I have a lot of respect for Phil Collins. Like some people here I even like his use of drum machines and gated reverb, it was a clever way of morphing into something new in the 80s.
He has had quite a strange career, and he sounds strange when he speaks about it these days. He sounds as if he doesn't understand what used to appeal to him in prog and fusion. He says most of the Genesis lyrics he sang were meaningless to him. The "simple, down to earth" side of PC that conquered the world has left the "sophisticated" side behind. But I don't feel the two sides are disconnected. Although I'm not familiar with all his solo material, I feel there is a special kind of sweetness, of sincerity that permeates his playing, singing and songwriting. Even though he has been known to be an over-the-top showman in the 80s, even though he seems to have become less and less adventurous with the years, there's always been a naive, often melancholic quality to his presence that has touched me. He may have portrayed himself as a simple guy, he may have been portrayed as a simplistic sentimental pop singer, there have always been subtle qualities in his work.