Take That
The Circus

We are in 2008 and Take That, a band of great commercial success in the '90s, are working on their second album after the reunion.

Finally, November 28, 2008, arrives, and with it the album. It must be said that this time the fantastic four have proven themselves, and have produced an album in my opinion of superior quality to "Beautiful World", which apart from a couple of singles did not convince me much.

The singles released are not of easy impact, as a "Shine" or a "Patience" might have been, but it doesn't matter. The album received many accolades, awarded by the public and critics, a sign that Take That have grown and no longer make those gimmicks of the '90s, aimed mostly at a teenage audience. In the UK charts, it is deservedly listed as one of the best-selling albums of 2008, reaching 15 Platinum Discs worldwide.

The absence of Robbie Williams is not much felt, by now Take That have learned to manage without him, but it is right to anticipate that they are working on a new album that includes the historic and temporary reunion of all five members, followed by a worldwide tour lasting a year.

The pieces are mostly sung by Mark Owen and Gary Barlow, in my opinion the best of the four, and composed by Take That, sometimes making use of various collaborations.

The radio singles were five:

"Greatest Day", the most played on the radio and perhaps the most understood;

"Up All Night", a fun song but nothing more;

"The Garden", the album's forerunner where Barlow and Owen's voices stand out for one of the best songs on the album, a splendid frame of romanticism;

"Said It All", where Gary and Owen are again the protagonists for a story sung about the end of a love;

"Hold Up A Light", the last single sung entirely by Mark, a track focused on the desire to move forward and do what you want. Perhaps penalized by being chosen as the last single, it is the one that had the least success of all, at least here in Italy. But it truly deserves it.

If I had to judge the Tracklist, I must say it is very well arranged, in the sense that it doesn't have the successful tracks, or at least those considered the best or future singles, all placed at the front, which encourages you to listen to the whole CD from start to finish.

"The Garden" works very well as a forerunner. 8

"Greatest Day", follows the trail of the first, a particular and catchy song. 7 1/2

"Hello", a track with a very lively Mark, that gives a friendly and playful air to the album. 8

"Said It All", a song of high emotional impact. 8 1/2

"Julie", it never convinced me. 5

"The Circus", the gem of the album. It moved me many times and Gary's so subdued voice is touching. 9

"How Did It Come To This", a catchy song, but nothing more. 6 1/2

"Up All Night", as a single it's the one I like the least, but all in all it fits well in the album. 7

"What Is Love", at first impact I liked it, over time the enthusiasm waned. 6 1/2

"You", same as the previous one. Beautiful at first, loses its charm over time. 6

"Hold Up A Light", with this song the CD ends beautifully. The vivacity that Mark brings is unparalleled, if we add the originality of the song it creates a fantastic mix. It picks up the playful atmosphere of "Hello". 8

All in all, this album is, in my opinion, the most successful of the two from the Reunion and certainly noteworthy considering their entire discography. One of the best, in short, if not the best.

See you soon!