Robbie Williams
Intensive Care

THE REVIEW

Father, I have sinned again... I've fallen back but this time it's not my fault; you see, after being tempted by the devil the last time with "Escapology," I placed Robbie Williams' CDs on the "Listen-to-once-a-year-CD-shelf"... then it happened that I happened to hear "Tripping" in passing and realized deep down I was a fool when I admitted to admiring this devil! But after listening and listening, and listening to "Tripping" on the radio at work, I ended up falling in love with it, and father, God only knows I tried to dissuade myself! And then it happened that a dear friend of mine came with this CD for Christmas and handed it to me as a gift; this unfortunate ally of the devil, indeed, beguiled me that distant December 24th, 2005! It awakened in me ancient memories buried long ago... father, she gifted me "Swing When You're Winning" a long time ago! Do you know it, father? The RW CD with swing covers? Ah, it's true, you are only tuned into Radio Maria... oh, if I had been a fool when I returned to my abode and began listening to this album. Oh father, I wouldn't know how to explain what emotions it instantly stirred in me: I remember feeling a bit of antipathy listening to the presumption of creating a fake epic song like "Ghosts" but the devil, you know, manages to beguile you when he wants, and he took advantage of me by serving "Tripping" as an appetizer; I couldn't resist, father, and decided to go for seconds, selling my soul to Beelzebub more and more... but it's not my fault if this guy fills some things with honey so much they give you cavities in your ears!

It happened with the simplicity of "Make Me Pure," with the falsettos of "Please Don't Die" and the drama of the final track "King Of Bloke And Birds," not to mention "Advertising Space" which with its heavenly intro choirs leaves you like a fool with your first crush! To be honest, father, this Robbie Williams also does a bit of that 80s pop rock, you know? He does it in different ways: optimistic and preachy in "Spread Your Wings," mischievous and sly in "Your Gay Friend" with that synthesizer stolen from Duran Duran; sinful in "Sin Sin Sin" with that Olympic melody; wild in the pop-pop rock "A Place To Crash" where he borrows riffs from the Stones... in short, father, do what the good Lord would do but I already know I will fall into temptation again because, in the end, Robbie Williams is an "example": he's the thing that makes me understand that even if you're nobody and not better than others, you must always behave as if you are...