up the hypocrisy of caring pop stars back in the day. And even beloved Queen (who were brilliant that day) still had their copybooks besmirched by playing Sun City, some months earlier.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

He's like Prince, surely there's something somewhere you may fancy that has his fingerprints on it.

A bloodied and blunt instrument for his murdering of The Supremes classic, for starters.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

This song is about his wife leaving him for the painter and decorator they had hired to do up their house. He went on Top of the Pops surrounded by ladders and with his synth on a work bench.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Phil Collins was definitely a prolific drummer as well as an amazing pianist, I really became more interested in his drumming back in the early 80s when he start to incorporate more African sounds into his drumming which gave it a broader and deeper perspective. He wasn’t one of my favorites, but I like his drumming on many songs in many ways, and he does amplify that and uses a lot of gates and compression to get that tight sound, but that’s his style and that’s fine. As far as music is concerned I think when he was with Genesis that was one of his best showcase of musical talent.

The 80’s was more pop oriented and no doubt he created some remarkable timepieces, but he was definitely more a progressive musician at the core.

He's like Prince, surely there's something somewhere you may fancy that has his fingerprints on it.

No, I wouldn’t say that, not close, not even in the same category, Prince is just in a totally different stratosphere as a musician, but Collins is talented nonetheless.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

And even beloved Queen (who were brilliant that day) still had their copybooks besmirched by playing Sun City, some months earlier.

Queen used the excuse that they were an 'apolitical' band. They were at their peak - musically and otherwise and their 'Live at Wembly' showcases that. They played in then-Communist Hungary in 1986.

Thing is, playing behind the Iron Curtain (which Iron Maiden, Joan Jett and others did) helped bring down the Iron Curtain and playing Sun City resort in the phony 'bantustan' of Bophotsuswana only helped keep up and strengthen the sham and oppression of South African apartheid. And that's disgraceful. Elton John did it too, so did Linda Ronstadt, Andrew Gold, Julio Iglesius, Rod Stewart and others. After the 'Sun City' protest song came out, no popular Western act performed there except for Laura Branigan in 1988 and that pretty well destroyed her career momentum.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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