Reviews (page 2 of 7)
Life Thru A Lens by Robbie and his friends is a kick butt debutt! Every song is crafty and entertaining. Album starts out strong and keeps getting better with each song. It peaks at Let Me Entertain You, but the finish is equally as good as the start. Other than the ten minute wait and the hidden track Hello Sir (worst song.) Tough to select a best song ‘cause there’s so many good ones. Will be listening to this album again as well as checking his other works. (4.7*s)
I love Britpop, I love Robbie, I will watch the monkey film
Angels AND Let Me Entertain You- on ONE album!
Robbie Williams is the most criminally underrated artist of the 90s and early 00s.
Being famous is shite
Loved it!! Would listen to it again!
Loved this album, great Debut by Robbie. All killers no fillers
A great brit and chamber pop inspired effort.
Angels. They just dont teach that. Generational talent.
Realized I had no idea what Robbie Williams sounded like, and was just vaguely aware of him being a British cultural icon. I started playing this, forgot, and had to double check the artist because of how much I was enjoying Ego Agogo. Why did I think it'd be awful? I just watched the infamous Rock DJ video for the first time and don't know how I should feel. I think I'm a Robbie Williams fan?? Should I listen to Take That?? None of this made it to America, so wasn't a part of my formative years. One reason I'll probably never truly feel British, even after living in the UK for nearly a decade. Great mindless 90s/00s pop.
Review pre me realising Let Me Entertain You is on this album: Oh boy the Brit pop detractors will absolutely hate this. To be fair to them this is very bad. "Hide away in your ivory tower, and cover me in your golden shower" is a particularly early highlight of some generally horrific writing that permeates the whole thing so far. Can't deny Angels is a fucken good karaoke song though. It does also take me back to listening to mums best of Robbie CD in the study. Really can't tell if this is a one star or five star. Sounds like the bloke was having a few concurrent identity crisises throughout, some even mid-song (South of the Border is particularly wtf worthy). This is Robbie on a bad day. Review post me realising Let Me Entertain You is on this album: Oh fuck yeah Let Me Entertain You is on this album! Easy five. The secret track also points toward my recent Discovery of Robbie's Instagram where he demonstrates some genuinely funny, macabre and existential thinking which for whatever reason I feel is important to flag here as well.
This gets the rare 5 stars solely for the song Angels. One of the greatest songs from the 90s
One the best pop albums ever.
Нежно люблю тембр Робби ещё с детства, обволакивающий такой. Новые для меня песни понравились больше старых при этом:)
Stunning debut. Well deserved five stars
Love this album. Robbie Williams at his post boy band best
What a wonderful solo debut
Surprisingly quite good. Full of poppy attitude and really representing the late 90s perfectly. Loads of hits.
cool
Robbie Williams, have I heard of this dude? Maybe... Oh, I guess I am familiar with "Angels"...but nothing else seemed familiar, and at first run through, I didn't find any interest in becoming familiar. However, as I worked on my grading, I repeated the album 3 or 4 (or 5 or 6) times and it really started to grow on me. This one is a keeper for me!
On our honeymoon in London, we had dinner with an old friend who was living there. The conversation turned to music and he sheepishly admitted to being a fan of Robbie Williams even though his flatmates made fun of him for it. When I returned to the US, I ran across Williams' The Ego Has Landed in a used CD store and picked it up out of curiosity. It quickly became one of my favorites and it still evokes strong and specific memories of where I was living and how I spent my time that year. I only today found out that Ego is a compilation of songs from prior albums, including Life Thru a Lens. So today's listen was a fun mix of songs that I know well and songs that were new to me. I love it!
Most of the album isn't available on Spotify, but found a decent chunk on YT. Actually a really great voice, soothing and upbeat. New artist for me that I really enjoyed!
I really enjoyed all of this album.
Some big Robbie songs on here - Angels and Let me Entertain you. I prefer some of Robbie's later stuff but really enjoyed this throwback of an album.
Il caratteristico timbro vocale di Robbie Williams aggiunge un tocco interessante a canzoni che non lo sarebbero troppo di per loro. Bello il finale di 'Lazy days' e la successiva 'Life thru a Lens'. Le prime 3 sono belle cariche, poi si arriva a 'Angels', un capolavoro, che non scopro ora, che dà una bella svolta all'album. Non è facile ripartire dopo questa e la successiva perde qualcosa, soprattutto a livello del ritornello. Piccola nota curiosa: in 'Old before i die' RW si augura una vita lunga, il contrario di molti suoi colleghi. 'One of god's better people' ha sicuramente un bellissimo testo, ma non comprendo molto la canzone in sé. 'Let me entertain you' ok, fallo, sei bravo (non sono ironico). Le ultime tre dimenticabili, tranne la bonus track 'Hello Sir': wow! Le canzoni sono tutte scritte dallo stesso cantante, non pensavo. Il massimo se lo merita tutto.
I loved every minute of this one!
pretty pretty dope
A nostalgic classic - the man's a great poet
Solid album
I loved this album when it came out, and still a classic. I remember being entirely sceptical of Robbie, being as he was a former Take That member and initially feeling validated in that by his awful cover of Faith (thankfully not on this album). But his brash take on Britpop was infectious and I always felt his arrogance was somewhat tongue-in-cheek.
Nothing revolutionary but I liked all songs.
Liked this a lot more than I thought I would. I expect it's because RW was never as popular on this side of the pond, so ... we're not exhausted by him, perhaps? I detect a lot of haters who are UK-based...? Anyway, this was a fun listen. Except for Angels. I can't understand the appeal of that tune.
The album opens with a very Britpop sound which tries to balance the growling, lad attitude of Oasis with the musical creativity and flexibility of Blur. I appreciate the rock influence overall and the choice to use rock band instrumentation with lots of guitar. For a lot of modern pop, it feels like it's often a financial choice from labels which pushes for the "bedroom artist" sound, rather than an artistic choice or limitation. I'm sure this record was produced when doing everything on a computer would have still been a bit of a novelty, but it gives it an edge in terms of giving it a more timeless sound. The biggest single, "Angels", was huge when I was younger. Although it's not my style, it's a well-written and performed song. It also has a guitar solo, as such, so it can't be that bad. Chambers, the producer, made a good choice in pairing Robbie's voice with this light, but still deceptively heavy, Britpop sound. It's a great combo, especially on "Old Before I Die" which I had forgotten about until now. Also, "Let Me Entertain You" is full of energy and works well, and as another of his biggest hits, needing no explanation. With several high points and few low ones, this is a pretty solid album. I think both poptimists and rockists can enjoy it together without too much contention. The best of all the boy band lads (or is he a monkey now?) in my opinion. 4/5.
the big fat shiny debut of pop artist robbie williams. the closest bit of relevancy robbie had lately here in the united states is that biopic movie where he's a monkey for some reason. from what i know though, in the united kingdom at least he's one of the biggest names in popular music. it's definitely generic enough britpop that'll easily find its way to the charts. he's very good at what he does for the genre! especially in a day and age where a lot of pop music makes me want to choke. it's honestly a bit of a balancing act in my head when it comes to figuring out my feelings about it. this is pop music that i know for sure repeated on uk airwaves for almost 30 years; it's still a good listen but it's that kind of uk pop where it sounds like it would be in a commercial for something. or some reality tv show. this album sounds like it could be in "the x factor". both as background tracks for the show itself and songs that mediocre contestants would sing to the judges. especially that LET MEEEEEEEEEEE ENTERTAIN YOUUUUU. the album was a great enough listen. big props to robbie for understanding a formula that works well for both himself and his listeners.
8.5/10, gran álbum del monito Robbie. Muy buenos temas como Angels y Let Me Entertain You, pero otros medio fru (aunque los escucharía de fondo)
Holy shit! This album is so good! What the freakin hell?? Seriously. This album has no right to be as good as it is....damn. 4 stars....maybe 4.5? I don't think I've ever been this surprised by an album on this list so far. Blown away. Post Review Reading Edit: I'm coming for each and every one of you people that rated this below a 3. You all deserve a slap across the face and a swift kick in the ass. Additional Edit: Is this one of the 1001 greatest albums ever? Surely not. Is it better than at least 250 other albums on the list? Almost surely yes.
Huh, I remember this album when it came out but never gave it a full listen. Lyrics are cheeky as always, but with a healthy dose of star delusion
A bit of a guilty pleasure
Let me entertain you and angels. Kinda high school musical but good
My ex-husband had a crush on Robbie Williams and it always made me uncomfortable. Maybe because I also have a crush on Robbie Williams.
2026.06.02
Probably the best of the British pop rock I have heard here so far
My exposure to Robbie Williams was quite limited and then I watched Better Man and that exposed me to a few songs that are on this album, but I didn't really go out seeking more of him. I wound up enjoying listening through this. I'd probably give it more time and dig into more of his library and see what else is there.
Favorite Song: Old Before I Die
Det e litt rart at æ aldri egentlig har hørt på der her albumet i sin helhet? Men æ likte det, for så vidt, og «Let Me Entertain You» e ganske høyt på lista over de hundre gøyeste sangan i verden, så det e også fint!
I've been aware of who Robbie Williams is (I'm from the US) just from the few times that there have been attempts to hoist him upon us and it's never worked. I've known he's huge in the UK and Europe, but only from watching him on talk shows (chat shows?). I also was aware of the Better Man movie but never saw it. I wasn't sure what to expect from this album, given all of the above and that I don't think I've actually heard one of his songs. I wasn't too excited by the start of the album, not liking any of the first three songs. But then Angels started and I was intrigued. It was a beautiful song and heartfelt in a way the first few songs weren't. After South of the Border, which I didn't like, there was another run of really enjoyable songs from Old Before I Die to Clean. I don't think I'm going to explore his music in more depth, but I liked about half of the songs on the album. I never imagined I'd give it a four rating after the shaky start, but that's what it's going to get.
This was so fucking good. I loved this album. This is a strong 4. Just great rock. The instrumentals, solos, vocals, and backing band are all great! Liked Songs: "Lazy Days" , "Life Thru A Lens" , "Ego Agogo" , "Angels" , "South Of The Border" , "Old Before I Die" , "Let Me Entertain You" , "Killing Me" , "Clean"
Angels es temazo
The old me would’ve listened to Oasis and ridiculed this album. But I can’t deny this is a great Britpop album.
Этот парень внатуре дикий орангутан
I liked this one a bunch. Great voice & good lyrics 4/5
I kinda liked this. Was very 90’s sounding and had an almost Oasis sound to it. Nothing spectacular, but good overall. 4/5
Pretty fun album. I hadn't listened to the whole thing, ever, but it did give me some nostalgia to when my mom bought an album of his way back in the 2000s. Sure, it's not groundbreaking composition-wise, but even for a pop-rock album I was surprised to hear some very clever production going on and very well put together instrumentals. I listened to it twice.
I have a big soft spot for Robbie. He's funny and flawed. He's been an absolute knob, at times. He can sing (and, as it happens, dance). I hope he's still sober, because his story could definitely have had a sad and premature ending. Clearly born to entertain, and propelled from Stoke (of all places) at the age of 16 into full-on 90s boyband mayhem, I'm thrilled that he survived being utterly exploited, and is, somehow, still entertaining us. Anyway, I really enjoyed this; quality pop, good singing, although I never need to hear Angels again: great song but sooo overplayed. Hello Sir felt a bit unnecessary, although I guess it felt necessary to him, at the time. Love ya Robbie.
FLACO TE AMO
Banger
Who knew an album by a former boy band member could be so good? At first, I had doubts about "Life Thru a Lens. After I listened to three songs on it, I knew it was a great album. The two songs I enjoyed the most on "Life Thru a Lens" are "Lazy Eyes" and Angel". A few songs prevented me from giving the album a perfect rating. 4 stars for "Life Thru a Lens".
I groaned a little when I saw today's pick -- I just expected to dislike the album. I wound up enjoying the album quite a bit. Many of the songs were familiar and I'm unsure how many are because I've already heard Robbie's version. I probably won't seek this album out but I would happily add it to a playlist of "albums I kinda liked from the 1001 project" alongside "John Barleycorn Must Die".
This was fun to listen to! Definitely want to revisit
Absolute anthems, and some filler. Pretty good first album for a star.
He was the least obvious solo star to come out of Take That. And of course he became a superstar. This album shows the start of talent that he didn’t quite demonstrate. Of course 90% of it - maybe not that much but a good whack - is his charisma. While Gary Barlow played multiple instruments and wrote songs, could sing and dance, and robbie was less good at those - every eye in the place was on Robbie. And this album starts to show where his hard work pays off. Angels was a massive hit for good reason as was let me entertain you. The first three singles were fine. This album is not quite there but it’s certainly on the way. 3.5 stars.
I first realised how 'hot' this man is to women when I overheard colleagues talking about his live show circa 2005. They were outdoing each other on how arousing he is until Julia mentions his sweat fell on her while she was up at the stage and confessed how arousing it was. It might be unfair to box Robbie Williams as essentially a stripper with a great voice and supreme sexually stage confidence. He was also open about being a sex and drug addict which may have added to his appeal. He can sexually arouse an entire stadium with his libidinous swagger. Women love his raw masculinity. His attraction is animal, fun energy rock anthems of an era. To me its pop music but for women he is definitely on the list of top 10 songs that make women rush to a dance floor irrespective of their age. Thats fun. his music is fun. life is meant to be fun so maybe it belongs here. category core 90's/2000 pop anthems that are very danceable - I'd bet this rates much higher with women than me.
Love this album cover. I've heard of him but never listened until today and I'm pleasantly surprised; it sounds pretty similar to a lot of the alt-rock + pop-punk movement that took off in the late 90s/early 00s, so it's interesting to see a glimpse of the precursors of the era.
I don’t know why I was negatively predisposed towards Robbie Williams. I think the only place I’d even heard of him was Ted Lasso, in which he came off as an asshole. This album was solid. Listened to it twice through. New fan!
Fun britpop
Always good takes me back to misspent youth
Takes me back to when Robbie was the cool kid who had escaped the 'straight' Take That to go and cane it with the Gallaghers. Little did we know where this would go or what the truth was!! Despite what he became there are some Bona fide classics on here and some that just take me back to a simpler time when i had more hair, more money and less responsibilities!!
this album was good and so was the artist ive never heard of him but he sounds like liam gallagher
I knew the hits, but never listened to the whole album. It’s surprisingly good.
I am fortunate enough to have never listened to Take That. I was alive and semi coherent around the time that Robbie Williams hit the scene. I remember Angels. I also remember the more poppy/dance hits that came afterwards. He has a kinda uncle baritone, kinda like the guy from Stereophonics. And the music is pretty much Britpop. I didn't mind it. I could see why people might hate it, a pop star capitalizing on a popular sound. I remember being horrified when I first saw Busted. So, I can empathize. But the album: I enjoyed the rock vibe, to an extent. That killing me slowly song kinda blew. And Let Me Entertain you is a jam, but it's cheesy as hell. 4 Stars. That's all you're getting from me Williams. All you're getting... (sorry Ed).
It seems like I love to hate on this era of music (90s to early 2000s), but honestly this was a nice surprise. I quite enjoyed this one. Nothing I'd take away, so probably not a 4? But 3.75 for sure, a 3 feels disengenuous.
A fun brit pop album, with some great songs. Very enjoyable, didn't feel repetitive, a nice mixture
One of the clasps of pop rock, it was a nice album overall, great lyricis and some famous songs
Enjoyable but not one I'd listen to over and over
Very listenable. Sure, it's pop music. But so what? Some of the "reviews" of this are utterly hilarious. So, it's not high art? Who cares? It's pop music. Sure, it's not Elephant Sessions, to name check a band that 99.9% of people reading this will never have heard of. So? I mean, by all means go and listen to something more "arty". But you're missing out on stuff like this. It's probably a three, but I'll give it a four to attempt some balance.
5/11,
It’s honestly been over twenty years since I last heard Angels, so that alone was a nice blast from the past. I forgot how good that song was. Outside of that, I’d never really listened to Robbie Williams before. I kept getting an Oasis kind of vibe, especially in the attitude and melodies, which I wasn’t expecting at all. Overall, this was a lot more enjoyable than I thought it would be. Solid songs, good energy, and way better than I had it pegged in my head. Favorite song: Angels
I think it’s good; it feels like it calls back to 70s rock, especially the vocals. It is the first album that I think I’ll be revisiting for casual listening (outside of the Grab Bag)
If you asked me to listen to this album and played "Lazy Days" and "South Of The Border" and told me it was Oasis.... I would believe you. If you played the song "Life Through A Lens" and told me Avril Lavigne wrote it I would believe that too. I think this might gain some traction on repeated listens.
A member of Take That ‘doing Britpop’ ended up being a recipe for success, once Angels and let me entertain you prevailed after 3 misfiring singles. The real story really is Guy Chambers’ songwriting taking the best bits of pop/rock history with Robbie’s sometimes dodgy lyrics. Nice to hear it 28 years on - it’s aged better than I thought
I honestly didn't expect to like this album this much. Plus, the cover art is just great
I like the rhymes.
Eigentlich ganz geil
Rock, leaning pop
What to do after leaving one of the UK's most successful boy bands? Find someone to help write some banging tunes and release a Britpop inspired album. It's really good, obviously the singles stand out as the best songs, but at the time, I couldn't help liking Robbie's reinvention and natural charisma, which is reflected in his vocal performance.
Das Debut von Robbie mit Angels und Let me entertain you. Der Rest ist ok, aber kein Highlight. Eigentlich 3 Sterne, aber für Angels gibt es einen Bonusstern. 4/5
I am shocked that I have never listened to him. I've barely even heard of the guy. He has a very long list of well received songs and albums on that side of the pond. He's a pretty good songwriter (with the exception of 'One of God's Better People', that song was a turd top to bottom, in my opinion).
robbie, jung und poppig.
High energy and very Britpop influenced. All strong songs and vocals and very enjoyable!
Good album, I like Robbie Williams! 7.3/10
I was excited to get this album actually! I know all his hits, and a few non singles. Robbie was huge when I was growing up. This album is certainly dated, but I liked it. Its the sound of nostalgia Angels is probably his biggest song. I always hear it sung at karaoke. But for me Let Me Entertain You is peak RW. That music video is ingrained in my brain I've seen Robbie a few times and he is an incredible performer to be fair to him. I also like that he's speaking out a lot about the fame and the music industry, treatment of bands in particular. He's not a one hit wonder guys trust me lmao 4 ⭐️
7/10
monkeyman did good
This is a 3.5 stars for me, but I'm rounding up, because while I think he mostly "apes" Brit pop/rock from the 90's mostly, it still is mostly good Brit pop/rock, which I think surprised most everyone that heard it. I owned "The Ego has Landed," and I actually never realized that was a compilation and not his debut album just re-released in the US...
Boy bands are inherently ephemeral creations. Some Svengali-like figure will assemble an identikit group from a crowd of young hopefuls, give them a carefully crafted selection of songs aimed with laser guided precision at the tween age demographic and then move on to the next pop sensation after a year or two. What happens to the young men involved when the hits dry up and their first cohort of fans grow up? I would be hard pressed to name a single hit by Take That, or pick most of them out of a police line up for that matter, but for some reason Robbie Williams broke the mould. He was the cheeky one out of the group, and in the recent biopic A Better Man he was shown as an anthropomorphic chimpanzee character, and not really expected to do anything other than dance in support of the better looking boys at the front of the lineup. His first solo album combines a bit of jaunty Brit-pop, some mawkish and surprising affecting ballads (Angels is one of the top songs played at funerals in the UK) and at least one genuine banger. OK, so a lot of songs are about how tough it is to date posh girls whilst being showered with drugs and booze, but something about this record rings true. If you listen right to the end there’s a hidden track called ‘Hello Sir’ addressed to a cruel teacher who once told a young boy that he’d never amount to much, and should give up his dreams and join the army. I wonder if that teacher ever changed his ways? Chimp-tastic!
Look I actually really like Robbie Williams because I think he’s campy and fun and has a great voice but whyyyy is this album on the list? The British bias is INSANE.
Let's be honest this isn't great. However.....AND THROUGH IT. AAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL
Usually I'm not a consumer of this genre/artists, it's a kind of music that, if I had to choose, I would pass. But I must say it is a very, very good album! It was fun, it had many hits and, overall, I was entertained ;-)
The uptempo tracks crush the ballads. A lot of tracks are like a store brand oasis record, but that’s still pretty good! Let Me Entertain You is both my favorite track, and the one that sounds most unique among Britpop stuff.
First time listening to this album and really enjoyed it - at least after the first song that I thought was just ok.
I'm not sure why he didn't make it bigger in the States. Any ideas?
Like a mix between Oasis and George Michael
Robbie don’t miss
I don't think generally there's much to say about pop songs/albums. Especially starting around this time. Like, it just is what it is. Generally, music is not bad, but it's not great or even unique. That said, this is definitely higher end pop music. I can imagine most of these songs being played over radio. I also recognized "Angels"! Which is not something that I was expecting. I've never heard of this guy before, and didn't recognize any other songs (so far). I did a little digging and found that David Archuleta covered it (also didn't know that he did it as a cover), and I think that's why I recognized it. I do think the original here is better, though. The album is also pretty impressively varied, especially at the back end of the album. A more rock sounding song with "Killing Me"; a really bouncy kind of pop with "Clean". I'm honestly surprisingly impressed by this album? I don't think that it's particularly great, but I do think it's very good. Quality from beginning to end and some pretty good songs that were designed (and deserved) to be played on radio. And really fun to listen to as well! Favorite Song(s): Life Thru a Lens, Angels
Proper pop album - nothing to complain about here
Several songs are so obviously influenced by early Oasis and are kind of boring but when the album seems to find itself and turns up the funky pop rock, it becomes very fun.
A brilliant Britpop record Highlights: - Angels - Let Me Entertain You - Life Thru A Lens
Bangers around! A poppier britpop, certainly an Oasis/Stones Roses feel with some absolute classic songs. This made me watch the "Betterman" movie which I also enjoyed. I have been surprised by the level of sales and acclaim Robbie earned. I'll be exploring the other albums after this listen.
Esse álbum é muito bom!! Eu não dava o devido valor ao artista e estava enganado. CVJ Aria
Angels obviously the standout track but I didn't hate the rest of it, actually enjoyed it a lot. listen to the end for the fuck you poem to his old teacher
I really liked Betterman, and it shone a new light on some of these songs, like Angels. That and Let Me Entertain You are just brilliant in different ways. I didn't realise Lazy Days (which always gets in my head) and Before I Die we're Robbie Williams. I then looked ahead at his (surprisingly prolific, one album a year) discography and there are ao baby excellent singles (Feel being best) that I might check his other albums out too. This holds up better than a lot of Britpop from the 90s.
Vintage Robbie
Cracking album- angels and let me entertain you highlights but holds its own throughout, very enjoyable
16/07/2025 Surprisingly better than I thought.
A true fusion of many different styles of British music. Very Enjoyable
lazy days mega en guet gschriebne chli überproduzierte aber würkli catchy song. sini yeahyeahs am schluss sind semi nötig. ou title track isch zerst blink 182 und denn oasis im refrain haha. go home and wash the dishes? so he doesnt suspect anything? ui. ah so he cant tell. ui viel flat 6 flat 7. ego agogo au sehr überproduziert mega compressed aber s isch no cool? IM LOVIN BIG ANGE INSTEAD. sooo en guet gschriebne song inescapable, catchy, viel zu kitschig aber s macht jede ton sinn. old before i die isch meeeeega oasis au wiener singt hahahaa. hobla. obe of gods dingsbums isch sochli meh. aber let me entertain you isch SO geil. de bass de drumbeat s klavier. fuck drums ufem ride lesgoooo. killing me isch au no schön, sehr abwechsligsriich. de guy chambers cha lieder schribe huii. clean isch etz chli weird well nai du nöd clean und de song het nöd s gwicht vode vorherige
Pysyin kyllä koko ajan viihdyttyneenä. Jopa nautin olostani! Isoksi osaksihan tää oli keskinkertaista britpopia (miksi yllätyin siitä?) mutta asenne oli kohdillaan. Ääni hyvä. Vähän siltsumaista energiaa mut menköön.
A surprisingly fun record with catchy melodies, pop sensibilities, and great guitar tones. I particularly loved “Clean”.
This was a surprisingly delightful album! Oasis vibes and just a lot of energy.
Prior to this, I had only known Robbie Williams and a UK tabloid superstar. His music was unknown, for some reason kept safely from American ears. Maybe it was the British-celeb-referencing subtext in the lyrics. Maybe it was the lush production that emphasized the "Pop" in Britpop. Maybe the U.S, arm of his promotion team just dropped the ball somewhere. For whatever reason. he just never landed here. That's unfortunate. This album is a surprising gem. The massive sound and Williams' smirk-sneer delivery make a fine stew. Sure, he leans hard on the sounds of his forerunners (Queen, Oasis, Elton John, Blur, etc.), but even now it sounds fresh. I thought that the weakest tunes were the power ballads, "Angels" in particular. Of course, that was the song that saved the album and Williams' career, so maybe my American ears just can't hear whatever it is that made him so popular everywhere else.
More like a 3.5, but Angels is one of my all time faves, so it gets a bump up
I will never forgive everyone for not making Robbie Williams a major US pop icon, because he sure as hell was in the UK. I remember when I was telling my friends that I got tickets to go see Robbie Williams, they were all completely clueless, and that was when I first understood that he was only really a British popstar. And then his movie dropped and for some reason he was a monkey so whatever I guess. I will eventually get round to listening to his entire discography as part of Every Album of Every Artist I Have Ever Seen Live, so please take everything I am about to say with a grain of salt. I greatly consider this to be the best Robbie Williams album, with his hit singles Angels and Let Me Entertain You but first lets get into the history of the monkey man. Robbie Williams was one of the members of the hit band Take That which I'm sure people are a lot more familiar with worldwide, but he was soon dismissed from the band due to his growing substance abuse and constant fights with Gary Barlow who was essentially the leader of the band. In response to being kicked out he then began his solo career, where he became greater than what Take That was ever capable of. Life Thru A Lens was his debut album that he released in 1997 and I consider it to be his best piece of work. There is heavy Britpop influence in this album, which was very unlike his previous work with Take That and for that reason I have to give him the credit because it is very impressive. I think this is most evident in his song Angels, which is a masterpiece of a song and I hate that the rest of the world wasn't exposed to Robbie Williams as much as we did. Angels is a beautiful song both sonically and lyrically which was written about the idea that loved ones come back to protect you after they have passed. It is one of the best songs I think I have ever heard, and was beautiful when I saw it live as well. Life Thru A Lens has the perfect combination of both uplifting/upbeat songs with the depressing melancholic ones, and it really showcases his range as an artist. Sure, there are a lot of weaker songs here, but we have to appreciate that he did a complete turnaround with his musical style and genre as a big fuck you to Take That and I do have to give him credit where it's due. Anyway, I love the silly monkey man and you guys should have been well familiar with his music before that movie came out because he has literally been a pop icon for like 25 years.
Nostalgia makes it a four rather than a three. There are some corkers but the album itself is very mid.
A pleasant surprise. Not an incredible album, but not a bad POP album either (as I expected it to be). Pleasantly surprised, a fully deserved 4 star.
Highlights: Angels, Ego Agogo, and Killing Me His voice is hypnotic.
ich fühle mich glücklicher starker erster Song namensgebender Song gefällt mir nicht wirklich ich will party machen angels ist unfassbar stark "one of gods better people" - underrated (nur 1 millionen plays auf spotify?) LET MEEEE ENTERTAIN YOOUUU!!! It's killing me, slowly Die Bläser sind so stark eingesetzt wow das ende von clean? wtf? baby girl window auch sehr schön kiss my ass
liked his upopular stuff, liked his popular stuff less
This was an important album for Robbie Williams, his first and best chance took define himself as more than the boy band background that made him famous. The sound overall identifies this as belonging till the Britpop era. Lyrically, he shows a lot of vulnerability and introspection. Angels is if course the standout. You can hear the desire to kick back against the media driven fame machine. It works, and for musical snobs, try to forget that Williams was in a boy band and just listen to, for example, the title track for the brilliant bit of pop songwriting that it is.
Good, def has some bangers
Fun pop. A few great tunes
Still surprising
This was a fun one
This one surprised me. I was ready for cringe, but it turned out to be kind of a hangover cure in album form. Breezy, cheeky, and self-aware in just the right ways. It’s big '90s Britpop energy, but lighter, shinier, with a bit more smirk and personality. There's confidence all over this, even when the actual songs get a bit messy. It’s got that “look at me” attitude of a solo act who really wants you to forget they used to be in a boy band. I won’t overthink it - this was a good time. Honestly, if you’re mildly hungover and looking for something caffeinated without being aggressive, this slaps. Spins: 3 Playlist Additions: - Lazy Days - Angels - Old Before I Die - Let Me Entertain You
I liked it!
Might be a sign to watch Better Man.
A música mais conhecida não diz nada sobre o que é esse disco!
i might have gone into this knowing more about robbie williams had i not been going thru Pretty Bad Movie Burnout for many a month and therefore i have not watched the unjustifiably awesome looking monkey biopic. it wasnt necessary to enjoy this tho, this is tbh kind of awesome FHJSHJFHFSJ rather than pure smarm like can wear on me w/ a lot of britpop and adjacent, theres a lot of theatrics and big brash moves on here that rly hook me and make me feel like im actually listening 2 someone who cares about their music. great melodies all around too...rly solid combination of surprising and reassuring. the biggest pull tho is the production from guy chambers and steve power!!! just huge meaty power, super super fun to listen to. gotta be an all time great album cover too lol! i struggle to say much beyond just Listing Out The Traits like a boring book report FHJFSHSJF which is not usually what i wanna do but this just strikes me as obviously wonderfully good music with a lot of stadium power, yet slightly vulnerable all the same. im sure ill watch the monkey movie someday
I never bothered with this when it came out (because I wasn't a 13 year old girl) but it's surprisingly rather good. A lot of humour (to be expected, but it's clear from some reviews that non-UK reviewers dont get it). Angels and Let Me Entertain You are great songs and well known (in UK at least). Ok so maybe there isn't the same familiarity and knowledge ouside the UK. I suppose I feel the same way about Elliot Smith (who?), but at least I gave that miserable twat a chance. I particularly liked the 'fuck you' poem to his teacher at the end. Well done, thingy!
Life Thru a Lens is a nice slice of 90s pop if you’re in the mood. https://open.substack.com/pub/richcain/p/project-1001-life-thru-a-lens-by?r=4ztyq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
For those who don't know, Robbie Williams originally rose to prominence as part of the 90s UK boy band Take That before leaving the group over his behavior. He started pursuing a solo career, taking influence from the then-current Britpop trend, thus leading to this debut album. I will say I didn't have many expectations going into this album, because this could have been either good or a niche relic from when Robbie dominated the British tabloids. What did we get with Life Thru a Lens? Well color me impressed, because this was a pretty great solo debut. It's evident from Robbie's songwriting evoked from his struggles with fame, coupled with top-notch production from Guy Chambers and Steve Power, that they were pulling all the stops to make this work outside of Take That. He's able to play well with a few different styles, from the funky "Ego Agogo" to the ballad "Angels" and the more straightforward rocker "Old Before I Die". Even if it's apparent that Robbie spent a lot of time with Oasis, he's largely effective in taking influence from them. Granted, this is not a flawless album. I did not care for the swampy bass-leaden tread of "South of the Border", and while it was a respectful note to end on a poem where Robbie got to lash out against a former schoolteacher that didn't believe in him, having it as a hidden track ten minutes after "Baby Girl Window" was not a smart decision as it hurt the replay value of the former track. Still, I'm amazed at how solid Life Thru a Lens turned out. I'm glad Robbie made amends with his old mates in Take That, but he was able to carve his avenue effectively.
Solid work here, and only the beginning of Robbie defining himself as an artist in his own right
After taking that level of fame in the U.K. to its eventual yet unexpected conclusion, Robbie Williams felt the need to break out and become free. Life Thru a Lens finds the once seemingly indistinguishable boy band member now rather inscrutable solo singer dipping his toes in the Cool Britannia/Britpop waters and begin to establish his own identity. And, as the musical vision shows throughout the album, it appears as though Robbie would be heading on the right path. Now if only there could be a CGI created monkey to reenact this arc and have it shown to the indifference and confusion of American moviegoers... Favorites: Lazy Days, Life Thru a Lens, Ego Agogo, Angels, Old Before I Die, One of God's Better People, Let Me Entertain You, Clean.
Reminds me most of an English George Michael. The tracks are either incredible, or forgettable. No bad songs, but definitely an album buoyed by the singles. But those singles are some of the catchiest and head-bopping songs I've ever heard, so all in all very good. Top tracks: Lazy Days, Angels, Let Me Entertain You
Never really heard him before. I enjoyed it!
Fantastic pop. really need to start on British music
I liked this. I wasn't expecting to like it, I had never heard of the artist, assumed he was some UK flash in the pan, but musically it's solid. Reminds me of Elton John in places, also some more edgy electro pop feel in places.
Elegant 💅
Excellent debut album
A nice album, I liked the songs Life Thu A Lens and Angels the most.
Alright
Primero que todo, lo quiero a Robbie. El albur tiene unos témanos y otras canciones que no me dicen mucho o no siento tanto.
Enjoyed this more than I expected
Britpop gold with Robbie doing his best Liam Gallagher on some songs
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. It’s nothing mind blowing, but I found it to be a solid record from beginning to end. Angels, Williams’ biggest song, is a banger. It sounds like Oasis at times, and I expected a straight pop record. Perhaps not the deepest or most daring album, but a solid 90’s Britpop record.
Так.. Уже так себе. Ну ладно надеюсь понравиться. В общем получилось лучше чем я думал. Некоторые песни были прям отлишными.
very catchy pop tunes with a hint of theatrical that I’m actually a fan of. Feels a little derivative of stuff but can’t really put my finger on what
Good summer feel good vibes, feels like it could be part of a movie soundtrack for a few of the tracks
Robbie Williams' Life Thru a Lens is a pop album bursting with catchy hooks and memorable melodies. The album’s strength lies in its infectious pop tunes, each one engaging or fun. While Williams' vocal performance isn't the most powerful, his charisma shines through every track. The production is polished and energetic, creating a cohesive sound throughout. Songs like Angels and Let Me Entertain You showcase his talent for blending rhythms with sing-along choruses. The album balances high-energy tracks with softer moments, providing variety. Overall, it's a delightful collection that highlights Williams' skill in creating irresistible pop music. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 7 STAND OUT TRACK - Let Me Entertain You
Would not have guessed he’s the highest selling UK solo artist of all time, but I can see why with how easy these pop-rock tunes go down. Most structures and chords are simple, but there are several quality guitar breakdowns that keep things fresh. His comical approach to casual drug use gets consistent chuckles (but is also slightly concerning). Listened to: walking in Brooklyn botanic garden. Favorite tracks: Angels, South of the Border
Very good album with a couple of excellent tracks
This is actually great. Catchy, clever lyrics and much more well produced than I thought it would be. Shit, do I like this?
This album is surprisingly versatile. Although it's really overproduced, I did enjoy this way more than expected.
Pretty good.
Thought I was gonna get chufties over this but didn't maybe was in a bad mood, giving it 4 since he's the best member of take that
Robbie Williams was new to me and I'm really impressed with his songwriting, singing, and general vibe. Clever guy who seems to have fought a few demons.
It's solid britpop, that's pretty much it. I like britpop, so it clicked a lot for me, but if you don't like britpop you're probably going to hate this album.
I’m feeling a 4. I don’t really understand the criticisms this album has been getting on the site – yes, it’s very radio-friendly safe pop, but what’s wrong with that? Not everything has to be this absolutely blowout balls at the wall album. Sometimes, when pop is good, and it clicks, it just… clicks. This album clicked for me; I thought the instrumentation was pretty good, I really like the tone of his voice, and I thought the tempo and the vibes were pretty varied and entertaining throughout. Lyrically, I caught a few things that were dumb as hell, but overall, I’d say this is good, and worth giving a 4 to. Let me put it this way: I’ve heard worse on some of the previous 121 albums we’ve done before this. To me, this is pretty fun. It’s not blow-me-away incredible, and it breaks the streak of 5’s I’ve been giving (4 albums in a row and 5 out of the last 6 is pretty good), but I definitely enjoyed it, and I’d recommend it. I’d say that makes it worthy of being on the list.
This was a really fun listen, nice variety and lots of catchy tunes. Enjoyed pretty much every song, what a great find!
Standouts: Angels, Let Me Entertain You, Lazy Days, Life Thru a Lens, Old Before I Die, South of the Border, One of God’s Better People. 3.75
Fun album! It's amazing how many different qualities his voice can take on.
Charismatic "Let me entertain you" and emotional "Angels" are outstanding. The rest are average pop songs.
I love Robbie, but have never listened to one of his albums before. This confirmed that was a mistake - it has some of his greatest hits nothing misses. The middle stint from Ego Agogo to Let Me Entertain You is stunning. Favourite track: Angels (basic).
The Robbie Williams phemomenon largely missed the States. I remember hearing about him during my time down in Florida, which I would prefer to largely forget -- but I'd never heard a single one of his songs that I could remember. I missed out on this for 25 years? If you're looking for pop-rock done well and cheekily, this is for you. Now, I don't quite get how this collection of songs would sell out three days as Knebworth, but then, beans from a can is not my first choice for breakfast. Anyway, plenty of catchy tracks for you to nod along to. "Let Me Entertain You" is certified killer -- and even the ballads are decent, although they're my least favorite points on this album. Unexpected banger: South of the Border
A superstar in much of the rest of the world, Robbie Williams has never quite managed to break through in America—and that’s a shame, because his solo debut shows a keen ear for interesting rhythms and a sharp sense of humor. This is like when Justin Timberlake broke out, but better.
I wanted to hate but it didn’t. Surprisingly decent Brit pop album
Very 90s
We've had a couple of chart-topping pop singer albums, of which I (everyone, really) have heard some of the hits, but never a whole album. To name a few, the Madonna, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake albums were absolutely vapid, soulless, uninspired to the extreme. Good for individual, recognizable karaoke tunes, but otherwise not worth spending any time on. To my surprise, this was actually a pretty good album. Not something to give multiple spins, but definitely solid. Good voice, good performance, solid songwriting. The bad boy act is uninspired, but it's an angle, I guess. 3.5 rounded up.
I like this. He sounds a bit like Elton John.
4/5. Love the energy from this one: loud, in your face, punkish, and beautiful at times. Brit-pop/rock is a hit or miss. Sometimes it is the most boring thing in the world or it can be like this with well-written songs and the energy needed to match the instrumentation. And that energy is here to shine. Not a perfect album but definitely worth the listen.
Robbie Williams's first solo album is not his best, but songs like Angels, Old Before I Die, and Let Me Entertain You set the stage for what was to come in the following years. His superstar status was well deserved, and in spite of this being Pop, this is Pop of the good kind. 3.5/5
Surprising, if you judge a book by it's cover. Melodic songs, to me, reminiscent of Elton John. That isn't meant to be a bad thing.
Has some great hits
Surprised me how much I enjoyed this one. Back in the day solo Robbie Williams didn’t make too much impact in North America until his next album (Want You Back is still a classic) but this was a pretty confident debut.
I'm a sucker for a bit of cheeky lad pop, especially when it sounds like it's been put through a 1965 Beatles song generator. Confident and faintly ridiculous.
Quality britpop. Loved it. Def will listen again.
yesss robbiiee pop off 💅
Not bad actually
Glad to see Robbie on this list because I always thought he was underrated. Granted, I can't put my finger on what's so great about him. Objectively, there's no one thing about him that makes him great, but he's greater than the sum of his parts I guess. He's just high-energy and fun. I love the arrangements and the use of horns on this album. It's great.
Really good Brit-pop album which for surely influenced today’s artists like Harry Styles and Ed Sheeran. Definitely a high on the re-listenable scale. Mid 4
Fue un álbum muy agradable de escuchar y me gustó bastante
This sounded basically exactly like oasis/every other male 90s britpop rock artist but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I liked a number of tracks--lazy days and killing me--and enjoyed the album overall despite it feeling pretty derivative. A lot of the lyrics also sounded really goofy even though I can't remember what they were exactly and the 10 minutes before the dumb poetry hidden track was pretty cool back in 1997 I'm sure. I sound like I'm roasting this album but I actually did like most of it I promise.
Despite not really connecting with the songs from him that I had listened before, it's a really fun and cool album. Even without getting how is he that popular, the music is not bad, and can make for a comfy afternoon
A bit too pop for me every now and then but good overall.
I loved this album. I would honestly listen to it after work or on a weekend while cleaning. Very 90’s pop-rock. 4/5
Guilty pleasure or serious pop-rock artist? Or a little bit of both? And does it really matter? Life Thru A Lens is a good first album by Williams and Chambers. The seemingly Oasis and Britpop inspired music by Chambers goes well with the clever lyrics from Robbie. And it makes for a fun listen, with some very underappreciated songs ("South Of The Border", "Old Before I Die") and a single that in the time never made it further than the tip parades ("Let Me Entertain You") but which I still appreciate and has been the opener of many of my DJ sets. The album after this one ("I've Been Expecting You") was a step up from this one with the writing skills of both Chambers and Williams taking a massive step forward, and the songs "Karma Killer" and "No Regrets" made Robbie Williams fully in the spotlight for me. It's a 3* album. But I'll mark it as 4* for the non-inclusion of his (better) sophomore album.
I know I shouldn't like it as a fully grown woman, but I was a huge fan of Robbie Williams as a young teen. I haven't listened to his stuff in a long time, I've moved on from the tastes of my teens, but I couldn't help myself from enjoying listening to this album back after so long. Its a blatant attempt at trying to be more rock and to shed his happy chappy Take That persona, but despite all this I really enjoyed going back to the late 90's and remembering being sat in my room as a kid listening, or jumping around my best friends bedroom to Let Me Entertain You all those years ago.
Interesting throughout. Not expecting to like it as much as I did
Baita som tche
Some nice power pop 90's stuff. Some cheesy wedding ballads too, but a decent blend for an album I've never given a chance to.
This isn't my favorite Robbie Williams album but I like them all. 4
Even with Robbie Williams sounding a lot like Liam Gallagher (at least to me), I liked a lot of what I heard. Robbie seemed to be trying different things throughout the album. And eve though some of the songs (musically and lyrically) may not be as good as one was hoping, he at least was willing to try something new. Some of the songs that did not work for me: Angels, Baby Girl Window. I mean, forget the hidden track at the end there, "Baby Girl Window" still sounds a bit on the immature side. The poem at the end doesn't help, but I get why it was there. "Angels".... look I know it's a VERY popular song, but singing about loving angels, it's just... bleah. Songs that really worked for me: "Let Me Entertain You," "Old Before I Die." The first one was almost like him saying he could do a musical if necessary. "Old Before I Die" comes off a bit more tongue in cheek to me. Was there a bit of autotune? Possibly. The music is pretty positive for the most part, and done very well. The songs are pretty personal and I can see why he would leave a group to record them. I liked this album quite a lot, even with the few clunkers that were there. Definitely a surprise for me.
Vraiment nice Robbie boy. I like pop rock britannique. J'ai vraiment aimé l'ambiance et les sons de cet album. (Moins que Janice, mais still).
Guilty pleasure. Stands up quite well.
Like
наверное почти такой же как предыдущий
‘Life Thru A Lens’ is brash and unashamedly pop, but mostly it’s fun. It’s peak 90s, complete with a hidden track at the end, something which a lot of artists did, as it was the style at the time. I’m ashamed to admit I like this more than I probably should.
C'était sincèrement meilleur que j'anticipais. Je ne m'attendais pas du tout à ce qu'il y aille une vibe rock voir pop-punk ska aussi présente. Mélangé au style plus pop conventionnel ça faisait un mélange très intéressant. Ce n'est pas un album qui est si incroyable par ses compositions on ses paroles, mais généralement l'exécution est assez solide que c'est facile de passer au travers. Un bon équilibre entre radio friendly et intriguant. 7/10
Pretty great album. Loved the singing and music arrangement. Could do without the 14 minute track of two songs equaling five minutes of music on a 15 minute track. Common in the 90’s, annoying to revisit.
Another good album
Un 4 por Angel y Old before I die (no sabía que era suya)
Had no idea what to expect. Really good. Kind of sounded like George Michael.
a do angel la
I liked listening to this. Helps that its got two alltimer banger pop songs: Angels and Let Me Entertain You.
Je kunt er van alles van zeggen, maar dit allemaal toch goed in elkaar gestoken spul. Het rockt bij vlagen, wat ballads, je kunt er niet tegen zijn. Williams liet na al dat Take That-gezwijmel zien wat hij waard was.
Robbie ontsnapt met dit album zijn boy-band-stature. Binnen het genre pop laat hij zien dat hij met uitersten kan omgaan. Zelfs de nummers met meer stem-geweld lijkt hij heel ongeforceerd te zingen. Wat dat betreft is hij wat ondergewaardeerd. Misschien omdat het buiten de hit Let me Entertain You (sterk nummer) zich net niet genoeg onderscheidt. Er zit voor het gevoel telkens net iets meer in. We krijgen vast nog een volgend album van Robbie. Ik ben benieuwd of de potentie waargemaakt wordt. Voor nu: 3,5 ster.
Just good for this kind of genre, solid music and well sung. There’s a bit of “poor little rich famous me” to this, though looking over the trajectory of Williams’ life and solo career it’s clear his struggles are real. And a little pop-slick. But I can’t really fault it seriously.
Very nice
Bummer that the hidden track on “Baby Girl Window” can’t be heard. It’s not a good format on digital platforms. Not sure if others can hear it. He has a nice versatile voice. I didn’t expect him to bring out some nice soothing vibrato. But he does beautifully on “Angels.” I don’t usually listen to britpop. But I like this record quite a bit. Not every record has to be incredibly great. I think this is a feel-good record with decent singing and pleasant melodies. Highlights: Lazy Days, Angels, South of the Border, One of God’s Better People, Killing Me
Great album, even though pop isn't really my thing Some great tracks, whole thing fits together well Quite a step up for Robbie from Take That
Huh, maybe North America really is missing out. This was pretty great!
Some absolute bangers on this. Never listened all the way through but the ones I did know didn’t disappoint
Kinda enjoyed this.
Unexpected great listen! Loved the energy on this record, the songwriting, the way it rocks hard it it’s own way!
Ignore the baggage and take this album at face value. It’s good pop, I’d argue there are 2 brilliant songs here ( South of The Border & Old Before I Die ). When this was released he was too close to his previous life. Good pop, well made. ‘Angels’ is utter dogshit.
I haven't ever really had much Robbie Williams on my radar—I assume just for being on the wrong side of the Atlantic. “Millennium” was pretty much the extent of it. I really appreciated this today! I was happy to let you entertain me, Robbie, with your lovely songs. Here's looking forward to more!
One of my partner’s favorite songs is “Angel”, so I’m familiar with that song. But somehow I’ve never heard the rest of this album before. I enjoyed all the catchy britpop. Lots of catchy hooks.
To sum it up, this is pure, generic, radio friendly pop - which makes it a good album. It's unpretentious and doesn't try to be anything but catchy and inoffensive Top 40 music. You know how there are movies and TV shows that you put on just so you can sit back, turn your brain off, and relax? This is the album version of that. Not to mention, it's a much needed break from grindcore, '60s psychedelic folk rock, or electronica that this list has been giving. Standout tracks are One of God's Better People and the uber-catchy Let Me Entertain You.
Much better than I thought at first glance. I was not expecting such solid and personal songs. I was expecting some generic pop songs and was surprised by this potent work. Without this 1001 list, I'd never think about listening to Robbie Williams, but now I'm looking for his newest albums 🙂.
Ok
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Angels, One of good’s better place, Let me entertain you
7,5/10
This is a really good pop album. It was huge in England, but barely made a peep here. I was on board early only because a friend living in London alerted me what was going on. I also happened to see Robbie Williams on his first (and only) US tour in a smaller Philly venue to support this release. He was and is a formidable entertainer. No surprise that he now has a Las Vegas residency. The songs are all very good (and Angels is iconic) and the production uniformly great.
Loving the boyband rebellion vibes. The album is home to some iconic pop classics as well as some unexpected lyrics, my favourite being ‘am I straight or gay? I hope I’m old before I die. I hope I live to see the day the pope gets high’.
Listened to on 8/14/22 4/5 Favorite song: angels, killing me I had never heard this album before but really enjoyed if. The songs were easy to listen to but not boring and the lyrics were super funny
I honestly do try to go into listening to each album without any bias, but when I saw that today’s album was by Robbie Williams, by first thought was, “Seriously?” But then, it must be on this list for a reason! Songs I already know: Angels, Let Me Entertain You Favourite after listening: Clean, Old Before I Die Overall: 7/10 This album is not at all what I was expecting. I thought it was be cheesy Take That pop music that I would forget after 5 minutes but it isn’t at all. It, dare I say it, is all rock music. Pop-rock, don’t get me wrong, but still not at all what I expected. If I was to buy an Oasis album from Wish.com, this is probably what would arrive. Same genre, not quite as good at what I hoped for, but still good in its own right. Overall, I’m happy to have been wrong with my expectations.
Good listening-while-getting-through-the-day music. The lyrics had stories, melodies and beats were good. Nice vocals. Overall a good balance where it neither faded into the background nor disturbed the harmony of the day. Would listen to it again.
I'm pretty sure that before today the only Robbie Williams songs I'd heard were "Millennium" which I remember playing on MTV and that "Something Stupid" cover because he's not well known in The States. I have a half-baked theory that it has something to do with MTV cutting back on music videos which I believe limited the network's influence on popular music in America. This album is excellent by the way, I'm a sucker for a lot of Brit pop and this did it for me.
Really sounds like pop Oasis, so pretty good
Un 4 por Angel y Old before I die (no sabía que era suya)
i'm a sucker for that boy band sound! i don't know if i've ever listened to take that or robbie williams, though. i really enjoyed this album. i'm not sure how much is due to williams? i wasn't that into his voice, or didn't find it as impressive as other boy band members' voices. of course, his voice isn't bad and he can certainly hit notes! this album had a great range. i do enjoy that nineties boy band sound, and i enjoy a slightly grittier sound from the britpop influence. "ego a go go" is a great example of that. also, the horns throughout the album are excellent. williams has a softer side with "angels." i'm not surprised such a soft, emotional song has become his biggest hit. his voice is well suited for it. as a side note, i listened to the whole album on youtube because spotify didn't have all songs available. i saw some scary nineties music videos as a result. williams is lucky i did not factor that into my rating!
This is just straight up good music. Nothing groundbreaking or special, but still good and sometimes that's everything you need. Tickles my brain and makes me feel nice. This man has never played a genie in a Disney movie.
Much better than expected
I like most
This was alright
Didn't realize I'd like Robbie Williams so much
It's hard not to like
Noen kule sanger, noen av hans mest kjente, fra hans første album. South Of The Border og Baby Girl Window, to positive overraskelser, der sistnevnte har en "hemmelig" sang på slutten. Starten av albumet, 3 første, er ikke så mye å si noe om. Har jo Angels, Let me entertain you som trekker opp. Old Before I Die var også eb god låt.
A little too poppy for me. I didn’t pay it a ton of attention while we listened in the car while clamming.
Ici on est très fan de Robbie Williams et on ne s'en cache pas, n'en déplaise à robserpillère. Ce dernier essaye depuis plusieurs mois de moquer mon éducation musicale, comparant les artistes ayant bercé mon enfance tels Robbie Williams, à des boysband obscurs comme par exemple les 2be3. Ces informations sont bien sûr totalement erronées, ce que je peux en revanche vous dire en toute franchise, c'est que rob, se croyant musicien avec sa guitare de merde, reprend des chansons de groupes tel Tragedie ou encore de l'illustre K-maro. Les performances musicales émanant de son bec à merde se passent evidemment de commentaire. A suivre donc.
Enjoyable for the most part
Easy listening pop rock/classic rock. Fairly good! Really like Ego Agogo, funky, upbeat. I enjoyed this album enough to add it to my library :)
не, нормальная тема. В пику вот этому всему коммерческому мракобесию, которое выдаёт себя за рок, но стыдливо прячет под кожанной курткой петушиные перья попса, Робби Вильямс радостно и горделиво несёт свой попс-крест, при этом совершенно не чураясь реализовывать в его рамках некоторых рок-идеи. Причём идеи успешные, в отличие от того же Косплея. Альбом, конечно, не шедевральный, и особой глубины тут не найдёшь, но начало, например, получилось очень даже бойким и жизнеутверждающим. Первые 4-5 песен заходят на ура, а открывашка вообще встречает бронебойным гитарным риффаком, который и какая-нибудь группа Блюр не постеснялась бы забрать себе в каталог. Ангелы — отличная баллада, мощная, жизнеутверждающая. Иго Агого (че) — вообще лучшая песня на пластинке, вероятно. Вторая часть зашла поменее, всё-таки статус попс-звезды, видимо, обязывает писать хуету вроде One Of God's Better People. Впрочем, гитаристы там угарное стаккато запилили, что немного сбивает попсовую спесь с этой шельмы. Ну и песня Clean, например, довольно хороша (я так понял там про отказ от разгульного образа жизни, ну чтож, одобряем), а на Let Me Entertain You угарный клип запилен с закосом под блек-митольный образ. Ну и в аутро там поэмка запилен, в которой Робби отказывается лизать жопы нормисам и предлагает какому-то там хейтеру из прошлого полизать жопу ему, что, конечно, не без кринжетцы небольшой, но мною полностью понимаемо и даже ощущается немного впечатляюще. В общем и целом да хороший поп-рок альбом, энергетика есть, гитарки есть, мотивов завезли, пусть и без очевидных прямо хитов. Больше всего смутили песни, в которых было полуречитативное пение (вроде заглавной), но в рамках заданного жанра — да на здоровье. Ну 8/10 изи
Album zelf een 3/5, maar +1 voor de nostalgie van 'Angels'
Very nice
Perfect 90’s pop alternative, all the 90’s musical tropes
Angels! Most of this album not available in streaming services though.
7,7
This was some pretty cool pop music 4/5
Surprisingly listenable Oasis-lite
I like Robbie Williams, I think he'd be a fun bloke to have a beer and a laugh with. I love Angels and Let me Entertain You but I'd quite happily use the rest of the album as a drink coaster for said beer. It wasn't bad or offensive, it was just there.
Obviously a couple of really big hits on here that I've heard a lot of times before, abut aside from that I think the album is just a little jumbled, and not all that memorable for me Standouts Angles One Of God's Better People Let Me Entertain You 3/5
It's just so generic, like a run of the mill pop album. Which it is, so no surprises there. It's not really bad and 'Angels' is a guaranteed hit in any pub, which is a very big plus. I am giving it medium marks, which is probably more than it deserves, but Robbie's charisma in live performances I've seen drives it up a mark, which is totally unrelated to this album but he's just such a good showman. 3/5
Poppy, inoffensive, but forgettable
I knew the crazy Robbie Williams music video where he tears all his skin off from my youth. That one is wild. I don’t even think the song is on this album. But sometimes you need Oasis Lite.
Sans être complètement nul, je sais pas si j'avais besoin d'entendre ça avant de mourir.
Angels
Honestly any album that coins the word "inbreedy" and has an entire diss track directed at Gary Barlow would get at least a 3, even if it is very top loaded
Mhmm
pretty solid
- I think I may have been sleeping on Robbie Williams
Lazy days - 3/5 Life thru a lens - 2/5 Ego agogo - 2/5 Angels - 5/5 South of the border - 3/5 Old before I die - 3/5 One of God's better people - 4/5 Let me entertain you - 5/5 Killing me - 3/5 Clean - 2/5 Baby girl window - 4/5
This is what the 1001 albums project is for- discovery. I’d never heard of Robbie Williams, but now I’m glad I did. The music sounds like a mix of Black Crowes and Oasis, and maybe a dash of the Verve, a very 90s alt pop rock sound that still feels fresh today. The back half of the album drags a bit, but it’s listenable and not overly long. This definitely feels like a pick by a group of British critics though- some virtually unheard of music across the pond or outside the UK being heralded as one of the 1001 greatest albums and only being 9 years old by the writing of the book. It didn’t sell that well or have a greater influence, but it is pretty decent at least. Favorites: “angels” and “south of the border” ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Quite good.
Sure, this has his biggest hit, but Escapology is the better album and it's not particularly close.
Overproduced - the rocky numbers in particular sound wrong.
This is #day673 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… Robbie Williams is one of those pop culture figures from my childhood. As someone whose teenage years fell in the early '00s, I saw a lot of Robbie on TV. So there's a little bit of guilty pleasure involved when it comes to him. This particular record, though? My first-ever time listening to it in full. "Angels" and "Let Me Entertain You" are undeniable hits, and the rest? Robbie Williams doing Robbie Williams things. Some of the lyrics are downright ridiculous. Otherwise, this is a classic late-'90s pop-rock record. I'm giving it a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day674.
As an American, my only knowledge of Robbie Williams prior to this was the song Angels and that they made a biopic where he is a monkey. Maybe I should watch that movie because I enjoyed this. Besides Angels, which is great, much of this sounds like an effort to replicate the sound of Oasis. Favorite songs were Life Thru A Lens, Angels, Old Before I Die, and Let Me Entertain You.
Very standard album. Felt like something you would hear playing in the background of an episode of HIMYM
My exposure to Williams is limited to "Millennium," plus a vague awareness of the CGI monkey movie about him and a memory of him feuding with one or the other of the Gallagher brothers (or maybe both). And a bit of reading reveals that he was accused of aping Oasis here, which is both (a) audibly accurate (Exhibit A: "Old Before I Die") and (b) no worse than what everybody else in Greater Britpop was doing at the time (Exhibit B: Stereophonics' *Word Gets Around*, which for my money is a notch or two better than this in every way). If there's something Williams lacks that the Gallaghers have, it's their sense of self-assurance and commitment; one always gets the sense he's checking with the audience, eager for their approval, the boyband refugee wanting a director to tell him he's doing it right. He begs us to let him entertain us, whereas "real" rockstars don't give a shit. Which is why trying to change lanes from teen pop to allegedly grown-up rock was always going to be a losing proposition for Williams - the rules of the game are rigged against him, and he knows it. Hence the insecurity, which is frequently at least somewhat fascinating (which I assume is the point of that CGI monkey movie) - especially when it leads him to chase other influences; "Angels," for example, is a pretty credible Michael Hutchence impersonation, and on tracks like "Killing Me" he chases *Older*-era George Michael and at least makes a credible contest of it. Underneath the period affectations and other corniness (like the spoken-word kiss-off to his teacher on the hidden track) there's a credible, mature pop album here somewhere. Maybe the CGI monkey movie addresses that too - apparently it's streaming in a couple places if you're interested. (I don't know how interested I am.)
Mediocre
I only know this guy as the monkey man prior to this. Glad to have a reason to check him out. This album started great and was really hitting the mark as a comparable to Oasis britpop. Turns out that the album is super front loaded, and the back half just seems like quite a bit of filler songs that are much more generic. I'd give the front half a 4, and the back half a 2.
Didn't this guy canonically turn into a monkey?
Britpop light by numbers. Good but Britpop never shook the world.
Wannabe Oasis album. Not bad, just not captivating. Neutral feelings, hence the 3.
Better than I expected
This is a really funny inclusion on this list. Funny gossip but my cousin went on a date with him around this time. I shockingly really enjoyed the lyrics?
A great pop album, if you're in the mood for a pop album. Not a lot to be offended by. Not a lot (with the exception of Let Me Entertain You) to get excited about. Music for weddings and dinner with strangers. 3*
Pfft, I love pop he, maar dit is echt te 13-in-een-dozijn. "Let Me Entertain You" is een banger, maar "Old Before I Die" is dan weer echt massief anus. (3-4)
I remember when Robbie's "The Ego Has Landed" came out in the US. We listened to it quite a bit at the record store. I remember liking it, but not being that interested in keeping up with is career. This was a good listen for me, given that about half the songs were also on Ego, so they brought back memories. Still not terribly interested in hearing more from him, but I did like this one.
3 Pretty standard pop music, few great songs but nothing special for the most part. The hidden track poem at the end is quite something...
Don’t know if this is better described as, “Oasis in a good mood,” or, “Jason Mraz with a British accent.” Whichever way you slice it, it’s fairly lightweight, inoffensive pop.
Ted Lasso vibes
This is going to be a difficult one to be objective about. This came out when I was 22, and at University, and the singles were absolutely everywhere (Angels still is, of course) so formed a soundtrack to some of my funnest memories. And, in fairness, the singles are pretty good, if lightweight, pop-rock - South of the Border, which didn’t do particularly well is one of my favourite Robbie Williams tracks (Let Love Be Your Energy is my other favourite, which again failed to do well - suggests I’m not quite the target market, which is fair). The album tracks, though, are noticeably weaker. Life Thru A Lens is poor and the rest aren’t any better. Plus, his voice can verge into quite a whiny nasal tone, which isn’t very nice. Reading that back, I’ve smashed it pretty hard, but those singles have such good feelings and memories tied to them that I can’t really give it less than 3 stars.
*Decent pop/rock album
There are song here where Williams sounds like Elton John, or Freddie Mercury, or George Michael, and then songs where he sounds like no one in particular. These are very tight arrangements, well-performed, and Williams is a talented singer, but the whole thing feels a little bit soulless; overproduced and polished within an inch of its life. There's nothing wrong with it, and I think that's the problem.
I'm not the hugest Robbie fan, but I'm not a hater either just because it's mainstream pop. He has some great bangers...I can't help but sing along with Angels.
Overall a kind bland album ... Angels saves the 3 star rating.
I do like Robbie Williams quite a bit and his music is very nostalgic and formative for anyone growing up in the early 2000s. But man, this album is held up by the big hitters. I like Hello Sir quite a bit. A lot of CRINGEWORTHY lyrics on here too. 3 but that’s pushing it.
He he he... He's a nut and a cool dude.
TENÍA 23 AÑOS AQUÍ. Vayanse a la chucha, es un buen álbum debut