Reviews (page 6 of 8)
Best Song: Let Me Entertain You. I would have really liked this album if it was all as big and high energy as this track. Worst Song: Clean. On some tracks, he uses this really nasal singing voice. The whole song is just a string of loosely connected "eeeee"s. Overall: A couple really fun mega hits in here, surrounding by otherwise pretty dull ballads. He's obviously got a nice voice, but it feels like the songs are too often orchestrated to perpetuate a sort of pretty-boy aesthetic that I could do without.
Not so painful from its Oasis influences that the album falls into bottom of the barrel territory, but this album still suffers from being so incredibly dull and stereotypical, not to mention derivative of the rock sound that came from across the pond at the time, that it fails to have any memorable identity of its own. I couldn't tell you anything about the instrumentation, or Robbie Williams' voice. It'll always pick the route you expected melodically, it'll always hit you with the easiest rhymes, which leads to some truly terrible lyrics, and it'll always make you groan with each track, without fail.
This is soooo British. I thought Robbie Williams was from some classic rock band like the Band or something. This guys must have been the inspiration for aldous snow. Hard to take seriously.
He's trying to sound like Oasis and The Verve and others who did this so much better. It literally sounded like a cover album except most cover albums still try to make it sound like their own songs. I'm chalking this one up to "big in the UK when the reviewers were active."
legal, podia ter menos sexo
Better than I remembered, and I knew more songs than I expected. Obviously the singles were a pretty big deal in the UK, but a few of the other tracks were also either staples on the radio, or part of his widely televised live shows at the time and after.
Life Thru a Lens is starting strong, surprisingly entertaining. I can see why this was popular. I can do without the power ballad "Angels." "Old Before I Die" definitely trying to sound like Oasis, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Still, pop sentiment, it's all pretty shallow. It didn't hurt me to listen to this and now I am familiar with Robbie Williams.
Not half bad indie affair. Favourite tracks: Lazy Days, Ego Agogo, Angels, Old Before I Die, Let Me Entertain You.
I had never heard of this artist, and at first thought "This has potential." An upbeat & peppy start but then I began to have doubts. When I got to work, I was sad laughing at the horrendous lyrics, and I didn't question why I'd never heard of him.
0 interest in this dribble
Primero que todo, lo quiero a Robbie. El albur tiene unos témanos y otras canciones que no me dicen mucho o no siento tanto.
I'd heard Let Me Entertain You before and thought I might enjoy the album in a lightweight, fun way. Wow was I wrong - that was hard work.
It was okay, not really my thing. There were a couple turns of phrase that I liked and "Let Me Entertain You" was my favorite, especially the line "I'm a burning effigy of everything I used to be".
A great brit and chamber pop inspired effort.
You're kidding me, right?
Whoever chose some of th we songs was not considering the person singing them. A song like "South Of the Border" is fine but Ribbit Williams singing it? I don't care if he's a rampaging coke fiend, it's just not believable. The ballads are fine, the lyrics occasionally come off cheesy. I didn't hate this, but I don't feel lik I needed to hear it at all. Favorite tracks: "Life Thru A Lens"
Nothing I found interesting happening here. Competent work but not groundbreaking or moving in any way.
Didn’t care for it too much. 3.0
Enjoyed this more than I expected
Britpop gold with Robbie doing his best Liam Gallagher on some songs
I don't know man, this album just pissed me off.
Baaaaaad
Did the British government pay the authors of this book?
6/10. It's not as bad as other reviewers appear to be calling this album, but it still isn't a masterpiece by any means. It isn't anything special, but it was pleasant, and it certainly has its audience.
Tras el estrellato colectivo de Take That, Robbie Williams supo buscarse un lugar en el firmamento musical en solitario a lomos del brit-pop y las continuas influencias de Oasis. Éste de 1997 fue su primer LP al margen de la banda, con su primer éxito internacional en la balada espiritual "Angels". Destaca la apertura del disco con "Lazy Days" y "Life Thru a Lens", canciones alegres y empoderantes para la juventud de la clase trabajadora. También las enérgica "South of the Border", quizás una metáfora de su propio salto hacia delante en busca de un futuro diferente y "Let me entertain you", toda una declaración de intenciones. Pero el tema que personalmente más me gusta es el vengativo "Ego A Go Go", con referencias veladas a su antigua banda y su sentimiento de traición por parte de alguien a quien apreciaba. En general, un disco de pop descarado y brillante en el que bajo el manto de brit-pop encontramos trazos de glam, rock alternativo y dance-pop.
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.
I actually enjoyed this more than I thought I would, but almost definitely not enough to ever listen to it again. It sounds like a proper anthology of 2000s music, which weirdly felt ahead of it’s time as a 1997 album. All still within the narrow scope of 2000s radio rock but a relatively decent range. Still some proper cringe moments though. Pretty on the nose lyricism about the class divide in the titular song, which was surprising but felt like a gcse English language unempathetic retelling of common people. ‘Clean’ made me feel really weird, the sterilised optimism of a person struggling with addiction really evoked an emotion that I’m not sure was intended.
Had no idea what to expect with this Did not expect some pop punk tho lol (title track) Range of genres on this Fave tracks: Lazy Day Angels - actually can’t unhear the big ange version anymore South of the Border Let Me entertain you
Angels. They just dont teach that. Generational talent.
I wasn't expecting this to be anywhere near a top 1000 albums list. Angels is a drunken karaoke banger but the rest of the album is flat and uninspiring. I wouldn't even say this is Robbie Williams best project.
Так.. Уже так себе. Ну ладно надеюсь понравиться. В общем получилось лучше чем я думал. Некоторые песни были прям отлишными.
It's a great pop album, without much substance, and not my cup of tea at all.
1.5
A few bangers mixed in with yawnfest. Would be two stars without them
Good album. Didn't expect much, but was surprised at how good it sounded.
Released at the fag end of Britpop, a cynical attempt to make stadium pop with echoes of the Dublin Castle. Sub-Oasis (and that's a low bar) - sneering vocals like Liam, really obvious tunes - Ego A Go Go. He's like Tommy Steele - an all-round entertainer, playing a rock and roller, and entirely unconvincing in the role. "To me it's magic, to the landlord it's tragic" - one of many clunking, lazy rhymes.
You know how psyched I was to hear Rock DJ only to be let down? Anyway, its not bad, it feels like he's trying to grab some Elton John magic for this album, Angels in particular. Its okay, wouldnt revisit it though.
Angels is a great song. Most of the rest of the album is enjoyable but none of it was particularly memorable.
So yeah, Life Thru A Lens is a smaller guilty pleasure than his follow-up, which is excellent tbf, but this is a good pop album. The singles do all the heavy lifting and they're outstanding, but the weakness is in the rest of the album, they're basically all fillers and instantly forgettable. On I've Been Expecting You, the singles are a half-step below the ones on this record, but the rest stands up to closer scrutiny (Phoenix from the Flames is one of his best songs period). It gets a standard 3 because the singles are properly iconic and enjoyable, but IBEY would get a 4 if it was on here.
Reading the blurb for this, cannot believe that they had Angels as the fourth single of this and Let Me Entertain You as the fifth one... mad. How do you listen to this album and think anything other than those two are going to be the ones that are remembered? Agree with the rest of you, this isn't as good as I've Been Expecting You, but it's still a decent (if a bit trashy) listen. I think in my head I combined what I remembered from both of those albums into one imaginary top drawer album full of hits, this isn't that but it's OK. 3/5.
Doofer Pop. Stimme ok.
Music taste is so subjective. I SHOULD like a musician who sounds like a poppier version of Oasis…but I fucking hated “Millennium” so much when it was a hit in Canada, that I cannot get past that to enjoy this. I had forgotten all about “Angels” which I never liked either. Maybe a 2.5 but I’ll round up to be generous.
Oasis sound a like. Kæmpe bangers, stadion feeling med fælles sang. Ret godt album. Ikke noget jeg aktivt ville have sat på, men solid omgang musik.
De første 3 sange er svage og ret forglemmelige, men så sparke Robbie døren ind med en perlerække af sange. Angels er måske en af de 5 bedste ballader nogensinde. Hold kæft Guy Chambers ramte guld der. Den er altid kuldegys fremkaldende god. South of the Border og Old Before I Die er habile rocksange i bedste Oasis stil. One of God’s Better People er en lille akustisk perle og Let Me Entertain You er bare en party-banger der kan kickstarte en hver fest for 40 plus segmentet. Killing Me har en storladet James Bond score lyd som indvarsler den retning han tog på senere albums. Clean er igen mere Oasis feel, men efterlader en flad smag i munden. Desværre fader albummet ud i samme niveau som det startede med to svagere sange. Alt i alt et habilt album, men det kunne have været en killer EP med følgende track listing: Let Me Entertain You South of the Border Old Before I Die Angels Killing Me One of God’s Better People Hello Sir (Hidden Track)
Just terrible. Generic ass music with cringy angst lyrics and nursery tier rhymes. I’m glad America won the revolutionary war so that we don’t have to be exposed to this garbage on our airwaves
I echo ben’s sentiment. This wasn’t good
Committed to getting through the albums I missed, which has lead me to skewering this guy on a random Sunday. About 40 minutes into this I started questioning if I actually liked music. Never heard of this fella, but saw his name in the news lately for making a biopic where he’s played by a CGI monkey. Based on this album alone I’m going to say that Robbie Williams is a douche. Jim Jeffries of music maybe, his brand is that he’s a wild rocker. At times the vibe is a 16 year old with a Clash T-shirt. I was particularly bothered by the Elton John impression on his ballad “Angels”. It doesn’t help matters that what he’s going for is Brit Pop, which I’m not learning I don’t enjoy. Two thumbs down on Life Through a Lense.
Listened to this while driving from Escondido to Palm Springs. Meh. I had a friend who adored Robbie Williams. I do not share her enthusiasm. Not bad, not great.
I genuinely tried, but couldn’t get into this. And to think Robbie Williams is the best selling singer songwriter of all time in the UK 😂 Idk, it felt like even the hits (Angel) weren’t interesting. Some of the singing was great
I hated this
Who made this list? Make it stop.
69
I really liked this album. All new to me, but good stuff
Mediocre album at best. The 2 songs that are worth something in this album are not enough to help it push out of mediocracy.
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
If you've ever wondered what kind of ego it takes to sustain a cocaine habit so ferocious you can namecheck both Kate Moss and Charlie Sheen, look no further.
Is this particularly good? No. Am I completely baffled how so many of you in this group hate this but love Oasis? Absolutely.
at first I was thinking I enjoyed it then I listened to the lyrics even a little bit and oof
wth that last track was a jumpscare. srsly though this wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.. I remember singing 'Let Me Entertain You' on Singstar as a kid :))
I am sitting here laughing my ass off while listening to the godawful spoken word. This album has such an awkward sexual identity.
Good summer feel good vibes, feels like it could be part of a movie soundtrack for a few of the tracks
Maybe enjoyable for fans of British tabloids, but for the rest of us, this is like half rate Brit Pop. Watered down for your mum and your nan.
You know when a song hits you in a totally different way and you start to have familiar, comforting feelings? That's what happened today. I knew the name Robbie Williams, because I've been a huge fan of Oasis and the Gallagher brothers since I was a teenager, and apparently they didn't get along very well in the late 90s, trading public barbs and shit. And like the stupid fan I was, I wore an Oasis shirt as if it were a football team and I've never heard a single Robbie song to this day, at least as far as I know, and I'll explain why. There is a Brazilian forró band called "Nostalgia do Forró" that recorded a Portuguese version of Angels, which I listened to exhaustively when I was a child. So the moment Angels started playing, it was like coming home, to simpler days and away from problems. Other than that, all the prejudices I had regarding Robbie died today listening to this album. This is more than enough reason to give 5 stars!
If Oasis was a boy band, it would probably sound a lot like this.... Highlights: "Lazy Days" (catchy opening track), "Angels" (a bit cheesy, but he sells it well), "Old Before I Die" (catchy chorus) Notable: "Ego Agogo" (would not be out of place on the Austin Powers soundtrack), "Let Me Entertain You" (sounds like a Queen song)
How is this on the list?!
Almost impressively inconsistent. There's a couple great tracks (Angels, Let Me Entertain You) and a bunch of slop. The good singles are a good enough addition to a playlist to drag the album up to a 3 though. 3/5
2024-07-23...
There were some great tunes and I like his voice for the most part but the lyrics stuck out like a sore thumb.
This is just bad oasis
No thank you
This takes Oasis' singalong Britpop and infuses it with megabudget production and pop sensibilities. It's completely inauthentic, utterly shallow, and wholly unadventurous (especially "Angels"), but it just about gets by on charm alone, and it's totally evocative of its time.
Lyrics are awful.
I drew this album after 2 other mediocre dull british electronic albums and to be honest, I'm reaching my breaking point here. Had I gotten this after a truly great album I might be more receptive to this overproduced pop crap, but today is not that day. I won't be finishing this.
1001AG Diary - Day 115: Another category is emerging.. albums that I think squarely deserve a 2.5. Just a solid not-bad, not-great "fine" vote. But until we get half stars, I'll stay positive. 2.5
I really enjoyed how some of the songs sounded like oasis but not all hit for me
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
This is pretty good - I listened to most of it twice. Tom Petty said he found the particular "noise" of the Heartbreakers spoke to him, this artist's "noise" just never grabbed me.
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
we got oasis at home
What’s the point?
Gay
nice, energetic, but not really me
Some bangers I know by heart from childhood, but overall mid
Some 720 albums in and just over a year left to go in this project, I find myself thinking about the albums that I know and I’m already a fan of, but haven’t been generated yet. The problem is, I forget about the rest of the 360-some albums that I’ll have to listen to. Like, I’m here wondering when Machine Gun Etiquette or Emperor Tomato Ketchup or Daydream Nation will get generated, completely ignoring the fact that there are apparently Robbie Williams records on the list. So, yeah…surprise! There’s a Robbie Williams record to talk about today. That’s exciting. Not really. Do you wish that more of the Britpop records on this list had the sheen of an overproduced pop album? Well then, this might be the record for you. I guess if there was an American analog for this, it would be if one of the New Kids on the Block (whichever one was the main one, I guess) quit the band and then put out a grunge record in like summer of 1995 when grunge was still popular, but not far from being passé. It’s pretty obvious that this record is the product of a pop star trying to insert themselves into a moment.
Good music, not its fault it didn't catch me. Just felt some of the music to be a bit corny.
Really great at that late 90's early 2000 thing of sounding "big". Really, really simple rhymes but the vibe sort of makes up for it. Decent all around.
Triiiiiiiite
En popskiva.
Very good album with a couple of excellent tracks
This is butt. Generic 90s pop garbage. Why is this here?
My dad bought me a few Robbie Williams CDs when I was a kid (I had his Greatest Hits), so this was a bit sentimental. Still catchy, more ballads than I might prefer
I don't really understand the appeal of Robbie Williams. Apart from giving us the karaoke banger "Angel," this album is pretty mediocre.
Pretty okay
This is actually great. Catchy, clever lyrics and much more well produced than I thought it would be. Shit, do I like this?
There were two songs in the beginning that kind of reminded me of Green Day and the Gin Blossoms?? 👍👍 but then it got bad 👎👎
Oh ok maybe British people don’t know how to make music
Pretty cool album, great two songs that remind me of the childhood a lot, it's a bit more rock-like than I would have imagined. Robbie has a great voice, and a good team of producers and musicians behind him. Nice album, but nothing special, really.
Well, now, I never would have thought, that I'd listen to a Robbie Williams album from the beginning to the end. But it confirmed what I expected. Sing-a-song-along but nothing special. Ok for the radio when you're driving but nothing more.
Robbie in the early days; a consummate entertainer. What happened ? Not my most favourite of his tracks but a high 3*
Found this grating... I know there are some 'classic' pop songs of the era on the album but overall it was bad.
Well it was a bit of a laugh wasn't it! A pleasant throw back. Our family wasn't a big RW family, but everyone knew the hits right! Funny how I was still remember the lyrics from Angels and Let me entertain you
Wow. It's complete utter crap isn't it. Or is it? I genuinely don't know. From listening to Robbie on various silly podcasts I get the impression he really doesn't care for his music and kind of talks about it like just doing his 9-5 job that he doesn't really care about but hey that's what he does. And it sort of feels like that here, his voice is so recognisable but it really sounds like his hearts not in it. Never the less the fame of Robbie is very impressive and I know all the words to Angels and Let me entertain you even through this is probably the first time I've ever actually chosen to listen to them.
This album is surprisingly versatile. Although it's really overproduced, I did enjoy this way more than expected.
Kinda liked it but probably never gonna listen to it again in full
A reluctant second star for Let Me Entertain You
Not dissapointed
Hailing from Yorkshire I should hate this cheeky Manx but I have to admit he does steam a good ham. 3.5 stars.
Ett bra popalbum. Inget som överraskade mig så mycket men det var hyfsade låtar rakt igenom. Hade tillochmed redan hört två av dem, så det var kul att veta vem som gjort dem. Inte riktigt min typ av musik just nu men gick bra att lyssna på och omslaget var ganska coolt ändå.
Rock, 1997 -> 3
Pretty good.
52 minutes long and absolutely nothing of substance.
Angels is like a memory from a distant land like Narnia or Wizard of Oz…
Forgot how good let me entertain you was, while angels is obv a classic. One or two songs weren’t bad but some stinkers too
the good, the bad and the boring would be a more fitting title for this album
Below-average Britpop from a bloke who can't really sing. Boosted to 2 stars because of the presence of a couple of classics from my childhood.
Everything on this album sounds like a rip-off of a different British artist, with one of the weirdest tracklists I've ever listened to. It's obvious he's been listening to a lot of Oasis, Beatles, Queen and Elton John while recording this, and the result is a compilation of mediocrity. Sometimes it's very obvious he's still mentally in a boyband, but weirdly enough, there were also songs where he was trying to go more rock and even punk (?!). Anyway, it's not that I hate generic pop or former boyband members (I like some stuff Justin Timberlake and Harry Styles have put out) but this guy just never appealed to me. He's got some decent radio hits, but his voice has always annoyed me. I will say that Angels is a decent song, though. Everything else on this album is either meh or borderline unlistenable. 2 stars
I just can’t. I listened to an entire Train album. That’s enough lame rock for me.
Hello sir, remember me? I do actually Robbie, and it wasn't exactly brilliant 27 years ago. It ended up being about as good as The Thrills, and you can't say fairer than that. I always maintain that the best thing to do with Robbie's voice is to bury it as low down as possible, and unfortunately they forget to do that on quite a few songs. Still, Old Before I Die is brilliant, and I totally forgot about the hidden track and got the fright of my life, so you can't say fairer than that.
Bland pop. Didn’t like.
Formulated 90's brit pop. Nothing really new or exciting per se but not irritating enough to turn off either.
Trite, derivative, over polished pop.
Generic pop. Less fun then i was hoping for.
It's a pop album, but it's a decent pop album. Nothing I found really wrong here and I wouldn't turn it off if it was on again.
Over-rated utter horse shit.
wait what did he say about golden showers
Not my favorite. “Angel” was pretty decent, but the album as a whole felt monotonous and unoriginal.
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
Pretty good when he's not trying to do a Liam Gallagher impression
Really like Angels but that's about it. As a Robbie Williams fan, I didn't really enjoy this, prefer his later work. This album is trying too hard to be Oasis and he doesn't seem to have found his uniqueness yet.
Can't stand the man
This does not sound like music made by someone who has something to say. It's fine and well made but it's not emotionally compelling to me. I almost feel like I am missing something but it is a bit formulaic to me. I might like it if a tune randomly came in top 40 radio, or maybe not.
I'd probably feel badly for whatever album came after Fela Kuti's "Zombie", because it's hard to imagine there are all that many albums that can match "Zombie", its messages, and the extremely disturbing political/military/physical violence that surrounds it. Sadly, this album ("Life Through a Lens") is *definitely* not one of those albums, which makes it a bit harder not to hear the typical sort of singer-songwriter music as a bit...trite. Which isn't Robbie Williams' fault at all, I know. That said, this seems like a decent debut album, and a decent sound, with plenty of nods to UK music from a decade earlier, and far too much similarity to Oasis at times, but still having some distinctiveness. I'm guessing, though, that he had better albums than this one, but prioritizing debut albums is just part of the deal with this collection. And I'm also guessing that this album was chosen because it's a distinctive departure from his previous band Take That? Regardless, he's definitely stronger on the harder-edged songs; songs like "Angels" aren't very interesting (to me, at least, as it sounds like this was got him attention). And I can definitely see why "Let Me Entertain You" became his opener song for all his (many many many many) subsequent concerts, a nice homage to The Who and many others.
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.
Takes a lot from Elton but doesn't create anything interesting out of it.
The Oasis influence is very apparent. It's declawed enough that its lukewarm Oasis sounds like really insipid Beatles. This is not for me.
Oof, looking back this sounds too much like a guy trying to distance himself from his boyband past. Also, how the hell was 'Angels' not the lead single from this album???
I a frenzied pursuit to distance himself from his boy band past, Robbie Williams’ debut is a mediocre britpop album that just happens to also contain one banger rock anthem and a legendary ballad.
This sounds like fake music from a movie, like the actor is trying generate a comeback album and this is what the writers came up with. Think Bill Nighy in Love, Actually. Absolute joke, why is this on the list.
Rubbish
Disappointing Of all the RW albums I'm familiar with, this is the least weird one, it's plain and the album tracks just do nothing. The singles are fantastic so 3 is a fair grade but I was looking forward to hearing this once I saw it was on the list, but after hearing it, it's clear it was only on because its his debut, when any of the next 3 seem more important and the two after that are far more interesting in terms of sound 3
What is this bullshit. Too bad there's no option for zero stars.
"Incredibly generic...." Albumin geneerisyyttä ei sovi ottaa huomioon... tämä tappaa demokratian eli enemmistön vallan... jos enemmistö lälläpopittaa albumin biisiä radiossa tarkoittanee tämä pelkästään objoktusfoorumin ulkopupoellle jäävän osuuden kasvavan... ihmiset tarttuvat miekkoihin ja sotivat enemmistöä vastaan... sankaritarinaako tässä... ukr-rus....Ukr get the russian cap.... mitä luulet arvostelusi tuovan tähän maailmaan... Noh mutta totta tosiaan kyllähän tämä yhtä tähteä obj...
When I saw this cover (which was some time ago, but it looked cool so I remembered it) I thought it was gonna be something else entirely. How dare you look like an angry gremlin on the cover and sound so soft. I want some angry gremlin music!!! UPPERCASE! Despite that it was alright
All over the place
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.
2.5/5
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 think this is the least interested in a Britpop album I've been so far. Like, I'm not gonna say it's bad, but it's not particularly exciting. For the most part, it's radio music—incredibly safe, even acknowledging some weird lines I've read about. And I don't even mean "radio music" as an insult; it can really hit the spot sometimes. I'm just not sure what makes this so special compared to any other Britpop I've heard—blur, Oasis, Manic Street Preachers, Elastica... Honestly, I'm not even sure how much I even hear this as a Britpop album; it feels way more like a straight-up pop album 90% of the time. My one big exception is "Let Me Entertain You"—not a Queen cover like I always thought it was, but still. With its very obvious Who influence, it's driving as hell and the biggest burst of excitement and energu on the whole damn album. I can shake my head to that one, seriously. And, y'know, maybe if the rest of the album matched up to that... As it stands, the album's fine, but I can do without it. Like, maybe, JUST MAYBE, this list could do with one less Britpop album, y'know? Maybe?
Some good tracks, but overall, it's just decent.
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.
Harmless, bland bubblegum pop posing as sophisticated alt-rock.
Dude has a decent voice but the album was so impossibly boring to listen to.
Algunos temazos
Bland and inoffensive. I'm tempted to bump this down to a 1 because of Angels but nothing else here is that awful
Það er frekar ómögulegt að skilja af hverju þessi platar ratar inn á listann. Í besta falli eru þarna 2 lög sem skilja eitthvað eftir sig.
i don't know about this one. Some great songs, some funny lyrics, but still - is it anything more than a decent pop album?
Really? Why is this on the list?
I don't really see why this was an album I had to listen to before I died. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything amazing. It felt like a lot of pop albums and could be played on Bob FM. I wouldn't change it, but I am also not seeking it out.
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
Really middle of the road all inn all, would give 2,5, if it werent for Angels, which I have to admit is a really great pop song.
Kinda weird!
Sounds like oasis on some songs
Fun album! It's amazing how many different qualities his voice can take on.
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.
Really did not enjoy it. All of it felt like filler run of the mill pop content. Even Angels, normally a pretty good song, didn't stand out much because it was right in the middle of the album.
Charismatic "Let me entertain you" and emotional "Angels" are outstanding. The rest are average pop songs.
I had purchased (the superior) Ego Has Landed album when it came out. Which is how they packaged this LP to North Americans. Life Thru a Lens has a couple of his hits, but there is so much filler.
Robbie sounds like an ex boy band member trying to hard too shake that old image
If you don't think mid-career Oasis is bloated and bland enough you'll love this album. I always thought he was more of a post boy band ballad singer and didn't realize he had this much of a rock sound, but this is basically a low effort brit pop album with a touch of blink 182 and smashmouth. Angels is laboratory engineered to manipulate the mawkish sentimentality English people confuse with emotion.
Could have been worse
Please stop
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
Never heard of him or this album but enjoyed it!
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.
This was okay overall. Some of the songs were fun, but others I thought were trying to be shocking just for the sake of being shocking. His voice, however, was really something at times. He has very different vocal styles that are very well done.
I liked this one. It has that 90's sound that I like, but I get the feeling they tried too hard to be something they're not on a few tracks. I'd listen again though.
He sounds like the Pet Shop Boys singer if he went into generic rock instead of cool synthpop
This album is fine. Angels is great, Clean is fun and trippy, the rest of it is just okay
Upbeat pop music.
i don’t understand the low reviews of this album. it’s a generic 90’s album and i think that’s what’s fun about it!! not everything you listen to has to be revolutionary. sometimes a feel-good album is just what you need. it might not be the best thing i’ve ever heard but it’s definitely going to be one of those albums that stays with me and serves as nostalgia, and i think that’s good enough.
Nice. Very poppy. Lyrics are clever and are actually lyrics unlike so many pop lyrics which are just the same few phrases or words over and over. For some reason a few of the songs reminds me of smashmouths second album astrolounge. High energy songs. Pulls inspiration from a broad range of pop and rock. Let me entertain you is definitely going on the short list of songs to be played over the PA as I hunt down those who have wronged me. A fine pop album. 3/5. I'll definitely listen to more of his stuff
Not my cup of tea. Sorry
This album is laughably bad.
I actually enjoyed a lot more than I thought I would. It's really good. But I've given so many amazing albums a 3, because classic albums are a 4, so this can not be a 3. But it's a very good fucking 2.
angel is a good song
I wanted to hate but it didn’t. Surprisingly decent Brit pop album
This gets the rare 5 stars solely for the song Angels. One of the greatest songs from the 90s
I’m a big pop fan, but this is not a pop album worthy of this list. It’s fine late 90s pop but it’s nothing brilliant. And that weird spoken word poem at the end was dreadful
This album made me wish I could be at a concert of this album with my friend, Dave. Dave has a great laugh—we would’ve been doubled over for hours at some of the cringey lyrics on this album. Seriously, Baby Girl Window is a title of a song? Alas, I had to listen alone. I’m new to this list of albums and have a lot of listening to do, but c’mon. Artists have been releasing full albums since the 50’s. How are some of these albums making the top 1001 you have to listen to before you die? There have got to be plenty of great albums to chose from. A little surprised at what’s making the cut.
I didn't like the album then and have not gained greater appreciation for it now.
What the fuck was this
It's really nothing special. Not particularly good, but also not particularly bad. I can listen to it, but there really isn't anything there to really reach out to me to bring me back in after this initial listen.
Perfectly fine 90s britpop album, doesn't really offer anything interesting or even creative for that matter, last track on the album is called 'clean' has a line "I'm clean, yeah / friends with Charlie sheen, yeah" which has aged about as well as this record has
knockoff oasis and more pop but is also jonas brothers if they could write better songs.
Not as bad as I expected, but not great. I knew the 2 biggest hits from the album. They were everywhere at the time. The rest of the album sounds more like a less miserable version of Oasis. I expected a more danceable album. Favorite song: Ego Agogo.
# 186 : I see from the ratings that not a lot of people like Robbie Williams, I think Its OK, I could listen to it, it's Incredibly generic and overall pointless, but Angels is good. Favourite Track : Let Me Entertain You
Very 90s
Besides from Angels this is not that interesting. In fact that song gets the record it’s two stars.
Painfully generic. Let me entertain you is a banger. But I can't understand why this below average album is on this list.
Felt like I was late for my bus in a DCOM montage
Sin duda el miembro más talentoso de Take That
It's a straight-up good brit-pop album. However I don't really know if it belongs on this list.
Unremarkable if unoffensive album. Took me a few minutes to realize it was even over after it ended. 2/5
No.
Angel
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.
It is a no!
One the best pop albums ever.
OH BROTHER, THIS GUY STINKS!
Very similar to Oasis
I don't understand how this made the list. Less than mediocre.
Well, it doesn't seem that bad, but that may be because I generally like the artists he's primarily borrowing from, from the Beatles to Elton John to Oasis and Blur. If I wasn't so critical about music, it would be fine. But I am, and it's not.
It's fine. It's a pretty standard late 90's "starting a solo career" pop-rock sound. It seems like wants to be Elton John or maybe George Michael, but ends up falling a bit short.
2.9 - I actually didn't hate it. Some nice songs in there. Does feel like Angels and Let me entertain you are the big fishes.
Very average.
A lot of these songs are offensively bad: Life Thru a Lens, Ego Agogo, Killing Me, Clean. The lyrics are mostly embarrassing, and Robbie's voice has never been a strength. Angels is ok, else I don't have much anything nice to say about this. 1.8/5
I like this. He sounds a bit like Elton John.
The only Robbie Williams song I like (Millennium) isn't on this album so that deducts huge points. The rest is British douchiness that was way too prevalent in the late 90s. Hey Robert Dimery. Not everything Britain makes music wise is great. This was utter tosh.
This is just a bland pop album. Not sure why it's on this list.
Very solid britpop. Didn't care for it.
A collection of ballads and anthems that are individually rather pleasant but unremarkable collectively
It's got that one song everybody knows, and another that's not bad, but the rest of the album? Meh.
i hate that i enjoy some of the singles, but i do. have to remove *'s for putting a song called 'let me entertain you' near the end of your debut album though
A couple of catchy songs but not convinced it belongs on the list.
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.
Like two fun songs and the rest are meh. Weird lyrics but it didn't make me actively sad to listen to.
Pretty happy optimistic album Theres a few really good tracks i enjoy like Angels, old before i die, and Baby girl window.... But tbh i cant really imagine myself revisiting it tho.
Shitty Brit-pop. Yucky.
Its like budget Coldplay in a way
This whole album manages to sound extremely generic and VERY annoying at the same time. I’m on Track 2 and the lead singer is really getting on my nerves. Track 1 did not… inspire confidence. Some of those transitions were waaaay too calculated. We have 45 minutes to go! Oh boy. Carson says Budget Coldplay, I get strong vibes of Budget Blur. And Budget Blur… is really something you don’t want to be budgeting on. I don’t like to do this, normally. Such direct comparisons invite trivializing the whole, no doubt laborious, complicated artistic affair. But this really is a trivial album. And it’s flippant and unserious and clearly trend-chase-y. So I’m also allowed to be a little unserious, too. 1/5. Get this off the list! Posthaste!
I feel this album is just okay. I couldn't find much to distinguish it.
This is awful. Robbie Williams is the British Meatloaf.
Robbie Williams was a big deal in the UK. Take That was supposed to be the British answer to New Kids on the Block, and was the biggest thing in England since The Beatles. But the manufactured boy band and Williams’ solo career barely made an impact across the pond. I recognize and remember Robbie Williams, but don’t remember his music. I was expecting “Life Through A Lens” to be a pop record, but most of it was not. The first three songs were surprisingly rock-oriented. Then the biggest hit, “Angels,” is a full-on piano ballad followed by a dramatic tonal shift to “South of the Border.” “Old Before I Die” gets back to the uninspired rock of the first few tracks, but it’s all quickly forgotten. No wonder the Oasis-driven Britpop of the mid to late 90s hit so big - it didn’t take much to top the boring generic pop and rock of Take That and Robbie Williams.
Blah Blah Blah, wait...did he just say "cover me in your golden shower"? what am I listening to?! Some strange lyrical choices but mostly this album is just very meh.
I thought Robbie Williams was some kind of superstar. I hear nothing close to that characterization.
How is this on the list with some all-time classic albums???
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.
unfamiliar Lazy Days-ok Robbie, I see you... Life Thru A Lens-Won't be a favorite The rest sounded pretty much the same. Was background noise, unfortunately, and I'm not invested enough to replay.
Wasn’t expecting a Robbie album to be on the list, everyone’s mum in the UK in the 90’s probably bought this album. So it probably has some merit. To be fair the singles from the album are strong, old before I die, angels, let me entertain you. But the rest of the album is generic pop/rock filler. So I can’t agree with the statement that you should listen to this album before you die, so 2 out of 5.
Wtf, how could this even be on the list?!?
Apparently every album that has a song used for football chants is notable to Mr. Dimery
Has some great hits
I understand why it was on Spotify's Wedding playlist. I liked the spoken word of Hello Sir the hidden track on the album. None of the songs will remain with me besides Hello Sir, which isn't a song. His stories on Graham Norton are hilarious.
Not bad. I’ve never listens to his music before. I guess it skims a little deeper than pop, but still to saccharine for me
Åh gud nei...
It's okay, but it didn't quite hook me.
Never heard of this guy but not too bad. Kinda a beetle's pop vibe sometimes
Parempi kun muistin mutta kyl tää on tällänen madonreikä karaokebaariin. Angels vitun bängeri, mut mun mielestä levy roikkuu hittiensä varassa. 2/5
No johan on valinta listalle. Britti toki. Hitit ihan jees, mutta eipä juuri muuta.
Plääh tulee mieleen autokyydit ja radio nova. Vaikeaa jotenkin ottaa omana taideteoksenaan. 2/5
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.
Нежно люблю тембр Робби ещё с детства, обволакивающий такой. Новые для меня песни понравились больше старых при этом:)
Hmmmmm.
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.
Song: Angels I wanted to like this more than I did. The first verse was beautiful, and I really connected with it. Robbie Williams's voice is very raw, especially in the chorus—sometimes it adds extra emotion, but sometimes it just sounds like he isn't quite on pitch. The instrumental break/guitar solo near the end is also a high point, but the buildup doesn't really pay off as the final chorus sounds not much different from the others. Overall, this was okay, and I think I could listen to it again, mostly for the first verse—that brings it up to 3 for me. Ultimately, though, I just didn't connect with this song.
I could do without this album. Gave me a headache.
No. You're being silly.
2.5
Quality britpop. Loved it. Def will listen again.
Meh
I love dogshit britrock
Fine not my favorite
Lousy music. No substance. Why is the album on the list?
It was fine for playing in the background. I wouldn’t play this again. Most of the songs sounded the same.
I turned this album on expecting to hate it - for no reason other than the stupid cover - and was pleasantly surprised by the first song. But the rest of the album is decidedly mediocre.
riff after riff. Often imitated, never duplicated.
Generic pop-rock. He has the ability to sing well, as heard in Angels, but the rest of the songs don't showcase it and are unmemorable. Stand-out: Angels
Pretty easy to listen to. Good pop album. Standout songs: Let me entertain you, Angels, Clean
The cover art does not accurately portray the music in this album. This album is more akin to Christian soft rock as opposed to the skinhead or German techno vibe of the album's cover. Overall, not a bad quality of sound.
yesss robbiiee pop off 💅
No fucking way. This is shit, Mary.
I'm a big fan of Robbie but this is one of his weaker records. Of course it's adorned by his beloved Angels; aside from a handful of other minor hits I hear a fair amount of filler. Still a very worthwhile play though.
Fucking awful. Nearly had a heart attack when I saw the last track was 14 minutes.
👼👼
Wow this is really not great. Super dated, and not easy to listen to. I will say some of the songs on here are fine. Others are not good.
Competent but meh. Feels like market research corporate middle of the road coattail riding photocopy of a photocopy of a photocopy pop. Although I will confess to his song Millenium being a guilty pleasure of mine.
I’ve been doling out 4s and 5s all over the place lately, it was only a matter of time before the algorithm threw me a dud. So meh, I feel like there was a ton of this stuff in the late 90s. Some very good but most not interesting. This is a solid chunk o’ boredom.
I liked the first few songs alright. The quality dropped off after that, and this just drug on. Not my cup of tea.
2.5
Meh. Just ok.
Stunning debut. Well deserved five stars
This is a little too much on the generic pop side for me to really stand out and feel meaningful. There’s some good tracks, but it’s not for me.
Mediocre at best.
Some are really bad. A couple are just ok. I do love Angels.
Not the kind of music I would generally listen too, but not unplesent
Not bad actually
Rock.
Can't understand why this album is here beside the 2 hit songs
This album was pretty bland in my opinion. It’s not bad music, but it doesn’t stand out.
A bit lightweight. Maybe 3 good songs. Enjoyable
pop cinicism
After The Man Who the second chazza shop classic on this list. Angels would be pretty near the top of 1001 Songs You Never Need to Hear Again. Apart from that and other inescapable single Let Me Entertain You it's still a breeezy if featherlight pop listen. And the most childish F U teachers every committed to tape at the end. 2.5 but rounded down for that.
This is bad. . . It may prompt me to quit this service and find a different list of albums. What an absolutely awful record.
I entered this with an open mind. This closed it.
Trur detta albumet hadde ein signifikant negativ påvirkning på livsgleden min i mine yngre daga, og da e mulig Robbie skylde meg et par leveår
Boring Oasis