Happy 35th Anniversary to Phil Collins’ third studio album No Jacket Required, originally released February 18, 1985.
Do you ever get that spine-tingling moment when a song comes on the radio or in a club and sends you back to a moment in time when everything seemed perfect and the music, in all its glory, never seemed to end? I thought so. Me too. For me, whenever I hear that ‘80s drum machine, the power ballad and of course, the legendary Phil Collins, I’m immediately brought right back to my pre-teen years.
By 1985, Collins, the unassuming drummer/singer from the band Genesis, had two solo albums under his belt. Given the success of Face Value (1981) and Hello, I Must Be Going (1982), Collins had yet again found himself riding the highest of highs as one of pop’s biggest names.
No Jacket Required was released in February 1985 and followed in its predecessors’ footsteps when respect to its chart success, something that many critics thought impossible for a third album. Most artists that achieve the ever elusive smash hit debut face the impossible task of following up with work equally as good, both commercially and critically. Collins not only achieved this with his sophomore album, but managed to achieve it yet again for an incredible third time. In fact, No Jacket Required would go on to become the biggest album of his career.
Sitting here in my room on this gloomy day in São Paulo, and although it is now 35 years since this album was released, a mere 30 seconds into the album’s opening track, “Sussudio” and the gloom not only dissipates, but the need to get up and dance is unstoppable. I’m instantly transported back to a moment in a time when Collins—a balding English man in his mid ‘30s—got you on the dance floor nearly as much as Michael Jackson did and was one of the ‘80s most important musical influences.
Moving through the album, there is no denying that it is intrinsically ‘80s fare, yet in 2020 the sound still manages to resonate with new audiences. All songs were written or co-written by Collins and whilst he stated in interviews that he wanted to create type of dance album, he also ended up with some of his best work when it came to the ballads contained therein. “Long Long Way To Go” is a prime example of this, an incredibly polished track that still manages to convey an almost vulnerable aspect to Collins’ voice.
There are the obvious hits too. The aforementioned deliciously upbeat “Sussudio” along with “One More Night,” the ballad that yearned for a love lost, both hit number one in the US, securing the album’s eminent legacy. The third and fourth singles released from the album, “Don’t Lose My Number” and “Take Me Home,” both entered the US top ten. Something that I clearly did not know at the time, but learnt many years later, is that Collins improvised the lyrics for both “Sussudio” and “Don’t Lose My Number,” meaning that “open to interpretation" took on a whole new meaning with these songs. All kinds of legendary, when you think about it.
Collins called on other legendary talents for this album, including Sting, Helen Terry and former Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel, who all provided backing vocals on tracks like “Take Me Home” and “Long Long Way To Go.” With so much talent on this album, coupled with Collins’ rawer approach to songwriting and improvisation, No Jacket Required garnered three GRAMMY Awards (Album Of The Year, Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male and Producer Of The Year), solidifying the album’s impressive run of critical acclaim.
Although the album had four singles that all charted incredibly well in the US and internationally, there were other standouts that need to be discussed. “Inside Out” opens with Collins’ trademark percussion and showcases not only his drumming but a soulful version of the singer. “Take Me Home,” with its aforementioned backing vocal prowess of Gabriel, Sting and Terry, becomes a track that leaves the listener feeling compelled, maybe even with a tear or two. “Who Said I Would” continued Collins’ Prince inspired theme (“Sussudio”) and provided another upbeat, synth-rock track made for the dance floor.
No Jacket Required, a very radio friendly album that deservedly captured bucket loads of success, would go on to receive widespread backlash that would forever stay with Collins and his future recordings. Regardless of this scrutiny, however, No Jacket Required proved that Collins was a master of his domain when it came to blending his now indelible ballads and ‘80s synth-rock pop. Constantly referred to as “Pop’s most unlikely star,” Collins proved that the third time was not only the charm, but it also cemented his legacy as one that stands the test of time and is just as relevant now as it was back in 1985.
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