Wednesday, September 02, 2015

What Kind of a Phil Collins Fan Am I?

Like the British Empire, the sun never sets on the music of Phil Collins. He was everywhere in the 1980s, and he has earwormed himself into regular rotation on the "why did I wake up with this song in my head" playlist for anyone who lived during that era. But of course before that he was in Genesis, an authentically weird band, then was in Genesis again, changing them into a differently weird band.

Authentically Weird
Differently Weird
He is a great drummer, but people who don't like him tend to focus on his drum machines. And there are some who appreciate his solo career more because it is more commercial and therefore more satisfying.

As for me, I think I've eventually liked every one of his singles. Whether that is just Stockholm Syndrome, I can't say, but I do know that he is a lot more interesting than people tend to give him credit for. Because of that, I have no idea where he fits in the world, Advanced or otherwise. Is he a joke? A genius? Who knows?

Anyway, he is reissuing some of his albums, complete with "hand-selected demos and b-sides" that show how the work evolved from demo to studio to stage. There must be a market for this, but I don't know who is in it. Shouldn't I be, since I like all his songs? Is this (land of) confusion a sign of his greatness or a sign that on some deeper level I think I shouldn't like all his songs? The more I think about Phil Collins, the less I understand him. And the more I learn about him, the more I learn about the Alamo.

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