In the world of suburban malls, guys who wash their cars by their gates on
weekends, FM stations with their fast-speaking DJ’s, PC is a demigod who
has had worldwide hits since PG quit Genesis. With a multi-million dollar
career - sometimes even playing actor - he’s a blessed son of the record
industry.
And, as strange as it can be, from the top of his enlightened pedestal he
thinks he still has a lot of things to prove to us down here. He is sure
that his latest album, Both Sides, may convince the world to give him a
chance. He had BIZZ in his rural estate in the South of London, where
Genesis usually rehearses, 15 minutes away from his own mansion. He doesn’t
look like the kind of guy who topped the Billboard so many times, but
someone whose weekly bliss is to go the pub with his pals.   By Camilo Rocha.

BIZZ: From the beginning: can I describe you as a soul music fan in a
progressive rock band?
PC: Yeah...I liked Motown and Atlantic records,  was a kind of a mod. And
Genesis was the regular prog group.
B: When PG left, your influence on the group increased and Genesis began to
follow new musical paths. How did that happen?
PC: To really have that answered you’d have to have the other guys here,
because all I did was to sing. I feel it that there’s the wrong idea that
when I started singing I turned Genesis into a chart-orientated outfit. I
didn’t do that. I can’t have either the glories or the blame. 
B: Your new album is about relationship sequels, such as loneliness,
regret, sorrow, meeting again... 
PC: Yes. There was a time when something specific happened to me and the
results of that were being very dramatic and dangerous. That’s what I wrote
about.
B: You always use your personal experiences into your music. What’s your
limit, I mean, how much of your private life you’re willing to show the
audiences.?
PC: Well, I’m really opening up to myself, writing songs about myself. But
the logical conclusion of making music is that it’s recorded and released
in an album. When you’re writing you simply don’t think about that, you
just think that that’s the right thing to do at the moment. Some people get
a bit shy when it comes to other people know how they feel. There were
people who read my lyrics and said; "My God, what’s that?" . I don’t know,
some people are ashamed of crying in public; I don’t have this problem. If
I’m feeling like that I’ll write about it. 
B: "Sons Of Our Fathers" is about kids who do not respect their parents.
Have you always been an obedient son?
PC: Not much. What I really meant is what’s going on in England and
America. Nowadays we have lots of under - aged criminals, too young to go
to jail, but who rape, steal... I think today’s parents are losing their
interest in bringing up their kids, who are getting adults earlier with
less guidance and advice.
B: You said that, "Now it’s the right time for my work to be re-evaluated".
What did you mean?
PC: I guess you’re an example of someone who’s probably not much fond of
what I do solo or with Genesis. When I come to an interview like this one I
bring a huge background, all the prejudices you have against me. I’ve got
all that stuff you’ve never liked in my music or Genesis. Well, I’m here
saying; "forget all this for just a minute and listen to this record for
what it really is. Forget you’ve heard of me before." I wanna be
re-evaluated because I believe this album is different. Give it a listen
instead of hammering the last nail in my coffin. 
B: Then you’re trying to walk away from your image of hitmaker.
PC: I’m not trying ‘cause I don’t believe in manipulating things. I want
the album to be a success, but I’m prepared for the opposite for I think
it’s going to puzzle many people, many won’t understand it.
B: One of the biggest institutions of the music industry is hype, the
exaggerated promotion of the latest trend, the next big thing. It’s
happened faster and faster. You who are older have to carry the tag of "has
been"...
PC: I understand all that. Each one is trying to be more "in" than the
other. It’s good not to have only the old guard, we should always find out
new and promising bands. I enjoyed punk when it happened although, in
theory, it was a threat for us and so was it to groups like ELP, Moody
Blues, Floyd, Yes, Jethro Tull... Most of those guys are gone, but I liked
them. I thought it exciting sweeping everything and getting rid of things,
it was a good idea. I didn’t get afraid though for I knew I was good enough
not to be swept away.
B: What are the pressures you have to put up with in your daily life? What
concerns you?
PC: People think you don’t have to do a thing, that everything is done for
you. But I still go shopping, to the supermarket. I still cook for the
family. Go to pubs. When the front door gets closed I lead a very normal
life home. I obviously have no financial worries, but fight the impulse of
spending money. I know it’s stupid, everyone wants to have money to spend.
I feel a bit guilty though.
B: How’s your movie career doing?
PC: Slow. If I only were an actor it would be doing faster though. I’ve
just turned down some roles because I was preparing the album.
B: Looking back on your career, in Genesis with or without PG, Brand X and
your solo career , what albums do you like most and least?
PC: Among the most interesting stuff is my works with Brian Eno. Some Brand
X stuff was very good too. What I can’t listen to anymore are Genesis
earliest records, all dated, stuck to a specific period in time. There are
songs in my career that get by. Yet I feel better about my solo output as a
whole than as to Genesis.

	This interview was published on the magazine BIZZ (which later became
SHOWBIZZ) in March ’94. Notice the irony in the introduction. The reporter
is a dance music fan, so he obviously hates Phil. Once he interviewed
Erasure and both he and the vocalist said bad things about PC. On the table
of contents of this issue when they mention Collins interview it’s
accompanied by the following caption: "Phil Collins proves he’s boring."
What can you expect from such an introduction?