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Rating:
Robbie Williams is an artist.
Amidst the chatter about ephemeral new rock idols, budding (shaved) pop lolitas, and the many musical trends that keep overlapping, regularly sweeping away figures faithful to the cliché dictated by Andy Warhol on the famous 15 minutes of fame, good old Robbie remains a media phenomenon of his own, a thoroughly European pride, not conforming in the least to the stereotypes of American R'n'B/hip hop stars or boy bands masquerading as neo-metal groups.
Yes, because Williams' quarter of an hour of fame has now lasted for 10 years, and the very fact of being the only one to have reinvented a career and credibility after being part of one of the most famous and criticized teen bands by the press, has over time become a strength, gaining more relevance and depth album after album.
Robbie Williams is an artist, a great artist: he has made himself a work of art, for better or for worse. He has turned his private life into an intriguing and relentless "portrait of Dorian Gray," witnessed by his most blatantly autobiographical songs. He has chosen to embody a thousand identities (and not exactly the easiest ones, from Frank Sinatra to Freddie Mercury, touching as many musical genres as possible) without ever achieving full marks but also without having to run away with his tail between his legs, bolstered by one of the few genuinely "authentic" and authentically irreverent personalities in the static and musty showbiz of these depressing years.
Since leaving Take That, Robbie Williams has navigated various personal crises and scandals that at times could have fatally undermined his solo career: yet, in a decade, he has pulled 5 solo albums out of the hat, a "Live At Knebworth" in front of 250,000 screaming English fans, a daring album of '50s evergreen covers, and a best-selling Greatest Hits.
Hard to do better than that, right?
And yet, the impression one gets from a first listen to "Intensive Care" (a title that sounds like a program, and reading several lyrics, has a quite indicative value) is that the now-thirtysomething Williams is going through a period that is surely not easy, but which could bring great results from a strictly musical point of view: already, the previous "Escapology" of 2002 had represented a turning point from the lacquered and winking pop of his beginnings toward decidedly more "mature" stylistic solutions, but with the departure of the trusty Guy Chambers, things indeed seem to have changed.
In fact, the entrance of Stephen "Tin Tin" Duffy into the "Williams stable" (a celebrated name for fans of English pop, a refined cult songwriter, founder of Duran Duran and voice of Lilac Time, who has never had the success he would have deserved) has brought about almost radical changes in the song structures: the single "Tripping", with its irresistibly evoking the white reggae of the Clash and the Specials in a crescendo culminating in a typically '80s finale, is an example. The arrangements, of course, are impeccable, most of the tracks perhaps require a few more listens compared to the past, but we are still talking about very high-level adult pop, in which Williams literally bares himself with lyrics that are almost embarrassing for their frankness (the punk pop of "Your Gay Friend", a possible single, and the bitter final ballad "King Of Bloke & Bird" which Robbie refuses to sing live as it's "too painful").
Robbie Williams, as a seasoned frontman and modern crooner, allows himself to pay tribute (in a very personal way) without causing outrage to the truly sacred monsters of rock: Williams becomes David Bowie in the touching "The Trouble With Me", Morrissey in "Spread Your Wings" (on a melodic plot that very much recalls "Girlfriend In A Coma" by the Smiths), Mick Jagger in "A Place To Crash" (with a great Keith Richards-like riff), Paddy McAloon of Prefab Sprout in "Please Don’t Die", and even Leonard Cohen and Neil Young. Yet, "Intensive Care" is 100% Robbie Williams, in all his theatricality: of course, Stephen Duffy's contribution is certainly felt, and just listening to tracks like the opening "Ghosts" and "Sin Sin Sin", indebted to those gloomy and melancholic British bands of the '80s (Waterboys, Deacon Blue, Aztec Camera) of which Tin Tin himself was a part, is another key to this work, namely Williams' recall to the age of adolescence, irretrievably lost among the memories that follow one after the other endlessly (especially in relation to his dizzying personal story).
From all these considerations, I thus come to judge this album as a decidedly honest product, with beautiful songs, and very interesting from various points of view, not only from a musical standpoint: Williams' limit has always been trying to please as many tastes as possible; this time, the impression is that he wanted to please only himself, and that's just fine.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Ghosts (03:42)
Here I stand victorious
The only man who made you come
When you cried, you cried for us
And when we died, you died alone
Gravity's calling
Don't go home
Where are we
Did what I could
For one of us
I always thought it was for you
And when I lied
Oh I lied for us
Because you never heard the truth
I am lying alone tonight
Don't go home
Where are we
If we are ghosts
(A long long time ago)
It looks like we could have made it baby
We are ghosts
(A long long time)
Me and you
We are ghosts
(A long long time ago)
We could have made it
We are ghosts
(A long long time)
Me and you
(Ago)
Look at the time its taken me
To get away from what was said
I'll never leave
I'll always love
You know that all those words are dead
Buried in yours tonight
Move aside
I'm taking you home
On the radio
She was that summer song
Packing them in
Making them dance
A law of her own
Taking the time to sing it
I don't need you
But I'm lost
I'm lost without you tonight
Have you no heart
Where are we
(Everybody sing it)
Ghosts
We love like ghosts
We are ghosts
They're taking down our satellite
We are ghosts
Josephine
I'll follow your star tonight
We are ghosts
If not tonight
Then when will she say
(Everybody sing it)
We're not ghosts
02 Tripping (04:36)
First they ignore you
Then laugh at you and hate you
Then they fight you
Then you win
When the truth dies very bad things happen
They're being heartless again
I know its gone and there's going to be violence
I've taken as much as I'm willing to take
Why do you think we should suffer in silence?
When a heart is broken there's nothing to break
You've been mixing with some very heavy faces
The boys have done a bit of bird
They don't kill their own when they all love their mothers
But you're out of your depth son have a word
I know its gone and there's going to be violence
I've taken as much as I'm willing to take
Why do you think we should suffer in silence?
The heart is broken there's nothing to break
All is wonderful in this life
Dreaming of the sun she warms,
You should see me in the afterlife
Picking up the sons of dust
When you think we're lost we're exploring
What you think is what you're soon adoring
You don't want the truth the truth is boring
I've got this fever, need to
Leave the house
Leave the car
Leave the bad men where they are
I leave a few shells in my gun
N' its Got me staring at the sun....
I know its gone and there's going to be violence
I've taken as much as I'm willing to take
Why do you say we should suffer in silence?
My heart is broken there's nothing to break
03 Make Me Pure (04:33)
Some will sing a song
To reel 'em in
It's a song I sung before
And a song I'm gonna sing again
I mean every word
I don't mean a single one of them
Oh Lord, make me pure
- but not yet
Tell a joke
Tell it twice
If noone else is laughing there why am i
I split myself both times and laugh till i cry
Oh Lord, please make me pure
- but not yet
I don't have to try
I just dial it in
I've never found a job that for me was worth bothering
I got a ton of selfish genes and lazy bones
Beneath this skin
Oh Lord, make me pure
- but not yet
Smoking kills
Sex sells
I've got one hand in my pocket but the other one looks cool as hell
I know I'm gonna die so my revenge is living well
Oh Lord, make me pure
- but not yet
I stopped praying
So I hope this song will do
I wrote it all for you
I'm not perfect but you don't mind that, do you?
I know you're there to pull me through, aren't you?
So I look for love
I like the search
And I'll be standing for election all across the known universe
Let every president get the country she deserves
Oh Lord, make me pure
- but not yet
And I've been seeing
Somebody's wife
She said she'd leave him for me and I said that wasn't wise
You can't lie to a liar because of all lies
Oh Lord, please make me pure
- not yet
04 Spread Your Wings (03:50)
I used to live 'round here
I was the boy with the flash clothes
She was the girl with the acid stare
I saw her at the place
You knows she knows you know
How she shakes
When she jacks her body
To the sounds of Oran Juice Jones
And Jocelyn Brown
Oh spread your wings
Before they fall apart
Home is where the hurt is darlin'
Follow your heart
So she walks into this dead end bar
Sticks her handbag
On the chair
So she walks into this dead end bar
Puts hers handbag on the chair
And she waits
For words we shared
When we were 15 and still cared
Cos she feels I'm a scar from the wound that time cant heal
And I said
Don't let your dreams out of your head
Stick it to the man instead
Don't fool your heart
Lying about the fears that you had back then
Did you try to change your life
Did you ever try to change your life
You repeat and repeat and repeat
Now what's up with that
Now she loves somebody else
In flash clothes
She was the girl with the acid stare
And now she paid to have
One of those
And she weighs the word she says
And she knows
You exist
Now she feels I'm the scar from the wound that time cant heal
Oh spread your wings
Before they fall apart
Home is where the hurt is darlin
Follow your heart
Spread your wings
Before they fall apart
Home is where the hurt is darlin
Follow your heart
Heart, heart, heart
05 Advertising Space (04:37)
There's no earthly way of knowing
What was in your heart
When it stopped going
The whole world shook
A storm was blowing through you
Waiting for God to stop this
And up to your neck in darkness
Everyone around you was corrupted
Saying somethin'
There's no dignity in death
To sell the world your last breath
They're still fighting over
Everything you left over
I saw you standing at the gates
When Marlon Brando passed away
You had that look upon your face
Advertising space
And
No one learned from your mistakes
We let our profit s go to waste
All that's left in any case
Is Advertising space
Through your eyes
The world was burning
Please be gentle
I'm still learning
You seemed to say
As you kept turning up
They poisoned you with compromise
At what point did you realise
Everybody loves your lies
But you ahahh
Special agent for the man
Through watergate and vietnam
No one really gave a damn
Did you think the CIA did
I saw you standing at the gates
When Marlon Brando passed away
You had that look upon your face
Advertising space
And
No one learned from your mistake
We let our profits go to waste
All that's left in any case
Is Advertising space
No one learned from your mistakes
We let our profits go to waste
All that's left in any case
Is Advertising space
I've seen your daughter
Man shes cute
I was scared but I wanted to
Boy she looks a lot like you
08 Sin Sin Sin (04:09)
Don't let your eyes tell the brain
You should feel ashamed
Everyone needs it baby
And I feel the same
Didn't quite catch your name
Hush, hush, hush
Don't say a thing
Let's see what the night will bring
It might be everything
Oh it hurts
When you're too blind to see
Please don't read my mind
I tell the truth to me
Sin sin sin
Look where we've been
And where we are tonight
Hate the sin not the sinner
I'm just after a glimmer
Of love and light
Deep inside
Hush hush hush
To speak is a sin
And neither of us
Need rescuing
Just relax
It's what Jesus would do
We're made in his image baby
Let's ride this thing through
Oh it hurts
When you're to blind to see
What about us
Well it was just for me
Sin sin sin
Look where we've been
And where we are tonight
Hate the sin not the sinner
I'm just after a glimmer
Of love and light
Deep inside
I won't sing of amore
It don't sound sincere
Love is a cliche
But it fits not here
I'll disappear
Sin sin sin
Look where we've been
And where we are tonight
Hate the sin not the sinner
I'm just after a glimmer
Of love and light
Deep inside
Deep inside
It's love
Clean sex joy
I love you
You love my
Hate how it it feels inside
Feels inside
Feels inside
09 Random Acts of Kindness (04:15)
For those about to die
We salute you
For those of about to cry
We love you
For those of us who live in fear
Of Happy Christmas and new year
I raise a toast to you
And if it hurts
To be so blind
Why dont you try
Being kind
They decided to become
A little more romantic
Creep up on you
While you sleep
I'll make you less attractive
Born without a spine
Why dont you try
Being kind
For those attempting their mother's way
You'll find a way to soldier on
For those whose love evaporates
I pray you find where you belong
All the words I have repressed
Are coming out today
I guess
It is justice not respect and avarice
And that just leaves comtempt
For you all
Oh oh oh
Yeah yeah
Yeah
I am just a simple man
With simple expectations
Deep regrets
They're seldom met
God speed my generation
And with ? on my mind
I should try being kind
For those about to die
We salute you
For those of about to cry
We love you
For those about to die
We salute you
For those of about to cry
We love you
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Other reviews
By The Punisher
The result is an album cold, glacial, where a 'fake' soul oozes, planned at the table.
Those who have experienced it know. And they do not reside here, in this cute and pleasant album, which truly feels empty and remarkably like a loud sham.
By ste84
I ended up falling in love with it, and father, God only knows I tried to dissuade myself!
Robbie Williams is an 'example': even if you’re nobody and not better than others, you must always behave as if you are...
By BLACK METAL
"More than a record, I would call this a perfect torture machine."
"Buying this CD is like throwing money out of the window!!!"
By AR (Anonima Recensori)
"Robbie Williams announces his presence with Ghosts, a sumptuous and refined piece, but perhaps a bit pretentious."
"Tripping, a curious and interesting pop song with light reggae sounds akin to The Clash, is the CD’s gem and first single."
