dek

I really could care less, but they came from BOY BANDS. Different? Hell no. Maybe his path now, but where they came from, 100 % the same. If RW was from the US, he'd be doing the same shows as Justin Timberlake.

tboogie

"Feel" is a bit hit over here . Daryl Hannah appears in the video.

Giles

I happened to see the Robbie Williams/ Maxi Jazz video: "My Culture" (from the 1 Giant Leap album) on MHZ2 yesterday afternoon and was actually impressed - very different from Robbie's traditional poppiness.

Scot1458

Robbie rocks. He isn't anything CLOSE to Timberlake, or boy bands. If anything, he's pure rock n' roll with a little Tom Jones in him. Get The Ego has Landed as a taste.

Having said that, he will never make it in the States. His type of music isn't what's "in" here.

BDB

Tom Jones is the perfect analogy, thanks scott

Fok

Yep they came from boy bands, but RW is doing things totally different from TB. I don't think he'll do the same as JT if he was in the states as RW is a better performer.

rfduncan

Not really - clearly you know NOTHING about Robbie Williams save one song you disliked (an excellent James Bond tribute BTW). If you came in here to I guess that's your thing, but you don't know what you're missing with Robbie Williams.

First of he is an excellent songwriter (I don't kid for a second that JT writes most of his music). Second he is an excellent performer who has a hilariously egotistic on-stage persona... JT has nada except jumping around. Thirdly, pick up his "Sing While Your Winning" (sort of a Sinatra Tribute) CD (import) or "Robbie Williams Live at the Albert" DVD (see DVDFile review), and you will probably be quite surprised at what the man can do.

The new album is great (the import is better than the rearranged US release but the best songs remain on both). I want another chance at seeing him live. I missed him for "The Ego Has Landed", and he seems to have bypassed America for "Sing When You're Winning". So I definitely want to catch him if he tours this time as EMI may give up on making him popular in America altogether.

BDB

While I was in Maui last week 'Feel' was almost on the radio non-stop, so it looks like the new record deal is trying to push him which is good

Daytripper

Shouldn't the name of this thread be "Robbie Williams attempts to take on America"? The much publicized deal with RW apparently didn't pay off. Yet anyway. His album debuted around #40 on Billboard. Expect it to drop 20 or more notches next week. And more the following. That's just the way the charts work. For most recording acts. The chart life of any album, as you know, depends on strong singles (and much touring, TV appearances, etc.). Is Robbie doing any of this in America? Personally, I just don't think he will making any major waves in the U.S. I've heard certain critics say he's "too British". And I kind of agree. I mean, isn't most of his appeal at home his personality? Also, a friend of mine had an extra ticket to a show he did in a club here in D.C. a few years ago (hell, the tickets were only $10.00), so I went. It was packed. And almost everyone there were British. I finally stopped one girl and asked if she lived in the area and she said "No, I flew from London to see this gig. You can't get tickets to see him over there". Wow, now that's a loyal fanbase. So I'm guessing a lot if not most of those people did the same. Flew over (?) Anyway, I have to admit, the guy does put on quite a show. He's very entertaining. I probably wouldn't see him again. But I enjoyed the performance.

BDB

He is doing a lot of small promo stuff right now, mainly radio performances, which is the right way to go about it.

He is just out there trying to get his face about. I don't know if he will conquer america, but it seems like he is trying really hard.

he appeared on good morning america on April 4th.

Thumbs

Wednesday, 2 October, 2002, 16:29 GMT 17:29 UK
Robbie signs '£80m' deal

Robbie Williams has signed what is believed to be an £80m contract with EMI Records in what could be the UK's biggest record deal.

The deal for four albums, second only to Michael Jackson's in music history, was announced on Wednesday afternoon.

It is believed the deal includes a commitment to try to make him a star in the United States, where he has only had limited success so far.

It is understood the deal includes £10m up front, £15m on completion of the first record and £55m for the remaining three records.

The deal means EMI will take an unusually high share of profit from touring, publishing profits and merchandise - areas where the artists themselves usually make more money.

His representatives called the new deal a "multi-platform" approach to the "respective elements of recording, live work, film and television".

In a statement his management company and EMI said: "There are only a handful of artists in the world that could achieve this level of ownership and control of their own careers and record companies that could make it work."

Williams' manager David Enthoven added: "This watershed deal will undoubtedly make a positive change to the workings of the music industry."

The previous biggest UK record deal was the £42m paid to Sir Elton John in 1996.

But EMI has been keen to retain Williams, who has been one of the label's most successful acts of recent years with a string of hits.

He is due to release his new album Escapology next month after his fourth solo album - the big band tribute album Swing When You're Winning - sold more than 5.5m copies.

benedict

The very act of taking something on is an attempt: you are not bound to succeed; you are trying to succeed.

Scot1458

well, he's not touring the US this summer, just Europe.

Was hoping he would come over so I can see him.

Josh-da-man

Can't say I've really cared for any of his music that I've heard, but that video ("Rock DJ?") where he strips, peels off his skin, and starts throwind chunks of his own flesh and muscle at the dancing girls was just... awesome.

RoyalTea

I listened to Escapology at Borders. Twas alright, wasn't too impressed.

But, I think "The Ego Has Landed" is one of the greatest albums I own.

benedict

<small></small>I think it was a compilation for the US market culled from his first two UK/Europeans releases: this weekend I read that, since its original release, over half a million copies were sold in the US.

Wormwood

You're better off buying his first two European albums, in which some tracks from each were compiled into "The Ego Has Landed". His album "Sing When You're Winning" is the same here as in Europe. But, "Escapology" is totally different here. Anyone have a comparison?

rfduncan

Not true - they are only slightly different.

Original release:
1-How Peculiar
2-Feel
3-Something Beautiful
4-Monsoon
5-Sexed Up
6-Love Somebody
7-Revolution
8-Handsome Man
9-Come Undone
10-Me & My Monkey
11-Song 3
12-Hot Fudge
13-Cursed
14-Nan's Song

American release:
1-Feel
2-Monsoon
3-Sexed Up
4-Get a Little High
5-Come Undone
6-Something Beautiful
7-Love Somebody
8-Revolution
9-How Peculiar
10-One Fine Day
11-Me & My Monkey
12-Handsome Man
13-Nan's Song
14-How Peculiar (reprise)

So they added two songs (which seem like they could be left-over tracks from "Swing While You're Winning") and a reprise, rearranged the song order and dropped "Song 3", "Hot Fudge" and "Cursed". Also the American release does not seem to carry the "Explicit Lyrics" warning as the import does. I believe Entertainment Weekly reviewed the American release recently and said the retooling weakened the album overall but probably made it more palatable for the American pop listener. Whatever....

RoyalTea

the more I think about it, I hope he remains low-key on this side of the pond.

you know if he makes it big in America, our entertainment industry will totally screw things over.

Wormwood

The American release does contain explicit lyrics and the edited version is out there. Btw, it looks like I'll just be sticking with his UK releases.

Scot1458

One thing I can't figure out, is that he complains/laments about this huge succsess in Europe, yet is fustrated by this lack of succsess in America.

You would think he would want it that way so he could have the best of both worlds.

benedict

Seems like he's just released a Greatest Hits compilation.

Chances are that this'll be of little interest to those Stateside given his lack of hits there but....

.... about a year ago his successful songwriting partnership with Guy Chambers ended and he has been seeking a muse. Inevitably there are a couple of new tracks on his compilation and it transpires that he is now working with Stephen Duffy.

Duffy is the guy who left Duran Duran before they got big. A few years back he unearthed some pre-Le Bon Duran material and re-recorded it with Nick Rhodes ending up with an album called Dark Circles they released under the band name the Devils. Samples can be heard here.

The latest RW release, Radio, is touted as having a very 80s sound. In places I'd agree that it is reminiscent of the Human League, Depeche Mode and OMD.

Giantrobo

Heard of him...but don't care about him.

sebastianv50

Yeah pretty much everyone has heard how gay he is and how sucky his music is.

DonnachaOne

He's one of the biggest stars in the world, just not America.