The Phil Collins song that wrote itself: “That’s jazz to me”
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(Credits: Warner Music)
They don’t make pop stars like Phil Collins anymore.
After a decade or so as a beardy and mysterious prog-rock drumming wizard, the London native suddenly emerged in his mid-30s as one of the most successful and accessible frontmen of the 1980s, piloting Genesis into the mainstream while also putting out a string of massive solo albums. He was a short, bald, friendly, middle-aged man in a world of hair metal and lip-syncing supermodels.
By the early ‘90s, though, good old Phil was at a clear crossroads. As rock radio moved in an increasingly “alternative” direction, the 40-something Collins inevitably completed his journey into the realm of “adult-contemporary”, with the 1993 album Both Sides marking the final, firm division point between the MTV Collins and the VH1 Collins.
At the time, Both Sides divided Collins’ fan base, as well, with some listeners disappointed at its sparse production and somewhat sombre tone. There were no peppy ‘Sussudios’ lurking anywhere on the tracklist.
It was also arguably Collins’ most personal album, in multiple senses of the word, as he’d literally made the thing on his own in his home studio, intentionally moving away from the big-budget studio sound of his past few solo records.
“I’ve always noticed that my demo lead vocals had more heart than the studio versions,” Collins said at the time, and his goal throughout this record was clearly to capture more of that spontaneity of a first run-through—when the feelings behind the words are still a little bit fresh and raw.
“I’m happily married,” Collins said, with a hint of defensiveness, “But that doesn’t mean that the songs aren’t moving personal statements. I don’t see any reason for making music if it doesn’t reflect the person making it.”
Indeed, Both Sides reflects the wistful, middle-aged non-crisis of a wealthy and fairly content individual, making it perhaps not the most revolutionary of records, but an occasionally warm and touching one, nonetheless.
Arguably, the standout track is the album’s nearly six-minute-long closer, ‘Please Come Out Tonight’, which Collins later claimed came to him fully formed out of the ether.
“I just played,” he told Mojo in 2015. “I set up a microphone in my house and sang, and what I sang is what you hear. That’s jazz to me.”
If Collins really did freestyle the lyrics to ‘Please Come Out Tonight’, it’s an impressive feat—because it’s a lovely song with a nice sentiment about reaching out to an old flame and asking for one more moment of quiet togetherness. It also does explain, however, why reading the lyrics without the benefit of the song’s moody keyboards does make it sound more like a really needy ex-boyfriend pleading obnoxiously outside a window.
“Please come out tonight / Will you stay with me tonight? / Lay with me tonight / Please come out, come out / Just lay here / Just lay here / Please come out tonight.”
You can almost hear the woman of Phil’s affection finally opening the blinds and shouting, “OK, fine! I’ll come out with you! Jesus! Hold your horses!”
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