Disco de Robbie Williams: “Rudebox [UK Bonus DVD]”

The crossover is over, and Robbie Williams has returned to his roots with this album. It may take repeated listening to get into it, as it's full of Eurodance and Britpop tracks, and sounds more like the Pet Shop Boys (who produce two of the tracks), than the Robbie Williams of the last few albums.

First single "Rudebox" is produced by Soul Mekanik, and is a fun dance track that sets the tone for the album. Soul Mekanik also produce two other tracks, including another good electro-dance track "Never Touch That Switch" where Robbie sings lyrics like "there's a schism in the time mechanism".

Second single "Lovelight" is a track where he covers the Lewis Taylor original and sings in falsetto, and is followed by the outrageously funny cover of Manu Chao's "Bongo Bong" (or King of the Bongo) in "Bongo Bong/Je Ne T'Aime Plus". The two Pet Shop Boys tracks are "She's Madonna" which is a tribute to the always controversial singer, and "We're the Pet Shop Boys" which you won't be able to differentiate from a PSB original.

Other tracks are produced by Mark Ronson, Jerry Meehan, William Orbit, and others, and include a cover of "Louise" by Human League. I thought he could have done a bit more with "The 80s" and "The 90s" and was looking forward to more samples. Rapping is not his strong point, and neither is falsetto, but when he turns on his cheeky, rude, bad boy charm you can't help but like him anyway.

Amanda Richards, October 31, 2006

I've been a Robbie Williams fan since his Take That days, and ain't ashamed to say it.

He's been to hell and back, and is now one of Europe's ( and Asia's ) most beloved pop stars. ( No such luck in the US, but what do you expect when RW doesn't fit the black-blinged-out-hip-hop-artiste or angry-slash-slutty-white-female-punk-rocker mould? )

Granted, his last 2 releases ( Escapology and Intensive Care ) were less than commendable, with a string of rather forgettable tunes. But for those of us who've been eagerly awaiting the Robster's grand return since his Sing When You're Winning and Swing When You're Winning heydays, you're in for a huge treat.

His new album is full of great numbers, from the catchy opening title track, followed in quick succession by a heady couplet of an Elvis Presley homage ( Viva Life On Mars ) and the absolutely dreamy Lovelight ( my personal favourite ).

Other worthy mentions include She's Madonna, Never Touch That Switch, The 90's ( poignant rap about his troubles in Take That ), and Kiss Me ( a delightful cover of a Stephen Duffy original, with Erasure-esque camp tinged with the trademark RW cheekiness ).

Also greatly enjoyed Good Doctor, which invoked hallucinatory images from the film Trainspotting. And being a physician myself, perhaps that's the reason I found his drug name-dropping rap so hilarious.

Lovelight warrants further mention, being what I consider the best track on Rudebox. Haven't loved an RW song this much since Rock DJ, and the music video rocks! Very retro, very smooth, very psychedelic. Try blasting this in your car while speeding down a highway and I guarantee you'll find yourself belting the lyrics in no time.

Although the Asian leg of his world tour has been cancelled ( and Robbie, I hope you're getting the R&R you need ), I caught a recent concert recording ( titled Close Encounters ) on cable and have to concede that he's only gotten better with age.

This guy sounds good in the studio, but put him on stage and get ready to watch the fireworks display. Looked like the audience was at least 50,000 strong, but he got them all revved up with ease, keeping adrenaline levels high till the final encore.

Well at least I got to see him once during his Singapore gig in 2003. One of the very few times I've ever yelled myself hoarse at a concert.

I could really care less about the critics, and so should Mr Williams. This is a great album, plain and simple.

This review will be only of the DVD. You can see my review of the album itself on the page for the audio-only version of Rudebox (I will post it in a few days).

If you are expecting a package like the one you got for Intensive Care, you will be in for a surprise. You will not get a documentary on the production of Rudebox or on the motives behind the album. If that is what you are seeking, skip this and get just the album.

What you do get, however, is a great documentary that follows Rob, his best mate Jonny Wilkes, and the crew through the first part of the Close Encounters tour (the tour in support of Intensive Care). You get to see a lot of different sides of Rob experiencing a lot of different emotions leading up to various shows. You also get to see some glimpses of the actual show, though the only full performance that is presented is a live performance of Rudebox at Leeds.

There is a lot of great interaction between Rob and Jonny documented here and it is fun to see. You get a glimpse of the scope and grandeur of this extraordinary live show. You get to see a mishap or two. :-) The set looks incredible. The audiences look thoroughly engaged. It's just another example of the incredible worldwide appeal of Robbie Williams.

You don't get a documentary on the album...but get this set anyway. The music is good and the DVD is a great watch.

I've found myself liking the occasional Robbie Williams song; `Feel' and `Radio' spring to mind, but `Rudebox' is his first CD I've got, thanks to the two hit singles, the title track (an electro dance ditty with semi rapped/spoken in-a-Brit-accent lyrics), and the sublime dance track `Lovelight' (with fuzzy bassline, sprinkling of horns, and falsetto vocals).

Electro pop with a sprinkling of rap best describes it, and I must say, I was a bit wary about getting it thanks to the scathing reviews most gave it.

I love it!! Very catchy and fun music. I must not be hearing what those critics are hearing.

My favourite song is the catchy bouncy `King of the bongo' (with help from Lily Allen on the chorus and humorous cocky lyrics like `Every monkey'd like to be In my place instead of me') is a remake of Manu Chau's `Bongo bong', with a lovely horn break which segues into a delightful French ending. Other covers are Steven Duffy's `Kiss me' (dancey), and The Human League's `Louise' (soothing and mellow).

Another stand out is `The actor' which name checks some renowned actors and actresses (though it does make one smile to hear Madonna Ritchie mentioned in the same breath as Streep, Niven and Hepburn). Madonna comes up again in the soft Pet Shop Boys-esque 'She's Madonna'. `We're the Pet Shop Boys' sounds like The Pet Shop Boys circa 1980s, even name checking some of their hits, and with their trademark dreamy synth sound. Both songs were produced by the Pet Shop Boys.

`Never touch that switch' is a lovely spoken dance song with fuzzy bassline, while `Good doctor' is a hilarious tale of a trip to the doctor.

`Viva life on mars' is a country tinged dance song with distorted guitar and harmonica, while the dreamy tender `Burslem normals' is the closest thing to a ballad on the album. It's an observation of the changes in his home town over the years.

The upbeat `The 80s' and the more mellow `The 90s' are autobiographical and rapped/spoken in a brit accent (very Streets like) and chronicling his life during those periods in time.

A very good slice of Brit pop. Ok everybody, do the rudebox!!!

There is something for everyone on this CD, but that doesn't mean it is a miss-mosh by any means. Robbie perfectly conveys his feelings for each song and you get it. It has been the only CD in my car for nearly a month. I wish the American audience understood Robbie's music - they are really missing out.