Phil Collins Says “I’m Not Genesis’ Biggest Fan”
Genesis have always been a divisive band — but no one could have guessed that Genesis leader Phil Collins counts himself among the listeners who are underwhelmed by the prog-pop superstars.
In a new documentary, Phil Collins: Drummer First, Collins reflected on his time with the band. He originally joined as a drummer in 1970; when singer Peter Gabriel left in 1975, Collins took over vocal duties, making his debut as the band’s frontman on 1976’s A Trick of the Tail.
Under Collins’ leadership, the band became a pop powerhouse, racking up Grammys and Billboard hits until Collins left to focus on his solo career in 1996. But reflecting on that period, which includes the multi-platinum Invisible Touch, Collins was surprisingly unenthused. “I mean, I’m not Genesis’s biggest fan, you know,” Collins said. “Um, there’s stuff that I like, stuff I’m proud of, stuff that I’m less so. And uh, sometimes, you know, it can be like people throwing bricks at you.”
He added, “I mean, I’ve enjoyed it, don’t get me wrong. I’ve enjoyed it, and it’s been an interesting trip down memory lane. Some bits may be better than I thought. Some bits aren’t as good as I thought. You know, when you’ve been doing something for—I mean, I’ve been playing drums since I was 5. You know, there’s going to be dogs.”
Collins was particularly tough on Genesis’ 1978 album, …And Then There Were Three. “That period of Genesis … I’m not particularly fond of,” Collins said. “This is just, you know, from personal point of view.”
He singled out the song “Down and Out” as a particular non-favorite: “I mean, I do some fills on ‘Down and Out’ that I couldn’t do today. Well, you know, I did them in the studio and and they worked great, but that was when I was … you know, I’d only just become the singer a couple of albums in. So I was very intent on … trying to do things that I had never done before. So ‘Down and Out’ is … I mean, I haven’t heard it for ages, but I mean, it’s a period piece.”
Despite his mixed feelings about Genesis, Collins reunited with the band for a 2021-22 tour. Pain and nerve damage prevent Collins from drumming, so percussion duties were handled by his son, Nicolas, while Collins sang; Collins proclaimed at that tour’s final show that “It’s the last show for Genesis.” But he’s not out of the music game entirely — though his last solo album was 2010’s Going Back, there were rumors starting in summer 2024 that Collins was working on new music.
You can watch Phil Collins: Drummer First for free on YouTube.