Reality Killed the Video Star - Robbie Williams > Reviews (6)

Reasons For Purchasing:
Well, I am a huge Take That and Robbie Williams fan (More so Robbie Williams really) and of course when Robbie releases a new album into the charts, I am certainly one of the first people to rush out and buy it. I also have ever single one of Robbie’s albums as I love his style of music and the way he performs his songs. I did get a sneaky preview of a few of the tracks from this new album on You Tube a week before it’s release (from Robbie’s Official Channel) and I honestly could not wait for this album to come out after hearing them. The songs I heard really sounded fantastic and some of them sounded a little bit different from Robbie’s usual style indeed. The song “Bodies” from this album was also released three weeks before the album officially came out. I loved it the minute that I heard it on the radio and got an overall feel for what this new album would be like really.

A Little Bit About This Album:
Reality Killed The Video Star is Robbie Williams tenth ’and latest’ solo album. It was released on the 6th of November 2009 and reached number one in the charts in seven different countries. It peaked at number two in the UK charts just falling in sales behind JLS’s debut album. Reality Killed The Video Star is the first album Robbie has released in four years after his previous album Rudebox, did not receive good reviews about it and was slated by many people for it‘s unique music style, but of course it was certainly loved by me and does have some great songs onboard it also.

Well, Reality Killed The Video Star was produced by Trevor Horn, but one of the Songs onboard this album called “Blasphemy” was written by Guy Chambers a few years ago. Guy also wrote Robbie’s most popular and award winning song “Angels“, so this album certainly has top writers and producers onboard who worked with Robbie at putting it all together. Reality Killed The Video Star also got it’s title from Trevor Horns song “Video Killed The Radio Star” which he sang with his group “The Buggles“ many years ago. Also on hearing about Michael Jackson’s Death on the 25th June 2009, Robbie ‘apparently’ tried to rewrite his song called “The Protagonist” ‘that should have been included on this album’ as a tribute song to Michael, but he could not get the words to fit in to it, so he completely rewrote it with Don Blacks help and called it “Morning Sun” instead.

I feel that Reality Killed the Video Star is a very strong album from Mr Williams indeed. It is a great mix of very uplifting guitar pop, beautifully sang music ballads and has an added bonus of some unexpected classical music blended into a few ‘haunting and unique tunes’ that are absolutely beautiful when hearing them. Well to me this really is a great uplifting album and one of Robbie’s best. It is an album that I have listened to continuously over the last few months without having to fast forward my CD player to miss out certain filler tracks that you get on many albums. Each and every one of the tracks onboard this album are excellent and are all very different to listen to.

They all tell their very own unique little stories, are sang perfectly by Robbie and are accompanied by some great backing music also. There really is No weak fillers on this album. All thirteen songs are brilliant and could all be chart busting tracks if released in my opinion. So far, to date, two of these tracks have been released into the singles charts and “Morning Sun” ‘Michael Jackson’s Tribute song’ is due to be released off this album within the next few weeks, so look out for it as it is beautifully worded indeed.

Well, I was absolutely delighted upon hearing this album for the first time. The first thing I thought to myself was “Robbie’s Back and on top form here“. I felt brilliant after listening to this album. It certainly is a feel good one indeed. Robbie himself has described this album as “The Old Robbie” “The New Robbie” “And The Robbie No One Has Met Before”. Well he really is spot on in my opinion. Reality kills the Video Star certainly has the old Robbie’s Style of love songs, a newer and a more recent disco/pop style, that we have heard from him in the last five years and we certainly do have a lovely added bonus of being introduced to the new ‘and improved’ My Williams style of songs. I love it! I love the New Robbie! He comes across as more sophisticated and quite serious really when listening to his music on this album. It is excellent!

Track Listings:
(01) Morning Sun ~ 4.06
(02) Bodies ~ 4.04
(03) You Know Me ~ 4.21
(04) Blasphemy ~ 4.18
(05) Do You Mind ~ 4.06
(06) Last Days Of Disco ~ 4.50
(07) Somewhere ~ 1.01
(08) Deceptacon ~ 5.01
(09) Starstruck ~ 5.21
(10) Difficult For Weirdos ~ 4.29
(11) Super blind ~ 4.46
(12) Won’t Do That ~ 3.38
(13) Morning Sun Reprise ~ 1.19

A Little Bit About Each Of The Tracks On This Album:
Rather than just give my opinion on my favourite tracks from Reality Killed The Video Star, I decided to write a little bit of information about all of them really because they really are all very good songs indeed and worthy of a mention.

Morning Sun:
Well, Morning Sun is the first track on Reality Killed The Video Star and this song gently opens this album very nicely. Well being Michael Jackson’s Tribute Song from Robbie and being written by Don Black (who was working with Michael shortly before he died), I really think that when it is released in the next few weeks into the singles chart that it is going to sell very well indeed and be a huge hit. It really is beautifully worded in my opinion and gives an accurate account of Michael Jackson and his life really. The words chosen for this song are quite appropriate and the very last line is “Who Am I To Rate The Morning Sun” Well I think this really sums Michael Jackson up. He was an outstanding Music Artist in every sense and Robbie is saying “Who is he to compare or rate him“.

Robbie really sings Morning Sun note perfectly. It is a beautiful music ballad that flows along gently until it reaches the chorus and then Robbie really blasts it out. It is accompanied by a beautiful piano and violin gently playing at the start.

It livens up with some light drum sounds and a great guitar rift near the chorus also. I really love Morning Sun a lot. The lyrics are fantastic. It is very relaxing when listening to this song and is great to hear Robbie meaning every word he sings. Please give this song a listen to on the Radio in the next few weeks. It really is excellent and one of the best tracks on this album.

Rating From Me: 5/5

Bodies:

This was the first single released from Reality Killed The Video Star and I did like it when I first heard it played, but thought the lyrics quite odd. Well it has now really grown on me a lot and is a very fun song to listen to. It reached number two in the UK charts and was very successful in Europe also. This is Robbie’s biggest selling single in it’s first week of sales since his “Rock DJ” song. This song comes across as showing Robbie as very confident. This song really has a big chorus to it also that makes a huge statement. This was a great choice by Robbie in using it to make a comeback with. This song is as good as Robbie’s hit “Let Me Entertain you” This is a great funky sounding track with plenty of electro sounds going on throughout it. Robbie chants out a lot in Bodies and it is quite repeated in words, but it really is an excellent and very up lifting sounding song indeed. There is mention of bodies everywhere in this song, from family trees to cemeteries really, but I actually don’t quite get what Robbie’s trying to say though with this one. You will be moving around to this song quite quickly though as it’s a great dance tune indeed. Overall this song is great, a pleasure to listen to and another very strong track on this album.

Rating From Me: 4/5

You Know Me:
Well this really is one of my favourite little tunes from Reality Killed The Video Star. It is slightly different sounding from what we usually hear from Mr Williams but ‘Boy’ this is what I want to hear. This is a typical Robbie Williams song as most of his songs are a self-parody about him and it is good to hear this at times from Robbie. Who Know Me was the second track to be released from Reality Killed The Video Star. It peaked at number six in the UK charts, but it barely scraped the top thirty in Europe. It is a lovely little song though in my opinion and it does grow on you a lot. It is a strange song from Robbie and you really need to know what he is singing about in this track or you might think it a little bit odd. Well Robbie is telling us in this song about his addiction to drugs and overcoming them. He is actually singing this song to the drugs he took (not his Fiancé). Well Robbie went to rehab a few years ago and watching the music video to this track really explains his experiences very well. At the end of the song we clearly can see that that old ‘Druggie’ Robbie is clearly locked away and hopefully never to return. This song is accompanied with a lovely little piano ballad that has a very catchy tune and has me toe tapping throughout it. The background music is played out of key at times ‘on purpose’ to reflect the meaning of the song.

It really is a great track from this album. I really thought it would of done a lot better in the charts than it has though.

Rating From Me: 4/5

Blasphemy:

This really is a beautiful song from this album. I really hope it will be released as I think it will do very well in the charts. It really is a very haunting track and a very different style to the one we usually hear from Robbie. This song was the last song Robbie wrote with Guy Chambers. They wrote it over ten years ago, but Robbie said he decided to put it on Reality Killed The Video Star as it deserved a place on an album. Well Blasphemy is a slow moving ballad that is sang beautifully by Robbie. The background music is a beautiful slow orchestra melody that is first class, classical music. It really makes the hairs on my arms stand up as it is hauntingly beautiful. In the middle of Blasphemy the beautiful orchestra music raises a knot and is played solely for a few seconds and is outstanding. I love the lyrics to Blasphemy a lot also. Robbie once again seems to be singing about himself and how he has behaved and felt in his life. Well together with the beautiful music and fantastic lyrics this really is a top song indeed. One of my favourites from Reality Killed The Video Star and one of the best songs I have heard in years. It is truly outstanding.

Rating From Me: 5/5

Do You Mind:
No, I don’t mind at all Robbie. Feel Free. Well Do You Mind takes on a different direction from the first four songs on this album. This song has not been released from the album and I am not sure that it will be either, but it really is a very catchy and extremely likable little tune indeed. This song is a fun, rock country type of tune with great guitar and drum sounds backing it. Even the lyrics are quite country sounding also. Wow! I love it. This is very different music from Robbie once again, but I am loving this album and the overall mix of sounds. Do You mind is quite repeated in lyrics, but it is extremely catchy indeed. You really will be singing along to this track in no time. I think this song is a double barrel song in meaning about drugs really, but comes across slightly different and could refer to woman also. Well it is another very strong and catchy little number that I personally love.

Rating From Me: 5/5

Last Days Of Disco:
This really is my favourite track from Reality Killed The Video Star. It is a hard call to choose this as my favourite as all the songs are really good, but I will pick this one as I listen to it the most. This song is quite eighties sounding and might not appeal to everyone, but I really love it. This song has not been released yet from the album, but I heard a rumour that it will be, so I am excited about this. Last Days Of Disco starts of quite slowly and really builds up into this huge powerful song. It is full of electro sounding keyboards at the start and then become a big fanfare of drums, guitars, violin and keyboard sounds. It is very well put together. In the middle of it there is a lovely Michael Jackson ‘Ohhh’ that he was known for, that’s quite of place (or is it).

Well Robbie was in LA for seven years living near Michael Jackson and both of them where working with Don Black in the last few years. Well it really makes you wonder. Even the lyrics to this song seem to be giving out a message of some sort and I don’t think it is coming from Robbie. It tells us about comebacks and last days of disco music. The title of the album is odd also. Well coincidental or not, enough of my conspiracies stories. This song is fantastic. It is a little like “Bodies” in sound (only Better) and a top track on this album. This one is a grower.

Rating From Me: 5/5

Somewhere:
Well this is a lovely gentle and quite sarcastic ballad from Robbie. I do not think this will be released off the album as it is too short a track. It only lasts for one minute. This probably is a filler, but it’s good to listen to. Robbie sings this quite childishly really, but it is fun to listen to with a nice gently backing tune to it.

Rating From Me: 3/5

Deceptacon:

Decepatacon was one of the tracks that grew on me really. I did like it when I first heard it on this album, but the more I played it, the more it really grew on me and became very good to listen to. This track has not been released off the album to date. It is quite a strong song really that starts of with a slow piano solo before being joined by Robbie’s angelic voice. It has quite strange lyrics to it really. Robbie is sending a message out to someone in this song. Maybe his Fiancé (although I am not too sure). It is a lovely piece of music though and finishes off with the words “Who Are You“?) which keeps me guessing. It is another great included track overall and a nice relaxing song to listen to.

Rating From Me: 4/5

Starstruck:
Well Starstruck is another eighties sounding track. It would be a great song to be used in a film in my opinion. It is very catchy though. It has not been released off the album and I have not heard or read that it will be either. It is quite slow moving, but is very relaxing to listen to this. It has quite a fast beat to it and gets slightly louder towards the chorus. Robbie sings this very well. It suits his voice well also. Starstruck is all about everyone being obsessed with the Stars of today and about Robbie living as one. This is very space aged sounding in places, but extremely good to listen to overall. A nice little breath of fresh air from Mr Williams.

Rating From Me: 4/5

Difficult For Weirdos:
Whenever I heard this song for he first time I was slightly taken back with the lyrics to it. Robbie is known to be out spoken at times in his music though. He really sings this story well. Well Difficult For Weirdos has not been released of the album yet, but I really hope it will be as Robbie is sending out a good message in this particular song. Robbie is telling us about people all over the world and in our towns making fun of others who are different. Whether they are gay, dress differently or even look different, Robbie is telling us that being different is OK. Oh I love it.

It is great to hear positive words in a song although he sings about people getting made fun of and he chants out with name calling. I love it. Difficult For Weirdos starts of as another eighties sounding electro pop song, but it quickens in tempo and becomes a loud and fantastic pop song indeed. It is another top track on the album that I think is absolutely brilliant. Psycho evolution your pollution makes it difficult for weirdos. I love the chosen words to this chorus a lot.

Rating From Me: 5/5

Superblind:

Well Superblind is another strong track on this album. It has not been released yet into the charts, but apparently it will be later this year. It is a another beautiful love type of song, well it starts of like this with a beautiful, slow guitar ballad, but it quickly raises in volume towards the chorus. Robbie really sings this song beautifully and with feeling. I love it. I love the style to this song a lot. It is quite unique and will be a hit for Robbie if it is released. Superblind is a great song that is telling me about Robbie being in love and being heartbroken, but he soon wises up to the constant falling out with girlfriends and starts thinking about himself for a change. Well overall Superblind is a very strong track on Reality Killed The Video Star and I really can see this being a huge chart song indeed. It is fantastic.

Rating From Me: 5/5

Won’t Do That:
Won’t Do That is once again is another very catchy little tune from Robbie Williams. It probably will not be released into the charts as there is better tracks on this album, but honestly this tune is also fantastic. It has great lyrics to it telling a story about breaking up with someone ‘or making them feel unwanted‘, but he pledges that he will not do that to them or that he would not cheat on them. There is great backing music throughout this track that is very loud in places. A great solo guitar rift can be heard in the middle and it fits into everything very nicely indeed. Robbie sings this very well and blasts out the chorus to get his point across I guess. Another very catchy tune that is rated highly by me.

Rating From Me: 4/5

Morning Sun Reprise:
The final track on Reality Killed The Video star is a short instrumental version of the first song “Morning Sun” and it is nice and relaxing to listen to this beautiful piece of instrumental music really.

Rating From Me: 5/5

My Overall Opinion:
Reality Killed The Video Star really is a very strong album from Mr Williams. I personally think it is one of his ‘best ever’ as all the songs onboard it are fantastic. It is very well put together in my opinion with a good mix of sounds and varied music. It really is a great mix of love songs, catchy pop tunes and fantastic classical music. There is also a little bit of rock and country from Robbie on board this also, which I loved. Something for everyone really. Well I am extremely pleased with Robbie’s new album and I am very surprised with the amount of strong tracks it has.

Well many of the tracks on this album really make me smile and also make me feel good inside after listening to them.

It is quite an uplifting album and one to put on and listen to, to cheer yourself up with. It really is hard to find an album to play continuously from start to finish without fast forwarding certain tracks, but honestly I really enjoy every single one onboard this album a lot. I play it from start to finish nearly every time I listen to it and look forward to the next track that comes along. I really do think this album is my favourite so far from Robbie. I really am loving it and have not grown bored with it at all.

Robbie really sings all of the tracks very well and seems more serious to me through his songs this time around, as he can be a little bit sarcastic at times. Well the songs all tell their own very unique little stories and with great emotion from Robbie also. This is a fun album, but it will not be suited to everyone. If you like Robbie’s music or style and are a fan of his, you really do have to get this album for your collection. It is Robbie at his best and this album has to be heard. It is fantastic.

Well I really do have to highly recommend Reality Killed The Video Star. It is quite outstanding to me and very well put together. There is over one hours excellent entertainment onboard and should make you feel good inside after listening to it. You will soon learn the words to all of the songs as a great little inlay booklet contains them all in the CD box. I am sure there will be some great tracks released from it soon and hopefully they will be quite big hits indeed for Robbie. This is a great album and a pleasure to listen to. It gets 5/5 from me. Enjoy it!

Reality Killed The Video Star can be purchased quite cheaply from Amazon UK for £6.98 at the moment. It is available for download also. This is a good price to pay for excellent Robbie Williams entertainment in my opinion.

Summary:Who Am I To Rate The Morning Sun.

©hildas/hillhead.