Will we ever hear / see Phil solo again?

  • Hi everyone


    After Genesis have called it a day, I wonder whether or not we will see Phil again as a solo artist. I understood he has retired from touring, but what about new music? Wouldn't it be great to get one more "old man's album"? What di you think?

    ... make tomorrow today!

  • Hi everyone


    After Genesis have called it a day, I wonder whether or not we will see Phil again as a solo artist. I understood he has retired from touring, but what about new music? Wouldn't it be great to get one more "old man's album"? What di you think?

    Personally I think this will be the last time we see Phil. When ever I see some of these recent videos of Genesis posted here and on YouTube, it brings a tear to my eye to see how frail he is. :(


    Genesis can still survive as a band without him, that's if they want to and it all depends on Mike and Tony:?:

  • Honestly, I hope not. Just thinking how fast his health is failing him I can’t imagine what shape he will be in down the road. And I can’t imagine Genesis ever performing again without Phil. I think TB and MR would feel like they’re being disrespectful to Phil and his legacy in the band. The three of them should simply be proud that they made so many people over the years cry “You’re the one we’ve waited for.”

  • No, interviews aside, Phil is clearly done I would say.


    I wish the last 15 to 16 years gad been kinder to him.


    But remember, Phil has a number of recordings he hasn't released, one of which is Nicks favourites.

  • Honestly, I hope not. Just thinking how fast his health is failing him I can’t imagine what shape he will be in down the road. And I can’t imagine Genesis ever performing again without Phil. I think TB and MR would feel like they’re being disrespectful to Phil and his legacy in the band. The three of them should simply be proud that they made so many people over the years cry “You’re the one we’ve waited for.”


    Good point, but I could see them perhaps getting together with Peter in Phil's absence. A very long shot I know but I wouldn't 100% rule it out .......

  • Good point, but I could see them perhaps getting together with Peter in Phil's absence. A very long shot I know but I wouldn't 100% rule it out

    I do rule it out but I totally get the urge to coast along on the last thin dissipating petrol fumes of speculation.

    Abandon all reason

  • Hi everyone


    After Genesis have called it a day, I wonder whether or not we will see Phil again as a solo artist. I understood he has retired from touring, but what about new music? Wouldn't it be great to get one more "old man's album"? What di you think?

    Phil has unreleased material that will no doubt come out one day :(

  • I do rule it out but I totally get the urge to coast along on the last thin dissipating petrol fumes of speculation.

    Very poetic and apt!


    I'd love them to magically resume the project with Ray and make a follow up to CAS, which given that they are all able bodied compos mentis talented folks is not impossible. But it ain't happening.

  • Very poetic and apt!


    I'd love them to magically resume the project with Ray and make a follow up to CAS, which given that they are all able bodied compos mentis talented folks is not impossible. But it ain't happening.


    From a touring side it is possible, however, it would fail like before sadly, because the majority accept Genesis ended in 1992/93 after WCD

  • From a touring side it is possible, however, it would fail like before sadly, because the majority accept Genesis ended in 1992/93 after WCD

    Alternate reality here, I know what you're saying but I think back to what happened in 1997-98 and I think 99% of bands would be ecstatic at what they achieved. Number 2 album in the UK, a lot of success in Europe, an arena tour etc. ie "fail like before" to me should be "succeed like before". I hate that MR particularly was of the opinion that if they didn't have the same level of success as before then why bother. I thought they had a great thing going. I lament that they ended the way they did while acknowledging the reality of the situation.

  • Alternate reality here, I know what you're saying but I think back to what happened in 1997-98 and I think 99% of bands would be ecstatic at what they achieved. Number 2 album in the UK, a lot of success in Europe, an arena tour etc. ie "fail like before" to me should be "succeed like before". I hate that MR particularly was of the opinion that if they didn't have the same level of success as before then why bother. I thought they had a great thing going. I lament that they ended the way they did while acknowledging the reality of the situation.

    I think that MR had a bit of an ego thing going on back then, he shot down Daryl and Chester becoming part of the group and then they wrote 90% of the album without a singer.


    Phil was the key peice to that threesome that could bring everything together with his great quality of arranging and yes, they didn't do well in America, no doubt for a various of reasons, but if they had held back a year and got Ray in from beginning of writing, it may have been different.

  • Alternate reality here, I know what you're saying but I think back to what happened in 1997-98 and I think 99% of bands would be ecstatic at what they achieved. Number 2 album in the UK, a lot of success in Europe, an arena tour etc. ie "fail like before" to me should be "succeed like before". I hate that MR particularly was of the opinion that if they didn't have the same level of success as before then why bother. I thought they had a great thing going. I lament that they ended the way they did while acknowledging the reality of the situation.

    Good point. Almost every musical act has a heyday of 3 or 4 years, then continues with a small dedicated fanbase for decades, think Nik Kershaw, Howard Jones, Toyah, Gary Numan, Marillion, and a whole lot more. It's not like they'd even had that megastardom for the first 3 or 4 years. Makes you wonder if MR's motivation was the art or the money. Yes, I know they all want to make money, but most are happy to make a decent living, and he no longer even needed to do that.

    Ian


    Putting the old-fashioned Staffordshire plate in the dishwasher!

  • To me it’s pretty clear that the line-up with Ray had such a short shelf life because Tony and Mike had gotten used to commercial success, especially in America. They were no doubt disappointed that the album bombed in the US and the scheduled tour wasn’t selling tickets. Multiple members of the band have pointed out in interviews that they tried for years to write at least a few hit songs, but that didn’t occur (at least in America) until FYFM. If you think about Genesis and its main solo offshoots (PG and PC) there is a similar pattern: they achieved commercial popularity only to see it wane after a while. Once the album sales drop and new singles aren’t being played much on the radio the motivation for writing new material dries up. Witness Gabriel: we’ve been waiting for 20 years now for the true follow-up to Up, which didn’t chart as well or achieve nearly the playtime on the radio as So and Us.

  • I'd love to hear one more Phil solo album, particularly as he'd probably be able to write some hard-hitting stuff given everything he's been through the past 15 years or so. Something raw and emotional like Face Value or Both Sides.


    However, I think he's probably done; we'll probably only see/hear from him in the odd interview, if that.


    Mike will probably do some more Mechanics stuff, Tony may toy with a few things, Peter will probably release a new album in 2099 and Hackett will very likely keep doing what he's doing until he finds himself in a position where he has to retire (fine by me, I enjoy his shows!).

  • I guess that's s a question of perspective and in some school of thought it's 'new' until it is heard... like that classic if cliched quote about having your whole life to write to your first album/book/movie, but 18 months to write your second. When in truth many writers go back to old notebooks and ideas from years ago.


    Phil has plenty of new (unheard by the public) stuff written, some of it up there with what he consider his best material. I'm not sure if he'll develop an appetite to release any of it whilst still alive and potentially endure yet another critical kicking which invariably gets him down. It's not like he needs the money. If he does release it'll be because he wants to (or Tony Smith or his family persuade him). Though recently, critics seem to be much more pro-Collins than in the past... presumably a lot of those all old critics with axes to grind have retried or died, and subsequent generations are less about hating for the sake of it, and more willing to engage.


    A new dark, atmospheric, brooding Phil Collins solo album full of minor keys with a few thoughtful ballads could be just what the world needs. I know I do. ;)