No Jacket Required

AMG Review of No Jacket Required

Geoff Orens
All Music Guide

The winner of the 1985 Grammy for Pop Album of the Year, No Jacket Required found Phil Collins fully embracing horn-driven pop music, drum machines, and sentimental allads over his previous darker and more dramatic solo material. The record established him as a major commercial force, and as one of the most recognizable voices of the 1980s. Although the major hits here, "Sussudio," "One More Night," "Who Said I Would," and "Don't Lose My Number" quickly came to sound dated, the album contains several standout tracks. "Long Long Way to Go," which features a cameo by Sting, is one of Collins' most effective allads, while the pulsating "Take Me Home" utilizes the drama of "In the Air Tonight" on a more wistful track. "Only You Know and I Know" and "Inside Out," meanwhile, show an effective aggressive side to the singer. It's not a completely satisfying recording, but it is the best example of one of the most dominating and influential styles of the 1980s.