ALBUM OF THE WEEK #188 PHIL COLLINS - NO JACKET REQUIRED (1985)

[RJhog (Admin)]

Artist: Phil Collins

Genre: Singer/Songwriter, Pop Rock

Country Of Origin: England

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Member: Yes (2010 as a member of Genesis)

Album: No Jacket Required

Producer: Phil Collins/Hugh Padgham

RJ's Top 5 Tunes: 1. Long Long Way To Go...2. Take Me Home...3. One More Night...4. Inside Out...5. Don't Lose My Number

Disclaimer:  All "facts" come from wikipedia.com unless otherwise noted.

Disclaimer #2:  I'm on an 80's kick for the next 10 weeks.  I'm covering an 80's album from each year of the 80's decade, though not in chronological order.  Some of these may be well known to me, some may not be.  But they were all pretty big sellers that left a mark. Out of these ten, I actually had to purchase two of them to feature them here.  I think Scott and Jon are along for the 80's ride as well, maybe.

I'm kicking off the 80's kick with a gargantuan album from 1985.  It's No Jacket Required by rock star drummer and front man turned pop star Phil Collins.  And I can say that this album means absolutely nothing to me.  It's just an album in my collection.  But it has sold millions and millions of copies worldwide, so it obviously means something to somebody.

Personally, it's just an okay album to me.  It sounds like it features a drum machine on practically every track, which seems strange to me since Collins is a drummer.  But that's not why I don't really like it.  It just has okay songs.  I can take 'em or leave 'em.  I usually just leave 'em.  And I do not care for the lead off track Sussudio at all.  There's horns on this album.  That's not terrible, but it's not my favorite kind of rock and roll.  Anyway, Wikipedia has a very long write up for this album, which you can read if you want.  Here are a few tidbits:

• No Jacket Required has been certified 12 X Platinum by the RIAA.
• It reached number one in multiple countries including the U.S., the U.K. and Canada.  It remained at number one in the U.S. for seven weeks.
• Wikipedia says it was the 8th best selling album of the 80's.
• The album was nominated for 5 Grammy's in 1986.  It won Album Of The Year, Producer Of The Year and Phil Collins won Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male.
• Four singles were released (Sussudio/One More Night/Don't Lose My Number/Take Me Home).  All were Top 10 hits in the U.S., with both Sussudio and One More Night hitting the number one spot.
• Sting provides backing vocals on Long Long Way To Go.
• Both Take Me Home and Long Long Way To Go aired on episodes of Miami Vice.

Side One:

1. Sussudio

2. Only You Know And I Know

3. Long Long Way To Go

4. I Don't Wanna Know

5. One More Night

Side Two:

6. Don't Lose My Number

7. Who Said I Would

8. Doesn't Anybody Stay Together Anymore

9. Inside Out

10. Take Me Home

11. We Said Hello Goodbye (only released on the CD version)

[Niels (Mod)]

I actually bought this album, when it was released. But when I heard "Sussudio", I knew, that it wasn't really an album for me. I did, and still, like "One More Night", though, and "Take Me Home" was/is good also. I gave my sister the album within a week or two.

I don't mind Phil Collins, but I prefer Peter Gabriel to him, also as frontman in Genesis. Collins is too much POP, and is waaayyyy overplayed on the radio, or at least WAS overplayed in the 80's and 90's.

A year after this one, I bought "So", and I liked that one MUCH better.

[Scott]

I love some of his solo work, but Sussudio isn't one of them.   IK never got how that song was hit...  And can someone tell me what kind of name Sussudio is anyway?  I mean, if that was my wife's name I'd have to call her Sue, or SueSue or Sudio or ... oh nevermind!

[Jon]

You must like it, there's an Earth, Wind & Fire connection. Fess up!

[Scott]

ETW and Sussudio?  Blasphemy!!!

[RJhog (Admin)]

"She's an easy lover"...great song.

[Scott]

Easy Lover, yes...  Sussudio?  no!

[Jon]

I bought that Philip Bailey album for that one song. Nothing else rocked on the rest of the album.

[TageRyche]

If I remember this correctly, "Sussudio" was a nonsense term that served as a placeholder until they found a "proper" name to use, but they never could and kept the placeholder instead.

[TageRyche]

So just to be my contrary self, I love this album.

I've always liked Phil Collins and this was without a doubt my favorite solo album of his.

[Scott]

Thats good to hear, I like him too but could live without hearing Sussudio again - thats my only fuss

[TageRyche]

Well other than this AOTW entry, I couldn't tell you the last time I heard the song. It isn't like he gets a lot of radio play now.

[Jon]

I actually kind of liked this. I had sworn off Genesis/Phil Collins after the Genesis album from '83 (which I kinda like now) and the '82 Collins solo album. I think I had this album on vinyl but never listened to it. The two songs I've never heard before, "Only You And I Know" and "Who Said I Would" are quite good, but maybe I like them since they weren't played and overplayed. The whole album really isn't that bad, better listen that I though it would be considering the amount of songs that were overplayed on the radio and MTV. Definitely a product of the 80's, the production SCREAMS 80's.

Much better post that I expected!