As a Phil Collins fan for many years, I was really glad to see a compilation of hits that included many of the songs I have loved for a long time. To just mention a few tunes, one of my favorites of all time, "Against All Odds", is on this CD, and if you have never heard the song, the CD is worth buying for this song alone. No wonder it was nominated for an Academy Award as part of the soundtrack for the movie bearing its title. "Against All Odds" is a song that certainly makes you feel something, and his voice stirs deep emotion, at least in me. Another of my favorites, "Easy Lover", is a fast-paced hit that makes the best of a combination of Phil Collins and Phil Bailey on vocals. Definitely a likable hit. The passionate "Separate Lives" is also a duet, a beautiful one, and one of the reasons I truly love this CD. If you turn up the volume when Phil comes on the radio, you can bet that you will covet this CD full of hits. "In the Air Tonight" is one reason to turn up the volume, with its smashing drum beats and the sultry, almost angry, lilt in Phil's vocals. Upbeat hits like "Two Hearts","Can't Hurry Love" and "Dance into the Light" really throw an added spark into the mix. Phil's remake of Cindy Lauper's "True Colors" is well done and of course what Phil Collins hits CD would be complete without the catchy "Sussudio". Songs like "Groovy Kind of Love", "I Wish it Would Rain Down", "Take Me Home", "One More Night" and "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven" round out this album. Many of the songs included on the CD were favorites of mine that I hadn't heard in a long time and hearing them again was truly great. A must-have CD for any Collins or Genesis fan. It earns every one of the five stars I gave it.

Phil Collins was one in a rather select club of pop-meisters in the 80's that just seemed to turn all they touched into gold. Along with Madonna, Prince and Michael Jackson, it seemed that every time you turned on the radio, you would hear something either by them or a pale imitation. For Phil Collins, that meant being the cottage cheese of British nice-guy pop for most of the decade, and into the early 90's.

His divorce in 1980 was the grist that created "Face Value," and before you could say "mike up those drums," "In The Air Tonight" became the new sound of percussionists everywhere. Only Phil and Peter Gabriel had this kind of pummel in their music, and the song's inclusion in "Miami Vice" burned it into the national subconscious...even enough to start an urban legend about the lyric's subject matter.

There was still some left-over emotional baggage for "Hello, I Must Be Going," but it was Collin's choice of a Motown cover that landed him on the charts. "You Can't Hurry Love" was the beginning of his nascent blue-eyed soul string of hits. By the time the monster album "No Jacket Required" appeared, Phil was making songs that aped Prince ("Sussudio") and carried a full-on horn section that was reminiscent of Earth Wind and Fire. He even became an in-demand producer, and gave EWF's Phillip Bailey his only major solo hit by duetting on "Easy Lover."

That demand extended into films. He added the Oscar nominated "Separate Lives" and "Against All Odds" to his resume and starred in "Buster." (He also had a memorable cameo in the HBO AIDS drama "And The Band Played On.") But he was also beginning to push for larger things. On the next album, "But Seriously," he tried to get - well - serious. "Another Day In Paradise" took a look at homelessness, but it was balanced by the peppy "Something Happened On The Way To Heaven" and the more rocking "I Wish It Would Rain Down," featuring Eric Clapton.

But on the increasingly introspective and world-weary "Both Sides," the title track addressed urban and domestic violence...perhaps a bit too much for the popsters awaiting another catchy "Sussudio" or a dreamy ballad like "One More Night." It took three more years for "Dancing Into The Light" to appear, but by 1996 Phil's hitmaking days had passed. It was a good album, and the title track appears on "Hits." But the time had passed.

There is one new song here, the Babyface produced cover of Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors." It won't make you forget Cyndi's version. How much you need "Hits" will likely depend on how nostagic you are for Phil's 80's omnipresnce. Also, since this "Hits" set was released in 1998, there have been a few missing links since then. His album "Testify" was a strong return (even without the mammoth commercial success) and Phil won an Oscar for "You'll Be In My Heart" from the Disney version of "Tarzan." There were enough omissions from the earlier albums that were hit singles to merit an eventuall "Ultimate" two disc set ("I Missed Again," "Everyday," "I Don't Care Anymore" to list three), so maybe it's time for Rhino to raid the remastering vaults.

(PS = Why "Face Value" or "No Jacket Required" haven't yet been remastered is beyond me.)

Phil Collins was everywhere in the 1980s and early '90s. From his Genesis work to his solo stuff, he was heard on the air with new music each and every year from 1980 through 1993. An unbelievable run by a very talented musician with one of the best voices in popular music history. The songs on this solo collection speak for themselves: from the mystical "In The Air Tonight" and "One More Night" to the catchy "Susudio" and "Easy Lover" to the downright beautiful "Against All Odds" and "Separate Lives". Even the remake of "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper (which I was not too fond of in its original form) is nice. At least one track is included from each and every Phil solo album, and all of those movie soundtrack songs that were big hits are included. Once I bought this collection I was able to clean out a few record singles!

Now the downside, as is often the case with artists who have as much great material and hits as Phil has that decide to put out greatest hits albums: there are several key songs missing. A chronological list of other songs I would liked to have seen is as follows: "Missed Again", "I Don't Care Anymore", "Don't Forget My Number", "Inside Out", "We Said Hello Goodbye", "Do You Remember", "Hang In Long Enough", and "Everyday". Throw that in with some other album tracks and maybe a few rarities if they exist, and you could have easily made this a two-disk set.

No matter. This collection is still very enjoyable if you're a fan of the man, his music, and his amazing voice. Definitely a worthwhile listen that is guaranteed to bring back memories.

I really like this CD, the new hit "True Colors" with Babyface is smoothly soothing, for one thing. My favorites on this compilation would have to be "Another Day In Paradise", "Easy Lover", "You Can't Hurry Love", "I Wish It Would Rain Down", "Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)", "Something Happened On The Way To Heaven", "Both Sides Of The Story", "Sussudio", the very upbeat "Dance Into The Light", Phil's first solo hit "In The Air Tonight", and the perfect ending tune "Take Me Home". The songs left off this CD for some odd reason which definetly would have given it a 5-star rating from me are "I Don't Care Anymore", "Who Said I Would", "Don't Lose My Number", "Do You Remeber?" and "Everyday". Oh well, one can't possible expect everything in one place all the time, I suppose. Anyway, this collection is very quality-material filled, get it for yourself soon!

this is a great phil collins compilation but its missing too many songs heres what the track listing should have been

1. in the air tonight

1. a groovy kind of love

if this were the track listing this would have been the only phil collins cd must fans would need but as is its missing too many songs and should have been a double disc set.