Going Back: Phil Collins Relives the Best Moments of His Youth

We all know that musicians get their musical inspiration from every place imaginable - much like writers and they also are often influenced by bands that have come before them. For Phil Collins, Motown songs from the sixties and earlier on have impacted him much like The Beatles, The Monkees, and many other bands he was exposed to in his youth. I've had the joy of checking out Phil's final album not too long ago and now I bring you my review of this wonderful album that had not only tugged at my heartstrings, but also many of Phil's other fans and those who grew up on Motown.

This album includes many popular Motown hits such as "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," "Blame it on the Sun" (originally by Stevie Wonder), and "Jimmy Mack," and an original song by Phil Collins called, "Going Back." So, be prepared to dance around and see why your grandparents and parents always reminisce about these upbeat, yet romantically slow songs. You'll probably be left wondering what a Go-Go is at the same time.

Songs:

Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue?)

"Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue?)," originally by the Temptations, is the first song on the album and what an upbeat song it is. Phil's voice carries through quite well and the emotions of what it means to be in love with someone, but yet really feeling sad about it at the same time. I found myself singing this song at the top of my lungs when I first heard it and well, the whole song is really catchy. I was left singing, "Girl, girl, why you wanna make me blue?" over and over again.

(Love Is Like a) Heatwave

Originally done by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, "(Love Is Like a) Heatwave" is one of the more upbeat and happier songs on the album. It's so cheerful and it depicts really well what it's like to be in love and to fall hard for someone. It especially shows in the chorus. But this is far from my favorite track, though it is often on repeat.

Uptight (Everything's Alright)

A percussion, drum, and saxophone driven song, "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" is a romantic ballad, originally by Stevie Wonder, about a poor man being in love with a girl despite not having any money, but he's satisfied with everything he has. I personally wasn't much into this song, but it still has a catchy tune that you could dance to and I'm usually down with dancing to Stevie Wonder.

Some of Your Lovin'

Originally performed by Dusty Springfield, "Some of Your Lovin'" is one of the slower ballads and the piano melody heard compliments Phil's low voice quite well. This song is about begging for some love as heard in the lyrics, "You gotta give me some (you gotta give me some of your lovin')." This song is possibly in the top five of my favorites off of this album. It doesn't exactly make me dance around the room, but I still like to sing to it.

In My Lonely Room

Also originally by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, "In my Lonely Room" is a little short in comparison to all the other tracks on the Going Back album, but it ranks among my favorites. This signifies how much someone can put up with when dealing with a special someone, who likes to eye other people. The composition of this song always has me singing and dancing, especially when I hear Phil's voice going up to the Soprano bit - yes, he sings Soprano. This song is one of my absolutely favorites to listen to.

Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)

Originally performed by Kim Weston, this is one of the more upbeat songs as well. It details what it means to be strong while experiencing a heartbreak. Phil's voice is very powerful and like always, he portrays the emotions of the song quite well. He does Kim Weston a lot of justice.

Blame It on the Sun

"Blame it on the Sun" is one of the best songs of the entire album, only to be rivaled by Phil's original "Going Back" and "Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer." The melody of this song is composed of the piano and drums, and Phil's voice ties into the song quite well, especially when he sings the chorus. This is another song by Stevie Wonder and like I said before, I am a big fan of Stevie Wonder. So, this is among my favorites so far.

Papa Was a Rolling Stone

"Papa Was a Rolling Stone," originally performed by The Temptations, is another wonderful song. It's another of those songs that made me get up and dance a bit. I know I sung this during my classes and ended up feeling embarrassed about doing so. Anyways, this song has a guitar and drum focused melody, it is a beautiful song about how one would only imagine their unknown father would be like. I, for one, relate to this song a lot. I especially loved the start of the song where you can hear someone playing the Harp. It only adds onto the beauty that is "Papa was a Rolling Stone" and not to mention, just the reference to the band, The Rolling Stones made me give this song a listen to.

Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer

"Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer" could be one of the best piano driven melodies among all the songs - It's also among my favorites, questioning why people leave us in our hour of need. "Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer" is another of Stevie Wonder's songs. Phil must've been a huge fan of the famous blind Saxophonist to have included this song, which has been my most favorite song by Stevie Wonder. Collins has done this song justice as well.

Standing in the Shadows of Love

Although not among my favorites, I still love this song and I find myself singing this song out loud, especially since it has a snazzy drum rhythm to it. The powerful aggressiveness Phil puts into this song is evident because of how loud he sings, but he never breaks the tempo when singing. I like this song al ot. Again, he has done great justice bringing back a classic by The Four Tops.

Do I Love You?

Originally performed by The Ronettes, "Do I Love You" is yet another upbeat song that makes us question whether we're really in love. It's not really the best song, I mean I'm not a big fan of it, but I listen to it. But Phil has done a great job with this song as well.

Jimmy Mack

"Jimmy Mack" is a really fun song. Those of you who might have felt the temptation of cheating on your significant others might relate to this quite well. But either way, this is a really prominent song originally done by Martha and the Vandellas and really expresses a lot of emotions.

Something About You

"Something About You" is another Four Tops song and like "Standing in the Shadows of Love," this melody will have you dancing. The strong bass and the saxophone, trumpets, everything about this song will have you singing, "You set my soul on fire."

Love is Here and now You're Going

Although I'm not a big fan of this song, I still like it. It's very cheerful and yet sad at the same time. Phil sings about falling in love after love is gone. The melody is one of the best ones on this album, but the lyrics aren't quite as strong as they could've been for a song originally done by The Supremes.

Loving You is Sweeter Than Ever Before

I'm not going to lie, this is actually the best song on this album with its upbeat cheerfulness and fast paced rhythm. This is the highlight of the entire album, and I believe it's one of the best Motown songs he's done on this project, and again, it's by Stevie Wonder.

Going to a Go-Go

"Going to a Go-Go" is a reference to the popular place where all the kids hung out at back in the early fifties and sixties. Anyways, this is a fun song and often makes me wish I was alive during the time period when kids were going to Go-Go's. This happy upbeat song will definitely make your grandparents remember their youth. This song was originally performed by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles.

Talkin' About My Baby

A song by The Impressions, "Talkin' About my Baby" is a song about love and devotion. It's sweet and has this soul feel to it. Think of Lionel Richie and James Brown. That's the kind of feel this song has. This is among my favorites on the album.

Going Back

"Going Back" is Phil's only original song on here that he wrote himself. It's basically the focal point of the entire album. The symbolism behind this song is Phil remembering his youth, the days when he was a child. It highlights innocence children have as they explored the world around them. This song really hit home with me and I really love it. I know I said that a few of the other songs were my favorites, but this song really hits home with me. And I'm sure it'll touch your heart as it did mine.

Conclusion

Phil Collins has put in a lot of hard work into this album. I mean not only did he manage to bring back together some of the original artists of these songs to play the backup vocals, he also revived a popular genre of music that is often overlooked by the generation of today. I'm sure many of you have often wondered why your parents or grandparents were often listening to the likes of Lionel Richie, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and many other artists from the time of Motown hits. Well, pick up this album and you'll see why. Going Back has really brought back such a huge appreciation for classic soul, jazz, and blues music that has influenced a lot of today's R+B and Soul artists.

Despite Going Back having a few weak songs that never really struck a chord with me, I did enjoy listening to Phil's farewell gift to his fans and I appreciate that even after he said he wouldn't and couldn't play the drums again, he still went ahead and played the drums on a lot of the tracks, and for that, I am grateful because it was his amazing drumming and singing skills that made Phillip David Charles Collins soar to the top of the international charts and made him so renowned as a singer, songwriter, and a drummer. His music will be missed by his fans, but at least we will all be able to Go Back and listen to many of his greatest hits, including this one.