Phil Collins’ favourite Genesis songs to play on drums: “It felt good”
With Peter Gabriel’s exit in 1974 and Steve Hackett’s following in 1977, Genesis was left increasingly in the arms of Phil Collins, who took over lead vocals and steered the group in a more chart-oriented direction. During Genesis’ prolific spell in the early ’80s, Collins swung into full stride in a solo career on the side, releasing his two most popular LPs, Face Value and Hello, I Must Be Going.
Balancing both worlds was never going to be a straightforward task. On one side, Genesis were evolving into a more streamlined, radio-friendly outfit, while on the other, Collins was beginning to carve out a solo identity that leaned even further into direct, emotional songwriting.
That split in focus didn’t dilute his playing, though; if anything, it sharpened it. Moving between the intricate demands of Genesis’ progressive past and the punchier instincts of his solo work meant Collins had to adapt constantly, finding new ways to make his drumming serve whichever song he happened to be in.
By the time he looked back on his favourite moments behind the kit, those earlier Genesis pieces took on a different significance. They weren’t just complex compositions anymore, but reminders of a time when everything felt open-ended, when he could push himself rhythmically without worrying about where it might land on the charts.
When considering Collins’ vast solo oeuvre, it’s hard to imagine any song that could be more fun to play on the drums than Face Value’s ‘In the Air Tonight. The arresting solo undoubtedly marks one of Collins’ most memorable moments on the stool, but what about his material with Genesis?
During an interview with Modern Drummer in 1997, just a year after his departure from the band, Collins picked out his two favourite Genesis songs to perform live. His first choice was ‘Apocalypse In 9/8,’ part F of the 23-minute track ‘Supper’s Ready’ from the 1972 album Foxtrot. ‘Supper’s Ready’ remains Genesis’ longest recorded song.
“This is one of my all-time favourite Genesis pieces,” Collins said. “I used to love playing this one on the road because I could go way out with it. I have some tapes of us performing it in concert from around this time that make this version sound simplistic. A great piece of music and great fun to play.”
“When I would play something like this piece, I would be singing the riff in my head while I was playing it,” he continued. “That allowed me to stretch out over the top of the meter. To get more of a rotating, circular motion going within the pattern. That’s probably why it felt good.”
Next, Collins fast-forwarded to 1976 to pick out the Wind & Wuthering cut ‘Wot Gorilla?’ as another favourite to perform drums to on stage. “Oh yeah. ‘Wot Gorilla’ one of my favourites,” he beamed. “I liked it so much that I had an arrangement done of it for my big band project. You should hear this tune with horns!
Continuing, Collins revealed how the intricate composition was a good gauge for drum-kit configuration. “I can always check how well my pedal is adjusted by playing this pattern. If I can’t play it accurately, then I know there’s something wrong with the pedal. But I found that the best way for me to think about this pattern was as a continuous body motion. The coordination, for me, involved getting my limbs to kind of move in a smooth motion. Thinking almost like you’re a well-oiled machine.”
“Of course, it would be very difficult to keep that relentless type of feel if I broke out of it to play a fill. That took some concentration,” he added.
Phil Collins’ favourite Genesis songs:
- ‘Apocalypse In 9/8’ (‘Supper’s Ready’)
- ‘Wot Gorilla’
