Phil Collins: Take Me Home b/w We Said Hello Goodbye (1985)

If I had to choose, I would pick Take me Home as the best track on No Jacket Required. At first, it seems like an unassuming track, and, while the music is a bit dated, I like the way the track builds. The track on the flip side is rather boring unremarkable. The other thing to note is that the jacket does not have a close-up of Phil's face, which is a good thing.

Phil Collins: Sussudio b/w The Man with the Horn (1985)

This is the 12" single for Sussudio. The flip side has a rather forgettable track. But, if you like to hear lots of horns and synths, Sussudio might be the track for you. I'm not sure that I had ever seen this video before today. Or, maybe I just forgot. I am not sure where I got this record, but it must have been a dollar or less.

Phil Collins: No Jacket Required (1985)

No Jacket Required sounds really dated. At the time, it seemed to be in sync with the styles and sound of pop music. If you can overlook the drum machines and artificial sounds, you might be able to enjoy this record 30 years on. Phil has an uncanny ability to craft really compelling love ballads, and I suppose One More Night is a classic example, though I wouldn't say that I like this song. By the way, the only Collins record I own on CD is Face Value.

Phil Collins: Hello, I Must Be Going! (1982)

After the solid and rather dark Face Value record, Collins returned with the less solid and more upbeat Hello, I Must be Going! It has some OK songs, but generally, I feel that it is not as good as the first. Occasionally, Allmusic says something that is truly perplexing. In the brief review of this record, the reviewer states: "...in retrospect, Hello, I Must Be Going! laid the groundwork for his breakthrough album, No Jacket Required." I assume the reviewer means 'breakthrough' in terms of sales and commercial appeal, and not in terms of quality.

Incidentally, I mistyped the title as Hell, I must be Going! In hindsight, that seems like a much better title. In any case, I do like his faithful cover of You Can't Hurry Love.

Phil Collins: Face Value (1981)

Face Value is clearly Phil's best record. What followed was a slow decline into mediocrity, much like that of Genesis during the same time period. Face Value contains some genuinely good tracks, like In the Air Tonight, I Missed Again, and an interesting cover of Tomorrow Never Knows. This is the only Phil Collins record anyone should own.