You Da Man.....

You da man….no YOU da man…..

Comparing the two front men of Genesis: Peter Gabriel v. Phil Collins

It is no secret to most who know me that the first “buy every album” band of my youth was Genesis.  I came in on them at around the Abacab time frame.  Being sucked in by the pounding keyboard passage followed by Mike Rutherford’s soaring Stratocaster, I was hooked.  So while my initial indoctrination into this world was when Phil Collins was at the helm, I quickly started exploring the back catalog, and experienced the Gabriel years.  I sat in wonder, listening to the esoteric sounds of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, saddened that Peter had decided to part ways with the group, just as it was truly coming into its own.  It begged the question: Would the commercial success have happened if Peter never left?  In a word:  no.  While I love the band’s early work, and am a junkie for PG’s solo career, I am not sure HE was the one that would take Genesis to the heights it achieved.  That said, I am not sure it didn’t happen in spite of Phil.  I think he was the right guy, at the right place, with the right “voice”. 

But who is/was better?  Let’s break it down, tale of the tape style…..

The Addition of a Musician:

Gabriel – While Peter has gone on to showcase his talents as a very good keyboard/piano player and programmer, his main contribution in Genesis was the occasional flute solo.  Now, if you are Ian Anderson, that is HUGE.  Alas, within the structure of Genesis, not so much. (although, the flute passage in Firth of Fifth is incredibly good)

Collins – Say what you will about Phil the front man, and I will, but the man has serious chops behind a drum kit, so much so, that he guested on many an album in the late 80s, and 90s (most notably, Eric Clapton’s work)  And, if that was not enough to showcase what he could do, he dabbled with some crazy time signature playing with the fusion band Brand X.  The drum sound of Genesis was unmistakable, and one of the key components to each and every song.

EDGE – Collins

Stage Presence:

Gabriel – There is two sides to this coin.  While leading Genesis, Peter was known to be a bit shy in the earliest years, never really connecting with the crowd.  As years went on, he found a way to do so; taking on characters from the songs in costume fashion. (google image search “slipperman” for example)  The characters and costumes grew more and more outlandish, but also became a trademark for the band. (much to some of their chagrin)  After leaving Genesis, Peter’s personality came more to the forefront in his solo shows, and the costumes gave way to elaborate stage productions (See: Scret World Live) that allowed him to be “Peter”, and still connect with the crowd.

Collins – To come out from behind the kit, where admittedly, he really “just wanted to be the drummer” was a huge step for Phil.  He not only was fronting a band whose lead singer was known for elaborate costumes and mystique, he also had to feel comfortable with another drummer playing his tunes. (after first enlisting Bill Bruford early, they settled on the incredible Chester Thompson, who was the tour drummer for over 20 years) As the years went on, Phil went from being a little timid, to finally letting his child acting background come out ,and became one of the all time greats at being “as one” with the audience.  In the later years of touring with Genesis, Phil toed the line of becoming a caricature, VERY closely, which turned some, including myself, off of his “act”.  However, it does not take away from years of shows where he was the absolute man in control.

SLIGHT EDGE - Collins

Depth of Lyrics:

Gabriel – “When I try to sleep at night

I can only dream in red

The outside world is black and white

With only one colour dead”

Collins – “There’s a girl that’s been on my mind,

All the time

Su-Su-Sudio”

Ok then…..

HUGE EDGE – Gabriel

Biggest Soundtrack Contribution:

Gabriel – It’s tough to compare these two, as one was placed in a movie, while one was written for a movie.  However, they are both very significant.  For Peter, the choice is very obvious.  While he did do two tremendous movie scores (Birdy and The Last Temptation), if I mention the movie Say Anything, the image that just popped in your head is of Lloyd Dobler holding his boom box high above his head, with “In Your Eyes” blaring in all of it’s love-filled glory.  It is one of THE iconic movie images of the 80s, and one that I am not sure would have been as strong with any other song.

Collins – For Phil, he was given the task of writing a title track song for the movie Against All Odds.  (and in some bit of irony, the soundtrack also included songs by Peter Gabriel and Mike Rutherford)  The song, while a little on the “light” side (foreshadowing, perhaps, Phil’s later solo years) was a monster hit, earning Academy and Golden Globe award nominations, and was one of the best-selling singles of 1984.  It ALSO has been covered brilliantly in the recent years, by The Postal Service. 

EDGE – To Close To Call

Prevalent Hair Style:

Gabriel –

Collins –

EDGE - YIKES

High Profile Vocal Duet:

Gabriel – On the SO album, Peter had written a wonderfully haunting song, centering around being at a loss, not having a direction, and wanting to throw it all in.  He reached out to Kate Bush to sing the “hope” portion of the song, the female muse, imploring him “Don’t Give Up”.  The result?  One of the most beautifully constructed and executed songs of the 1980s. 

Collins – When Earth Wind and Fire drummer/singer Phillip Bailey decided to launch a solo album, he sought the direction and drumming of Phil Collins.  The lead song on the record, “Easy Lover”, was an instant hit, with %99.9 of the population saying “hey, who is that dude with Phil?”  It may be a sugary piece of 80s pop, but it is a DAMN catchy song, and it produced a pretty fun video as well.

SLIGHT EDGE – Gabriel

The one before, and the one after The Lamb:

Gabriel – Peter announced his departure from the band around the time of the release of what would be their biggest critical success, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.  Instead of comparing The Lamb (Pete’s best album with the band) and Genesis Genesis (Phil’s best album with the band), let’s take a look at the one before (Pete’s Selling England By The Pound) and after (Phil’s Trick Of The Tail)  In Selling, you could see the seeds of “commercial” starting to be sown.  “I Know What I Like” was one of the first Genesis songs to adhere to the pop-hit mentality of 4 minutes.  However, it is the traditional “PROG” type (and length) of songs that truly drive this album to new heights for the band.  “Firth of Fifth” clocks in at 9:37, starting with a brilliant Tony Banks piano interlude, before crashing into the main portion of the vocal, where Pete sounds more powerful than ever.  “The Cinema Show”, one of the all time great 10minute+ songs, lived on for decades as a concert staple, and again, show Peter at the height of his vocal prowess.

Collins – A Trick Of The Tail, in this humble blogger’s opinion, is one of the most sadly under rated albums of the past 40 years.  Released only a year after Peter’s departure, Genesis nearly had to re-invent itself, and sell this new lead singer, who up until now (save for one guest vocal spot on More Fool Me) was the left-handed-drummer.  The musical formula was pretty much the same….strong keyboard and guitar work, and vocals that made the song move, but did not overpower.  Phil got this concept straight from the get-go, as “Dance On A Volcano” erupts to open the disc. (yup, bad pun, I know)  The lighter side of the band is in full force as well, as “Ripples” recalls past albums, if only with just a different voice. (Although, Mike Rutherford is quoted as of having said that “Phil sounded more like Peter than Peter did”)

EDGE – None, it’s a dead tie

The Miami Vice Affect:

Gabriel –

Collins –

EDGE - Collins

Let’s Try THIS Now:

Gabriel – In the past few years (prior to bringing back a touring band to do the SO-Back to Front Tour in 2012) Peter has gone in a totally new music direction, shedding himself of the traditional rock-band unit, and instead created new sounds with the New Blood Orchestra.  The first project for this endeavor, was a very inspired one.  He selected songs from a multitude of artists (Bon Iver, Paul Simon, David Bowie to name a few) and recorded new interpretations of them with just voice and full orchestra.  The results were sublime.  (youtube/iTunes “Heroes” or “Boy in the Bubble” to get the full effect)  The second half of the “Scratch My Back” project was for those artists to cover a Peter song for a companion release. (Elbow’s take on Mercy Street is haunting)  From there, Pete took on his own catalog with the orchestra, turning two dozen or so of his best compositions, into completely new songs.  The results are breathtaking, inspired, and nothing short of genius.

Collins – As Phil eased himself out of Genesis in the mid-2000s, his solo career was still going well.  He was pouring out adult contemporary hits, and I am sure, earning a pretty decent paycheck.  His foray into something new, was to evoke the memories of his favorite Big Band sounds.  Like Peter’s experiment with an orchestra, Phil’s “greatest hits” found new life when having new life breathed into them via a 25 piece band.  The concept for Phil was simple, and the results were extraordinary.

EDGE – Gabriel

The Verdict:

I honestly thought, as I sat down to write this, that it would be a runaway for Gabriel, as my man-crush is unabashed, and has no boundaries.   However, when going back and listening to a LOT of the material, I remembered some of the things that Phil brought to the table that made me smile.  Phil, because of his movement toward Adult Contemporary in the later years, has gotten a stigma of not being a “rock” guy anymore.  However, you only need to go back a few years, for it to hit you, that the guy was at the top of the heap in the mid-late 80s.  I’m still giving Gabriel the slight nod for the full body of work, but it’s a lot slighter than I thought it would be.