Phil Collins: The Alamo and Beyond

Houstonchron.com ^ | 5-10-12 | Maggie Galehouse

[Dysart]

Phil Collins, the musician, is an avid collector of Alamo memorabilia.

Texas Monthly has written about Collins and his collection. And last week, as I was watching a music documentary on Nelflix about the making of Collins’ classic “Face Value” album (this is what I do at 3:30 a.m. when I can’t sleep), I was struck by how uber-produced the album was, by how painstakingly thorough — even anal — Collins was when creating his first solo project. (I mean, he’s a drummer who uses a drum machine.)

But I imagine he brings the same passion and attention to detail to his collecting. And now readers will get a chance to see his Alamo collection in Collins’ new (and first ) book: “The Alamo and Beyond.”

[Dysart]

He was in Houston last Wed on his Alamo book tour. For those moved by this sort of thing there's a great video of his collection at the link, y'all. Collins is an interesting figure...wrote some great music but- and he admits- just as much claptrap, and not someone you'd have expected to latch onto Texas/Alamo history as a sort of obsession!

I think the lead singer of Iron Maiden, Bruce Dickinson, has also forged a productive life after rock. And also there's a former Doobie Bro member who dabbles in global security analysis. Clapton has done profound things with addiction treatment. There must be others. Happily they don't all die in their bathroom in a pile of their own vomit at 27, fortunately.

[unkus]

That’s a very nice collection.

Thanks, Dysart.

[I still care]

Thanks for posting. It’s nice to hear about a celebrity who seems to value real American history, especially one from another country.

It shows the REAL America still speaks to folks, even over the sea.

[Hugin]

I think the lead singer of Iron Maiden, Bruce Dickinson, has also forged a productive life after rock.

Is he the guy who collects tanks? I think I saw him on a Military Channel program.

[Dysart]

Oops. Here's the proper link with vid: http://blog.chron.com/bookish/2012/05/phil-collins-the-alamo-and-beyond/

Began post from Startelgram and found a better article at Chron.com/didn't change link before submitting.

[MEG33]

save

[FlyVet]

I saw Genesis a few times back in the late 70s. On videos, I'd never seen him do anything but sing, so I was surprised at what a good drummer/percussionist/entertainer he is on stage. He worked hard for two hours, running between the front of the stage, his percussion setup, and his humongous drum set.

At one point one of the overhead speakers developed a bad ground, so while that was being fixed, he distracted the crowd with his Steve Martin "happy feet" imitation and cracked jokes. He called his drummer a hermaphrodite, and then said "My drummer is going to beat me up after the show." Funny guy.

[Dysart]

I haven’t heard that. He was a commercial pilot (jumbo jet) for some British airway and is currently an Exec.

[Hugin]

It might have been a different guy, but I’m pretty sure it was someone from Iron Maiden. An appropriate hobby for a heavy metal guy.

[unkus]

Nicely done. The video is definately better.

Thanks again.

[dfwgator]

Phil was fantastic on drums, I’ve got early bootlegs from the ‘Selling England By the Pound’ era, very jazzy drumming for a prog band.

He also was in a band during that time called Brand X, which played more jazz-oriented rock.

[Dysart]

He’s indeed talented. One of my favorite songs is “Paperlate,” and I am not certain of its meaning...where he was really going with it but...it’s got a good beat and you can dance to it. :) Maybe he was drawing a parallel betwixt a late newspaper and an opportunities taken or not taken, and missed. Consequences thereof. Or, rather, “Paperlate” as a metaphor for it. The best I can do.

[dfwgator]

“Paperlate” was a reference to a line in one Genesis’ early songs “Dancing With the Moonlit Knight”, there was a line that said, “Paperlate! Called a voice in the crowd...”

Phil was singing the word in the original demo for the song, and it just stuck.

[dfwgator]

And you know you’re a good drummer when none other than Robert Plant asks you to be the drummer for his first solo tour.

[Fester Chugabrew]

Do you remember what you recalled when you forgot to remember what I felt when you remembered? It’s time to forget.

[Dysart]

Ah, so it was more Collins' taking a hook and making all else fit around it and the music? There's really no deep meaning? That would be consistent with much of his writing and success.

But I like my interpretation so much better...

[dfwgator]

Collins was more into the rhythm of words as a writer, he always considered himself to be a drummer first. He didn’t even want to be the singer of Genesis, after Gabriel left.

“Face Value” is a pretty amazing album, considering that up to the point, he had written very few songs himself.

[Dysart]

I do. But it’s over. Oh, it’s over.

[the invisib1e hand]

just not a collins fan — Peter Gabriel was too much of the Genesis I dug (and I didn’t dig much). However, Joe Vitale (the drummer) raves about him; even cites him as a hero. I didn’t know he was in Brand X (are you sure?) but really liked their one hit, “The Streets of Soho.” You must be the guy that posted some time ago that they were more popular in the old country.

[Texas Fossil]

Texas Monthly is published by lefties who hate what Texas is.

They Pretend to portray Texas, but don’t.

The only place you see the Mag is in the Dr. or Dentist office and the Library. The Mag Sucks.