Take That - Beautiful World

...you begin when talking about Take That? Take That were the world's number one boy band back in the 90s, comprised of Gary Barlow (the main singer and songwriter), Mark Owen (the "cute one" and undoubtedly one of the most popular members of the band), Robbie Williams (the "cheeky" one who clearly thought he was too good for the band. He wasn't.), Howard Donald and Jason Orange (as the older, less involved members they made nice ...
...does sing my favourite ever Take That song, "Never Forget"). If you were deprived of the Take That music experience, not to mention the general hype and hysteria surrounding the boys, then I suggest you go out now and buy their greatest hits before you give this album a listen and see where the Take That phenomenon first began.

Now, I have to admit that I am a bit of a fraud, as back in the day when the Take That boys were ... more

Where do you begin when talking about Take That? Take That were the world's number one boy band back in the 90s, comprised of Gary Barlow (the main singer and songwriter), Mark Owen (the "cute one" and undoubtedly one of the most popular members of the band), Robbie Williams (the "cheeky" one who clearly thought he was too good for the band. He wasn't.), Howard Donald and Jason Orange (as the older, less involved members they made nice background scenery but were slightly interchangeable in our eyes back in the day, although Howard does sing my favourite ever Take That song, "Never Forget"). If you were deprived of the Take That music experience, not to mention the general hype and hysteria surrounding the boys, then I suggest you go out now and buy their greatest hits before you give this album a listen and see where the Take That phenomenon first began.

Now, I have to admit that I am a bit of a fraud, as back in the day when the Take That boys were in their prime and being followed around the world by screaming teenage girls, I have to confess that I was never actually a fan of the group (yes, I know, it's almost scandalous!) Whilst girls my age all over the world where going crazy over the Manchester born lads, I was (and still am) all about PJ and Duncan and, in the battle of the 90s boy band, I would have sided with East 17 every time. So, while my peers were debating the virtues of Mark over Robbie and the merits of "Pray" over "Babe", me and my best mate were arguing over who was the best; Declan (my man) and Peter Andre (that was all her!)

You see, my problem was not with Take That themselves; as a huge fan of cheesy pop (hence the PJ and Duncan obsession) their music was actually right up my street, and I did secretly like the odd song, yet my problem has always been that the more hyped up an act is, the bigger aversion I will take to them. However, my mistake regarding the best boy band in the world ever (not including PJ and Duncan as they are not technically a boy band), was soon rectified a few years ago when I actually met, had a few drinks and exchanged numbers with one of the (at the time single, there was no scandal involved!) members and, due to his general loveliness, I found myself finally giving in to the phenomenon that was, and is, Take That, and even buying myself the fantabulous Greatest Hits. Consequently I was thrilled (who wasn't?) when, last year, Take That announced that, ten years after their split, they were reuniting. So I headed off to see them in concert with my best mate - three times - and speedily added this album to the top of my Christmas list.

Well, Christmas came, and there, sat in my sack, was this gem of an album. I have to admit that I expected the album to be somewhat similar to the previous Take That sound, even though the boys had grown up and embarked on many different things between now and then including marriage, kids, solo careers and winning Celebrity Big Brother. However, the album was a revelation to me as the sound is nothing like I had expected it to be. Whereas the old Take That promoted cheese, campness and awful pvc outfits, the new Take That offer a more laid back, mature pop sound. The other big change is that, shockingly, Gary only sings 6 out of the 12 tracks compared to all but two of the tracks on the old greatest hits.

However, though different, the new sound is not automatically worse. The new album has, in my opinion, distinct advantages and disadvantages over the old Take That sound. The main disadvantage is that the music is less upbeat, less poppy and less catchy than the old sound; it is less familiar and the songs don't have that emotional tie that many of the old ones do with people who remember the songs as representing a phase in their life. However, that clearly cannot be helped; any new album by Take That would face stiff competition against the brilliant hits such as "Back for Good" and "Everything Changes" so to compare is actually a little unfair. However, this album does have its advantages too.

The main advantage about this new sound is that it will probably appeal to a wider audience; it is not just targeting young girls but the mature, accomplished pop sound will probably appeal to pop fans young and old. The second advantage is that, as previously mentioned, this album gives all the members of Take That the opportunity to showcase their vocal and writing skills, with Mark singing three songs on the album, Howard two and Jason one. Although admittedly their talents, in my opinion, do not quite match up to those of Gary Barlow, this does give it the advantage that it appeals to fans of the other boys.

Anyway, let's scrap the comparisons… the boys have grown up and producing an album exactly the same as the past ones would be pointless; the lads are moving onwards and upwards and this album is, as the name suggests, actually really beautiful. The album is mainly comprised of beautiful ballads, with the odd upbeat track thrown in for good measure. Although this new sound may come as a bit of a surprise to those, like me, who expected cheese and dance routine inducing anthems, I would definitely recommend it to Take That fans of old and the newcomers who fell in love with the brilliant first (this time round) single, "Patience", as its beautiful, purer sound can't fail to disappoint. If, however, you need a bit more info on this long awaited album from Take That, please read on for a few of my thoughts and observations on this totally worth the money (and wait) album…

REACH OUT is the first track off the album and is a really upbeat and positive track, both musically and lyrically. It is different from what you may expect if you are only familiar with the old Take That sound but it has a similar classier pop sound to 'Patience' (although more upbeat) and sets the tone of the album. The track also features Gary doing a rather impressive and unintentional (I think. And hope!) impression of Justin from The Darkness with the highly pitched line "touching you, touching me". Overall this is a great feel good track with inspirational and refreshing lyrics about getting along with others and everyone being connected to each other; "It's the same sun rising/ We all just look to the sky/ If we try, we can work it out somehow/ If you don't know me and I don't know you how can we be fighting/ We're all connected it's true/ Reaching out/ It's only love that pulls us through." Aaah. 9/10

PATIENCE is Take That's first single in ten years and is definitely worth the wait. This is a heartfelt, beautiful ballad that gets stuck in your head and continues to improve with each listen. It is every bit as good as the old 'A Million Love Songs' and 'Love Ain't Here Anymore' ballads and Gary sings his little heart out. My only complaint is that I feel the lyrics are a bit cheeky as Gary appears to be demanding patience from his partner as his heart is still broken from a previous relationship. Now, I don't know about you, but if my boyfriend told me that his heart was "still hurting" from a love he had lost and it was "numb" and had "no feeling" towards me so be patient and not be "too hard on his emotions" I would possibly dump him right there and then. How cheeky! Anyway, beautiful track if I ignore the lyrics… 10/10

BEAUTIFUL WORLD is sung by Howard, who sounds a little like Gary Barlow with a blocked nose. Consequently, his vocals are perhaps not as strong as Gary's but I think he sounds quite sweet and he reaches all the right notes and definitely pulls off this track. This is another positive track that lies somewhere between a ballad and upbeat pop, with Howard singing about how every time his girl is near "it's a beautiful world". This is a great track but I think what makes it stand out the most for me is that it is sung by Howard; most tracks on an album tend to be filed in my memory with a little tag word or fact that I associate with them, ie. This is "Howard's track" and I think that if this were actually sung by Gary, although a great track, it would lose its individuality and blend in with some of the other similar sounding tracks. Hence, at a push, it is probably my least favourite track on the album (which doesn't make it bad!) 7/10

HOLD ON comes at the perfect point in the album as it quite different from the other tracks on the album, both lyrically and vocally. Although this track also has the steady medium pace and soft guitar music, Mark's distinct vocals make this sound different to the previous tracks as his voice is so different. I've always actually thought that Mark was not a very good singer; although he reaches all the right notes, he has an odd tone to his voice and his voice is not as strong as Gary's and is quite fragile, almost vulnerable sounding. However, I've actually begun to find this quite endearing and it really works on this track as his voice carries emotion easily and makes this subdued, wistful sounding love song sound very convincing and heartfelt. 8/10

LIKE I NEVER LOVED YOU AT ALL is one of my favourite tracks on the album as it is another perfect Barlow ballad (he does them soo well). Gary's heartfelt vocals reflect the sad, meaningful lyrics really well; "How did we lose our way? It's hard to remember all that we shared/ Now we both have separate lives/ From lovers to strangers, now alone". This has the heartfelt vocals, meaningful lyrics and soaring choruses that we have come to expect from Gary but it still has a refreshing and unique something extra that stops this format from growing old. 9/10

SHINE is Mark's second song on the album and also the second single. Many people I know have said that this is their favourite track on the album and I have also heard it said that this one has an indie feel to it, however, I personally disagree with both of these opinions (I'm not saying they are wrong, don't misunderstand me!) I like the song well enough, it is nice and upbeat, but I think that Mark's vocals don't carry this one off as well as in his last track, I think it is a bit strange sounding, and I also think that, rather than having an indie feel to it, this is actually the nearest track on the album to cheesy pop and Take That's old sound. I have to admit that it is growing on me but, in the way of Girls Aloud's quirky 'Biology', it was so all over the place that I didn't really get it at first. I'm sure before it appears as a single on the shelves I will be loving it too, though, don't you worry! 7/10

I'D WAIT FOR LIFE is a ballad in every sense of the word, with a gentle, steady piano backing, heartfelt vocals and painful lyrics about breaking up. This is less memorable and the chorus is not as strong as 'Like I Never Loved You At All' however it is very pretty and delicate and Gary, as always, sounds great. 7/10

AIN'T NO SENSE IN LOVE is my joint favourite track on the album along with 'Patience'. It stands out from the other tracks as, although it has a ballady feel to it, it has a more upbeat, catchy chorus and is quite singalongable. Gray showcases his impressive vocal range once more and I also like the clever lyrics describing this no good girl that Gary has supposedly fallen for as having "the heart of a gypsy and the soul of a stone", however, I can't imagine sensible looking Gary ever falling for someone who's "beautiful trouble". 10/10

WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN is another Mark track and again has a quirky and unique feel to it and stands out amongst Gary's tracks. This is a quirky ballad which this time I feel does have a bit of an indie edge to it. It is less lovey dovey than Gary's ballads with more of a heartbroken, downbeat feel to it accompanying Mark's heartfelt and pleading lyrics; "Give me something 'cause I'm losing it". The lyrics are less straightforward and more intriguing than in many of the ballads too; "Are we getting better or did we used to be? What of the songs we used to sing? Where are the souls we used to carry in?" Very arty sounding, although slightly over my head! 9/10

MANCUNIAN WAY is another of my favourite tracks on the album and almost, almost made it in to the best track category. This is another track sung by Howard and his voice really suits the track. There are three things that I love about this track; 1. It is quite upbeat and more catchy than many of the tracks on the album and therefore stands out from them and breaks the album up a bit. 2. It is basically a love song about Howard's hometown Manchester; "We used to walk down Mancunian Way… Do you know what you meant to me?… I'm missing your face, your beautiful face" which I love because a) I wrote a poem like this about Liverpool for my first Creative Writing assignment and I think it's funny that Howard had the same idea and b) It's nice that his home town is still so important to him after all the things he's done and all the places he's been. And 3; I love the bit at the end when it fades out and the little girl's voice take over because I am pretty sure that this is Howard's daughter singing (it says in the album sleeve the girl's name is Grace and I'm sure that's her name) and I think that is unbelievably cute! Anyway, the lyrics are some of the strongest on the album with Harold describing how his fame "came when I was pretty, but that don't work no more" and how he's been "lying down for ten long years" but now he's back and is "gonna bring this town alive". The music's great too. Overall, a fab track from Mr Donald, well done! 10/10

WOODEN BOAT, Jason's one and only track on the album, is another brilliant track which I've noticed, like Howard's effort above (which a certain celebrity gossip mag dubbed the worst track on the album!) is a bit hit or miss depending on the listener's personal taste in music. With me, however, it is a definite hit! I love this track as it is really unique track, like nothing else on the album. The track has a country, folk feel to it which really suits the lyrics of the track. It has a relaxing, laid back, old fashioned feel to it and Jason (who I recently heard saying he'd been having singing lessons for the new album, bless!) sounds really good; his voice is really gentle and pure and really suits the track. The lyrics are also one of the biggest strengths of the track as they are very unique and just SO sad, detailing Jason's (well, not really Jason's, but the song narrator's) progress from a little boy fishing in a wooden boat to the death of his wife, leaving him alone, longing for that wooden boat. Combined with the moving music and vocals they get me every time.10/10

BUTTERFLY is the secret hidden track on the album (OK, it's not so secret since they advertise its existence on the back of the CD box!) which follows on from 'Wooden Boat' on track eleven of the CD. This is another Gary Barlow love song and another beautiful ballad that really deserves more credit than being slipped in as a bonus track, as it is a really great track which finishes the album off as it started, with Gary's brilliant vocals, heartfelt lyrics and soaring choruses. Aah, I'd have expected no less. 8/10

TRACK LIST-
1. Reach Out
2. Patience
3. Beautiful World
4. Hold On
5. Like I Never Loved You At All
6. Shine
7. I'd Wait For Life
8. Ain't No Sense in Love
9. What You Believe In
10. Mancunian Way
11. Wooden Boat
12. Butterfly (Bonus track)

UK SINGLES FEATURED ON ALBUM-
1. Patience
2. Shine (soon to be released)

TRACKS WRITTEN BY TAKE THAT- 12 out of 12

BEST TRACK- 'Patience' and 'Ain't No Sense In Love'

WORST TRACK- 'Beautiful World' (at a push)

NUMBER OF GOOD SONGS- 12 out of 12

ALBUM UNIQUE SELLING POINT- It's Take That, come on what is more of a selling point than that? Take That are a piece of history and have shaped girls lives everywhere and they bring back all their charm, fun and beautiful melodies for this album.

ALBUM NEGATIVES - There is not a great deal of variation as most of the tracks are ballads. I could have handled a bit more cheese!

ALBUM SUMMARISED IN ONE WORD- Beautiful

SCORE OUT OF 10 FOR…
VOCALS- 9 (Gary gets ten but this is an overall average)
LYRICS- 9
MUSIC/BACKING TRACKS- 10
VARIATION IN TRACKS- 7
OVERALL ALBUM- 9

RECOMMENDED-Yes; this is a must-have for fans of Take That or quality pop music.

 

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