Spawning four hit singles,
But Seriously
topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. While pursuing much of the same formula as on
No Jacket Required
, there was also a move toward more organic production as
Collins
abandoned some of the drum machines and prominent keyboards in the up-tempo numbers in favor of live instrumentation. The decision was a good one as there's no doubt that tracks such as
"Find a Way to My Heart"
and
"Hang in Long Enough"
have enough bite to outlast his more dated sounding mid-80s material. As usual, there are a bit too many generic
ballads
here, but when
moves out of his formula as on the dramatic
gospel
-influenced
"I Wish it Would Rain Down,"
featuring
Eric Clapton
, the results are staggering. [
...But Seriously
was re-released on LP in 2016.] ~ Geoff Orens