what do we make of Robbie Williams' new direction? AKA "Pure Francis"

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

robbie is into 'electro', whatever that means

― ambrose (ambrose), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 17:45 (twenty-one years ago)

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000K29L.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 17:46 (twenty-one years ago)

further proof that celebrities are all nuts.

― kevin says relax (daddy warbuxx), Thursday, 2 September 2004 00:31 (twenty-one years ago)

The first of the singles, though, will be on his greatest hits CD.
Kind of defeats the purpose of the big "change", doesn't it? (i.e. RW seeing to it that his new personna actually sells some records non-shocker).

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 2 September 2004 00:35 (twenty-one years ago)

ROBBIE WILLIAMS IS CHRIS GAINES

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 2 September 2004 00:43 (twenty-one years ago)

hahahaha sorry mark p your image didn't come up by the time I wrote that!

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 2 September 2004 00:49 (twenty-one years ago)

and I thank you for taking the effort of putting that up. I LOVE THAT GOATEE SO MUCH.

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 2 September 2004 00:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Is it even real? I feel it might have been Photoshopped on.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Thursday, 2 September 2004 00:55 (twenty-one years ago)

hey! i have something like that underneath my mouth too! it got there thru follicles, not Photoshop!

whenever i see Pure Francis, i keep on thinking of Sage Francis. Actually Undie hiphop is a more predictable new direction for Robbie. Lex records to thread!

― ambrose (ambrose), Thursday, 2 September 2004 10:38 (twenty-one years ago)

heard the new single on the radio this morning, but not sure if it was robbie or pure francis. wasn't 'electro' anyway - it sounded like sparks or something. ridiculous. sounded like a hit though - robbie's fans are pretty loyal i think , they'll happily tolerate a small amount of weirdness.

― pete b. (pete b.), Friday, 3 September 2004 13:42 (twenty-one years ago)

I thought it sounded like Sparks too. I enjoyed the first minute and a half or so, but then got mighty bored. They said Tintin had done it.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Friday, 3 September 2004 13:45 (twenty-one years ago)

three weeks pass...

I like it. I thought it was Franz Ferdinand at first. It really doesn't sound like Robbie Williams at all.

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 27 September 2004 09:36 (twenty-one years ago)

hmm. i aint sure. while it has the necessary electro-clashy feel and the ubiquitous 80's synth lift (Mad World) for that Richard X factor i just have this constant buzz in the back of my head that dissuades me from liking this track .. and sorry but it surely does sound like RW .. its very obviously him.
anyone else seen the pretty dire video ? oh dear, oh dear oh dear ..
will sell in the millions though and thats a good thing i guess.

― mark e (mark e), Monday, 27 September 2004 09:45 (twenty-one years ago)

I felt quite let down by the video, Robbie generally gives good video ("Millenium" excepted), but this one's crap.

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 27 September 2004 11:03 (twenty-one years ago)

are you talking about 'Radio'? i hope it's on the Square Table so i can give it a big fat zero

― teh pow! (blueski), Monday, 27 September 2004 11:05 (twenty-one years ago)

I am, I assume everyone else is too. I'm quite unashamed in my love for the smug git, even if he is, well, a smug git.

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 27 September 2004 11:08 (twenty-one years ago)

"He penned the Pure Francis material with new writing partner Stephen Duffy..."

As in Stephen "Tintin" Duffy and the Lilac Time? If so, I'm suddenly much more interested in hearing this.

― brian patrick (brian patrick), Monday, 27 September 2004 11:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, as in that Stephen Duffy.

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 27 September 2004 11:53 (twenty-one years ago)

As discussed here. Stephen Tintin Duffy collaborating with Robbie Williams
And heree (/ILX/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?thread.php?msgid=4114090) as well (though Robbie not mentioned by name)

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 27 September 2004 12:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Is this the single that sounds like a knock-off of the Human League? I hate it, if so.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Monday, 27 September 2004 12:08 (twenty-one years ago)

it seems that robbie williams has been listening to the mighty sounds of cnut ( www.cnut.tk ) next he'll be donning a cardboard/tinfoil robot head and breakdancing (badly). in fairness, robbie should do a cover of cnut's 'dancing dancing' he'd do a good version i reckon.

― frenchbloke (frenchbloke), Monday, 27 September 2004 12:13 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

anyone see the 'Rudebox' video on C4 last night?

things that are right with this song:

1) Richard X-style production generally - solid if not particularly inspired

2) nicking the vocal hook from Sly & Robbie's 'Boops (Here To Go)' but lost points for not including the "fiiiiiiiiiiiiii-ya" bit

3) it's still much, much better than most of his other singles (esp. 'Radio')

things that are deeply, deeply wrong with this song:

1) Robbie's rapping is terrible - not just for the cliched references and awkward gaps but also the way he tries to do the 'bored' thing. Timberlake does this well on 'SexyBack', sounding almost like D12 did on 'Purple Pills' during the 'Dirty dozen, 80 of us, Shady brothers, Ladies love us' bit but Robbie totally botches it. Where's the conviction? He could make it sound so urgent but instead it's a mess.

2) the "RUDEBOX, why u so nasty?" bit. Out on it's own and fails to exude sexiness at all.

3) it's a fuck-up that will sell badly thus proving that Indie is better and he should just do another 'Angels', or something.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 9 August 2006 14:07 (nineteen years ago)

I'd heard tell of the appallingness of this tune long before I heard it.
So distressing, it'd like watching your dad rap at a wedding.

Disagree btw about the Sly and Robbie steal being in anyway good.

I think it's his worst mistake, and will cost him dearly.

Is it a Duffy co-production d'you know? Never rated that guy.

― lexurian (lexurian), Wednesday, 9 August 2006 14:35 (nineteen years ago)

easily his best single since 'rock dj'.

― Bashment Jakes (Enrique), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 14:07 (nineteen years ago)

I actually prefer the production of 'Rudebox' to 'SexyBack' but the rapping and lyrics totally ruin it with no chance of redemption.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 14:27 (nineteen years ago)

I really like rudebox! He's just having a laugh, isn't he? And the ability to just have a laugh now and again is the secret of Robbie's longievity. It's throwaway and fun and there's nowt wrong with that.

― JimD (JimD), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 15:56 (nineteen years ago)

I WOULD like it more if the vocals were done by Jim D than Robbie.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 16:05 (nineteen years ago)

i hate 'rock dj' more than anything
i hate the whole "having a laugh" school of pop music: it gave us supergrass, kaiser chiefs, dodgy
i haven't heard 'rudebox' and would not like to

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 16:10 (nineteen years ago)

i hate the whole "having a laugh" school of pop music

Hey I thought it was illegal to hate fun.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 16:11 (nineteen years ago)

I love the way Robbie has clearly taken the inspiration for his rapping style from Murray Head's "One Night In Bangkok."

― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 16:11 (nineteen years ago)

"just having a laugh" is the EXACT OPPOSITE of fun!

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 16:13 (nineteen years ago)

Lex sides with Placebo over Daphne and Celeste non-shock.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 16:15 (nineteen years ago)

Lex, do you think good pop should be disposable, or eternal?

― JimD (JimD), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 16:45 (nineteen years ago)

I'm uncomfortable with the notion that "just having a laugh" would necessarily be good or bad, and i'm willing to bet that this isn't precisely the issue for Lex.

i guess arguably you could say that Robbie Williams laughs down on pop, whereas Daphne & Celeste are pop laughing up on you.

"Rock DJ" was a good song though.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 22:44 (nineteen years ago)

I've probably listened to it 50 times or so in the last 3 weeks and I still love it every time. As far as end-of-year single list consideration goes, it's #3 for me right behind the Nelly Furtado 1-2 punch.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 17 August 2006 01:50 (nineteen years ago)

This is fucking fantastic.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 17 August 2006 18:38 (nineteen years ago)

wow, this is pure comedy!! I guess he's giving up on the American market. It's almost like Mike Skinner wrote it.

But it's kind of welcome. More of this, less of the "oh, woe is me" balladry THANK FUCK.

This probably will save his career I reckon, even if it is a bit late, but you anything he slips back into the same old routine soon after though.

I won't be buying it though, I've simply become inured to his longevity, he's just -there- whether I like it or not.

― rollin', rollin', rollin', keep them dogies rollin', rawhide! thread (fandango), Thursday, 17 August 2006 18:40 (nineteen years ago)

It's like Verbalicious crossed with TTC.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 17 August 2006 18:41 (nineteen years ago)

So many references to classic rap songs kinda make this song even worse because he's admitting he's actually listened to rap before rather than just read about it in the Guardian or something and attempted it himself.

― Rowlando for the kidz (Sam Rowlands), Thursday, 17 August 2006 22:41 (nineteen years ago)

It's "like" Bernard Manning does The Humpty Dance.

... but it's still ~~better~~more amusing than his usual efforts.

― rollin', rollin', rollin', keep them dogies rollin', rawhide! thread (fandango), Friday, 18 August 2006 06:01 (nineteen years ago)

The "you don't sweat much for a fat lass" line is genius. This will be #1.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Friday, 18 August 2006 10:27 (nineteen years ago)

although i like 'sexyback' this is an admirable whoopy cushion for jt.

― Bashment Jakes (Enrique), Friday, 18 August 2006 10:31 (nineteen years ago)

The TK Maxx line is my personal favourite.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 18 August 2006 10:47 (nineteen years ago)

'genius' Sid The Sexist plagiarism...

whether this is #1 or #11 depends on Radio 1 support I guess. Moyles will love the lyrics but hate the music I suspect (I am the exact opposite - actually it's not really the lyrics just the delivery).

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Friday, 18 August 2006 10:53 (nineteen years ago)

interesting that it's coming so soon after his poorest performing single ever tho ('Sin Sin Sin' got to #22).

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Friday, 18 August 2006 10:54 (nineteen years ago)

was that a travis cover?

― Bashment Jakes (Enrique), Friday, 18 August 2006 10:58 (nineteen years ago)

I'm looking forward to hearing the PSB produced tracks on the album too.

― JimD (JimD), Friday, 18 August 2006 11:03 (nineteen years ago)

HAHAHAHAHA OMG WTF LOL

The album contains a Manu Chao cover!!!!!!!!

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 22 August 2006 18:48 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

loved RUDEBOX, love LOVELIGHT even more. the album's getting raves (PopJustice are going mad over it) and even NME give it 8/10.
anyone heard the whole album yet?

― pisces (piscesx), Thursday, 19 October 2006 10:55 (eighteen years ago)

Yes.

It's a race between this and the Joanna Newsom record to see which one ends up as the most overrated pile of tripe to be released in 2006.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Thursday, 19 October 2006 11:08 (eighteen years ago)

man that newsom album is really getting raves too. isnt it all played on a harp or something?

― pisces (piscesx), Thursday, 19 October 2006 11:17 (eighteen years ago)

Written on a harp at any rate. More Mary O'Hara than Mary Margaret O'Hara, and I just cannot stand that voice...

The new Robbie record would actually have been pretty good if it hadn't been for Robbie.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Thursday, 19 October 2006 11:19 (eighteen years ago)

I'm weirdly keen to hear this album, although I'm not really expecting to like it. Quite like the new single though. Not "Rudebox", the smooth falsetto one. For some reason it makes me think of Jimmy Nail's "Ain't No Doubt" (possibly the video clips are similar) although i guess it's actually closer to George Michael's "Fastlove" or something.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 05:48 (eighteen years ago)

I love "Ain't No Doubt"! If it had been Saint Etienne everyone would have hailed it as a classic ages ago.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 07:57 (eighteen years ago)

Will Young's 'Your Game' reminded me of 'Ain't No Doubt'

― ;_; (blueski), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 09:08 (eighteen years ago)

man alive. now there's a song i didn't ever want to hear of again.

i pray to god it was a hit in australia.

― benrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 09:11 (eighteen years ago)

I think it was! I remember the video clip so clearly. I was quite young though so my testimony is not to be trusted.

(ha ha Marcello OTM re the Saint Etienne resemblence - I can just imagine Sarah deadpanning "she's lying!")

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 09:22 (eighteen years ago)

well it sounds a bit like her doing the line before that. i used to think the guy doing the 'she's lying' bit was him from PM Dawn.

― ;_; (blueski), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 09:24 (eighteen years ago)

"Ain't No Doubt" was a massive hit in Australia. In fact, the 33rd biggest single of 1992.

"Lovelight" is the third best single Robbie has done.

― edward o (edwardo), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 09:25 (eighteen years ago)

jimmy nail is a link in the great nick berry-robson and jerome continuum.

― benrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 09:26 (eighteen years ago)

man that newsom album is really getting raves too. isnt it all played on a harp or something?

this shouldn't be a surprise considering her last album was as well! although this is i gather a lot more 'ambitious'.

i am curious about the j newsom and incurious about the r williams. i find newsom very compelling when she's good and unlistenable when she's not; williams is just unlistenable all the time, and especially so on 'rudebox'.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 09:32 (eighteen years ago)

Edward! Where have you been ~~all my life~~ recently?

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 09:38 (eighteen years ago)

I like how seductively anonymous Robbie sounds on "Lovelight", it's almost more like a guest vocal on someone else's record than a Robbie single. Great chorus too.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 09:40 (eighteen years ago)

But Lewis Taylor did it so, so much better.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 09:44 (eighteen years ago)

DO THE RUDEBOX! SHAKE THE RUDEBOX!

― Rowlando for the kidz (Sam Rowlands), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 09:47 (eighteen years ago)

Rudebox four tracks in: "Hey, this is great! It's Robbie's arsing-around-for-the-hell-of-it album, and it's really witty and fun!"

Rudebox ten tracks in: "Oh Christ, not more deliberately crap rapping..."

Good to hear "Lovelight" again, though. I'd forgotten the Lewis Taylor original. He doesn't murder it.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 09:47 (eighteen years ago)

yeah i think its a great cover! a little concision can do wonders for a tune. kinda this year's 'dont cha' i guess?

― rtccc (mwah), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 09:51 (eighteen years ago)

Er, no.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 09:59 (eighteen years ago)

in that it's a random neo-soul tune pluck'd from obscurity and tweak'd into the limelight?

― rtccc (mwah), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 10:05 (eighteen years ago)

Hey rtc, were you suggesting in the other thread that the fergie album is good? Can you elaborate? I didn't like "London Bridge" but I'm not automatically predisposed against Fergie.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 10:11 (eighteen years ago)

Anyway, back to Robbie: what about that hidden track "Dickhead" (ho ho) wherein the Tory pop star threatens to set his bouncers on all us hapless critics, oh heavens I'm so like scared?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 10:15 (eighteen years ago)

Then again, I really liked Lewis Taylor (I picked up both Stoned albums for 99c each a few months back), so it's no surprise.

(Tim, I've sort of decided to confine myself to Pop As Genre threads on ILM - too much nastiness elsewhere. I've been around, around, around. Been in Melbourne a few times, but generally ridiculously busy writing my thesis.)

[Best Robbie single is still "The Road To Mandalay". Saw him do it live acoustically on TV and it just sounded like a terrific little pop song that required no embellishment, arrogance or overproduction.]

― edward o (edwardo), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 10:27 (eighteen years ago)

"you probably think this song is about you..." (xpost)

― ;_; (blueski), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 10:28 (eighteen years ago)

i liked 'london bridge' but the fergie album doesn't seem quite ridiculous enough - then again i haven't given it much of a chance yet and am still stuck on 'my humps'. she's a far better ridiculous popstar than r williams.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 10:29 (eighteen years ago)

Part of the songs are good. Hopefully he will be able to do the Pet Shop Boys-thing more permanently next time around.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 10:38 (eighteen years ago)

What do the Pet Shop Boys have in common with Kurt Cobain? No decent songs since 1993.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 10:39 (eighteen years ago)

our survey says...

(Don't) Try It (I'm In Love With A Married Man)

― ;_; (blueski), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 10:44 (eighteen years ago)

and about 8 others

― ;_; (blueski), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 10:44 (eighteen years ago)

...and the new "Numb" B-side "Bright Young Things", which is "Being Boring"/"Nothing Has Been Proved" with a disco beat, with namechecks for Nancy Mitford and Steven Tennant.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 10:48 (eighteen years ago)

I'm still waiting...

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 10:50 (eighteen years ago)

what kind of a namecheck for mitford?

― benrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 10:53 (eighteen years ago)

*obvious joke* (xpost)

― ;_; (blueski), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 10:54 (eighteen years ago)

"Nancy's got a monkey on a silver chain", apparently. Hmm. Upon mature reflection, this may not actually be Mitford.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 11:14 (eighteen years ago)

Not Nancy Kowalski (Kaminski?) of Paint Along With Nancy fame, then?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 11:28 (eighteen years ago)

well la mitford was very much a bright young person, so it could well be her. just not a terribly cool gal to namecheck for thrusting young socialists the pet shop boys.

― benrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 11:39 (eighteen years ago)

well i couldnt tell u about ridiculous popstars or anything but the ferg is certainly goofy and v fun, quite big beat n mightymightybosstones n chunky obvious funk bits n freestyle n stuff. she's not arch at all, and that's nice. 'london bridge' is by far the most obnoxious thing on there too. the album's like spelling duchess with a t, how about that?

i dunno, i didn't mention her on that thread as part of any "omg she is the #1 best!!!" statement of commitment but she defo makes better pop than some justin/xtina cobblers i never wanna listen to again.

robbie's ridiculousness always comes lined with his deep wrist-slashing-still-smiling-wildly gloom, it's oppressive. i bet he'd do covers all his life if he could get away with it.

― rtccc (mwah), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 11:45 (eighteen years ago)

"mightymightybosstones" is not a way of persuading me to buy anyone's record!

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 11:49 (eighteen years ago)

obnoxious is exactly what there isn't as much of on the album as i was expecting: this is not nec a bad thing but i haven't readjusted to the possibility of fergie ferg being not-obnoxious.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 12:12 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.playlouder.com/review/+rudebox/

― pisces (piscesx), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 16:44 (eighteen years ago)

wow, now I want to hear this album even more than before. I think I'll wait 'til the local library gets it in tho'.

― zebedee (zebedee), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 16:56 (eighteen years ago)

Strange, that this album generates extreme reactions, not only the Playlouder review, but the Amazon reviewers as well:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rudebox-Robbie-Williams/dp/B000HC2MFC/ref=pd_ts_c_th_1/026-8546445-3830850

I still can't decide though, the truth is somewhere between the two extremities. At least it's not so boring as 'Intensive Care' was. I really like the Stephen Duffy cover with Joey Negro.

― zeus (zeus), Wednesday, 25 October 2006 19:51 (eighteen years ago)

Play the eight worst songs off it and I could understand the negative reviews. Play the eight best and the positive ones make a lot of sense. It's very, very variable. But when it's good, it's very good. "She's Madonna" is the best song that mentions Madonna evah.

― edward o (edwardo), Thursday, 26 October 2006 03:31 (eighteen years ago)

playlouder can eat a dick.

― benrique (Enrique), Thursday, 26 October 2006 08:13 (eighteen years ago)

It's Robbie's American Life basically, innit. With "The 80's" and "The 90's" as his version of Kanye West's "Last Call".

Some off-beam 80s references, mind: "rhythm was a dancer" (92), "that's me in the corner" (91)... yeah, well...

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Thursday, 26 October 2006 08:55 (eighteen years ago)

strong candidate for one of the key worst albums of the year from the clips i heard on a radio ad

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Thursday, 26 October 2006 09:06 (eighteen years ago)

He was obviously too busy getting down on Tavares and Barry Manilow at the time.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Thursday, 26 October 2006 09:33 (eighteen years ago)

SHAKE THE RUDEBOX! DO THE RUDEBOX!

― Rowlando for the kidz (Sam Rowlands), Thursday, 26 October 2006 09:55 (eighteen years ago)

At ILM we prefer to do the Hucklebuck.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Thursday, 26 October 2006 09:57 (eighteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

I notice how the reviews have been pretty much lukewarm, and having heard the album, I quote haven't understand why. I like his new direction a lot, and consider "Rudebox" his best album since "I've Been Expecting You". Would have been better if he had edited somewhat though, removing some of the most hip-hop-ish tracks keeping it more pure electro. Some of the cover versions also seem kind of unneccessary although I love the new (and actually more synthpoppy sounding than the original) version of "Louise" though.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 9 November 2006 16:03 (eighteen years ago)

I notice how the reviews have been pretty much lukewarm, and having heard the album, I quite haven't understand why. I like his new direction a lot, and consider "Rudebox" his best album since "I've Been Expecting You". Would have been better if he had edited somewhat though, removing some of the most hip-hop-ish tracks keeping it more pure electro. Some of the cover versions also seem kind of unneccessary although I love the new (and actually more synthpoppy sounding than the original) version of "Louise" though.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 9 November 2006 16:03 (eighteen years ago)

It isn't electro is it, it's just bad cod funk.

It amazes me to see ILM stalwarts on this thread acting like this wasn't just a bad George Michael single, the intro beat in the latest one may be nice but then the parping British horns enter the fray, SOUL MEKANIK IN THE HOUSE!! awful

― Ronan (Ronan), Thursday, 9 November 2006 16:26 (eighteen years ago)

The "Rudebox" single isn't all that impressive (apart from the arrangement), but I feel the album - particularly the Pet Shop Boys tracks - is quite good as a whole. Would have been better if limited to just the 12 best tracks, but still. The album isn't a classic, it isn't even better than his first two solo albums, but it certainly isn't the turkey it is reputed to be juding from the reviews either.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 9 November 2006 17:26 (eighteen years ago)

four years pass...

some of Rudebox was amazing, i doubt he'll ever be as good or as bonkers again.

― piscesx, Sunday, 21 August 2011 12:25 (fourteen years ago)

easily his best single since 'rock dj'.
― Bashment Jakes (Enrique), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 15:07 (5 years ago) Bookmark]

Rock DJ is literally one of the worst songs ever made, so retrospective snigger at this.

― Darren Huckerby (Dwight Yorke), Sunday, 21 August 2011 17:03 (fourteen years ago)

some of Rudebox was amazing, i doubt he'll ever be as good or as bonkers again.

― piscesx,

Completely agree with this. The album is all over the place but there's some really enjoyable stuff on there especially Lovelight, The 80's, The 90's, She's Madonna and Burslem Normals. Really wish he had carried on with this direction of just doing whatever he felt like.

― Kitchen Person, Sunday, 21 August 2011 17:44 (fourteen years ago)

"Lovelight" is great because the song is great, Robbie W's version doesn't add anything afaic, quite the reverse

― Countdown to Alma Cogan (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 21 August 2011 17:48 (fourteen years ago)

easily his best single since 'rock dj'.
― Bashment Jakes (Enrique), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 15:07 (5 years ago) Bookmark
Rock DJ is literally one of the worst songs ever made, so retrospective snigger at this.
― Darren Huckerby (Dwight Yorke), Sunday, August 21, 2011 6:03 PM (45 minutes ago) Bookmark

well yeah. im not ruling out sarcasm. but im also not sure robbie williams's singles between 'rock dj' and [whatever single we're talking about here] were better than 'rock dj', were they? can't remember any of their names.

― old money entertainment (history mayne), Sunday, 21 August 2011 17:52 (fourteen years ago)

I found his most recent solo album better than "Rudebox". The rap songs on "Rudebox" were just corny, plus the more traditional anthemic "rock" songs are better songs on the later one than on "Rudebox". The Pet Shop Boys numbers on "Rudebox" were ace though.

― Hongroe (Geir Hongro), Sunday, 21 August 2011 23:05 (fourteen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.