The drum performances Phil Collins wants to be remembered for: “I’m very proud”
For an artist like Phil Collins, whose career spans decades, genres and multiple reinventions, picking a single favourite moment feels almost impossible. With so many hits and so much acclaim behind him, the sheer scale of what he’s achieved can be difficult to fully grasp.
For all artists on his scale, the path that follows seems to split into three. Some look back at their career with basking, egotistical pride, and they’re usually the ones still releasing music that’s only getting worse and worse, as they still believe themselves to be god’s gift. Others reflect cynically, judging their past work harshly or having enduring regrets about things they did or didn’t do. Then there’s a third category reserved for people who stay humble.
Maybe humble isn’t even the right word, as they seem almost completely unfazed by their career. It’s not that they’re not proud or pleased or happy with what they’ve achieved; it’s simply that they see it as part of the grand scheme of their life, not looking back too much.
Phil Collins exists in that category, and perhaps that’s partly a survival tactic. While his illness now means he can’t play the drums anymore, he admitted that he doesn’t even listen to his old music, stating, “I don’t listen to my stuff at home, so if it creeps up behind me, and I listen, it catches me by surprise”.
Only then can he admit to himself, “Oh, that’s pretty good actually”.
In particular, two performances stand out as one that seems to bottle the energy of his live playing: “Some songs capture that moment, you know,” he said, adding, “‘Mama’ is a good example”.
Picking out the 1983 Genesis track, Collins’ drumming not only opens up this song, but opens up the entire self-titled record, which was the first from the band after a solid hiatus. Seeing them returning with fresh energy, his building performance captures that, leading the band back to life before a huge, thundering finale. From the best of his lighter touch to the best of his heavy hits, it’s a song that does both.
But another key performance he’d like to be remembered for isn’t his song at all, nor is it even a song. “‘Chinese Wall’ on Philip Bailey’s album is another one,” he said, talking about the track ‘Walking on the Chinese Wall’.
“I’m very proud of the drumming on that particular track,” he admitted, but the whole album is a highlight to him, adding, “Some of the big band stuff too”. When it comes to that collaboration, as Collins produced the entirety of Bailey’s 1983 record, Chinese Wall, his contributions are everywhere.
In particular, their duet ‘Easy Lover’ captures that more big band energy with some of his most thundering drum fills and one of his most infectious grooves. So it’s really no wonder that that external project stands out as a key one, seemingly even more so than his own solo efforts, when it comes to works he wants to be remembered for.
