Post by Mrs_C on Nov 11, 2012 17:11:42 GMT 2
Ok so for this week I am going to go a bit pop.
You may have heard British Mega Boyband Take That. You May also of heard of cheeky teenage Heart-throb Robbie Williams....
Well in 1995 the bands youngest member, Robbie Williams left the band to go solo. The years that followed watched him start off as Bloated Liam Gallagher wannabe stoating around Glastonbury out of his mind on drugs
After a releasing a cover of George Michaels' Freedom (95) and reaching Number 2 in the UK, He released Debut album Life Thru Lens and 3 singles in it was apparent the album was not the success it was supposed to be however this was about to change. The 4th single was released a now massively well known single called Angels. This catapaulted him into the charts and although the single only reached number 4 in the UK the song hung about the charts for ages and is used in just about every talent contest and chick flick ever made.
Cue forward 6 years to 2003. Robbie had declared bankruptcy twice, was in and out of rehab and basically hated his life. He released his album "Escapology" and with it one of my favourite songs of his. This is one of my favourite albums and the single "Come Undone" is one of my favourite songs by Rob. By this point he was still with writing partner Guy Chambers and had more of the input into the lyrical content and had started gaining more writing credits on the albums. This song to me sums it all up. His dissatidfaction with being made to sing "love songs" that he hated singing (a direct reference to angels as he hates singing it and hates it is his biggest hit) It talks about his drug addiction and his depression and his thoughts on suicide.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D35vfQ7eZg (sorry it is edited for tv but its not hard to insert the missing words)
After this album was released he then released his 2 more excellent albums Advertising space & Rudebox (the latter was commercially slated due to his venture into rap and the NME who famously hate Robbie gave him 9 out of 10 for it which was unheard of). However he became a vertual recluse and moved to LA where he was unknown and rarely appeared in the press. He became depressed and lost his confidence and lost the ability to perform convincingly live, as it was his confidence that gave him his edge.
He then joined up with Take That in 2010 after a documentary which re-united the band. By now Take That had reunited and were writing their own music and had had a string of number 1's and the UK media delighted in pointing out that Robbie had not had a number 1 for years and "needed" the work. Thsi is obviously crap however after a touch and go reunion an album was written (writing credits for members of take that and Robbie) and they did their first single together in 15 years called the Flood and it went straight in at number 1 and restored Robs confidence he has spoke of how the reuniomn has helped overcome his demons and perform again. He also recently got married to his girlfriend of a few years and had a little baby girl.
I tell you all of this because I want people to see that Robbie Williams is a Pop star however I love him and his music as he is flawed and knows it, he chooses to share his feelings about this side of him with his fans. You can't forget he was 15 when he became famous and has never really had the chance of a normal life. He is capable of producing classic pop songs and until you really listen to the words you don't realise how miserable he was when he co-wrote them and that I think makes them ever so more poignant.
Here are couple more, in my opinion, tremendous and well-written Robbie songs.
Kids (with Kylie Minogue) Such a great duet with Kylie loooking phenomenal.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvn6eYJh-0c
Advertising Space
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl3CGQP1gFQ
The funny but commercially panned Rudebox (keep toungue firmly in cheek) don't think the UK media "got it"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE5PgV0BQYU
Finally something a bit more recent
You Know Me (I like the cabbages in the video)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyg3RtALnwg
Enjoy.
You may have heard British Mega Boyband Take That. You May also of heard of cheeky teenage Heart-throb Robbie Williams....
Well in 1995 the bands youngest member, Robbie Williams left the band to go solo. The years that followed watched him start off as Bloated Liam Gallagher wannabe stoating around Glastonbury out of his mind on drugs
After a releasing a cover of George Michaels' Freedom (95) and reaching Number 2 in the UK, He released Debut album Life Thru Lens and 3 singles in it was apparent the album was not the success it was supposed to be however this was about to change. The 4th single was released a now massively well known single called Angels. This catapaulted him into the charts and although the single only reached number 4 in the UK the song hung about the charts for ages and is used in just about every talent contest and chick flick ever made.
Cue forward 6 years to 2003. Robbie had declared bankruptcy twice, was in and out of rehab and basically hated his life. He released his album "Escapology" and with it one of my favourite songs of his. This is one of my favourite albums and the single "Come Undone" is one of my favourite songs by Rob. By this point he was still with writing partner Guy Chambers and had more of the input into the lyrical content and had started gaining more writing credits on the albums. This song to me sums it all up. His dissatidfaction with being made to sing "love songs" that he hated singing (a direct reference to angels as he hates singing it and hates it is his biggest hit) It talks about his drug addiction and his depression and his thoughts on suicide.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D35vfQ7eZg (sorry it is edited for tv but its not hard to insert the missing words)
After this album was released he then released his 2 more excellent albums Advertising space & Rudebox (the latter was commercially slated due to his venture into rap and the NME who famously hate Robbie gave him 9 out of 10 for it which was unheard of). However he became a vertual recluse and moved to LA where he was unknown and rarely appeared in the press. He became depressed and lost his confidence and lost the ability to perform convincingly live, as it was his confidence that gave him his edge.
He then joined up with Take That in 2010 after a documentary which re-united the band. By now Take That had reunited and were writing their own music and had had a string of number 1's and the UK media delighted in pointing out that Robbie had not had a number 1 for years and "needed" the work. Thsi is obviously crap however after a touch and go reunion an album was written (writing credits for members of take that and Robbie) and they did their first single together in 15 years called the Flood and it went straight in at number 1 and restored Robs confidence he has spoke of how the reuniomn has helped overcome his demons and perform again. He also recently got married to his girlfriend of a few years and had a little baby girl.
I tell you all of this because I want people to see that Robbie Williams is a Pop star however I love him and his music as he is flawed and knows it, he chooses to share his feelings about this side of him with his fans. You can't forget he was 15 when he became famous and has never really had the chance of a normal life. He is capable of producing classic pop songs and until you really listen to the words you don't realise how miserable he was when he co-wrote them and that I think makes them ever so more poignant.
Here are couple more, in my opinion, tremendous and well-written Robbie songs.
Kids (with Kylie Minogue) Such a great duet with Kylie loooking phenomenal.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvn6eYJh-0c
Advertising Space
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl3CGQP1gFQ
The funny but commercially panned Rudebox (keep toungue firmly in cheek) don't think the UK media "got it"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE5PgV0BQYU
Finally something a bit more recent
You Know Me (I like the cabbages in the video)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyg3RtALnwg
Enjoy.
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