Date: Oct 22, 1988
Weeks: 2
I wasn't even thinking about this song when I reviewed "Separate Lives" ( #585) and said "Phil Collins does a fine job making rock music most of the time, and he's got a decent voice for that, but he's not a particularly talented singer when it comes to singing over minimal music." But that sentence may apply even more strongly to this song.
Where to even start with this thing? Well, I'll start with the title. "Groovy Kind Of Love" sounds more like a song from the 1960s, and it is. The Mindbenders took it to number 2 in the mid-60s. Their version isn't exactly mindbending (ha!), but it has its charm. It sounds like the 60s, so its concept of "a groovy kind of love" doesn't seem incongruous. But Phil Collins's version doesn't sound anything like the 60s. It's mired neck-deep in the sound of the 80s, with the overly genuine synthesizer keyboard trying to make some kind of emotional impact, and that poundy drum undermining everything. I think it's also going for a cinematic sound with its backing orchestra, since the song was recorded for a movie (called Buster, which starred Phil Collins, and for some reason I've never heard of it). This song is trying so hard to be genuine and heartfelt, but it feels so fake.
A better singer might have rescued this song, but Phil Collins isn't that better singer. I don't know if they're running his voice through a terrible filter or what, but somehow he always sounds processed and Auto-tuned, even though this was long before Auto-tune was a thing. His performance is just underwhelming and doesn't convey the emotion I think he's trying to convey. These soft love songs are not his strength as a performer, and I wish he'd stop doing them.
The thing that shocks me about the lyrics is that the song is essentially a happy, sweet song. It's about how the singer is happy to be with the person they love. And that's a fine sentiment. Other than finding the choice of "a groovy kind of love" too specific to the 1960s, I can't find many problems with the lyrics. But Phil Collins sounds so sad singing this song that I'm shocked to realize the song isn't actually sad. It's like he latched on to the first lyrics, "When I'm feeling blue, all I have to do is take a look at you, then I'm not so blue," and made the song sad. Although the interpretation isn't supported by the lyrics, the music makes me believe Phil Collins is sad because his relationship has ended, and now he no longer has any reason to be happy. It's a bummer, and it's not an emotional resonant bummer, so I don't particularly care for it.
My verdict: Don't like it. Phil Collins is good at many things, but he's bad at sad love songs.
Yeah, I agree. I always thought this was a sad song, not a "you make me so happy" song. I never really listened to the lyrics closely before, either.
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