Phil Collins - Hello, I Must Be Going!

If you are considering divorcing a rock star, let Hello, I Must Be Going! serve as fair warning of what you're likely to face once the papers have been signed and the settlements made. Collins got the last word on sundering his relationship with first wife Jill (he actually addresses her by name on the album!), and managed to deliver it to millions of homes via this album, which contains one blistering diatribe after another: "I Don't Care Anymore," "I Cannot Believe It's True," "Do You Know, Do You Care?," and "It Don't Matter to Me." The mood is tempered a bit by a lively remake of the Supremes' "You Can't Hurry Love" and "Like China," a sprightly rocker celebrating new love. Yet as listenable and engaging as it is, Hello, I Must Be Going! has to be regarded as one of the angriest albums in mainstream rock history. Great stuff, when you're in the mood for that sort of thing. --Daniel Durchholz Amazon.com essential recording

Hello I Must be Going

For the first time in ordering on Amazon I was very disappointed with a CD that I purchased. The CD is not in the best condition, which is counter to the description that I read. Admitedly, it is used, but not in the condition it should have been.

I would have returned the CD, but I didn't realize how scratched up it was until after I had it for a while and I had already thrown all of the packaging, etc. away. Not all of the artwork was with the CD -- the back art was missing.

December 2, 2008

Phil Collins' overlooked solo effort of the 1980s is his second best solo album IMHO!

Genesis singer and drummer Phil Collins released his second solo album Hello, I Must Be Going! in November of 1982.
Phil made Hello, I Must Be Going! during a busy 1982 which saw him play on ex-Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant's first solo album Pictures at Eleven, tour with Genesis that summer, produce an album for ex-ABBA singer Frida and drum at the very first Prince's Trust Concert for Jethro Tull, Pete Townshend, Kate Bush and Robert Plant that busy year.
Like his previous solo album, 1981's Face Value, Phil plays drums and percussion, does all vocals and keyboards (save "You Can't Hurry Love" where Peter Robinson plays them) and is joined by co-producer/engineer Hugh Padgham, Genesis touring guitarist Daryl Stuermer, bass player John Giblin (and Mo Foster on tracks 6 and 7) and the Earth Wind and Fire horn section a/k/a The Phoenix Horns for another superb solo album.
We start with the great rocker about the disgust and apathy of being ridiculed and having one's name dragged in the dirt called "I Don't Care Anymore" which was a huge rock radio hit and still gets airplay on classic rock stations aside "In the Air Tonight". Next is the upbeat "I Cannot Believe It's True" which is a great number despite the fact it flopped as a US single. Next is the great rocker "Like China" which has Phil superbly singing in a Cockney English accent and superb solos from Stuermer. Next is the atmospheric rocker "Do You Know Do You Care" which has droning keyboards, exploding drums and guitars and Collins' vocals overlaid on that airy soundscape. He also made his trumpet playing debut on this track. The first side ended with his faithful note-for-note (but a step and half lower than original) cover of The Supremes' 1966 hit "You Can't Hurry Love" which was Phil's first US Top 10 single reaching #10.
The second side of the album starts with another US FM rock radio favorite at the time of the album's release called "It Don't Matter To Me" which has a nice horn riff from The Phoenix Horns and great guitars and drums. Next was the album's first single in the UK (which flopped in the UK), the haunting "Thru These Walls" which tells of a weird man's need to either listen with a glass to the wall or stare out at the window at goings on, where he wants to touch someone and cannot in the cold world. Next is the piano ballad "Don't Let Him Steal Your Heart Away" which was released as a single in the UK but flopped and was overlooked in the US for years, great number. Next is the instrumental "The West Side" which is one of Phil's best instrumentals and has great sax work from the late Don Myrick. We close with the sad but tender and beautiful ballad "Why Can't It Wait Till Morning" which is Phil on piano and vocal and the strings, and nothing else.
Hello I Must Be Going reached #9 on the US album charts and would go Platinum upon its release and Multi-Platinum a short time later and rightfully so as Phil proved he was not a one hit solo album wonder and would go on to bigger things with both Genesis and on his own as the decade wore on.
HUGELY RECOMMENDED! September 5, 2008

Only Buy for Nostalgia

If one of the many mediocre hits on this album was the theme to your senior prom buy it. Otherwise why pay $10 for dated light pop? August 20, 2008

Great tunes

I originially bought the CD for the single,"I don't care, anymore," and to see what else he might have created.While hooked on the lead song, I am now also hooked on the entire CD,being continually amazed that a drummer could create all that he does. July 20, 2008

phil's second solo in the midst of a busy schedule

By 1982 phil was very busy finishing up his abacab tour with genesis, drumming on robert plant's 1st solo album (pictures at eleven), producing/drumming on a 2nd john martyn album (glorious fool), producing/drumming on frida's 1st solo album (something's going on), & playing at the 2nd policeman's ball with jethro tull & plant. Between all this madness he managed to release his 2nd solo album which was much more consistent than face value but retaining the same heavy drum/vocal/horn oriented formula. Though more adult contemporary (still heavily based on his 1978 divorce) than its predecesor there are still many hard-edged tracks on it including I don't care anymore, cannot believe it's true, & do you know do you care. A very jazzy rock-fusion number was west side which became a concert staple through the 80s & 90s is an awesome don myrick saxophone lead track. Daryl stermer (guitar), mo foster (bass), & peter robinson (additional keyboards) also joined the phoenix horns for this classic. hugh padgham also returned as coproducer (now heavy into his affiliation with genesis & phil collins's solo stuff). As stated above the album is more consistent than face value as fewer musicians leant their chops. Although profoundly busy in 1982, phil did tour for a few months promoting face value & hello..(he didn't tour for face value because he did abacab with genesis right after he recorded face value in 1981). The sound of this album is almost duplicated on frida's 1st solo album as collins used the very same musicians in the studio. I loved phil's solo stuff in the 80s. Although very pop oriented & adult contemporary at times, the musicianship is very mature, sophisticated, & well produced. Phil does a good job at creating moods with his voice & drums as all the chord sequences & tempo changes revolve around the drum patterns. This is also true in genesis albums. It's true with his session efforts. With clapton & plant his syncopation creates a mood & his drum fills are integral to the progression of the song. You can always spot phil's drums. Good album & overall better than face value. June 22, 2008

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