If you ask any random music fan what they think of the band Genesis, you might be met with a lot of different views. If someone is more of a top-40 listener then they will definitely think of the band differently than someone who favors prog-rock. Genesis has been different things at different times, and Phil Collins right along with it.
Even Collins' solo career had different eras. There was the slightly alt-rock of "In the Air Tonight" and the pure pop of "Easy Lover." Were both tunes good? Maybe. Maybe not. That decision is completely up to you (by the way, "Easy Lover" is far too fluffy).
But Collins' former band, Genesis, has an even more diverse catalog than Collins' does. This is partly due to the band being formerly led by Peter Gabriel who, while reaching heights of extreme popularity, was always more artist than musician. And that is not meant as any kind of slight; Gabriel is fantastic.
Phil Collins names his least favorite Genesis song
Still, once Gabriel left, the band left the prog-rock behind and began on a path that would lead them to selling lots more records, but also pieces of their soul. They were no longer all about the music, but a lot about the cash, too. Heck, they were professional musicians, after all.
In a web documentary of Collins that debuted in December, Phil Collins: Drummer First, the drummer says he wasn't the biggest fan of Genesis. He acknowledged some of the material was excellent, but other tunes? Not so much. At least, he was honest. Collins enjoyed being in the band, but he also is self-aware enough to be self-critical. Did this make his musical choices better the more he recorded? Possibly.
Collins said, "I’m not Genesis’ biggest fan, you know. There’s stuff that I like, stuff I’m proud of – (yet also) stuff that (I am) less so. Sometimes it can be like people throwing bricks at you...I’ve been playing drums since I was 5 – there’s gonna be dogs! There’s gonna be stuff you enjoy hearing back, and others not so."
The performer said his least favorite Genesis song was "Down and Out." Collins called the tune a "period piece." That is a pretty strong statement to call one's own work dated.
Still, he is not wrong. In fact, one might choose to be a fan of Genesis only at certain periods of the band. From 1986's Invisible Touch on, the band seemingly was just playing itself away. From 1980's Duke to 1983's Genesis, the band was consistently very good. At least we can all agree with Collins that some of Genesis was good while other parts were pretty awful.