The cool kids in High School all liked Peter Gabriel’s Genesis, but I always thought it was unlistenable pretentious crap. I was a Phil Collins guy.
Actually, that’s a lie. The cool kids in High School listened to The Fat Boys.
But I like Phil’s smooth pop songs over Peter’s pensive, depressing anthems. And Phil is much, much, much better to cover. And I’m not even posting the Postal Service’s famous Phil cover–which blows away just about any cover, any time, any where.
There’s a lot of live stuff here of various levels of quality, but they are all a lot of fun. The songs I find particularly good are starred. ‘Cause I’m a tastemaker.
A is for Another Day In Paradise (phil collins)-Copeland* vs. Ari Hest’s cover of Mercy Street.
B is for Brian Dolzani-Ain’t No Sunshine/In The Air Tonight (PC)* vs. Sledgehammer-Bridge. By the time this post is done, you’ll wonder if Peter Gabriel ever had any hits other than Sledgehammer.
C is for That’s All (Phil Collins’ Genesis)-Clare and the Reasons*
D is for David Ryan Harris’ really cool medley that includes Prince, Phil Collins, Hall & Oates . . . It’s a late 1970s/Early ’80s masterpiece!* Way better than Digging in the Dirt (Peter Gabriel)-Sound Rabbit.
E is for In Your Eyes (Peter Gabriel)-EBE
G is for Guster’s In The Air Tonight* versus Games Without Frontiers (Peter Gabriel)-Smashing Pumpkins*. All right, this one I give to Gabriel. This song is just so damn awesome.
H is for Sledgehammer-Herbie
I is for Invisible Touch (PC Genesis)-Magicyclops
J is for Solsbury Hill (PG)-Joshua Popejoy vs. Jimmy Swift Band’s Misunderstanding (PC Genesis). Actually, here’s another Gabriel song that’s superior. Misunderstanding is one of my least favorite Phil compositions.
L is for Land of Confusion (PC Genesis)-The Breakfast
M is for Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel)-Mightycondria
N is for Take Me Home (PC)-The New Familiars
O is for One Ton Tablespoon-Land of Confusion (Phil Genesis)
P is for Perpetual Groove-Digging in the Dirt (PG).
Q is for Quagmire-Sledgehammer
R is for Take Me Home (PC)-Raq vs. Mercy Street (PG)-Tim Reynolds. Yeah, I’m sure Mercy Street is a better song musically. But given the choice, I’d listen to the Phil song any day. For one thing, it doesn’t make me want to slit my own wrists.
S is for Sledgehammer-August Solstice
T is for Takka Takka-In the Air Tonight*
U is for Umphrey’s McGee-Abacab (PC’s Genesis)*
W is for Sledgehammer-Gene Ween Band
Z is not for Zip File. All the above are direct downloads. Take what you like, take ’em all, I don’t care. Just don’t bitch at me about how much time it takes to snag ’em all. That’s your problem. I’m audi.
