| ...But Seriously | ||||
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| Studio album by Phil Collins | ||||
| Released | 24 November 1989 | |||
| Recorded | April 1988 – October 1989 at The Farm, England and A & M Studios, United States | |||
| Genre | Pop, rock | |||
| Length | 59:42 (CD) 54:25 (LP) |
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| Label | Virgin (UK and Ireland) Atlantic (US and Canada) WEA (Rest of the world) |
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| Producer | Phil Collins, Hugh Padgham | |||
| Phil Collins chronology | ||||
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| Singles from ...But Seriously | ||||
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...But Seriously is the fourth full-length studio album by Phil Collins. It was recorded at The Farm, Surrey, England, and at A & M Studios, Los Angeles, United States. It was released on 24 November 1989 on Virgin in the UK and Ireland, Atlantic in the US and Canada, WEA Records (now Warner Music Group) for the rest of the world.
Contents |
While much of the album follows the same formula as Collins' previous album, No Jacket Required, there was also a move towards more organic production as Collins chose to utilise live instrumentation instead of drum machines and prominently used keyboards.
The tone of the album is serious, as the title suggests. Instead of focusing entirely on personal relationships, dark psychedelics, and simple fun, Collins expands his focus to the exploration of socio-economic and political themes. There is great emotional turmoil underneath the polished studio production, and many of the songs are unambiguous and unveiled in their melancholy.
"Another Day in Paradise" is a critical look at the plight of the homeless.[1] The song was inspired by Collins' visit to Washington, D.C. There, he was struck with the widespread poverty in which so many people live, and the struggles that homeless people face. He was equally struck by the perfect abandonment of these needy people, and the complacency of the city as a whole, despite being the nation's center of government (hence the sarcasm used in the title of the song).
Another politically-themed song on the album is "Colours", which voices Collins' condemnation of the segregation and oppression of black and coloured people in South Africa under apartheid. Arguably the song with the most progressive rock influence in this album (à la Genesis), it is quite popular with some fans. But it did not see much commercial success as it is almost nine minutes long, and radio stations had no interest in playing it. The political theme is also evident in the second song on the album "That's Just the Way It Is", which deals with The Troubles of Northern Ireland. This was a minor chart hit in the summer of 1990 and in the lyrics Collins makes reference to the gridlock of Ulster's sectarian differences most notably in the line "If we'd agree that we can disagree, we could stop all of this today."
While incorporating political themes, ...But Seriously does not abandon the theme of relationships. But unlike some of his earlier work, Collins takes a more mature and reflective approach when looking at the relationships in his life. During the album's creation, he was dealing with a range of estrangements: from society, from his father, and from his wife.
These influences can be seen in the dramatic gospel-influenced track, "I Wish It Would Rain Down", which features Eric Clapton.
"Father to Son" is another song in which Collins explores his connections with people, in this case, his own son. The song has a positive, inspirational tone as he seeks to guide his son through some of the trials of life and love, and to reassure him that, "if you look behind you, I will be there".
All tracks are written by Phil Collins, except where noted.
| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
Total weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart[2] | 1 | 45 |
| Austrian Albums Chart[3] | 1 | 44 |
| Canadian Albums Chart[4] | 1 | 66 |
| Dutch Albums Chart[5] | 1 | 79 |
| German Albums Chart[6] | 1 | ? |
| New Zealand Albums Chart[7] | 1 | 63 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart[8] | 1 | 27 |
| Swedish Albums Chart[9] | 1 | 14 |
| Swiss Albums Chart[10] | 1 | 51 |
| UK Albums Chart[11] | 1 | 71 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 200[12] | 1 | 90 |
| Country | Sales | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 180,000+ | 3x Platinum[13] |
| Austria | 100,000+ | 2x Platinum[14] |
| Brazil | 100,000+ | Gold[15] |
| Canada | 700,000+ | 7x Platinum[16] |
| France | 1,711,100+ | Multi-Platinum[17] |
| Finland | 74,715+ | Platinum [18] |
| Germany | 3,000,000+ | 6x Platinum[19] |
| Switzerland | 250,000+ | 5x Platinum[20] |
| The Netherlands | 200,000+ | 2x Platinum[21] |
| United Kingdom | 2,740,590+ | 8x Platinum[22] |
| United States | 4,000,000+ | 4x Platinum[23] |
In the US, ...But Seriously contained five singles, all of which reached the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. In terms of the number of hit singles from one release, ...But Seriously remains the most successful album by Phil Collins.
In Canada, "Another Day in Paradise", "I Wish It Would Rain Down", "Do You Remember?" and "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven" reached all #1, with Phil Collins achieving four number one hits in the same calendar year, 1990.
In support of the album, Collins' embarked on a world wide tour, called Seriously Live!. In total, there were 113 shows over 3 continents and it led to the release of a live album and video Serious Hits... Live!.
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [25] |
| Preceded by Girl You Know It's True by Milli Vanilli |
Billboard 200 number-one album 30 December 1989 – 12 January 1990 20 January – 2 February 1990 |
Succeeded by Girl You Know It's True by Milli Vanilli Forever Your Girl by Paula Abdul |
| Preceded by The Road to Hell by Chris Rea Colour by The Christians |
UK number one album 2 December 1989 – 26 January 1990 3 February 1990 – 23 March 1990 |
Succeeded by Colour by The Christians I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got by Sinéad O'Connor |
| Preceded by Heart of Stone by Cher |
Australian ARIA Albums Chart number-one album 27 November – 17 December 1989 |
Succeeded by The Album by Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers |
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