Top 10 Alert!
Song#: 2398 Date: 07/20/1985
Debut: 46
Peak: 4
Weeks: 18
Genre: Soft Rock
Pop Bits: Collins' third solo album No Jacket Required would spend seven weeks at #1 thanks to two #1 Pop hits: "One More Night" and "Sussudio." To keep the album rolling along, this track was chosen as the third single. Although it would not get to the top spot like his previous two singles, it did well enough to get inside the Top 5. While it would reach three other chart, the results were not as good with the song stopping at #25 AC, #33 Rock, and #39 Dance. Still, the hit kept sales of the album steady and by August of '85 it would be at the triple platinum level (with more certifications to come).
ReduxReview: Here's the thing about Phil Collins' songs. In many of them, the lyrics make no sense at all - even to Collins himself. That's because many of his songs stem from improvisation sessions and whatever came to his mind in these writing exercises would just end up being the lyrics. As to this song, Collins has even said that there is no story here or even any real meaning. However, because he can back up these nonsensical lyrics with solid pop music, it all seems to work. Now, the lyrics may not be decipherable, but Collins makes it seem like there's something happening. This song does sound like something mysterious and dangerous is going on, yet we have no clue as to what it is. That leaves it up to listeners to decipher it as they wish. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it is often frustrating when someone like Collins can't even express what a song is about or the inspiration. In my opinion, it's lazy songwriting. Like, "eh, I don't know what it means but it sounds good so I'll call it good and move on." He's certainly not the only artist to have done this, but it's a little disappointing. At least he admits it. He could have easily just made something up. As to this song, even though the lyrics are bunk, they do create an atmosphere of something happening and the music is solid.
ReduxRating: 7/10
Trivia: So why was the album titled No Jacket Required? It was named after something that happened to Collins when he went out to dinner in Chicago with Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant. The pair went to The Pump Room, a famous and fancy restaurant in the Ambassador Hotel. At the time the restaurant had a dress code and it seemed that Collins wasn't in compliance. The code called for a dinner jacket and Collins was just wearing a leather jacket and therefore was denied entrance. Collins was furious about the incident and as a stab back at the restaurant decided to name his album No Jacket Required. He then would talk about what happened in interviews and on various TV shows. Realizing this was bad for public relations, the restaurant later sent Collins an apology along with a sport jacket and an invitation to rejoin them for dinner - wearing whatever he wants.
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