Anyone remember Phil Collins’ iconic album – ‘No Jacket Required’? ‘No Jacket Required’ is the third solo studio album by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. 

I think I may have heard most of ‘No Jacket Required’ on the radio back then. Songs like the repetitious Sussudio and the soft and saucy One More Night were naturally played the most.  Though the catchy Long Long Way to Go is slightly dull, it’s still list on Side One as the third track. The other singles, Don't Lose My Number and Take Me Home (extra win points for Sting and Peter Gabriel on backup vocals) got some airplay as well, but these were the songs that made him a household name when his album released. While these were ideally my favorite songs, the others that make up the 11 track album, still don’t disappoint.

The chorus of Inside Out sounds familiar too, even though the rest of the song doesn't really make it interesting thought its sounding exactly like Genesis.

That blend of adult contemporary and pop sounds arrived at precisely the right time for radio, where ‘No Jacket Required’ lobbed hit after hit for months – starting with One More Night (No. 1) in late 1984 and continuing with Sussudio (No. 1), Don't Lose My Number' (No. 4) and Take Me Home (No. 7). He even worked a rock hit into the mix (Inside Out -  No. 9). ‘No Jacket Jacket’ remains his best-selling solo LP, the momentum he'd built leading up to it didn't truly taper off for years.

By the mid-'80s, Phil Collins had made a name for himself with 2 Top 10 solo albums to his credit, plus his day job in a little band called Genesis. But when he released this album in 1985, he leaped from "rock star" to "worldwide superstar." That's the fateful day that found Collins returning to record stores with his third solo collection, ‘No Jacket Required’.

Despite its unassuming title and album artwork, it would ultimately go down as the sixth best-selling LP of 1985. Before the year was out, Collins added four more Top 10 singles to his rapidly expanding list of hits, played concert sets on two continents in a single day, and blanketed radio and MTV with his voice and signature drum sound.

This is a great pop album with great vocals from Phil Collins. I've always loved his voice. The drums on here are great as well, and the arrangements work really well. So if you want one of the great pop albums of 1985, pick this up.

Release date: 25^th January 1985

Rating: *****

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira