robbie williams - reality killed the radio star (emi)
November 04, 2009
It has been a little while since Robbie Williams graced our charts. His last album, 'Rudebox', didn't really live up to the expectations his fans had for it. For every great track on the album ('Lovelight', 'Kiss Me'), there was an equal dud ('Rudebox', 'The 90's') and it felt like the sparkle that Robbie had during his days with co-writer Guy Chambers were all but gone. Equally, the tour that saw him play at the then Telstra Dome was, to say the least, just missing the energy of his previous shows and we had to really question if his heart was in it anymore.
'Reality Killed The Radio Star' is a revitalised Robbie, teaming up with classic producer Trevor Horn. Although it does take a few repeated listens, the first single 'Bodies' is a grower, and that is possibly the best way to describe the new album. Where the writing partnership of Chambers/Williams seem to produce an endless stream of instant pop classics, Robbie has struggled to repeat his own formula since. Having said that, 'Reality Killed The Radio Star' is the closest he has come yet to reproducing some of his glory moments from the past. The album opens with the wonderfully epic 'Morning Sun', complete with Beatleseque style chanting at the end and continues to powerhouse through a range of styles and substance. He's taken some of the best moments from his previous albums - there is a bit of dance... a bit of torch song... a bit of rock... and combined it all onto one strong album.
The album is due for release on November 9th.
www.robbiewilliams.com
