Phil Colins is, without a doubt, one of the finest singer/songwriters of recent years (not bad for a drummer, huh?) His talent was born while still in Genesis after Peter Gabriel ditched the band. Since then, he's lead the group into commercial success and then began a career as a best selling solo artist. 'No Jacket Required' was released in 1985 in the midst of the pop frenzy of that era and the music video television madness. Phil was no stranger to pop/rock radio stations and MTV; he offered them a popsicle named 'Sussudio' and that was that for the star. The rest of the hits came rushing behind; the groovy 'One More Night', the rock epic 'Take Me Home' and the fantastic 'Don't Lose My Number', which spawned an unforgettable music video. However some other tracks that did not get commercial appeal are as equally good; the smooth low key 'Long Long Way To Go', which features obvious backing vocals by Sting, remains one of my personal favorites from this album. Phil went on to release better and more mature work with the Grammy winning 'But Seriously' four years later. His career in the 90's fell short but still maintained good songs here and there; the early millennium saw Phil Collins return to form with groundbreaking productions, and Academy awards. However, 'No Jacket Required' remains to be the album that sold the most copies and is most adored by his fans. Recommended A-