Anthony was the original guitarist and a key songwriter in Genesis 1967–1970 (establishing their “pastoral” sound), released some prog rock albums in the ’70s, then shifted largely to a mix of acoustic guitar pieces and synth soundscapes, often for soundtracks.
We discuss “Nocturne” from
Seventh Heaven (2012), co-credited to Andrew Skeet, who added the strings to the solo classical guitar recording Anthony did of this song for the album
Field Day (2005); “From the Jaws of Death – Touching the Face of God,” a synth soundtrack recording from 1999, released on the 2008 album
Wildlife co-credited to Joji Hirota; and “Magdalen” from
Sides (1979), which features original King Crimson member Michael Giles on drums and John G. Perry on bass.
We conclude by talking about his approach to lyrics and listening to “Sanctuary” from
Private Parts & Pieces 8: New England (1992). Opening music: “F# Demo (The Musical Box, Instrumental)” from 1970, released on
Archive Collection 1 (1998). End music: “Mystery Train III” from
Private Parts & Pieces XI: City of Dreams (2012). For more information, see
anthonyphillips.co.uk. Most of these songs appear on the
Harvest of the Heart box set.
Ant’s best-known solo album is actually his first,
The Geese and the Ghost, which started as a collaboration with Mike Rutherford and features some Phil Collins vocals. My favorite, which largely established his future direction, was another album from around the same time (mid-to-late ’70s),
Private Parts & Pieces.
Here’s...