Phil Collins Must Going

For folks younger than, say, the average member of Gen X, the dismissive hostility that their elders have displayed over the years toward Phil Collins must be somewhat confusing. Sure, he was the guy who had a raft of very '80s-sounding pop hits and was responsible for the Tarzan soundtrack, but his prog-rock bona fides (not just in Genesis, but with Brian Eno and many many others) and his chops as a drummer (he's responsible for the most iconic drum break of the last 40 years)—make it easier to see his pop records as part of a broad spectrum over the decades. But that's what retrospective analysis gets you.

Phil Collins - Face Value (1981). Phil Collins' first solo album, 1981's Face Value, was a long time coming, but it proved worth the wait, both for the Genesis drummer/vocalist himself and fans of thoughtful, emotionally charged pop. He'd been wrestling with the idea of doing a solo record for years, finding great inspiration in the pain caused by an impending divorce and craving artistic independence after years of collaboration. Many of the songs ended up on Genesis' 1980 album Duke - and "Against All Odds" was pocketed for later use - but he kept enough to make an album that stands as a classic moment of '80s pop/rock. Collins produced the album himself and played keyboards and drums, calling in friends and the Earth, Wind & Fire horns to fill out the songs…

After the massive success of his 1981 album Face Value, Phil Collins didn't take a much of a break. Genesis released Abacab six months later, then headed out on a long tour. When they got back, Collins jumped right into recording his second solo album, 1982's Hello, I Must Be Going! The album wasn't a huge departure from the formula established on Face Value, built as it was on introspective, gut-spilling ballads, horn-driven R&B jams, arty rockers, and dramatic breakup songs…

After the massive success of his 1981 album Face Value, Phil Collins didn't take a much of a break. Genesis released Abacab six months later, then headed out on a long tour. When they got back, Collins jumped right into recording his second solo album, 1982's Hello, I Must Be Going! The album wasn't a huge departure from the formula established on Face Value, built as it was on introspective, gut-spilling ballads, horn-driven R&B jams, arty rockers, and dramatic breakup songs…

After the massive success of his 1981 album Face Value, Phil Collins didn't take a much of a break. Genesis released Abacab six months later, then headed out on a long tour. When they got back, Collins jumped right into recording his second solo album, 1982's Hello, I Must Be Going! The album wasn't a huge departure from the formula established on Face Value, built as it was on introspective, gut-spilling ballads, horn-driven R&B jams, arty rockers, and dramatic breakup songs…