Part of the thrill of purchasing my new car was following my uncle's example and also getting a new album, to be the first thing played on my new stereo. My choice? Robbie Williams' latest offering, Reality Killed the Video Star (clever title, nes pas?)
Williams' albums can generally be sorted into four categories: experimental mixes (The Ego Has Landed, Sing When You're Winning, Escapology), booty shaking club tracks (Rudebox), downers (Intensive Care) and records where he's clearly trying to be Frank Sinatra (Swing When You're Winning). Reality would fall somewhere in the first category, as most of his albums do. Some songs you can dance to, some you can't, but all have their own charms and messages. Really, those types of albums are Williams' strong suits, when he can just cut loose and write whatever the heck he feels like, and I got the impression here that he's feeling a little thoughtful right now, perhaps due to his recent bout with rehab for prescription drugs.
One thing that caught my attention with this particular album was that Trevor Horn had a hand in this. He's well known in the music industry for many, many things. For me though, he will always be the man who produced one of my favorite albums; ABC's The Lexicon of Love. Mr. Horn's presence can be felt quite prominently on Reality in the sweeping violins and other grandiose musical additions thrown into Williams' tracks.
The first single, "Bodies", is by far my favorite song here. I'm still not entirely sure what it's about...it seems to be a mix of body image angst and spiritual crisis. But it's got a sense of urgency about it that's hard to miss or resist. The second single, "You Know Me", is a light, lovelorn song which, and I'm not sure why, somehow seems to involve rabbits. "Starstruck", "Blasphemy" and "Difficult for Weirdos" are all tracks I'd recommend, but the album is good as a whole.
My Verdict: A great record that'll make you think and make you dance. Now Robbie, PLEASE come and play in Toronto! Don't make me come over there.
i would love to hear the whole album. Right now, Bodies is one of my favourite songs.
ReplyDelete