Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Collins, Phil
Label: Virgin Records
Released: 1982
Runtime: 45:03
Rating: 4/5
In the early eighties, after the (un)expected success of his cult debut »Face Value« (1981), drumming and vocal standout Phil Collins was cementing himself more and more as a solo music star, without neglecting his work for his ‘home’ band Genesis in any way, who were enjoying a veritable commercial renaissance right at that moment. Collins’s gradual stylistic transformation from prog rock/jazz fusion workhorse into pop rock entertainer was complete by the time of his second studio effort, »Hello, I Must Be Going!«, which was even more commercially minded than that debut. At this stage of the singer’s/drummer’s career, love lyrics had become an unwritten obligation and for Phil almost an obsession, especially when it came to emotional ballads, which always held an important place on his creative path.
With Phil still getting over the traumatic split from his first wife, his poetry on »Hello, I Must Be Going!«, which takes its title from the song of the same name in the Marx Brothers film, took on somewhat brighter tones, and you can feel it in the atmosphere of the individual tracks. Despite the album’s pronounced pop rock direction, with the doors thrown wide open to eighties sound technology and heavy use of all sorts of synthesizer effects, under the ‘beefed-up’ co-production of Hugh Padgham, Collins’s jazz pedigree can still often be heard nicely in his drumming approach, while sensitive vocal moments, which he was always a true master of, are there in abundance, so it was no surprise that in 1983 he received his first nomination for Best British Male Artist. Nine of the ten songs made the charts, which says a lot about the commercial appeal, and the quality, of »Hello, I Must Be Going!«, which still ranks among Phil’s most successful solo efforts today.
With the melodramatic power ballad »I Don’t Care Anymore«, Mr. Collins cooked up another monster hit on a par with »In The Air Tonight« (1981). It’s also the only song on the album that touches on the split from his first wife, with its dark nature and sarcastic lyrics, which was the main lyrical core of »Face Value« too. Subtle keyboard chords are backed by a mighty drum foundation, while guitarist Daryl Stuermer pulls off a string of simple but tasteful guitar phrases. Phil’s furious vocal delivery is at a truly enviable level here, as the legendary drummer/singer squeezes the last drop of his wounded heart into it. This unforgettable evergreen showed up in an episode of the popular TV series Miami Vice and, many years later, in the cult video game Grand Theft Auto V.
»I Cannot Believe It’s True« is a pop rock crowd-pleaser with cheeky saxophone arrangements that suddenly brings a much more relaxed atmosphere, with Phil’s distinctive vocal approach playing a major part, helped along by choir backing vocals. A witty alto sax solo adds extra spice to the playful, upbeat mood. »Like China« is a pretty fun rocker where Collins plays around with a Cockney accent in the intro, as the lyrics see him slip into the role of a cocky teenager. The young lad wants to lure his girlfriend into bed by promising he’ll ‘treat her like china’. Guitarist Stuermer delivers quite a few complex guitar lines, plus an interesting solo that further livens up the lively atmosphere. »Do You Know, Do You Care«, a solid mid-tempo piece, features subtle synthesizer textures and Collins’s melodramatic vocal approach, which peaks with a spirited chorus.
»You Can’t Hurry Love«, a cover of the female pop group The Supremes, became the biggest hit and best-known song from »Hello, I Must be Going!« and even outdid the original in commercial success. After »Behind The Lines« (Genesis) and »Tomorrow Never Knows« (The Beatles), it was Phil’s third cover, but the first one he released as a single, and it brought him unexpected success. Right in the middle of the dance-oriented atmosphere you can clearly hear that soul and R&B were having an ever greater influence on Collins’s later career. »It Don’t Matter to Me« is another fun, snappy pop rocker with a positive note, spirited drum foundation and passionate sax parts that make for a top-notch party. Phil’s nonchalant vocal approach is full of confidence this time, and free of the usual heart troubles.
»Thru These Walls«, another successful single, uses its lyrics to wrestle with a nosy individual tormented by what’s going on behind the wall that separates him from his neighbors. Phil convincingly slips into the character of a compulsive, lonely neurotic who, in the grip of his own obsession, starts imagining his neighbors’ nighttime activities, even though it’s all happening only in his head. This highly subtle piece, mostly thanks to the chords on the Prophet 5 synthesizer, is somewhat reminiscent of »In The Air Tonight«, which goes for certain rhythmic nuances too. The ballad »Don’t Let Him Steal Your Heart Away« ranks among Collins’s most beautiful love songs, thanks above all to his passionate vocal performance and the gorgeous central symphonic arrangement.
The jazz-leaning instrumental »The West Side« is the only creation on the album that could conditionally be labeled experimental, as it contains quite a few complex rhythmic nuances on drums and bass and a series of moving sax passages, while Stuermer plays a juicy guitar solo in the middle section. This is the moment on »Hello, I Must Be Going!« where you can clearly hear Collins’s musical roots and the influences of his earlier work with Genesis and Brand X. »Why Can’t It Wait ‘Til Morning«, a piano-driven ballad with piercing symphonic arrangements, makes for a melancholic close to the album, as Collins once again turns into the ‘knight of the wounded heart’ and shows why he was one of the most celebrated pop singers of the eighties.
Mr. Collins, very much the architect of his own fortune, delivered another top-shelf pop rock record with »Hello, I Must Be Going!« and reaped unexpected success, which rocketed him into the ranks of the biggest music stars of the eighties. The newborn MTV generation started ‘eating out of his hand’, while longtime Genesis fans understandably weren’t exactly thrilled with what he was up to, especially as the line between Phil’s career and the legendary progressive rock band was getting thinner and thinner stylistically. Even though »Hello, I Must Be Going!« hasn’t stood the test of time quite as well as some other efforts from Phil’s solo career, it remains one of his most sonically diverse and dynamic albums.
Lineup
Phil Collins – vocals, drums, percussion, keyboards, trumpet on “Do You Know Do You Care”, bass pedals on tracks 1, 4 and 9
Daryl Stuermer – guitar
John Giblin – bass guitar on tracks 2, 3, 5 and 8
Mo Foster – bass guitar on tracks 6 and 7
Michael Harris, Rahmlee Michael Davis – trumpet
Don Myrick – saxophone
Louis “Louie Louie” Satterfield – trombone
Chester Thompson – drums (on the concert tour)
Production
Phil Collins and Hugh Padgham
Tracklist
1. I Don’t Care Anymore
2. I Cannot Belive It’s True
3. Like China
4. Do You Know, Do You Care?
5. You Can’t Hurry Love
6. It Don’t Matter to Me
7. Thru These Walls
8. Don’t Let Him Steal Your Heart Away
9. The West Side
10. Why Can’t It Wait ‘Til Morning
