Life Thru A Lens

Let Me Entertain You is actually hilariously bad.

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.

Even though he is now the official Global Ambassador for the Carlton Football Club, we couldn’t quite make this a 5/5 even though we wanted to! It’s a solid pop album with a couple of standout songs, but sounds very much of its time. As such we’re torn but are giving it 3.5/5, rounded down to 3.

Gear: Sony WF-1000XM4 Mische: belanglos Musik: belanglos (okay "Angels" ist ne geile Nummer) Wertung: 2/5

"Life Thru a Lens," Robbie Williams' debut album released in 1997, captures the essence of '90s pop with a cheeky and irreverent touch. The standout track, "Angels," showcases Williams' emotive vocals and became a signature anthem. The album as a whole is a mix of energetic pop-rock and ballads, reflecting Williams' charismatic personality. While not groundbreaking, "Life Thru a Lens" is a solid introduction to Williams' solo career post-Take That. Its nostalgic charm, catchy tunes, and Williams' undeniable charisma contribute to its enduring appeal. Overall, a commendable debut, earning a respectable 3.5/5 for its infectious energy and pop sensibility.

Nothing stands out, just sort of exists without much personality. Very generic and meh.

Very nice sound. The lyrics are pretty stupid and predictable but it sounds nice. Definitely makes me wonder who the hell Robbie William's is because his profile looks like he smells his own shit for fun. Sounds like it would steal the show on a Shrek soundtrack. It also sounds like whoever made these sounds was never told no and I feel like he would label himself a self-titled genius, I get that vibe because the songs sound like they were made for a certain emotion in mind it was absolutely INTENDED, but it was done through very on the nose spoon-fed lyrics. It reeks of look at my songwriting skill yet falls short to prove it, but still pretty listenable.

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

Hey i never knew the Oasis brothers did a Smash Mouth album! “I know a freaky lady named Cocaine Katie” is apparently my sleeper-assassin activation phrase.

If Robbie Williams tried to be Oasis. It's exaclty what you would expect from his first solo album. Very clean and very Britpop. Its not boring but ultimatly forgettable.

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.

Can't stand it.

A good singer, but not really my style. Let Me Entertain You was the highlight, really the only song I liked on the album. The rest I felt neutral about.

Angels is a bop still. Not bad for a pop album

Nostalgia makes me want to give this a 4 but it's at best a 3 being truthful.

ok

Het is dat Angels erop staat, die tilt dit album nog wel wat op. Verder is het vrij saaie doorsnee pop. Ook niet vreselijk ofzo, maar ook niet bijzonder. Angels en Let Me Entertain You maken het enigszins acceptabel, dus laten we een 3 doen.

Wtf is this bullshit? No fucking way am I sitting through this horrendous pop crap. Fuck the dipshit who added this to the list.

Pretty easy listening collection of pop rock. Not my cup of tea but there are some catchy things here.

Well that was a waste of bandwidth.

I honestly couldn't make it through the album. I was hating it from the get go and then had to stop on track 3 after the lyrics "cover me in your golden shower". Why is there so many shitty British 90s rock albums on this list? What a load of piss.

This has happened more than once on this journey. I feared this record because of my contemporaneous views of it. I did not like anything about Robbie Williams persona and so didn’t give it a second thought. Turns out it was pretty good.

This is objectively bad music in every way. I can't see how this was, has been or ever could be consequential to anyone. Just a garbage fire over here. I would give this 0 out of 5 stars if I could.

Not bad. However it’s very much stuck in the late 90’s

Fantastic album but not a huge fan.

After all a undeniable good pop album, offering a refreshing take on the genre. While I acknowledge its quality and the appealing ambiance, it's not entirely my style. Some high-pitched parts don't resonate with my taste, but overall, it's a solid pop album.

Did not enjoy this. I don't like his voice, and the whole album sounded like knockoffs of songs I might enjoy (or might roll my eyes at) rewritten with painfully rhymey lyrics.

irredeemable garbage from start to finish

This album was a mix betweeeeeeen songs that i really enjoyed (“Let Me Entertain You”) and the type of songs that i had foreseeeeeen: kind of annoying and simple songs (“Clean” which had the worst lyrics).

felt like i was watching the opening credits of a 90s movie about teenagers but with an intended audience of 11 year olds. goofy but whatever,

"your conversation's boring as hell" well how would you describe this song Robbie A lot of this album kind of makes me think of how when Ryan Adams covered 1989 and Calum Scott covered "Dancing On My Own"* they seemed to inexplicably (or explicably) get a lot of critical acclaim. Probably because I saw that this album doesn't actually contain his first (hit) single which was a cover of "Freedom" by George Michael that strips out all of the character found in the original, and imo this album has a similar lack of experimentation and personal style. I was gonna give it a 2 until I got to the secret spoken word poem. *I'm honestly still not over how one of my closest "nearly got run over as a pedestrian" incidents was a young man in a minivan, in a parking lot, absolutely zooming through the path where I was clearly visible, with this song version blasting out loud through the entirely-fully-down windows. The Gen Z twinks don't know who Robyn is and it's leading to the downfall of Western society

I almost really liked this album, it’s close to other music I’d listen to but it’s just /not quite/ fave song: life through a lens

A rebellious but good-natured attitude combined with a grandiose sound defies expectations and sticks the landing.

First track is middle of the road bland. Power-pop is a good description. This was his debut solo album after Take That ‘influenced by Brit pop’. I can hear Supergrass Alright & Boo Radleys & Oasis in here but I really do not like his voice, it’s weak and nasally. The first few tracks are just so predictable nothing to them, they try to excite but there’s no soul. Then along comes ‘Angels’ and it’s one of those moments when everything falls into place - simply one of the greatest songs ever written & Robbie’s voice is perfect on this. I discovered this song in the best way - I’d been away abroad & had completely missed it then came back home to the UK to watch singer after singer attempt this at pub karaokes. For a long time I thought it was an old 60s or 70s song, it feels like it’s always been around. This song has reached the very heart & soul of Britain, almost like a national anthem and I think still the most selected at funerals, a demonstration of how powerful, emotive & transformative music can be. But then the next track starts and the magic is gone and it never comes back, this LP is a one hit wonder. I actually thought ‘Let Me Entertain You’ was a cover, I’ve always thought that but I’ve always hated it. As I said earlier it’s like someone trying to generate energy & excitement & it falls down flat as a pancake, nothing worse than that. This LP should not be on this list. Robbie is an amazing loveable personality & this was a huge news story at the time but this is not an album anyone needs to listen to, it’s so derivative & predictable. Angels as a track 100% but not all this. Shaking my head at ‘Clean’ it’s terrible. The slower songs / ballads on this are the better ones, the attempts at britpop fall flat and are cringe. Should be a 1 star but the magnificent Angels drags it just up to 2

Immature ramblings of an entitled and obnoxious 90's fuckboy. You get the point after one 3-minute long idiotic chest-beating song, and yet he continued on for a full 52 minutes and 46 seconds. The only redeeming moment is Angels. A moment when the douchebag veneer is cracked, and a human person shines through all the other shit on this album. I will give him credit for doing the work of actually writing these songs, not a lot of pop acts contribute anything to their "work". And you know, he was hot. Pop superstardom has been achieved by uglier ducks than him, so the ego is par for the course. Sidenote: ugggh, I hate "hidden" tracks. What a waste of time and space. I hate that this became such a popular thing to do in the CD era.

Nostalgia is a hell of a thing. I don’t mind this, it reminds me of driving through to that chop shop in Linlithgow as a family and it being the album that everyone in the care didn’t protest

Some great pop singles. Didn't need a full album

I've given this two stars because, if you like this sort of thing - and I most emphatically do not - then I guess there are a couple of hit singles which people enjoyed... On second thoughts, one star because I cannot stand Robbie WIlliams' music.

It's pretty appealing. Seasoned musicians but not particularly talented or creative. The best is Robbie and his lyrics--interesting but not belabored.

Could be a lot better, could be a lot worse. 90s Britpop really is a genre.

I really hope Spotify doesn't include this listen in their algorithms.

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

not good. 90s uk music was weird. sounds like blur and oasis and austin powers and all of the rest of them. id give it a 3 but the more of these albums i come across i realize i have to get more drastic with ratings, this isn't a 2 as in the garbage that was the cure/REM but its not as good as some i've given 3s. His voice is actually pretty good. The music is just formulaic and mostly uninteresting, and the songs themselves feel very time and place and trying to be what was popular at the time. angels is the corniest fucking song. all of these songs are fucking corny.

This just sounds like standard 90s pop rock. 2/5

Fine. Seemed a little too English

A bit too pop for me every now and then but good overall.

For a top pop artist there are just a lot of unmemorable tunes. Even Angels feels a bit unengaging listening on your own.

Not bad for a wanker

Felt somehow bland, like it was created by AI and was trying to be emotional. Just felt off and forced. Not a fan of this artist even though I know he's huge in the UK

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

Pretty good. Vocals remind of Oasis although this is more pop than rock.

I did not love or hate this, I was always curious why the Brits love him and he had not become popular here but it’s probably the same reason Justin Timberlake is not that huge over there. Perfectly fine but not my cup of tea.

Gaudy and gleaming, this rocks a bit more than one would have expected from a boy band alum and a tabloid-y star, but anything remotely approaching soulful is buried under an excess of dubious effects pointed squarely at the mass market (and probably quite well researched, too). The mawkish "God's Better People" gives the game away. The world would be a better place if fewer people cared about such mass-produced/mass-marketed outputs as this or needy-reaching mediocrities as RW, who seems to want to be a celeb more than anything else. One pities those young people who might have been captivated however briefly (and one cetainly hopes it was brief) by all the soaring and reaching or thought it coudln't get any better or more meaningful. Really, who cares? Speaking as. a Yank, one's glad this was mainly an Anglo phenomenon, a British invasion that would have been pretty easily resisted. Mostly forgettable and totally disposable pop. Points off for ever being in an boy band.

Versatility: One of the standout features of "Life Thru a Lens" is its versatility. Robbie Williams effortlessly navigates through various musical styles, from pop and rock to ballads and dance-infused tracks. This diversity showcases his broad musical talent and sets the stage for his future albums. Hit Singles: The album includes some of Robbie's early hits, such as "Angels," "Old Before I Die," and "Lazy Days." These songs remain staples in his discography and helped him gain a massive fan base. "Angels," in particular, has become an anthem and is considered one of his signature songs. Lyricism: Robbie's lyrics are often witty, introspective, and at times, cheeky. They reflect his personal journey and struggles, which adds depth to the album. Tracks like "Life Thru a Lens" and "Ego a Go-Go" show his lyrical prowess. Production: The production on "Life Thru a Lens" is polished and well-crafted. It benefits from a blend of contemporary pop and rock sounds that were popular in the late '90s. The catchy melodies and memorable hooks make the album easy to listen to. Emotional Range: The album showcases a broad emotional range, from the melancholic and introspective tracks like "Angels" to the more upbeat and playful ones like "Let Me Entertain You." This emotional diversity adds depth to the listening experience. Personal Growth: "Life Thru a Lens" marks Robbie's personal growth and independence as an artist. It was a critical moment in his career and life, signaling the start of a successful solo journey that would continue for years to come. In conclusion, "Life Thru a Lens" is a fantastic debut album that set the stage for Robbie Williams' enduring career. Its variety, hit singles, and thoughtful lyricism make it a classic in the pop music landscape. If you're a fan of Robbie Williams or '90s pop music in general, this album is a must-listen and a testament to the talent of one of the UK's most iconic artists.

Blind album and artist period it's the 90s I can't hate it but it's not breathtaking.

Sorry Robbie, but listening to this album in this context really highlights how two dimensional cut and paste pop it is.

crap

Very George Michael. Nice to listen to in the background but got tired halfway through when actively listening. Would revisit

I listened with an open mind since I had never heard of this guy, but no, could not find anything to like about it. Not sure how it wound up on this list to be honest

Love this album. Robbie Williams at his post boy band best

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.

There's no doubt that there are some really good pop songs on this album. And I did enjoy listening to it. Will I be playing the album again, probably not.

Robbie has his place and it is not on a list of essential albums Not a 1 because Angels is a classic and LMEY is fun (and should be the first track) Outside of those two this is pretty dull stuff

Interesting throughout. Not expecting to like it as much as I did

This album is just really overproduced boring pop-rock (with an emphasis on the pop). The lyrics are bad and cheesy, not really sure what the creators of this list sees in this album that would warrant it being included on this list. Standout Tracks: N/A

It was good but generic as if you asked AI to create a UK male singer that was liked across all demographics.

From the lead singer of the boy band Take That, he sings the most stereotypical British pop music out there. Songs like "South of the Boarder" and "Old Before I Die" prove he's trying hard to mimic Oasis but not having any idea how to craft a good song. At least there's creative effort put into the production effects, but there's nothing of value in his voice or instruments, and the song structures are just so predictable and boring. Most of it is trash but at least the weird synths and samples make it a bit intriguing.

Boy band bad boy does Britpop plus 'Angels'. Definition of inessential. 'Let Me Entertain You' owes Bon Jovi a writing credit.

Shite thru a lens

Nope. Not good. Kinda feels like he heard Oasis and thought, "I reckon I could do that better by making the songs less interesting and more shallow, but poppier." Did I seriously hear my dude sing a line about living long enough to see the Pope get high? Sheezus...

And here I thought Robbie Williams just made music for FIFA game menu screens. There is a fun energy to some songs here and some funny lyrics. Many of the lyrics are trite, though, and the ballads completely lost me. I found this fairly juvenile and inconsequential.

De flesta britpopiga låtarna här låter som något som inte skulle kommit med på ett Blur- eller Oasisalbum. Därför förstår jag inte riktigt varför jag ska lyssna på det här. Ibland är det bra, när albumet viker av från 90-talets britpopvåg och gör något eget. Som i fina 'One of God's Better People', 'Angels', som får mig att känna som jag är med i en film, eller extremt underhållande 'Let Me Entertain You'. Tyvärr är dessa avvikelser, och det blir oftast bara slätstruket och ointressant. Har ändå tänk att det finns guilty pleasure-potential i Robbie Williams, så blev lite besviken. Bästa låt: Let Me Entertain You.

Partly heard before Saved 3/11 Top track: Let Me Entertain You

quite banal as he is

Definitely not my kind of music. It’s overproduced and doesn’t feel genuine.

The classic “boy-band-member-goes-solo-and-releases-a-slightly-less-pop-album” trope that’s been around since, idk, forever? Most of this record is super poppy britpop. Not bad but nothing special either. The kind of CD that constantly clutters thrift shops.

I am only familiar with one Robbie Williams song and that is his cover of Beyond the Sea on Finding Nemo. Disappointingly this cover was not on the album and the music was nothing like that all. The album is best described as Brit Pop. It was not particularly good and I do not plan on listening to it again or other Robbie Williams music.

Robbie Williams is clearly trying to shake off his boy band roots here. He attempts pop punk early in the album and settles mostly on a weak Britpop like sound. He is a great singer, but the songwriting is nothing special and the music is derivative. The last spoken word track is excruciating.

Listening now to the tracks on this album it strikes me that it was only ever really about Robbie as a performer. The 2 hits are pretty good and the rest of the album is pretty generic but it's all about him as a personality magnet. If you don't buy into the persona then I guess this will be pretty blah to you, but boy did Robbie hit the pinnacle of stardom at the time.

Angels is a banger of course the rest is decent enough pop delivered with a wink which stood him out at the time but doesn't stand up years later. 2

Not for me

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

Maybe you had to be there?

This was some Brit pop rubbish if I’ve ever heard it. The songs were so jumbled in sound and lacked cohesion. This sounded like a boy band trying to be oasis. It wasn’t very good however in comparison to many albums on this list it’s still okay but would not revisit it. 4.0/10

Good dnoygsupzcwj 90s pop album. Nothing too revolutionary or outstanding, but of course that’s not the point here. It’s good enough to put on in the background although some tracks are just weird. Angels is amazing though, a perfect pop ballad. There’s plenty of references to britpop, some tracks just plain sound like smoothened out Oasis. There’s also a Beatles reference, when Robbie tries singing like Lennon on Old Before I Die. There are some nice instrumental additions here and there, occasional piano passage or the horns in the back of the chorus on Ego Agogo. Not sure if it should be on the list, maybe as a perfect embodiment of a specific time and place in music? It would be a 2.5 but Angels is really good, so let’s go with a 3. Oh and the cover art is pretty.

3.5 stars. Reminds me of Everclear~esque 90's radio alt rock. Thought the slower, ballad-y stuff wasn't as good as the higher energy alt rock sound. Standout is "Let Me Entertain You".

Robbies debut, britisk pop, et par bangers, lidt generisk

Not sure about this one Robbie tries his best Liam Gallagher impression on a lot of these songs Angels is decent, as is Let Me Entertain You (even though it shamelessly rips off Sympathy For The Devil)

Ik kan hier best van genieten, maar ik snap eigenlijk niet waarom het in deze lijst staat. Het valt voor mij in de categorie ‘guilty pleasure’.

Trying to keep in mind things that ‘sell well’ are generally worth considering for a list like this for sure I didn’t hate it as much as I thought I would. The music is seriously dated sonically, but I actually think he’s a good vocalist. For real he sounds good. I also dig the move away from whatever-the-fuck genre of Take That to this ‘britpop’ feel (yes it’s overproduced, yes it’s maybe a thin-ish facade over multi-writer/multi-producer/label-engineered ‘standard’ pop a la Britney Spears, but it’s coming close to fooling me haha) Angels is a legit radio monster and almost enough to push this to 3 stars... but not quite.

Oh boy britpop but poppier. That'll fix it.

Had always heard this name but didn't know what type of music he made. It was pretty generic radio friendly stuff. Nothing to write home about and nothing that really impressed. Could have been done by a few hundred different artists. 2.5/5

I had not heard of the artist or heard any of his music that I can recall. Always great to hear something new. I listened to it and it was...okay. I have to admit that although I can hear the skill in the performances, I just never felt that pulled into it or all that interested. I can see why this album appeals to some listeners, but not so much to me.

This has kind of a Blur vibe, which is pleasant. In fact all this aims for is pleasant. One Of God's Better People has some nice acoustic guitar work.

On UTOPIA release day?!!!?!?!

What a wonderful solo debut

god PLEASE eeeNUFF of this mediocre british NONSENSE!!!!!!!! I’M FUCKING TIRED OF IT!!!!! I GET IT!!!!!!! YOU’RE FUCKING BRITISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GET OVER IT IDC YR NOT THAT IMPORTANT!!!!!!! seriously why is this shit in the list. ?¿ is every fucking british album ever made in this list or…?

Surprisingly quite good. Full of poppy attitude and really representing the late 90s perfectly. Loads of hits.

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.

It's not bad, but still kind of meh. I mean sure, boy band member goes solo and puts out a slightly less pop album. But it's still pop even with the rock elements. And it's not like he added anything rock to it; he's not playing any instruments, just singing. So I don't get what the big deal is even though I think Robbie Williams carved out a nice solo career and he showed he has talent. I did particularly like the screw you ode to his former teacher in the bonus track - good lyrics and wordplay. Let Me Entertain You was my favorite actual song - almost a modern Elton John feel to it. Baby Girl Window wasn't too shabby either. A solid 3 but I don't think I can give it more.

3+

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).

Mandatory presence in every charity shop in the Midlands, alongside Travis - you don't find Beatles and Stones CDs being discarded this frequently Therefore, utter shite, without even listening

Harry Styles of the 90s

A very “safe” (read: vanilla) blend of Britpop, Madchester, Elton John, and Williams’ own pop roots. Makes Oasis seem like Motörhead.

Guilty pleasure. Stands up quite well.

Like

Really? Ffs, I think this book might be overrated.

наверное почти такой же как предыдущий

Couple of absolute snorters on this one Angels, Old Before I Die and Lazy Days. Rest is bang average. However, I’m removing a star as the fat fucker is one reprehensible human being.

Something doesn’t add up here

Strikes me as decent run-of-the-mill Oasis-era made-for-the-masses brit pop. I like his voice for the most part, but some of the lyrics were embarrassingly cliche - "Angels" being the worst offender in that regard. I thought the softer, more stripped down songs were standouts, they sounded more natural and less like he was just trying to impress us (thinking of "One of God's Better People" and "Killing Me").

I'm not British so I've not listened to Robbie Williams before. I was vaguely aware of his existence being generally interested in music as a teenager in the late 90s. I probably saw reviews of his records in magazines and the like, but never took the time to investigate any further. Now, all these years later, I now know I made the right choice.

Wowza, boring as 90s pop as it gets. Completely forgettable radio-friendly disposable music.

Listened Before? No Never heard of this guy before, but there are two songs on the album with oodles of listens. As a general sentiment, Brit pop rock is not among my favorite genres. Lazy Days is fine for what it is, but doesn't get me going. The title track adopts a bit more alt flavor that parallels post-Dookie Green Day or some Offspring songs. Ego Agogo is a boppy pop-rock song; kind of fun tbh. Most listened to single "Angles" sounds like a Christian rock song in the worst of ways. Not a fan. Alright, this really hasn't gotten any better the longer it has gone on. I could see how this would appeal to someone. There isn't anything outright offensive, and the production is fine, if at times pretty flat. For me, this isn't it -- I have no interest in finishing the last two songs on the record after pausing. Solid 2 / 5 for me. Added to Library? NO

Great for the 1 hit, angels, although i would have been a fan 5 years ago in highschool, i am not so much of a fan of pop, but still a good album 3/5

Corporate britpop

‘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.

first listen this album is not very good

cool

I really thought this would be better. Fav track: Angels

Robbie's never really been my flavour of pop rock aside from a few undeniable bangers. This didn't really change things for me - I found it to be mostly duds, with cheesy production and lyrics even on the big tracks, and I don't think Robbie has the persona to carry them over the top. Fave track: Hello Sir

A couple good tracks washed out by a lot of crap ones. The boring production on this makes it a slog at times, and the key change at the end of Old Before I Die nearly made my brain pop like a balloon. Not great pop here for the most part. Fave track: Let Me Entertain You

Heard before. *me screaming the lyrics of Angels* I had this weird, but short, Robbie Williams phase as a grade-schooler. I enjoyed this album, it's almost a 4, but I'll still rate it 3. Or should I? + Angels + Old Before I Die + Let Me Entertain You + Killing Me + Clean + Baby Girl Window and a shoutout to the hidden track

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 good pop album.

I got the feeling this album wanted to make me go out and buy rubbers. I did not go out and buy rubbers. Instead, I learned this dude was in the band called Take That, who had a hit song in the states that everyone except myself loved for a hot minute. This dude surely thought he was the second coming of George Michael. He wasn't George Michael. He wasn't even Andrew Ridgeley.

No matter how bad an album may be, there's bound to be a scenario where it could serve some purpose. The CIA used Springsteen for torture music, Backstreet Boys could be serviceable work-out music in a pinch, and even a shitty band like Coldplay could seamlessly fade to the background of a shopping mall's ambience. But THIS. I can't think of any viable scenario where this would be of any use to anyone whatsoever. If for some reason you still have some old AOL discs hanging around, take them along with this Robbie Williams mess, and hang 'em up in your background to scare crows away. 🐦‍⬛

Seriously? This is just shit.

Rock / Pop with the rough edges taken off. Good production and I can see why it had a big audience. Not for me though. 1/5.

Not for me. Seems vapid and the singer seems pretentious.

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.

It’s alright I guess

HL: "Let Me Entertain You", "Old Before I Die", "Angels" Very much middle-of-the road stuff overall. It can be energetic, and catchy, but there's something I'm craving that wasn't there. Using my surface-level research, I've concluded that it's a safe bet from an already established singer-songwriter in the UK that borrowed sounds from the hitmakers of '97, and sold a load of copies. It doesn't do a lot for me now, but I have nothing against it

Boy, I sure have learned that I don’t like britpop. It sounds like what 90’s tv movies for kids look like. I didn’t hate the whole album, but every time I came close to liking a song I’d hear the dumbest imaginable rhyme and lose interest. Ego Agogo in particular sounds like a cut track from an Austin Powers soundtrack.

I didn't like this.

Another good album

“You’re not a middle aged white lady who wants to sleep with him,” my wife replied to my derision at this album. Formulaic and tired, this thing has all of the hackneyed 90s music production tropes on garish display.

Boring pop-rock. It’s not particularly bad, but one could also say that it’s not entirely ground breaking or creative, either. It’s like you take the powerful electric guitar away from Lenny Kravitz and you’re left with this.

Mediocre.

I know this dude has a huge following, but it sounds like standard British pop. Meh.

Life Thru a Lens and Ego Agogo were bops, even if the lyrics are stupid. This album is shades of that Kid Rock album with South of the Border. I'd argue the music is better, but the lyrics and singing are pretty garbage. Kinda whiny.

Classic 90s alternative sound. I was really expecting a completely forgotten one hit wonder banger that would come on while at the neighborhood pool in the summer of 1998 to be on this album randomly

This isn't really it for me. I can hear some Oasis in this, but with too much of a poppiness to it. Not something I'll revisit but not the worst thing I've heard in my life.

Il y a quelque chose dans la voix de Robbie Williams qui ne me revient pas. Les thèmes me semblent plus anecdotiques. Il faudrait qu'on m'explique pourquoi cet album s'est classé au palmarès dans son genre

Angel is still a beautiful song and the rest is better then expected. But it’s still sometimes so cringe that it’s hard to listen to.

OK, I was thinking "maybe I've heard the name 'Robbie William' but not totally sure." Definitely have never heard of his original band, Take That. Chalk it up to the hard-on for UK bands, maybe it'll be good.... Yeah, no. I saw that Angels had 420M plays on spotify so I figured I'd surely heard this guy. Nope. And god damn, the poppy stuff was so boring and derivative and then Angels was his slow ballad that just sounded like a really poor Elton John impression.

Really? "Hide away in your ivory tower and cover me in your golden shower"... Feel like my ears have just been covered in piss after listening to this one. Awful pop rock from someone trying to come across as a bad boy. Cringe. Angels stops it from being 1*. 1.5*.

This album felt like something I had heard before, no particular reason beyond maybe just radio music when we were kids in the car. Not sure why this is on the list as it just felt like basic late 90's pop. Oh, surprise surprise he is from the UK.

Never heard of this guy, apparently he was in some boy band and this was him breaking out, like a Harry Styles or Zayn or whatever. It's '90s pop music with not much to speak of in terms of style or substance. The Wikipedia shows mostly warm reception, but nothing to warrant inclusion here. Some critic said the following: "There's nothing here... sure, Robbie Williams is as fascinating a hapless goon as we're ever likely to come across. But this album feels more like a press release than an album – and that's not what I call music." I second that. Listen to "Ego Agogo" if you need confirmation. Nothing is terrible here, it's just....well it's nothing. And nothing sucks, especially on a list of albums that should be something. Maybe the author of this list was a family friend. Favorite tracks: Angels. Album art: This picture is pretty much exactly what I'd expect from a boy band singer breaking out into a debut. "Ooooh, I'm in the limelight, but I'm still a bit of a mystery. I've lived life through the lens, and finally that lens is turned on me and me alone. Brace yourself, world!" Funny to contrast his face on the cover with the poppy music that he made. 1.5/5

One of the most aggressively British albums I've ever heard. I didn't mind any song, but I also wasn't moved by anything.

Good album.

Life Thru A Lens, Angels, Old Before I Die, Let Me Entertain You and Clean. I didn’t have to listen to this. 5/10

I also didn't need to listen to this, British guy who made the list. ego agogo, let me entertain you

Un 4 por Angel y Old before I die (no sabía que era suya)

This is very commercialised pop-rock music - Robbie's voice is good and he has a charisma so it was more listenable. 'Angels' and 'Let Me Entertain You' stand out to me, otherwise it can get quickly boring musically. I'm giving it a 2.5/3 just because it was pretty enjoyable as a background music while I was cleaning windows lol.

When some music hits you, you do feel pain.

As far as pop music goes this is more my speed. A bit overproduced but it was a fun listen. Kind of "more of the same" don't really see why this makes the list.

Miehen vanha musa osuu kyllä johonkin kohtaan mustaa sielua ja pidän tyypin soundista. Ei yhtään totaalista hutia ja pari megalekaa riittää kolmoseen.

Tää ei iskeny teininä, mut myöhempinä vuosina Robbie on saanut kyllä meikältä arvostusta. Levyllä kaverin paras, myös karaokebravuuriksi noussut, Let Me Entertain You. Varma kolmonen.

Not sure if I primed myself unfairly for Robbie, but his lyrics take the fore unfortunately. Nothing but the poem is particularly objectionable; I'm just happy not to have waited a hidden-track silence for it.

A reasonably enjoyable album, but nothing special. 3/5

Had no idea what to expect. Really good. Kind of sounded like George Michael.

0 if I could.

Would I characterize this album as "bad?" I would not. Does it sound like Robbie Williams doesn't have his own personality and essentially tries to do karaoke versions of songs that sound like Oasis but were not written by Oasis? Yes, it does. Nothing bad here and there are 2-3 really great tracks that can be found on this album. I don't see anything different or a compelling reason to listen to this album, no matter whether you were a Take That fan or a fan of music. Comparing this album to Harry Styles debut album is like night and day, as Styles challenges himself and doesn't feel like he's creating hits that sound like other hits. Not a bad album, but in no way deserves a spot in this book.

Si soy sincero, sí se siente algo genérico. A pesar de esto, no creo que sea malo, solo, eso, le falta tomar riesgos. Aún así, prefiero esto a algo tan arriesgado que se nota a leguas que solo se hizo para ser aclamado por pretensiosos y ser puesto en un pedestal cuando ni si quiera suena bien como varios de los álbumes que eh escuchado hasta ahora (que no son muchos). Finalmente, le doy 2 no por que sea malo en sí, si no por que, realmente, no creo que pertenezca a esta lista

Nothing awesome but a couple good jams.

a do angel la

Robbie what on Earth are you doing here??

I wanted to give this a higher score as I genuinely believe Let Me Entertain You and Angels are two of the best pop songs of all time, and there are some other great deeper cuts on here, but unfortunately there are also songs like South of the Border which is absolute dog shit

I liked listening to this. Helps that its got two alltimer banger pop songs: Angels and Let Me Entertain You.

Not bad, but nothing special besides the 2 obvious bangers.

Typical music of the late 90s. Rock was in fashion, so the pop album perfectly mimics the rock. The artist's voice is pleasant, but I didn't hear anything catchy in the album. The cover is not catchy, at least there is a man's ass in Under The Radar.

Holy shit this is a bad album. Why would this piece of britpop shit be an album that "everyone should hear before they die", unless it was to make sure that everyone is exposed to middle of the road bad music made by rich English people? 1/5

I was expecting to find reasons to hate this, but it's actually alright. It sounds like a second tier Britpop album, or like Oasis, but with a bit more humour and a bit less plod. Guy Chambers is clearly a smart songwriter, taking tropes and just expanding them enough they become fun again. In hindsight, his success is obvious on the strength of this album - to be fair, I thought more of these hits came later in his career, but it was pretty front loaded!

I know this is fairly good 90s pop, but really can't be fucked to listen to it. Sorry

wow, dette var dårlig. Let me entertain you, på den andre siden, er sinnsykt fengende.

When a mainstream pop artist (and former member of a cheesy boys band) takes a page out of the book of Britpop to sing his way to a more respected position. The thing is, the overall result is patchy, with some good moments in it and others that are, well, not so good. You can't be Oasis or Blur if it's not in your blood from the get-go. The two first tracks slap, I'm not gonna lie. Indeed, "Lazy Days" and "Life Through A Lens" display effective songwriting, epic melodic lines, and smart chord changes. After them, "Ego Agogo" is catchy, I guess, even if it's also a little annoying. The next track, "Angels", is a saccharine cut that left quite a huge impression in the UK (I know, I lived there for a while not too long after this record came out). And as far as reenactments of Elton John-styled ballads go, you could find far worse out there. So, the first four tracks are solid. Too bad that everything after soon peters out into indistinctive tunes following the same template of those early songs without having their strength. Oh, "Let Me Entertain You" is another catchy one for sure (that's another track that was huge in Britain at the time). But just like "Ego Agogo", it can turn into an annoying gimmicky showcase about William's mischievous public persona. Which means "all surface, no substance", a critique that can actually be addressed to the album itself. And I'd even say that listening to such a shallow record decades after its release mostly emphasizes this major flaw here. I hesitate between 2/5 and 3/5 here (2.5?). But even with this hesitation still in mind, you don't need a dozen photographers to get the picture, I guess... Number of albums left to review or just listen to: a little more than 600, I've temporarily lost count here Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens:  approximately a half so far  Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: a quarter Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): the last quarter (including this one)

Är väl ok om det spelas nån låt på radio. Annars rätt ointressant.

It was actually kind of enjoyable. Few big hits. Not my favorite genre, but surprised 3 stars.

the cover art made me want to dislike this album more than I did. does not seem like a person I want to hang out with

it was okay. weak 3 I think

Now this is really bad, I thought I could find it a bit enjoyable but nah, it’s shit. I have a friend whose favorite artist is Robbie lol, he does not know shot about music in the slightest.

Nothing particularly bad, nothing memorable. Two songs I, and most people, like: "Angels" and "Let Me Entertain You".

Is it terrible that I can't remember anything about this alum 24 hours later?

Fairly forgettable pop. It was a pleasant enough listen but no songs really stood out to me and I can’t see myself revisiting this album.

I can see how people might be into this genre. Not for me. I’ll pass.

Robbie Wiliams is a mediocre, boy-band dropout, brit-pop tough guy with a neck tattoo. Don't get me wrong, I like pop music. Good pop music. Good music needs to be authentic. It needs to feel authentic. I got the feeling that an authentic spoiled rich kid doesn't think it's fair to be famous. Is it unfair for a wealthy, successful, handsome man to be famous? If you took Mathew Sweet and stripped away creativity, earnestness, and great hooks and replaced it with predictability, stale songs, and great looks, you would have this fucking moose knuckle. I hope he goes bald before he dies. I think I will listen to some Mathew Sweet and forget all about lil' Rob. 2 out of 5 stars (because the title track is listenable if you ignore the subject matter).

Innofensive, the hits make it.

Je m'attendais à rien, je suis quand même déçu

Fade

PREFS : Life Thru a Lens, Let Me Entertain You MOINS PREF : Kiss My Ass/Hello, Sir

nothing but bangers.

I remember Robbie’s few solo hits from growing up in the UK in the mid 90’s. I always enjoyed them, they’re high energy, passionate, and fun. They’ve held up pretty well and I had a good time reminiscing while listening to this one. Good mix of Brit pop and rock

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.

Het voelt totaal niet als een album als geheel, maar meer als een verzameling losse flodders bij elkaar. Er staan dan natuurlijk wel 2 kneiters van hits op en die maken het nog wel enigszins de moeite waard. Maar ondanks dat ik in een week vol 3en zit, kan ik hier zelfs geen magere 3 voor geven. Totaal nietszeggend album.

Not a fan, vocals are not great and seem to be tuned. It’s something that could play in the back ground but can’t see spending time with this album.

Niets spannends, wel een paar goede nummers. Luistert ok weg. Niet erg vernieuwend, soort van logisch uitvloeisel van Britpop.

Not essential, but some good pop tunes. He's like Oasis without the balls, but he takes himself less seriously.

Inesperat triomf de pop lluminós i infecciós. Venint d'una boy band, ningú esperava que Williams es treiés de sobre les puces de les expectatives amb aquesta col.lecció inspirada, on més enllà dels triomfs de 'Let Me Entertain You' i , és clar, 'Angels', també sobresurten altres com 'South of the Border', 'Clean' o 'Old Before I Die'

I moved from Australia to London in 1997. Back then we had a huge alternative music scene in Oz, fueled in part by a national youth radio station dedicated to Indie and Alternative music. I'd never heard of Take That and no-one I knew talked about pop music at all. I'm sure some people knew who Robbie Williams was but for me he was in a world I could happily ignore. UK was a different beast - no real alternative radio (apart from bits of pieces on BBC and the ill-fated XFM) - the Xmas number one was a huge thing, boy bands and girl bands dominated the radio and press. Robbie was part of that machine, and that machine helped make this plastic piece of piss popular. This is muzak, a pop star searching for cred.

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.

There is much that is strange about this album. I don’t like the start. Then you get Angels, which is objectively speaking an excellent song. Then a load of forgettable stuff. Then Let me Entertain you, which should have been the opener. Then some sweet stuff at the end. At times it is 2-star but for two smash hits I’ll nudge it up to 3.

there was nothing special about this album

Getting real tired of this british alt rock. I guess this was fine.

Solid pop rock with some really bad ballads

Very nice

Very British, very 90s, very boring.

Un album moyen qui a probablemrnt fait de gros hits. 2.90

After listening to this album I understand why I only heard Angels and Let Me Entertain You. The rest is mediocre and can be skipped. Not really an album you have to listen to.

6.5/10. weno pero es medio fome y las letras son dms simples/generic (maybe pq robbie williams es asi noma pero igual)

A few good tracks

I was dreading this as soon as I saw I had this album today but I tried to be optimistic, thinking it must be an alright pop album. I still didn’t enjoy it at all, though. I don’t care if there are two big singles off of this album, they aren’t enough to make up for anything here so it’s a no for me, dawg. It’s nothing groundbreaking or original, the lyrics are dumb and his voice is grating. Sure, this is completely subjective based on hearing about him since my childhood, but it’s also my rating.

It was ok. Very 80’s pop sounding for an album released in 1997.

The year was 1997, and there’s a very high chance I skated hand-in-hand with Lauren Winder at the Classic Skating in Sandy while listening to “Angels” from this album, or at least I imagine I did. It’s a classic love song, which, funny enough, was written for the singer’s aunt & uncle. A great love song on an album full of traditional late 90s rock.

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

2.6 - Get this mediocre Britpop shit off this list. Get your shit together, Dimery!

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

Overall fun to listen to

Kinda enjoyed this.

I'm imagining a record producer in the 90's, totally gakked on cocaine, screaming at the top of his longs in a studio control room "MAKE IT MOOOOORE BRI' 'IISSHHHHHH!!!!" Seriously, this is hilarious in how just how Brit-pop it is. He literally sings "jolly good" in the first damn song. Too pop-y and polished for my liking.

I really hated this. Post-britpop/hyper-britpop, and I don't care for britpop. It's super bad. 1/5

I follow a decent amount of music groups that are meant to be UK based, so sometimes artists who are big there but never crossed over to the states come up. Robbie Williams isn’t quite to the taste of those particular groups, but he’s a good example of one. Huge in Europe, practically unknown here. And yeah, not my thing. D… +?

Unexpected great listen! Loved the energy on this record, the songwriting, the way it rocks hard it it’s own way!

Really? Really really? OK, so obviously Williams comes from the background of Take That. He's got some talent, we can't deny that, but what he has in spades is ego. This comes through more than anything else on this album. He went to great lengths to ride the post-Britpop, post-boyband wave and collected songs that complimented his style. Can't fault him - he plugged in with exactly the right people at the right time. Is his style enduring? No. Clearly not. Was he of his time? Yes. This album is almost painfully 1990s. As someone who was there, "Angels" cannot help but bring back images of the penultimate song in the nightclub, when all the girls had sensibly gone off to find taxis home, this song would come on and a load of beery-teary blokes would stand in geet big circles, arms draped companionably over each other's shoulders, singing this at the top of their lungs to demonstrate to any straggling women that they were decent blokes and not beer-swilling monsters. This album is OK. It's not great. It's certainly not something I'd include in list of must-listens, but it's OK. One thing I will suggest though, is to go off and find the video of Robbie Williams on stage with Tom Jones at the 1998 Brit Awards. Williams is trying so very hard, bless him. He's doing well. The crowd are enjoying him. It's good. And then he introduces Tom Jones and the crowd goes FUCKING NUTS. Jones outclasses him effortlessly in every possible way. It's so cute to watch Williams strut around trying to get himself noticed while Jones has the crowd eating from the palm of his hand. Can't recommend it enough!

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.

Wholly generic and uninteresting, but also inoffensive. Not one single piece of this album was memorable with the exception of the "secret track" which I actually quite enjoyed, where was that pithy delivery and irreverent tone for the rest of the album?? Best tracks: 'Hello Sir' and I guess Killing Me

I paused listening to these albums for a few weeks and on Monday of this week I got an email saying "you will get top rated albums this whole week if you reactivate your project today" so I reactivated. Then today (Saturday) I get this shit. WTF.

Musically tight, but also lyrically fairly interesting. A lot of the pop music in this period, with all the boy bands, seems to get a bad rap, and rightfully so, but this stands apart as far more compelling and not nearly as insipid.

A couple semi-catchy songs here, but yeah... Mostly just bland Brit-pop type stuff. Probably not worth revisiting.

This album had a nice level of energy and variety of songs. It was easy to listen to. The later tracks were more interesting than the earlier ones. But it seemed very generic. Sometimes I felt that this could be the modern version of The Monkeys or The Partridge Family with a new sound every week to go with the episode story line. Other times it seemed as if Williams clipped his favorite sounds and riffs from other musicians and used them as the basis for his own songs. I’d listen to it again but there is plenty of similar music that has to compete with for my time.

Really good album that I have never heard of.

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!

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!

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.

As a fellow Valiant and Stokie I should like him, but his music's not for me. A couple of well written sings

Came in to this determined to overturn my long held contempt for Robbie Williams and this album. Couldn't. It's a mixture of dullness, and shit rhymes.

Ok. Wanted to dislike this but tbh its ok. It is, as they say, a bit "full of itself". The Oasis influence is clear. He comes across as a bit needy especially in the lyrics. Having said that there are some decent tunes and Angels is pretty timeless. Just take the 3 and piss off

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.

I played the heck out of this album when I was at school. Angels, Let Me Entertain You, and Old Before I Die are classic 90s singles and the rest is as you would expect for former boy band cheeky chappie britpop. It's dated now but still an unchallenging and enjoyable listen. Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: Angels Date listened: 24/11/22

Funny to think that 'Angels' rescued this album. Actually, it rescued Mr Williams' career, even before it had begun.

Shallow pop produced with an obviously large budget is still shallow pop music.

UK 90s hit parade pop is non-comparable with the decade before, and this is another "late" album that seems to be selected on basis of sale numbers. At its best moments the albums it sounds like an Elton John record but even a bit more sentimental. That could be nice though, but the songs themselves are just not so memorable.

Not horrible just uninspiring

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

I don't feel like this has earned a place on the list.

1996: ex-member of boy band Take That is seen partying with Oasis 1997: he releases Life Thru A Lens, a pop rock britpop album that sounds a lot like Oasis' hit album (What's the Story) Morning Glory? from just two years ago. I am not bold enough to claim that Robbie Williams ripped off Oasis, but it would be no coincidence that he was likely recording these songs as he was rubbing shoulders with the UK's biggest band after their biggest album broke records. If we are to include Robbie Williams in the britpop picture, he is an afterthought. Maybe there's something to be said about the single Angels, but I would hesitate to give him credit based off that song alone. For the record, I don't think Life Thru A Lens is a bad album. It's just so uninteresting and reminds me other music I would prefer to listen to. Robbie Williams is not a great songwriter. Producer Guy Chambers works with what he's given and does a pretty good job making them sound fit for general audiences. I don't think it deserves much more praise beyond that. That album art rules though.

Ok

Kind of superficial I think? Didn't resonate with me

topical 90's UK pop hits

Ill never listen again but it was a'ight

Solid 90's adult contemporary pop

Fun poppy and occasionally alt rocky. Fine album.

Very enjoyable, very unoriginal

This is a boring album. The music felt like royalty free music that you would find in like a movie or something. I was not feeling anything from this album. Favorite song: Older before I die Worst song: Baby girl window

Nah, mate. The songwriting is boring and the performances are lazy. I can only imagine this dude is even a thing because the ladies think he's right fit. There are too many great bands from the UK for me to believe that the Brits like their music as boring as their food. And this is bland as hell. Hard pass.

This is decent 90's brit pop. It's fun to listen to, but I'm not sure there's a song here to call out.

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Angels, One of good’s better place, Let me entertain you

Meh.

Alright. Some decent tunes and one very good. Just heavily produced with little end product.

didnt resonate with me a ton very British, very oasis inspired 2.5

That was a pleasant album. 3.5*.

Maybe this had appeal in 1997, but for the life of me, I cannot see it. It's pretty shallow pop. I don't know much about Williams and I've never heard of Take That, but this album (what I could actually hear of it given that half of it isn't actually on Spotify) mostly seemed like a guy trying to find his voice on his own with mixed results. Stylistically, it's literally all over the place, and none of it feels genuine. Angels has almost 400 million plays on Spotify, but I've literally never heard that song in my life. Maybe he just didn't make the jump across the pond? Standouts: Old Before I Die, I guess

Oasis but much better. Has a touch of pop punk.

7,5/10

Didn't mind it. Probably would not listen again but I like the hits.

This was fine pop music, nothing special to me.

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.

This is ok britpop. Trying to be Oasis without that level of talent. I also hear a little Elton John influence thrown in. Don't know why it deserves to be on this list. Nothing special about it

Fine. Not much to say about this except I assume it was big in England?

fuckin hell m8, pour a glass oot for oor gar'barlow whose bin absilutily forgoten by this shity list for a two bit mug lit bobbi williums let me entirtain you? nah mate, pyure angliphyle pish

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’.

Prime holiday advert music, primary school disco vibes, yesterday's was middle aged man music and today's is middle aged woman music, can't say I did have a particularly "jolly good time". Album was consistent so I'll give it that, also a nice balance of upbeat pop and sad ballads. (I appreciate that he's a good singer, but at times it did sound as if someone had his testicles in a vice)

Reeks of “take me seriously now that I’m no longer a part of Take That”. Saying that, it’s actually a pretty good album. Still won’t take him seriously though.

A bit soft pop rock in places.. But still some nicely written songs.

It was so so

Minus two for making milquetoast whisper pop. Minus one for being an insufferable douchebag. Best track: Baby Girl Window

NBz No PL adds. No jive.

I liked this

There's a few really strong tracks like 'Old before I die' and 'Lazy Days', crowd pleasers like 'Let me entertain you' (which I quite like) and 'Angels' (which I hate). So a mixed bag overall but on the whole not bad.

Absolutely destroyed the indie sound at the 90s with his cod psycho babble. I hated this them I hate it now. Interestingly though the only thing I could engage with and that felt as if it meant something was a hidden track where he has a go at hos old teacher. Enjoyed that so saved it from a 1 still arse crumpets though.

Really, really awful.

Meh. Pop bangers, but not my thing. Good sing along tunes.

This was played to death by mates during my Uni days. As far as 90s pop albums go, this is fine, consistent and well produced. Although the real talent of the album was co-writer/producer Guy Chambers.

Very much a pop album, but not formulated. I love his Live 8 performance. This was my introduction to Robbie Williams. I like the songs I knew. I did enjoy his use of vocabulary and the way he developed a lyric.

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

Feels like an adult alternative album. Very easy listening.

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.

3/5 Pretty good. Nothing amazing but enjoyed it.

Angles is one great song. The rest is very good. I'd like to hear this more often!

4/10. Not only was this album rather mediocre, it wasn't on Spotify so now YouTube will think I like this crap