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Phil Collins’ opinion on Oasis
One of the few artists to have sold more than 100 million records worldwide both as a member of a band and as a solo act, Phil Collins has cemented his name in music history.
But even if you're an extremely commercially successful musician, many people still might not like your music. The Oasis guitarist and songwriter Noel Gallagher, for example, has criticized Collins multiple times over the decades. But what does Phil think of the Britpop band Oasis?
What is Phil Collins' opinion on Oasis
Phil Collins actually likes Oasis as a band, but he doesn't share the same opinion about the brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher. The reason is their behavior, since they have harshly criticized the Genesis frontman over the decades, especially Noel. "They're just horrible, horrible guys. They're rude, not as talented as they think they are. I won't mince words here, they had a go at me personally."
He was then asked by the interview what Noel had said about elections in Britain: "Vote Labour: if you don't and the Tories get in, (Collins) is threatening to come back from Switzerland, and none of us want that." The Genesis frontman replied to that, saying: "He was quoting something that was said way, way back. Everybody assumes I'm a conservative because I've got a lot of money but I'm not a conservative at all, never have been. But he was using the fact that I'd gone to Switzerland. 'If you go to Switzerland it must be (because of) tax, and blah, blah, blah'. But they keep having a go at me, which I find strange. I mean, he actually called me the antichrist of music, it surprised me."
"They're very popular, as I say, if you can stomach their behavior then the music is ok. I'm not having a go at Oasis as a band, actually. Because there's some good songs and I love The Beatles, it's a great nod to that. I heard the music long before I knew what these guys were like," Phil Collins said in Room 101 in 2005 (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage).
As Collins said, Oasis was frequently compared to The Beatles because most of their songs were directly influenced by the kind of music the Fab Four used to make.
He met Noel Gallagher but the Oasis guitarist and his wife were not very welcoming
Phil Collins had the chance to meet Noel Gallagher at least once, in 1996, on a private island called Mustique in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, in the West Indies. But as Collins wrote in his 2016 autobiography "Not Dead Yet", the Oasis guitarist and his wife were not particularly welcoming. "My sixth solo album, 'Dance Into The Light', is released later that year, in October 1996. The title and the sound are symbolic: this is an optimistic album, full of brightness and colours. I’m listening to a lot of Youssou N’Dour, and I’m also aware that guitar bands are back."
"This is the era of Britpop and, while I’m as far as it’s possible to get from Cool Britannia and the new swinging London set, although I do feel close to Oasis’s Noel Gallagher, insofar as he loves slagging me off . I’m inspired to experiment with guitar sounds on my keyboards. So I write a few ‘guitar songs’; that is, songs that are not of the type that Phil Collins would usually write. Now that I'm a full time solo artist, I'm determined to fly that freedom flag as high as possible.
"Shortly after the album’s release I happened to meet Noel on Mustique. He’s there on holiday with his first wife; I’m there with Orianne. Orianne and I frequent a small bar called The Firefly and befriend the owners, Stan and Liz. In conversation one night I suggest to Stan that the place could do with a bit of live music. He replies, ‘I’ll get the musicians if you’ll play the drums.’ Sounds fun, so I say OK."
He continued:
"I arrive on the proposed night to find a saxophonist and her piano-playing husband; they’ve boated over from a neighbouring island. And sitting in the corner of this tiny bar are Noel, his wife, Johnny Depp, Kate Moss and a Labour MP (I don’t know which one). I introduce myself and ask Noel if he’d be interested in having a knockabout with us. Noel's wife pipes up that she's seen the video for 'It's In Your Eyes', the second single from 'Dance Into the Light', in which I played guitar. One borrowed from Paul McCartney, a fellow left-hander."
"She (clearly) informs me that I'm not a guitarist and that I'm not fooling anyone. That wasn't my intention I replied, it just felt good. Now Noel speaks, dismissively declining the invitation. I retire to the bar, feeling not a little embarrassed. Credit to Kate Moss, though — she comes over and apologises for the odd encounter. Our small trio starts playing regardless, and the Gallagher party up and leave soon after," Phil Collins said.
At the time Oasis already was one of the most famous bands in the world and had released two albums. They were: "Definitely Maybe" (1994) and "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" (1995).
Noel Gallagher likes "In The Air Tonight" and early Genesis
Although he said bad things about Phil Collins multiple times, the musician born in Manchester likes the hit "In The Air Tonight". He also revealed in an interview with Matt Morgan, that he likes the Peter Gabriel era of Genesis.
He was asked which was the song he loved by an artist that he hated. His answer was: "Probably 'In the Air Tonight' by Phil Collins". Then he asked the interviewer what his favorite Collins song was, to which Morgan replied: "Another Day in Paradise."
Noel commented saying that song was"f*cking shit" and continued talking about the Progressive Rock band. "Genesis' first album, before Phil Collins arrived, it's called 'From Genesis to Creation' and it's f*cking amazing, I love it. I don't mind the Peter Gabriel Genesis that's got some good tunes. When he left, Phil took over, 'Sussudio' and all that," Noel Gallagher said.
Noel kept criticizing Phil Collins over the years
https://youtu.be/1ayzYCm0rRs
Noel Gallagher wanted someone to represent the kind of music he despised, and he chose Collins to be that person. So whenever he gets the chance, he criticizes what Collins stands for. He was once asked by a young kid which was his favorite dinosaur and his answer was: Phil Collins.
In an interview with Zane Lowe on MTV in 2006, he explained the feud and why he called Collins the antichrist of music. (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage) "It was some flipping comment about him being the antichrist that he got the arse with. You know, these old fellas, they'll take offence to anything."
I'll admit, they look bad in print, but a lot of it I probably gave a very balanced view about Phil Collins that day. I admit that the thing that looks bad, slash, good in print is the bit about the antichrist, fine, fair enough. But you know, people are allowed to say things about me. But you see, Phil Collins knows he can't say anything about me because I'm the f*cking bollocks," Noel Gallagher said.
As shown in the documentary Supersonic (2016), Noel had already said in the 90s that Phil Collins' and Sting's music were "junk food music/McDonald's music".
He said: "We’ve got to get in the charts and stamp ‘em out. I want the severed head of Phil Collins in my fridge by the end of this decade. And if I haven’t, I’ll be a failure."The post Phil Collins’ opinion on Oasis appeared first on Rock and Roll Garage.