Customer Reviews

Sing When You're Winning

5 star:		(75)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

"Sing when you're winning" is a beautiful album indeed. It shows a more mature Robbie, moving on from his past in Take That. Here's a breakdown of each individual song:

Let Love Be Your Energy: A great upbeat song that shows us that Robbie really can sing hard. It sends a great message and is great to play loudly while driving in your car with the windows down!

Better Man: A nice slow song. Robbie humbily admitting his shortcomings in life. Beautiful.

Rock DJ: Simply amazing dancy disco-y tune.

Supreme: A great number with some beautiful strings done to the melody of "I Will Survive." The words are different, with a very powerful chorus.

Kids: A duet with Kylie Minogue. Probably my favorite song on the CD. Another upbeat song with a very strong chorus.

If it's Hurting You: A nice and slow song with some country sounds to it.

Singing for the Lonely: Nice medium paced acustic ballad.

Love Calling Earth: Nice slow piano song with keyboards.

Knutsford City Limits: Good up-tempo song with a strong chorus.

Forever Texas: Awesome guitar song with hilarious lyrics that make fun of Texas hicks!

By All Means Necessary: Another pretty slow song.

The Road to Mandalay: A WONDERFUL closer. Kind of an acustic guitar British folk song. It'll have you going "buh buh buh ba ba ba ba baaaaah" in your head long after you listen to it.

I really didn't dig Robbie Williams' music when I first heard him back in '98, '99. When I heard that he used to be in the boy group Take That, I really didn't want to hear what he was singing at the time. You heard one pop artist you heard them all right? Wrong! Robbie Williams is not your typical pop artist and never will be. Categorizing him with every other cheeseball known as boy groups and solo pop artists (i.e Ricky Martin) out there would be a crime against humanity. It took me awhile to get into The Ego Has Landed" but when "Sing When You're Winning" came out I immediately bought the cd on the day it was released here in the US.

"Sing When You're Winning" is a infectious blend of pop and rock. The lyrics for the most part are tongue in cheek for example "Kids", Robbie's duet with Kylie Minogue, another huge pop star overseas but not here in the US. "Better Man" is a lovely ballad that picks up where "Angels" left off. "Rock DJ" is a fun, catchy little number that I love to turn the volume up on the radio. "Supreme" uses a sampled bit of the eternal disco classic "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor. On the US version of "Sing When You're Winning", there is a video clip to "Rock DJ" which is probably a bit too explicit for MTV/VH1 to show (although I did see it once on MTV2). I must say that it was both funny and gross at the same time but only Robbie can pull off a video like that.

Why Robbie Williams isn't huge here as he is in Europe is beyond me. His music is obviously not being exploited to the masses here. Then again maybe people just don't have the sense of humor to understand songs like "Kids" and "Rock DJ". Either way, the US is missing out on a terrific artist.

Recently, David Bowie slagged Robbie Williams as "cruise ship pop." Coming from a man whose best selling album was Nile Rodgers-produced dance pop, Ziggy Stardust notwithstanding, I think I may want to take a cruise in the near future.

It's easy to call Robbie Williams the British male version of Britney Spears--after all, he sells bazillions of albums to screaming teenage girls, appears scantily clad on the covers of magazines, and even has that all-important Pepsi endorsement. But one listen to "Sing When You're Winning" quickly dispels the notion of Williams as a media-driven pop tart. This is a genuinely fun CD to listen to, with flashes of cheeky humor, infectious beats, interesting lyrics (written by Williams), and--gasp!--real instruments. "Rock DJ," which received some US airplay and some raised eyebrows over its ... um, stripped-down video, is a solid dance tune which again proves that any song that lifts the bass line from Barry White's classic "It's Ecstasy (When You Lay Down Next To Me)" is a good one. "Kids" has an awesome groove, and it's the first song that I've heard Kylie Minogue on that didn't make me want to slit my wrists immediately afterwards. There isn't one bad song on this album, from the near-country rock of "Forever Texas" to the poignant "If It's Hurting You" to the rousing "Let Love Be Your Energy." Williams has been compared to George Michael, but isn't nearly as outwardly consumed with respectability--he's a born performer with a sense of humor, and it shines through.

This CD was intended to be Williams' big Stateside break, and while it sold respectably (800,000 copies) it was by no means a monster, which is a shame. Even if you're not a big pop fan, you'll find a lot to like about "Sing When You're Winning." Do it for the kids!

Although not as instantly accessible as his last two albums, SWYW is definately a grower. His first album in the US was criminally ignored, with the sugar-pop artists dominating the charts. If you ever get a chance to see him live, you really can't miss it. He's a born entertainer

Here's the lowdown on the greatest pop album of the year:-

1. Let Love Be Your Energy - A very good song, gets better the more you hear it.

2. Better Man - A corker of a track (SWYW's 'Angels'), my joint favourite with 'Supreme'.

3. Rock DJ - You've probably heard this already, a good party track.

4. Supreme - My joint favourite, the way Robbie incorporates 'I Will Survive ' and the Rocky theme is genious. Absolutely fantastic lyrics.

5. Kids - This duet with Kylie Minogue takes time to grow on you but is very good. Robbie sings in a very high pitch, but it adds to the song, with the lines:-

Kylie "Come down from the ceiling" Robbie "I didn't mean to get so high"

This is the second track to be released as a single in the UK, complete with another great video.

6. If It's Hurting You - A bit too slow for me. A filler.

7. Singing For The Lonely - A great track, a bit different.

8. Love Calling Earth - Again really different, but a very good track.

9. Knutsford City Limits - Pure pop and a very good song. A personal song, he talks about his Northern roots.

10. Forever Texas - Pretty Catchy with good lyrics.

11. By All Means Necessary - Never really gets going, but some good lines.

12. The Road To Mandalay - Starts off slow but turns into a really catchy song. Forward this track for around 28mins for something hilarious

You really do have to get this album as well as his previous two (or one if you're in the US).

Robbie Williams has always been one to not follow the rest of the pop crowd with his individualistic music. Each of the 12 tracks he has written on this album are superb! This is pop at it's finest!

1. Let Love Be Your Energy - Great way to start off his album. It has a rock vibe to it that really kicks into gear in the chorus! A treat for the ears! (5/5)
2. Better Man - I think this is without a doubt one of his best ballads. The lyrics are so touching ("Rest assured my angels/ Will catch my tears/ Walk me out of here/ I'm in pain") you can't help but listening to this to relax. (6/5)
3. Rock DJ - An interesting song with an even more interesting video to boot. Again, has a rock vibe to it with some of the most infectious lyrics to make a killer track! His first tracks on this album are definately his strongest! (5/5)
4. Supreme - My 2nd favorite song on this album! Instead of following another rock song pattern, he turns to a more darker pop song. Sounds like it has a night time vibe to it. Great job, Robbie! (6/5)
5. Kids - MY FAVORITE SONG! It's so weird considering Kylie is known for her dance songs, but she does even better with Robbie on this rock type song! The chorus is definately the highlight of this song! Guitar driven beats and great vocals! (6/5)
6. If It's Hurting You - This is an ok song. His first five songs on the album are his best. It's a little too slow compared to his other songs. (3/5)
7. Singing For the Lonely - An uplifting song that starts off slow, but soon kicks into gear with some great guitars and drums. It sounds simplistic, but it works with this song and his great vocals. (5/5)
8. Love Calling Earth - Wow! This song is so soothing! It's a slower ballad but it is great nonetheless. Robbie really knows when to throw in all the music instruments or let his voice just do the work. Just plain awesome! (5/5)
9. Knutsford City Limits - Robbie kicks the album back into gear with another great rock tune. Has some great lyrics too! (When the meter ran out on life/ I used my tokens lady) Fantastic (4/5)
10. Forever Texas - When I saw the title of the song, I thought it was going to be some lame country song and boy was I wrong! This is another great rock song! (4/5)
11. By All Means Necessary - Another great slow song with some rather depressing lyrics. I am still dumbfounded by the lyrics, as I am guessing it has something to do with a girl just sleeping around with a lot of people based on what they have or something? LoL either way. Something to listen to. (5/5)
12. The Road to Mandalay - This song sounds a little weird at first, but takes a while to grow on you. Kinda sung in some storytelling fashion. Very interesting. (4/5)

As you can see by most of my reviews (Shawn Desman, A-Teens, etc.) The United States misses out on several opportunities to pass the pop torch to more deserving artists rather than simply giving it to mediocre performers. If you liked this, you should check out his even more emotional, Escapology!

Robbie Williams is too often categorized along the same lines of the "boy bands" and fluff that dominate the airwaves today, but he is far above and beyond them. Let's see ... more intelligent lyrics (oh, and he writes his own songs!) and just plain great music. Sing While You're Winning is as good if not better than The Ego Has Landed, and "Rock DJ" is the most infectuous and catchy song I've heard in a long time. (Check out the video on the enhanced cd - it's classic.) RW manages to move impressively between the touching ballads like "If It's Hurting You" and "Better Man" to the rocking tracks like "Rock DJ" and "Let Love Be Your Energy." This guy is talented, and I hope we hear a lot more from him in the future.

This is not Robbie Williams' first solo CD, nor his latest, but it is arguably his best. Full of straight-ahead, at times derivative-sounding pop tunes, it typically echoes the clever writing and extraordinary vocal versatility of the Brit entertainment phenom. But unlike his earlier efforts that were, with only a very few notable exceptions such as "Angels" and "Millennium," unsophisticated, rudimentary, or chaotic, most of the songs on this album reveal a maturity in composition. Together, Williams and his collaborator, Guy Chambers, have breached the abyss. The lyrical statements, bleeding with the now-familiar, classic Robbie conflicts, are not just entertaining but clear, the musical motifs likewise pronounced. "If you're looking to change the world, 'Let Love Be Your Energy'" barks the startling presence of the first selection, followed by a plaintive "Lord I'm doing all I can to be a 'Better Man,'" then the smash single, disco-techy, bass throbbing "Rock DJ," the I Will Survive-sound-alike "Supreme" in which Williams forlornly though eloquently wails, "Oo-h-h, seems like forever stopped today . . ." and more. The duet with Kylie Minogue on the danceable "Kids" ends with Williams rapping at his self-promoting, but irresistibly, cheeky best: "I'm an Honorary Sean Connery, born '74, There's only one of me, single-handedly raising the economy . . ." A balance and congruity is present here that is simply absent from much of his previous and, sadly, later work. The music shouts that Robbie Williams is aware he's arrived. The stars may not all be aligned, but he recognizes that his firmly-staked (at turns self-doubting)claim has been acknowledged. There are indeed two or three weaker selections ("Forever Texas" one), but they do not detract from the overall triumph that has been achieved. This is still feel-good pop, but it is well-measured and honed, transcending the now- and- again contrived character. To hear it once beckons a second and a third and . . . "Ca-mon!! I Don't Wanna Ro-ock . . ."

I purchased "The Ego has Landed" on the advice of a Brittish friend, and was shocked to discover that it had not left my cd player for the past year and a half.

So naturally I found myself quite eager for the new albumn. And I was not dissapointed. It's stunning origional pop, washed down with well, the voice that you would expect from a boyband member who's done more than his share of things in the growing up process. Kind of like gin over gravel.

One of the great appeals of Sing When Your Winning is that it is pop for adults. I'm 24. Which may not be old in the cosmic sense, but is old enough that I seek some depth with my music.

Robbie Williams manages to have soul, heart, and a wicked sense of humor, all placed into one nice tidy package.

Buy this. You won't be disappointed.

E.

I can't say enough great things about this album. I must admit that I am a latecomer to Robbie's music, as I have only been listening to him for the past four years. However, better late than never! I have come to love Robbie's cheekiness and his often sarcastic remarks on what it's like to be famous. This album is fun, both lyrically and musically, and I want everyone to listen to it! Some standout tracks include "Let Love Be Your Energy," "Supreme," "Kids," "If It's Hurting You," and "The Road to Mandalay." I would also recommend purchasing the DVD of Robbie's live performance at Knebworth in the summer of 2003 - a spectacular show that will certainly go down in his career history!

Everything that we have been missing in the US in terms of music is right here. While we have virtually abandoned all the other genres that used to peacefully coexist with one and other on the airwaves a decade ago and perhaps have been wondering where they all went well, all I can say is that as usual Europe's been keeping the best stuff for themselves and we have been fools not to come looking for it yet. Robbie Williams is just one (and perhaps one of the best one's this year) of many examples of what the US is missing in terms of great dance and pop music. This is probably the first album that I have purchased in years where I feel I really got my monnies worth. I can honestly say that there isn't a bad or a weak trak on the album. It is full of all the intelligence and humor and fun and energy that music is meant to have and an album I would recommend to anyone. I find myself listening to Robbie Williams more now than I do any of the other albums I have in my collection - it's just a great album.