Customer Reviews

Swing When You're Winning [Vinyl]

5 star:		(69)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Ever since "Millenium" was released, I've been a fan of Robbie Williams. Why he hasn't become a major star in the U.S. is a mystery - perhaps he's too complex to be easily packaged. Indeed, Robbie shows how multi-faceted he is with "Swing When You're Winning," a primo collection of American standards. Robbie's voice has always been solid, but he really gets to show off his range here. Although he doesn't have the phrasing of a Sinatra or a Tony Bennett, his personality more than fills any gaps.

Aside from Robbie's voice and charm, the record is really held together by the extraordinary instrumentation. A number of other contemporary artists have tackled the great American songbook, but they have usually opted for updated backing that ends up sounding far too glossy and vapid. In contrast, most of the songs have instrumental tracks that are similar to what you might hear on a Sinatra record, often supplied by the London Session Orchestra.

I was first attracted to this CD by the duet between Robbie and Nicole Kidman on "Somethin' Stupid." Of course, the song was originally recorded by Frank and Nancy Sinatra (#1 in 1967). Robbie and Nicole sound really good together - voices intertwining sexily; their version went to #1 for 3 weeks in the U.K. A number of other songs feature guest vocals, mostly from British stars. "Things," a duet with British star Jane Horrocks ("Little Voice"), is another highlight. Originally made a hit by Bobby Darin (#3 in 1962), the song really sparkles with lively interplay between Robbie and Jane. The two sang together previously on one of Horrock's CDs, and the chemistry is plain to see.

Other duet partners include Rupert Everett ("They Can't Take That Away from Me"), Jon Lovitz ("Well, Did You Evah"), Jonathan Wilkes ("Me and My Shadow"), and Frank Sinatra ("It Was a Very Good Year"). I don't know who Wilkes is, but the two have some playful banter at the end of the song and sound quite well paired together. The duet with Sinatra, whereby Robbie's vocals are grafted onto the original version, is fine; however, I would have preferred to hear Robbie's solo version, as I'm not a fan of duets with deceased artists.

In addition, Robbie scores on his solo tracks. One surprise is the somewhat cheesy "Mr. Bojangles," to which Robbie very effectively brings some hipness as well as sadness. In addition to "Things," Robbie covers two other songs associated with Bobby Darin - "Mack the Knife" and "Beyond the Sea," and they're both good fun. The collection only features one original song, but it's a doozy - "I Will Talk and Hollywood Will Listen." The song is told from the point of view of a Hollywood wanna-be who has big dreams of success. It's a really fantastic song, co-written by Robbie and Guy Chambers, that sounds right at home with the classics, despite its contemporary name-dropping (Cameron Diaz, Kevin Spacey).

Finally, the liner notes are excellent, with details on all players for each song. Robbie also includes fun comments about each songs. I didn't have very high expectations for this CD, but Robbie really surprises. "Swing When You're Winning" is top-notch and really does swing. Most highly recommended.

After watching Robbie's knockout treatment of "Have You Met Miss Jones"? on "Parkinson" a few weeks ago, I had to buy this CD...a fantastic effort from track 1 to 15.

The opening "I Will Talk and Hollywood Will Listen" (while a good number) does not exactly fit into the scheme of things here, but it is "Mack the Knife" that really sets the tone for the rest of the album (I only wish Bobby Darin were around to hear Robbie's swinging take on this classic, as well as "Beyond the Sea"). I must have played "Mack" several times, and each time it knocked me out!!!

The other tracks are fine, including his duets with Jon Lovitz ("Well Did You Evah"), Rupert Everett ("They Can't Take That Away from Me"), Jane Horrocks ("Things"), Francis Albert Sinatra (loved the vocal on "It Was a Very Good Year" incorporated into Sinatra's original recording with Gordon Jenkins), Jonathan Wilkes ("Me and My Shadow"), and Nicole Kidman ("Somethin' Stupid"). Thank you Robbie for doing justice to "Mr. Bojangles!"

Robbie's a recent discovery of mine (thanks to BBC America), and I have to thank young artists like him for helping keep alive the tradition on singing these great American standards. He has the support of excellent arrangements (Steve Sidwell), and knockout backing by some of Hollywood's greatest jazz musicians, many of whom backed Sinatra on record, etc. Thank God that much of this album was recorded at Frank's old stomping ground (Capitol), and engineered brilliantly by Al Schmitt.

He may be no Sinatra, Darin, Martin, etc., but I hope Robbie makes another album of this type in the near future...can't wait to get my hands on the video/DVD of his Royal Albert Hall concert.

After "Sing when you're winning" (something of a breakthrough album for him), Robbie decided to take on his riskiest project: a cover of standards from the 40s, 50s and 60s. To everyone surprise, he succeeded. The album is wonderful to listen. The hit single of the album was Somethin' Stupid (a cover of Frank and Nancy Sinatra's hit by Robbie and Nicole Kidman - yes, she can sing), but the album has a lot of other great songs - Mack the Knife, Well did you Evah (a duet with Jon Lovitz!), Mr. Bojangles, the wonderful Things (a duet with Jane Horrocks), Ain't that a Kick in the Head, They can't Take that Away from Me (a duet with Rupert Everett!), and finally, to me the best song in the album, Beyond the Sea (originally a french song, but made famous by Bobby Darin in the 1960s).

I'm pretty selective about the reviews I write - so you can be sure that when I do write one, it's worth it. Swing while you're winning is a musical dream come true. Not only do you have the styling of Robbie William's fantastic voice, but the hot sounds of the London Session Orchestra that takes us back to the era of Frank, Dean, and Sammy (to whom this album is dedicated). And there are some imaginative and near perfect duets on this album too. Nicole Kidman, Jane Horrocks (of Ab Fab's "Bubbles" and "Little Voice" fame), Rupert Everett, Jon Lovitz, and even the late Mr. Sinatra. But the "winning" doesn't end there. The tempos, the styles, and the overall sound with which each song is performed allows you to see the versatility of this music and sound, not to mention the versatility of music as a whole. Can a Brit meet, step up to the bar, sing along, and sip dry martini's with the Rat Pack? Bartender, another round!!

I bought this CD mainly on the strength of one song I heard from it, the moody and elegant "One More for the Road", which Mr. Williams does to a T.
Listening to the rest of the album, however, I was expecting him to bring something of his own to the old swing songs popularized by the likes of Sinatra and Bobby Darin. "Mac the Knife" and "The Sea" are two songs that Bobby Darin took for his own with very individualistic style and phrasing. To my disappointment, though I have always liked the Darin versions (I am old enough that those were from my era.), Mr. Williams sang them exactly the same: the same phrasing, the same little jokes thrown in (Does he have any idea who Lotte Lenya was?), even the same "Look out, old Mackie's back!". He ought to have read/heard the originals, not just the recordings by the great song stylists of another era. Paying tribute to a singer one admires is one thing, copying his exact way of singing--no matter how well one does it--is quite another.
I WILL listen to this album. Mr. Williams does sing well, and the phrases he imitates were good the first time, and rhey are still good. But the imitative quality of the music takes the edge off the pleasure.

A friend of mine gave me this CD and I never listened to it until one day. I loved it so much I went out and bought it for a couple friends of mine. It's just a great, fun CD.

I heard "Beyond The Sea" on the "Finding Nemo" DVD. I thought it was fantastic; at first I thought it might've been Harry Connick Jr., but when I saw it was someone named Robbie Williams, whom I never had heard of, I went to the internet to do some research. Found out that he was in a UK boy band and was a little wary, but I bought the CD (Import) and was blown away. Hope he does more of this type of music.

Sadly, I've come to the conclusion that I'm one of a handful of Americans who really listens to Robbie Williams. I think most of America is seriously missing out. This album, a departure from his usual pop numbers, is among one of my favorites. The songs on this album are classic swing, big band numbers. He hasn't messed with them, he's kept them true to their original form. The album is fun and very entertaining. Guest "stars" like Nicole Kidman and Jon Lovitz help Robbie create a truly memorable album. My two year old daughter is also a huge fan of Robbie's (I wonder where she got that? Oh, and don't worry...I cough over the curse words!) and was so excited to hear his version of "Beyond the Sea" on this album. It is also in the ending credits of her favorite movie, Finding Nemo. She asks reapeatedly for her "Nemo song", as well as others. If you are a Robbie Williams fan, or even just a fan of big band music done really well, you really should look into buying this. Maybe if we can get our fellow Americans to join in, we won't have to pay import prices anymore!!!

A good jazzy, swinging album ala Michael Buble. If you liked Buble's Cd along with Josh Groban, You'll like what Robbie Williams does here. Great with a bunch of duets with Nicole Kidman, Rupert Evrett and others.

Many people have heard Michael Buble sing and I don't hear the feeling in his singing at all , so it leaves me cold . I get the distinct impression he's out to make money from a demographic who won't be around much longer .

Robbie is a rocker who behaves a bit like Keith Moon and certainly used to act like him . He is also still alive , due to changing his lifestyle habits . This was a stylistic change for him and it's not written anywhere that singers can't sing what they like - though I'm sure that selling all those albums in the UK didn't hurt .

This album will get your feet going and a lot of the players have been doing this for many years - they lend a lot of authority and credibility to the whole thing .

I suppose some people feel that all this was done better years ago by other people and that would be a good point to make .

However , what with advances in recording technology , it is a pleasure to hear a good modern recording of this sort of music as not many singers like to try something new .

You will probably know most of the songs .
If you don't like it , you can go back to the older stuff and if you do , same thing .