In 1977, Genesis was left in the arms of Phil Collins, who took over lead vocals and steered the group in a more chart-orientated direction.
When considering Collins’ vast solo catalog, it’s hard to imagine any song that could be more fun to play on the drums than Face Value’s ‘In the Air Tonight.’
During an interview with Modern Drummer, Collins picked out his two favorite Genesis songs to perform live. His first choice was ‘Apocalypse In 9/8,’ part F of the 23-minute track ‘Supper’s Ready’ from the 1972 album Foxtrot. ‘Supper’s Ready’ remains Genesis’ longest recorded song.
“This is one of my all-time favorite Genesis pieces,” Collins said. “When I would play something like this piece, I would be singing the riff in my head while I was playing it,” he continued. “That allowed me to stretch out over the top of the meter. To get more of a rotating, circular motion going within the pattern. That’s probably why it felt good.”
Next, Collins fast-forwarded to 1976 to pick out the ‘Wind & Wuthering’ cut ‘Wot Gorilla?’ as another favorite to perform drums to on stage.