Robbie Williams - Intensive Care
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Free Music Notes for Intensive Care
Free Music Review: Robbie's Hooked a New Fan in the US
Hit: 5 Stars
I should share some background before giving my review.
Before this past summer, I knew Robbie only through his one and only US hit, "Millennium," from 1999. I always had hoped to hear more music from him, but that never happened here.
Flash forward to this past summer. I, like many millions of other people around the world, watched the Live 8 concerts this summer on-demand via the web. In the home stretch of the London concert, who appears on stage but Robbie Williams. Knowing next to nothing about him at that time (he, unfortunately, is very much an obscurity here, as many have noted and rightfully pined) I was absolutely FLOORED not only by his talent as an artist but also by his absolutely amazing skills as a performer. There very much is a distinction between the two skills...I have seen many talented artists who are mediocre or downright awful entertainers. Robbie, in the short 20 minutes that he was on stage, demonstrated an incredible talent to take a crowd of several hundred thousand people and wrap every single one of them around his finger. Talent like this on stage is a one-in-a-million kind of thing, and I can compare him to but a few acts who, in their own right and in their own times, were legends on stage. It absolutely blew me away, and I replayed that portion of the concert probably 100 times over the summer.
I got wind that Robbie released a new album and I was hell-bent on getting a copy of it, never before hearing any of his material off of an album. I ordered this album, it arrived last week, and I have had a steady diet of Robbie since it arrived to give me a chance to appreciate this work fully. After many hours of absorbing this album, I came to a conclusion:
This album is excellent.
"Ghosts" is a great song. While others have said that this song may supercede "Angels" as the audience-favorite anthem, I do not agree...but it is a great song nonetheless. "Tripping" is his first single from the album, and it is a pretty strong song. My favorites may be the songs which are extremely funny to me: "Your Gay Friend" and "A Place to Crash." I mean, really...how can you not love songs whose choruses begin
"And I'll be your gay friend / 'cuz your marriage never ends"
and
"Find a place to crash / Move your boney ass"
The remainder of the songs, too, are quite good. There are a couple of slower songs to match the up-tempo songs, but there are no "true ballads" on this album. I have to spend some more time with this album to gain a better appreciation of a couple of the songs (I'm not placing all of the references), but on the whole it is an excellent album from a truly gifted artist.
"Greatest Hits" are on their way...can't wait.
Robbie, brother...you hooked another one here in the US.
"First they ignore you
Then laugh at you and hate you
Then they fight you - then you win"
Free Music Review: In my opinion, the best album from Robbie Williams.
Hit: 5 Stars
I just don't understand why Robbie Williams can't break into American music. Maybe most of us over here just can't get used to the British sound. I, being different from everyone else my whole life, discovered his music in 1999, when he had the moderately successful US hit "Angels", and was on MTV for a few stints. Then after I bought that CD, he dropped from America. Being 14 years old at the time, I had limited access to his music because much of it must be purchased online, so I sort of drifted from his music until I got into college and got iTunes, and fell in love with the music again with this album.
To me, Williams' previous efforts had been lacking something since "The Ego Has Landed". Don't get me wrong, I love all of his music, but "Sing When You're Winning" and "Escapology" had just lacked something for me. "Intensive Care" spoke to me: the songs were different, one can tell that an immense effort was put into this album. Williams went with a different songwriting partner on this one. The songs are gritter, harsher, less polished. The lyrics are true to heart and well written. It sort of has an American feel, probably because most of the songs were written while Williams spent time in America.
My personal 3 favorites on the album:
-"Ghosts", with a strong piano and vocal intro, with brash lyrics so one doesn't forget who they're listening to ("Here I stand victorious, the only man who made you come...")
-"Your Gay Friend", an upbeat song about a not-so-happy subject, from what I interpret, an affair that is covered up by claiming that the man in the affair is the woman's gay friend ("Hey lord, forgive us if we're wrong, and make sure that he never hears this song...").
-"Sin Sin Sin", a song, appropriately by Williams, mostly about attempting to have a sexual encounter with no strings attached "Just relax, it's what Jesus would do, we're made in his image baby, let's ride this thing through...").
Once again, Williams proves that he can tackle just about any style of music with this grittier album. And he is successful with a change again. He really can do no wrong.
Free Music Review: Flying undetected below the radar
Hit: 5 Stars
Poor Robert Peter Williams - more than twenty UK hits under his belt, but still a mere blip on the US radar. Always the underdog, he was voted "Take That" member least likely to succeed, and dismissed by Noel Gallagher of Oasis as "That fat dancer from Take That".
Having resurrected his career with the 1997 mega-ballad "Angels", the tattooed bad boy took off from there with hit after hit, despite being largely ignored on the music charts between Canada and Mexico. Although a US resident, Robbie didn't intend to release this album stateside even though it was recorded in LA, but eager fans started grabbing the album from iTunes as soon as it was released in that format.
Firing his opening shot with "Tripping", a reggae-backed song reminiscent of "Dreadlock Holiday" by 10CC and "Overkill" by Men at Work, he follows up with the sweet ballad "Advertising Space".
A sample of the lyrics from "Tripping" seems to tell his tale:
"First they ignore you
Then laugh at you and hate you
Then they fight you - then you win"
Most of the album is typical Robbie Williams, but having been two years in the making, it is lyrically improved over his other albums. You can pick up influences of Shawn Mullins "Lullaby", and John Mellencamp's "Small Town" on "Spread Your Wings", and do a little `80s reminiscing on "Your Gay Friend" and "Sin Sin Sin",
Never one to pass up a little humor, the almost religious "Make Me Pure" includes the tongue in cheek lyrics:
"Oh Lord
Make me pure
But not yet"
Another fun album from Robbie Williams with twelve good songs - will this be THE ONE to finally make him a part of the mainstream USA pop scene? You'll be the judge of that. Rated 4.5 stars
Amanda Richards
Free Music Review: Absolutley GENIUS Lyrics!!
Hit: 5 Stars
I am so glad i discovered Robbie Williams cause this has to be one of the best albums i've heard in a LONG time
The thing i love the most about this it are the cheeky lines and the intensive reflective metaphors that leave you speechless.
An example of this is can be found on the irresistible "The Trouble With Me"
"The trouble with you
is you're in love with me.
What a strange thing to do
What a strange place to be
...
You see the trouble with me
Monkey see Monkey Do,
There's no you in tomorrow
A better offer came through"
Or on the extremely beautiful "King Of Bloke And Bird"
"What you do speaks so loud
I cannot hear what you say
Except for the occasional word"
I have completely fallen in love with Robbie's music. Justin Timeberlake needs to eat his heart out. If he's America's heart of Male Pop artists these days, Then America needs a heart transplant because he's absolutely no competition next to Robbie. I seriously can't wrap it around my head how this immense talent has been eluded fame here in the States. America is pretty close to being the only country in the World to be in complete oblivion of him, I say this because he's reached Michael Jackson Megastar status everywhere else. He's broken numerous chart records worldwide and he has become a prominent staple of Pop Music.
Don't miss out your chance of enjoying his wonderful music. It's Seducingly Ravashing!!
My Top 5
1. Sin Sin Sin
2. Spread Your Wings
3. Ghosts
4. Advertising Space
5. King of Bloke And Bird
GET THIS ALBUM!!
Free Music Review: He took care and it is --- INTENSELY ADDICTIVE
Hit: 5 Stars
This CD musically shines from the first note to the final track. By way of this release, Williams artistically "comes out" and should be officially declared the first musical legend of the new millennium.
Amazingly, his previous products were ignored by North American radio. However his masterful pop compositions such as ANGEL became major hits on North America radio once a "GRADE D" overexposed peroxide female vocalist butchered the song and placed it as an add on track to boost the weak sales of her poorly reviewed CD.
This time, Robbie's product could become Robbie's first major global breakthrough CD.
North America radio will have no option but to pay attention to the quality of the musical content found on this product.
The CD bridges the "newglam" production value of Scissor Sister to a melodic sensitivity of Elton John compositions created during his glory days in the early 1970s.
All songs on this release are produced as possible radio tracks making it very hard for the listener to select one favorite track, nevertheless, I remain partial to: Ghost, Spread Your Wings, Your Gay Friend and Random Acts of Kindness.
If you really want to discover a CD that has listening power from beginning to end then I truly urge you to give this product a chance.
You won't be disappointed.