Posted on 08/05/2022 2:11:04 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Why Phil Collins didn't like Pink Floyd Thomas Leatham THU 4TH AUG 2022 13.30 BST
We mostly know Phil Collins for his remarkable solo career that spawned the 1980s hits, ‘In the Air Tonight, ‘Another Day in Paradise’ and the collaborative effort ‘Easy Lover’ with Earth, Wind & Fire’s Philip Bailey.
Yet, Collins is also known for his time in the prog-rock pioneers Genesis, whom he joined in 1970. When singer Peter Gabriel left the group in 1975, Collins took on singing duties, even though he continued to be their drummer. Gabriel had become disillusioned with the music industry and wanted to spend more time with his family.
Collins once opened up on his tastes – and distastes – for other prog-rock bands: “I was a big early Yes fan, less so. Even though I like the guys in the band, I didn’t relate to a lot of their music after the first two or three albums. Jethro Tull musically. Floyd, I was never a big Floyd fan.”
“I probably become more of a Floyd fan in later years than I was at the time, even though I saw them at the Marquee with Arnold Layne,” Collins added. “I was aware of what they were doing. But I never was really a fan. I was in a band that was kind of being always put in the same box as that lot. But never felt that we actually were in the same box. But we probably were.”
Genesis began to slightly lean towards a more pop-orientated sound with Collins on vocals, and the live shows became less theatrical with the charismatic Gabriel out of the picture. Many of the band’s previous albums had been inspired by fantasy, but from 1975 onwards, they wanted to move away from such inspirations.
Elsewhere, Collins also revealed his distaste for another English prog-rock powerhouse, Emerson, Lake & Palmer. He said, “I don’t like ELP. I don’t like the way they are as people. Emerson’s alright. I don’t like Carl Palmer’s drumming; I don’t like the music. It’s much too neurotic. And it’s too on one level.”
He added, “To be fair, I haven’t listened to that much ELP. But what I’ve heard, and I’ve seen backstage, I just don’t like them. I would never doubt the fact that they’re excellent musicians. I don’t like the kind of things [they] did. But the sound on the record is a fine sound. And of the three of them, I like Emerson, mainly because he used to say nice things about us.”
Emerson, for all his exhibitionism on stage, was a class act off stage and gentle soul who primarily wanted to be remembered as a composer.
A Trick of The Tail, which was the first album with Collins as lead singer my favorite. Phil’s vocals then were much softer than they became in the 80s.
Phil was a great drummer. Unfortunately he got put in front of a microphone and never shut up.
I had just graduated high school when The Wall came out, and I did see it at the theater. Had same reaction as you. DARK SIDE OF THE MOON was “my” PF album, that was enough.
I would much rather go see Steve Hackett live, he still does the old Genesis classics, and unlike Phil, he still looks damn good for his age.
Phil must have listened to “Love Beach”.
Not sure-Just despise all his product
He was a serious collector of Alamo art/artifacts for decades and he donated the collection to “the people of Texas”?
https://www.thealamo.org/visit/whats-at-the-alamo/phil-collins-collection
Interesting comments from Collins, none of which clarify much why he did not like Floyd. “Because people put us in the same box” says more about audience taste, deficient as it may be, than it says about Floyd.
yep, Phil not looking good
There are several distinctly different eras of Floyd. The Syd Barret years, the pre-Dark Side of the Moon era, and then the Roger Waters dominated era.
I personally prefer the pre-Dark Side era, especially Meddle.
Digital clarity and greater dynamic range in the 80’s albums...for some songs his voice and the glitzy guitars and drum machines(even though Phil did the sequencing and sampling) could sound a bit strident but the new tech really worked for his voice in “Tonight”.
Sssudio is simply a fun song..fast and pulsing...I think of the best fun times of the 80’s when I hear it!
Should never have done that tour.
Cmon he had that huge hit Sussusudio...🎶🤣
Can you be too old to rock and roll?
Ironically the first time Phil used the drum machine was on Peter Gabriel's "Intruder".
Hard rock and metal are hard to pull off (for most) at a certain age...and girth
The guy from Loverboy?
1, I always heard Greg Lake was an azzhole
2. I heard the same thing about members of Pink Floyd.
3. Phil’s love songs and break up songs are awesome because it happened to him so frequently.
4. Yes hit their peak with The Yes Album and then wheels started wobbling. They made money but you could hear the slide until Going for the One and then 90125. Anderson was too involved with the keyboards which he didn’t play.
5. One of the best prog bands was Kansas. Song for America.
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