― Nicole, Saturday, 9 September 2000 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― David, Sunday, 10 September 2000 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
Already I'm unsure of my argument. I think that the above stands up OK, but then again, so much in your overall response to Williams will depend on your very particular response to his records. Then again, one's response to the 'music' might be just as conditioned by one's response to the overall 'phenomenon'. A two-way street, maybe, a dialectic of crosstown visceral traffic.
When I say that Williams focuses broader things, I mainly mean it negatively. I think he focuses - or, what would the right word be? Simply 'exemplifies'? - things like - well,
a kind of cultural melting or implosion, where categories have appeared to have dissolved. A world where he could be in a boy band that seemed naff, then started getting plaudits as actually rather good (Elton blah blah George), and meanwhile was 'OK to like' as camp, kitsch or what you will. From about 1994 on (though I'm afraid I'm very imprecise about Take That dates, save that I know that 'Never Forget' was no 1 in the first half of August 1995), then, he was *already* in that twilight zone where 'bad' is called good, where values shade, where there are things it's 'OK to like'. The solo career seemed a strange business for a while: he seemed not quite set to succeed - and I think a lot of the sympathy that he's ridden on since somehow came from that fear that he was about to drop like a stone.
But it all worked out for him, with the odd song that you might raise your eyebrow at and say 'Well, it's not so bad, really' (I appreciate that others may have always been made of sterner stuff than this: and I salute them), then the odd song that was wildly overrated. 'Angels' started coming in ahead of Elvis P, let alone Elvis C, in every poll you saw, and things were clearly silly. So the most obvious point about Williams is: he was sort of tolerable when he was 'down', or the underdog; but he rather rapidly became the overdog, and to my mind intolerable.
That 'cultural melting' - what I had in mind was something like the old divide between mainstream and independent, which was already looking different at the time of 'Suede', 'Parklife', certainly 'Morning Glory'. A nether world formed, it seemed to me, save that it was a mega-world, a large sphere of cultural activity, of which we might take TFI Friday as the exemplar. Which may, again, be to say that Robbie Williams is the exemplar.
I don't know, there are nuances here. Suede - Blur - Pulp - Oasis - Radiohead (oops!) - Chris Evans - Robbie Williams - Danny Boyle - Chris Tarrant - Alastair Campbell - Zoe Ball - David Beckham - these things are all different, maybe significantly so. The point I'm trying to reach for is, how does the UK 90s look if you take them as exemplary? Good, bad, indifferent, or mixed? I think that our response to that larger question must be linked to our response to Williams specifically.
― the pinefox, Thursday, 14 September 2000 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
Maybe he and madonna could become a strip act (you know to old fags out for the night)
― adelle smith, Sunday, 3 December 2000 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Phil, Sunday, 10 December 2000 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Jimmy Mod, Monday, 18 December 2000 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― cyclotron, Monday, 18 December 2000 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Hymie Schloima, Wednesday, 3 January 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Barrington Wall, Wednesday, 3 January 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― ivan mandic, Friday, 10 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― anthony, Friday, 10 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Ally, Sunday, 12 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― anthony, Sunday, 12 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Ally, Monday, 13 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
new single here - http://www.whatsyourfuture.com/
just heard it for the first time, and seen the super-bizarre video. he's, er, kinda gone rocksteady. i don't understand it really.
― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Sunday, 18 September 2005 06:31 (eighteen years ago) link
― Pvt. Dave Goes To Far (scarlet), Sunday, 18 September 2005 08:39 (eighteen years ago) link
― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Sunday, 18 September 2005 09:53 (eighteen years ago) link
― Jon Benet Taxidermy (piratestyle), Sunday, 18 September 2005 12:00 (eighteen years ago) link
This is the best summary I've ever read of Robbie's schtick. And I have a feeling the new song's gonna grow on me like "Rock DJ" did.
― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Sunday, 18 September 2005 20:12 (eighteen years ago) link
― RoxyMuzak© (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 15:26 (eighteen years ago) link
http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/gallery/2002/01/31/willliams_.jpg
― RoxyMuzak© (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 16:37 (eighteen years ago) link
― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 14 February 2006 19:45 (eighteen years ago) link
― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 21:51 (eighteen years ago) link
― Purple Eric, Friday, 5 May 2006 10:54 (eighteen years ago) link
― gekoppel (Gekoppel), Friday, 5 May 2006 20:00 (eighteen years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 5 May 2006 21:00 (eighteen years ago) link
http://www.its-behind-you.com/images/ll.jpg
Robbie Williams plagued by Little and Large dreams
― NickB, Friday, 24 October 2008 09:52 (fifteen years ago) link
I want melodic songs to be somewhat musically complex, not just standard pop songs. Plus Gary Barlow wrote only part of their material, a lot of it was just the same old crap thrown out by professional songwriters caring more about the musical taste of 12 year-old girls than their own or the band's.― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 5 May 2006 21:00 (2 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink
Whoa: Shtop!
The non-original Take Thatty songs were cover versions of either well established hits ("How deep is your love"), or obscure "Relight my fire", but nothing "bought in"...
― Mark G, Friday, 24 October 2008 10:03 (fifteen years ago) link
Little and Large dreams, does that mean he can't listen to Oasis' first single anymore?
― Mark G, Friday, 24 October 2008 10:04 (fifteen years ago) link
what golden age of ILM?
― Eric in the East Neuk of Anglia (Marcello Carlin), Friday, 24 October 2008 10:08 (fifteen years ago) link
Take Thatty? Have they taken up golf?
― Eric in the East Neuk of Anglia (Marcello Carlin), Friday, 24 October 2008 10:26 (fifteen years ago) link
ho hum
― Dave from Norwich, Friday, 24 October 2008 13:56 (fifteen years ago) link
Almost a clever title:
The amazing ROBBIE WILLIAMS, who has sold a staggering 55 million albums worldwide has announced that he will release his brand new album Reality Killed The Video Star globally on November 9th followed by a digital release in the U.S. on November 10th on EMI’s Virgin Records.
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 5 August 2009 14:21 (fourteen years ago) link
That's the thing with Robbie, it always almost. I do like the Bodies single but by god you have to turn of your brain.
― Nathalie (stevienixed), Thursday, 15 October 2009 20:28 (fourteen years ago) link
I like Morrissey's take on the Robster: "Robbie Williams is fantastic, except the voice and the songs."
― AJD, Friday, 16 October 2009 16:10 (fourteen years ago) link
That's a lot left though.
― Mark G, Friday, 16 October 2009 16:11 (fourteen years ago) link
i seem to remember enjoying his episode of cribs, seemed like a funny guy. him and his friends would get together and watch The Sound Of Music once a month or something
― guammls (QE II), Sunday, 18 October 2009 00:14 (fourteen years ago) link
My brain has collapsed.
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 6 November 2009 22:33 (fourteen years ago) link
Wasn't "Millennium" w the Nancy Sinatra sample kinda okay?
― Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 6 November 2009 23:07 (fourteen years ago) link
He's always had great videos! Come Undone was a totally amazing extended freakout.
Robbie is probably my favourite active male popstar? I think he has made lots and lots of great records!
― Gravel Puzzleworth, Friday, 6 November 2009 23:22 (fourteen years ago) link
The Pinefox, upthread, is incredible - one of my favourites of his posts.
― Gravel Puzzleworth, Sunday, 8 November 2009 14:54 (fourteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjuFdJ-osJY
― piscesx, Wednesday, 14 July 2010 11:06 (thirteen years ago) link
RIP
― ⓢⓗⓘⓣ (am0n), Tuesday, 12 August 2014 17:29 (nine years ago) link
guilty lol
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 12 August 2014 17:30 (nine years ago) link
That's initially what I thought I read yesterday. My brain couldn't quite process the real words on the screen.
― The Ape In The Outhouse (Old Lunch), Tuesday, 12 August 2014 17:34 (nine years ago) link
hard one to process, much less believe. goodnite sweat prince
― am0n, Wednesday, 13 August 2014 17:25 (nine years ago) link
That 'You Know Me' video is still my favorite. Also one of my favorite songs of his.
Have been on a bit of a Robbie kick lately - rediscovered Rudebox which was weird and not as unfun as I expected
― SEEMS TO ME (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 4 September 2014 04:53 (nine years ago) link
Didn't follow Robbie's albums since Escapology, but I can listen to I've Been Expecting You any day, very good album imo.
Here's my top10
1. She's the One2. Millenium3. My Culture (1 Giant Leap)4. Angels5. No Regrets6. Rock DJ7. Eternity8. Feel9. Come Undone10. Strong
― niels, Thursday, 4 September 2014 08:02 (nine years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ccw1djJ_Js
― global tetrahedron, Thursday, 4 September 2014 10:55 (nine years ago) link
I remember when Radiohead were better than RW then they weren't then it all got kinda murky
― nakh is the wintour of our diss content (darraghmac), Thursday, 4 September 2014 11:24 (nine years ago) link
For anyone sitting on the fence, definitely dud.
Robbie Williams believes in the pizzagate conspiracy theory pic.twitter.com/RZ01LfXA4L— Mic Wright 🏳️🌈🌋🏴☠️ (@brokenbottleboy) November 1, 2020
― Dan Worsley, Sunday, 1 November 2020 10:37 (three years ago) link
welp
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 1 November 2020 16:30 (three years ago) link
Aw manhis episode of mtv cribs was cool, he would have his friends over for wizard of oz watch parties
― brimstead, Sunday, 1 November 2020 17:41 (three years ago) link
― brimstead, Sunday, 1 November 2020 17:42 (three years ago) link
read that as "for anybody sitting on his face, dud" the first time
― Lover of Nixon (or LON for short) (Neanderthal), Sunday, 1 November 2020 17:43 (three years ago) link
can't believe Robbie Williams has had enough time on his hands, sat at home, with nothing to do, and nobody calling him, to get sucked into the world of wacky internet fascist conspiracies
― big man on scampus (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 1 November 2020 17:47 (three years ago) link
He's been a UFO chaser for years; would guess it's that energy that's being displaced into Q shit in lockdown.
― edited for dog profanity (sic), Sunday, 1 November 2020 20:11 (three years ago) link
He was on Adam Buxton's podcast recently and came across as a pretty decent bloke really - desperate to be liked, but also self-aware and self-deprecating enough to know he's into all sorts of batshittery.
― Vanishing Point (Chinaski), Sunday, 1 November 2020 20:17 (three years ago) link
Fully accepting that Adam Buxton + Robbie Williams will sound to many sane people like forcing actual broken glass into one's ear canals but there it is.
― Vanishing Point (Chinaski), Sunday, 1 November 2020 20:20 (three years ago) link