Customer Reviews

Reality Killed the Video Star

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've actually had this album for a couple of weeks before the release date, so I'm completely immersed in it and ready to review it. By far, this is his best offering since Escapology. Intensive Care, while good, was a bit monotonous and slightly generic (although there were some outstanding tracks like Sin Sin Sin and Spread Your Wings). Rudebox was...well, I'm not exactly sure what Rudebox was. I actually liked that album, but it seemed odd that it was only released a year after Intensive Care, and the direction of the music caught everyone off guard. That said, tracks like "Lovelight", "Kiss Me", "Burslem Normals", etc. were really good.

So now, after a VERY long 3 year absence, Robbie has released Reality Killed The Video Star. The music is so good, I almost want more (speaking of which, WHERE are the b-sides??).

The album starts with "Morning Sun". This one was a grower for me. Supposedly, this is the song that was written about Michael Jackson. The song is a nice intro, and is very lush and grand. Actually, this one could have fit nicely into Intensive Care. (8/10) "Bodies" is up next, and I have to say, I like this song a lot more within the context of listening to the entire album. I wasn't crazy about it when I first heard it but now I love it. (9/10).

The third track is "You Know Me", which is the second single. While not the best song on the album, I can see why they chose this as the next single, with it's 1950's vibe, majestic piano, bells, and 'shoo-bee-doo bop-bop' background vocals, the song is bound to do well during the Christmas season. (8/10) Next up is "Blasphemy". This was another grower for me. It's a bit simple in the beginning but evolves into a warm, cinematic song. It's actually quite beautiful. (8.5/10)

Track 5 is "Do You Mind", and at first listen, this one might sound like filler, very similar to "A Place To Crash" from Intensive Care, complete with a Ba-Bab Ba-Dum guitar riff, but as soon as the bridge and chorus kick in, this one will be stuck in your head all day, It's very catch (8/10) "Last Days Of Disco" is the first of 2 electronic-inspired songs on the album. This one is very similar to "In And Out Of Love" (an unreleased song from circa 2007/2008), except a little darker. I like this one. (7.5/10)

"Somewhere" comes out of nowhere as a 1-minute interlude that ends right before you know what just happened. At first I didn't know what to think of it, but it's actually gown on me and i almost wish it was slightly longer (7/10)

Next up are my 2 favorite songs on the album, which have BOTH already cemented themselves in my top 10 Robbie Songs ever. Now THAT'S an accomplishment. "Deceptacon" is just plain gorgeous. If "Angels", "Love Calling Earth" and "Eternity" had a love orgy and had a baby, this would be it. The music is beautiful and the lyrics and mysterious. I love this track. I listen to it over and over. It might not be accessible for radio, but this track alone was worth the wait for this album for me. (10/10). "Starstruck" follows, and the beginning sounds like something that would play when you die and step into paradise. It's a very soulful pop track, similar to something George Michael would have recorded in the mid 90's. The "ready, steady go, everybody famous" lyric is probably the catchiest line in the whole album. This HAS to be the third single. (10/10)

"Difficult For Weirdos" is the second of the electronic-inspired tracks, and this one is the better of the two. This one is very similar to "Kiss Me" from Rudebox. Very dancey and addictive. I love it. (9/10)

Upon the first 2 listens of the whole album, "Superblind" was one of the least memorable. Not because it's bad by any means, maybe because it's towards the end and following 3 stellar tracks is a difficult task. But it's a nice, lovely song. Similar to "Love Calling Earth" from Sing When You're Winning, but a little more acoustic. (7.5/10)

"Won't Do That" is a nice closer. it's a slightly mid temp track, nothing spectacular but it's a nice sing-along track. (7.5/10)

I was really in need of some new Robbie music, and BOY did he ever deliver. I give it up to that man for being able to repeatedly make truly great pop music. Now the only thing I ask again, is Robbie: please release some b-sides from this project! If the album tracks are this good, the b-sides must be nice as well.

This album is immense! I seriously can't get over the lyrics, although it took me about a week of listening it to it to fully understand them, cause of their subtbtly and creativness. Robbie is just on top of his game with this release.
This one of my favorite albums in a long time!

I wish i could just sit here and quote this phenomenal album, but i wouldn't even know where to start, there are so many cool lines and beautiful harmonies in wich they are sung.

My favorite songs are "The Last Days Of Disco", "You Know Me", "Won't Do That To You", the STELLAR "Difficult For Weirdos", "Deceptacon" "Starstruck" Basically Every Song!!

I'm very impressed with Robbie, I will be listening to this album for Many years to come!

Overall Rating 10/10

Great Job Robbie!! and Thank You so much for delivering us True Music. I respect you so much for that.

Get this album people!!

I truly enjoy this album, but I have to say I was disappointed to find out that the Bodies track is censored. This was NOT disclosed by Amazon, and I would have not purchased this version of the album had I known about it. It seems this is happening more often (same thing happened w/ a Lady GaGa cd I was going to buy, but thankfully a reviewer posted that several songs are censored - and again, there was no warning about this from Amazon). So beware! If you don't want a censored version of Bodies, don't buy!

In the wake of the 2006 "Rudebox" disaster, some serious re-branding of the Robbie Williams name was in order. Not only had the album sold poorly, but its forays into electro and rap (adventurous and brave, but probably misguided) had alienated a large portion of Robbie's very large audience.

So is 'Reality Killed the Video Star' simply an exercise in damage control? To some extent, yes.

Producer Trevor Horn has added his trademark orchestral sweep and polish to this album, giving it a focused and coherent feel. It sounds like a very professional record by a maturing pop star, which was probably the overall goal. In that respect, the album is a success.

The standout track is of course the one co-written with Guy Chambers ("Blasphemy"). It is a sweeping, epic piece, approaching the realm of art song. Many fans still mourn the Williams/Chambers split, and certainly Robbie's music has never really recovered, although several tracks on 'Reality' do make a valiant attempt to restore the glory days.

Robbie can certainly sing a ballad better than almost any other current pop star, as evidenced by the uniformly strong "Morning Sun", "Superblind", and Deceptacon". The trailer single "Bodies" sounds big and bold, and in that sense it does its job at projecting Robbie as Superstar (although lyrically the song is oblique at best). "Last Days of Disco" and "Difficult for Weirdos" echo the 'Rudebox' electro sound (although with more commercial appeal), and the catchy single "You Know Me" and standout singalong "Do You Mind" recall the humor and cheekiness of the classic Robbie albums. The mini-track "Somewhere" is a perfect little gem, and the penultimate track "Won't Do That" is classic Robbie, complete with a killer horn section.

This album will no doubt restore at least some of the good will that was lost during the 'Rudebox' period, and it is a well-produced and entertaining adult pop album. But it is becoming increasingly clear that the era of truly classic Robbie songs is probably largely in the past. After all, he is no longer the cheeky lad from Stoke-on-Trent; he is a megastar and a huge brand name, but without the songwriter that helped propel him to stardom.

Although he is exceptionally talented and will no doubt have continued success in his future musical endeavors, for now the Video Star is facing some Reality of his own as he re-joins his old bandmates in Take That (one wonders for how long) and begins a new phase in his career.

This album is excellent, The wait was worth every single second. I Love this album so much, and I adore Robbie with all my heart.

I can seriously quote this album for days, the lyrics are just completley witty, passionate, smart, raw and amazing. Robbie's voice also sounds amazing.

This album is a must buy! Robbie Williams ROCKS!!! Reality Killed The Video Star is a KNOCKOUT album

It was extremely hard to choose my Top 5 cause every song truly deserves to be on the list.
but here are My Absolute Favorites

1. Difficult For Weirdos
2. You Know Me
3. Deceptacon
4. Blasphemy
5. Superblind

Keep doing your thing Robbie cause you're the best!!

I've been a RW fan since I first "Angels" back in the day. "Millennuim" blew my mind and those two songs together sold me as a life-long fan.
Robbie's music brings something unique everytime he drops a new single or album. His lyrcis are always catchy, yet they do reveal much about the man.
REALITY KILLED THE VIDEO STAR continues the trend. "Morning Sun" is just lush and very Beatlesesque. The second verse is a total plea to MJ. Letting him know that he wasn't alone. It's very nice. "Bodies" is a great pop/rock track. I view it as a look into Robbie varied history. "You Know Me" is just brilliant! It's like nothing he's done before. The 3/4 beats make it an instant classic! "Blasphemy" is ok. It was nice to see the "Williams/Chambers" writing team again, even if it is an old track that was brought to lide by the amazing Trevor Horn. "Do You Mind" is a great little rock piece. My favorite line being "You teach like a toothache." We've all had to learn the hard, haven't we! "Last Days of Disco" is ok too. Nothing grand, but it fits well. "Somewhere" is just perfect as an interlude. Some songs you wish were longer or more developed. That's not the case with "Somewhere". It's just spot on. "Deceptacon" is probably my favorite tune. Another RW ballad with so much emotion and excellent lyrics. "Starstruck" is hard for me to listen to. I used to love George Michael from his Wham! days through OLDER and then I kind of lost interest. This song reminds me so much of the George I grew up listening to. "Difficult for Weirdos" is killer! I can still feel the PSB vibe in Robbie. I love the lyrics and the meaning. Everyone knows what it's like to be a "weirdo" in their own mind. I really like "Superblind". My favorite lyric being "All you are is colors and your colors run." Really smart. "Won't Do That" reminds me of Robbie telling the love of his life that he's ready to stop singing and performing and then realizing how much he loves what he does and tells the fans "I won't do that to you". "Morning Sun Reprise" just caps off the project perfectly. Great piece of work all the way through!

Robbie Williams, by far Great Britain's biggest pop sensation ever, makes a return to the music scene after a 3-year hiatus with Reality Killed the Video Star. Inspired by the famous 80's song "Video Killed the Radio Star", Reality is an all-round excellent pop album, not Robbie's best of the best, but way better than the forgettable Intensive Care and the weird Rudebox (however, I did enjoy the title track off the latter). The last album I reviewed for Robbie was 2002's Escapology. That album recieved a hands-down 5 star rating. I must say I'm pleased and excited to have Robbie back doing what he does best, and this album brings back the energy, and a little more, that were on his albums from the 1997-2002 era. Some reviewers were keen on labeling Reality as Robbie's most mature album, I don't see how I can disagree with that.

The album includes some outstanding tracks that will easily find their way onto the next Greatest Hits compilation: the first single Bodies, where it seems that Robbie is denouncing Christianity, "Jesus didn't die for you....what are you on?", but delivers a hard-punch pop/dance song with a mindblowing chorus; the most 80's sounding song that's been released by any artist post-1990 Last Days of Disco; the Pet Shop Boys influenced electronic dance kicker Difficult for Weirdos (the 3 songs I've mentioned so far fall under the electronic dance category where Robbie continues where Rudebox ended, but with better results), the irresistable doo-wop ballad and current single You Know Me, which finds Robbie re-discovering the charm that made people love him in the first place; the experimental and fascinating Deceptacon; the deceptively brilliant Blasphemy, which features some of the best lyrics on the album; the rock edged party starter Do You Mind?; the mellow glam rock/George Michael inspired Starstruck, an alluring song about the public's obsession with celebrities; and the album opening, Michael Jackson tribute number Morning Sun, which sounds semi-epical with the string orchestration. Other tracks that may sound ambitious but in my opinion fall short include the Take That sounding pop/rock ballad Won't Do That, a song written for his girlfriend Ayda Field, and the short and unnecessary Somewhere. There's also the bonus track, another electronic dance number titled Arizona, which sounds cool but isn't the best album closer. However, incontrast with one of the lyrics in Blasphemy, "No singles, just fillers", Reality Killed the Video Star is obviously an album with too many potential singles and too little fillers. The ego has landed again!

Recommended

A-

Track picks:

Morning Sun
Bodies
You Know Me
Blasphemy
Do You Mind?
Last Days of Disco
Deceptacon
Starstruck
Difficult for Weirdos

I'm a rather devout Robbie Williams fan, having all of his albums, in both british and american form, most b-sides, compilation albums, and even the hard to find "faith" single no one cares about. I'm a great fan of the way he merges the old school swagger of the Frank Sinatra days with modern pop sensibilities. So I was a bit surprised that he took a step back in sound with his new album. After Intensive Care and Rudebox, I expected something more experimental again, but was instead given an album that sounds like it could have come out during the escapology days. Now this isn't a bad thing. His highest selling albums and creative peak was at this time, so it should plese most fans. That's not to say he doesn't do some experimental things (one of his songs is a doowop number that sounds out of the 50s), just that a number of more traditional, safe if you will, songs fill the album.

But this isn't a bad thing. Experimental is good, it keeps the artist on their toes, and gives the fans a break from what their used to, so when a return to form is made, it is all the more appreciated. In his attempt to return to form, Robbie succeeds. The songs are well written, catchy, and belong next to his better catalog. If you are a fan of Robbie Williams, but was disapointed by his veer into electronicia, you'll be happy with this album. Recomended.

Robbie Williams is back true to form with a welcome gift to all his die hard fans. After ESCAPOLOGY there was a slight confusion in his last two releases like INTENSIVE CARE but it was also known that there were many troubles occuring in his personal life at the same time. Many critics put what looked like a deterioration in quality of music to change of management and musical collaberation but as we see here that was in no way the case. His last two releases had sparks of magic but really didn't go anywhere. Robbie is a true artist and obviously the troubles in his life affected his musical gifts.

Now he has aged, is in recovery and has brought us a newer sound that mixes parts from throughout his whole career. His first solo albums were gifted with one after another track that was of hit quality like ANGELS, LAZY DAYS, NO REGRETS and KIDS. This set is more mature and not written as a hit set ready for single after single but is more a cohesive set of quality music that flows together from beginning to end with the unique brand and style that can only be Robbie Williams. And the artistry is immense. He came up with some amazing melodic tracks here that are very emotional without being too popish like MORNING SUN, YOU KNOW ME, and DECEPTACON. LAST DAYS OF DISCO is techno Robbie and he assuredly reminds us "don't call this a comeback."

To me BLASPHEMY and DO YOU MIND, which are both very different styles, are in the style of Robbie's best work like ANGELS. And the uptempo ballad WON'T DO THAT is performed with a very assured strength that leaves no doubt Robbie Williams is here in full form. Amazing vocals, amazing song and a soaring positive message. This cd is one you must play over a couple of times but believe me, it's magic will certainly grow on you.

Robbie's talent is undeniable! He always manages to include powerful material in his albums and he definetely knows how to make a difference.
But this time, I think Robbie brings out his most mature and artistic album of his discography. In contrast to some of his previous albums, this one manages to be impressive without trying too hard to impress. The whole production and orchestrations are unique and sometimes so elegant, leading the songs to take off to another level of quality. The album flows effortlessly from beginning to end, as a solid and certainly addictive piece of work. I ordered it from amazon among many other cds and new releases, and since then Robbie's new album is playing repeatedly on my player. It's hard for me to point out any favourite songs, as average moments have no place on this album.
A wonderful body of work, true oasis for the ears, this album is highly recommended. Great done Robbie!