ROBBIE WILLIAMS - SING WHEN YOU'RE WINNING
introducing: robbie williams! he sings! he dances! he makes an ASS out of himself! the robbie is here to entertain you and to do so, he comes equipped with songs in every style imaginable. like to rock? robbie's your man! want a good weepie? he'll pluck a song from the heavens and make you cry! fancy a dance? robbie delivers! touch his bum and he'll say something cheeky! not enough? plug him in for real FLESH-TEARING ACTION! robbie: let HIM entertain you.
robbie williams seems to be scientifically-engineered for maximum entertainment. he appeals to broad demographics: he's an older, more dangerous alternative to the backstreet boys and/or 'nsync (though, strangely enough, he's younger than members of both) for the young girls; older girls might like him for the same reason, but also because he has personality; and he's safe for indie-kids because he, like, gets the joke and always has at least one clever line or two per song. his songs create an immediate impact, which is perfect for these times when most people would like to believe that they're too busy to "get" most of what's out there and they're too intelligent to listen to pop music.
following up on the success of his the ego has landed cd in this country, robbie releases sing when you're winning which is more of the same. coincidentally enough, both albums are top-heavy, each beginning to peter out near the middle-end which probably corresponds to the attention spans of most people -- another brilliant, though possibly unknowing, stroke of marketing. the best tracks are largely found on the album's first half: "let love be your energy" is a brilliant and skyscraping opener with robbie singing like he means it; "better man" which supposedly came about when robbie asked the spirit of john lennon to inhabit him: possibly bullshit since lennon, late in his life, rarely released anything of this caliber and i doubt he'd just give it away; "rock dj" does just that with its cod-rapping and great beat (and that video!); "supreme" with its smart steal from "i will survive"; "kids" with kylie minogue is trashy, sleazy rawk fun in the "let me entertain you vein" but funkier; and "if it's hurting you": neil young for people who don't like neil young.
after that, highlights are hard to find but that doesn't mean it's still not an entertaining stretch, just less entertaining than the beginning. "love calling earth" is the type of ballad george michael used to release in his sleep, and it's the song that makes you stop and think and then possibly say: "wow, robbie williams is the new george michael." there's enough to back it up: both started out in boy bands, both worship elton john, both have wide-ranging tastes, and many speculate that, like george, robbie is also gay. the main difference between the two is that robbie has a palpable sense of humor, something that we didn't see from george until it was drawn out of him by that bathroom incident.
people have judged robbie on his personality alone: for some, it makes them music more; others dismiss it entirely. in this country, where robbie has yet to break big time, we're able to judge him on just the music alone, by and large. so if you consider yourself a pop fan, step up to robbie williams and -- wait for it -- let him entertain you!
(c) 2000 - fred solinger -
please do not reprint without permission.
