Phil Collins has come out with an album surprisingly different from 1985's "No Jacket Required." In "...But Seriously," the song writing ideas have not changed considerably, but the instrumentation is more developed. The Phoenix Horns, who have appeared on all of his solo albums to date, perform dramatically complex melodies on seven of the twelve tracks. Their best displays include "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning," the only instrumental; and "Hang In Long Enough," which bears similarities to the earlier hit, "Sussudio."

Most of the songs on "...But Seriously" are ballads, showing a direct, personal side of Phil Collins. There are plenty of love songs, such as "Find a Way to My Heart" and "All of My Life" (my favorite). Social issues like homelessness are attacked in "Another Day in Paradise." He tells his feelings about apartheid in "Colours" and "I Wish it Would Rain Down" with help from Eric Clapton on guitar.

"...But Seriously" contains almost an hour of music and lacks the fast pace of Phil Collins earlier albums. Nevertheless, it contains many more songs with which people, including me, can identify. I suggest buying the cassette or CD since they contain bonus tracks.