phil collins live dvd

Phil Collins' ascent to the status of one of the most successful pop and adult contemporary singers of the '80s and beyond was probably as much of a surprise to him as it was to many others. Balding and diminutive, Collins was almost 30 years old when his first solo single, "In the Air Tonight," became a number two hit in his native U.K. (the song was a Top 20 hit in the U.S.). Between 1984 and 1990, Collins had a string of 13 straight U.S. Top Ten hits.

If Phil Collins isn't the hardest-working man in show business, he's right up there, at least if this nearly 90-minute concert is any indication. The man is nonstop motion, whether seated behind his drum kit, prowling the stage as frontman (the format is in-the-round, so it takes an effort to keep all of the arena-sized audience involved), or, of course, singing the hits (including "Against All Odds," "In the Air Tonight," and "Sussudio"). The "loose" part of the title is a bit of a misnomer; Collins's excellent band is unerringly tight, and the performance is well-choreographed while still maintaining some sense of spontaneity. There's no denying the appeal of Collins's drum-heavy, horn-driven, R&B-cum-world-music sound, and if his music ultimately isn't as challenging or engaging as that of Peter Gabriel, the other ex-Genesis lead singer, no one in this Paris audience seems to mind a bit. Good show, Phil. ~Amazon review