Kath, it's been a recurring problem for months on end. Everything would be fine, then it wouldn't recognise my pass word etc. It took me ages ( or rather my son, bless him) to log on yesterday and then today - nothing. It didn't recognise my details.

 

As you know my IT skills leave a lot to be desired so my put upon son set up a new account for me - fingers crossed this one works ok :)

 

By the way I meant to say how pleased I am that you enjoyed the ELO gig so much - shame about the email situation but at least you finally got to see Jeff Lynne again.

 

Kath, it's been a recurring problem for months on end. Everything would be fine, then it wouldn't recognise my pass word etc. It took me ages ( or rather my son, bless him) to log on yesterday and then today - nothing. It didn't recognise my details.

 

As you know my IT skills leave a lot to be desired so my put upon son set up a new account for me - fingers crossed this one works ok :)

 

By the way I meant to say how pleased I am that you enjoyed the ELO gig so much - shame about the email situation but at least you finally got to see Jeff Lynne again.

 

Thanks Dylan. I had such a fabulous time. Everyone was on their feet. It was hit after hit. Mike Stevens and the other guys were fabulous too. Jeff didn't speak too much (he seems exceedingly shy - and genuinely shocked at how much people love him). It was good to see a lot of young people appreciating him as well.

I guess however we each individually feel about Rob rejoining, it is happening. Word is, as has been mentioned, that he was in the studio laying down vocals on new songs this weekend.

 

Interestingly, they seem to be working on album #8 and the GH at the same time.

 

For the here and now, I hope album #8 does well. They haven't released an album this frequently since the early 90s. Do you think this will impact its sales?

I expect lower sales for the new album, although it's possible the GH album will do better. A lot will ride on their marketing/publicity strategy. If they manage to secure a TV show then there's a possibility the new album will surpass the sales of lll. I understand that Rob also has an album out this year and it will be interesting to see the sales figures for that. Album sales are dire at present and it'll take an exceptional album to buck the trend.

 

I think TT have lost the winning formula they had. They released a new album every two years initially with solid marketing. I'm not too keen on yearly album releases because I question the quality of the work when the output is so frequent.

Just from the RW perspective he mentioned in his chat room only last week that no TT plans has been finalised and it was all "newspaper talk" so it seems unlikely he's been anywhere near a studio. :)

 

All he seems to be posting on Twitter are photos of him metal detecting presumably in Wiltshire. So unless Gary is into that too......

 

 

 

:lol:

If Inside the Music and Hyde Park go well, the sales for the new album should be higher than III's , in my opinion. I hope it's not just wishful thinking on my part.

Well, that's assuming that ITM rolls while it's spring in the northern hemisphere :P With Gary, you never know what "soon" and "very soon" mean :P

 

I actually think that it's good that they're releasing another album so soon after III. From experience, I know that it's not very wise to dwell too much on things - it gives you time to question and doubt yourself and, usually, the 1st instinct is the right one. TT didn't have too much time for BW and we can all agree that it's their either best or 2nd to best album to date. They seem to be inspired while they're on tour or involved in other projects, so I wouldn't want them to wait a couple of years or more in between the albums, cause that would make them second guess themselves eventually.

Besides, if they didn't put out this new album this year, the whole attention would be on the greatest hits album next year and the general public might get the impression that it's the end of TT.

I'm really not crazy about the whole idea of a greatest hits album. I can see its utility, but, for fans, I don't really understand its purpose - most, if not all, fans already have all the albums containing the hits - and we hear them so much on all the gigs that we're actually sick of them by now and we're much more interested in their "non-hit" material/album tracks.

 

Agree with you, Dylan - I'm sincerely starting to question whether Gary is using his brain cells or not. For the life of me, I can't understand his friendship with Robbie (I do believe that Gary forgave Robbie with all his heart and put the past behind, but I'm not so sure about Robbie; I still get the impression that friendship is one-sided, but I may be wrong). I admire him because he seems to be bigger than most of us, fans, but I wish he'd be level-headed where the band is concerned and see that this "revolving door" is doing them no favors.

I would expect sales of the new album to most likely be lower, that said, sales of Three were disappointing for Take That standards but successful when you judge by the general market. The problem Take That face is do they continue been experimental and creative as that stimulates them or do they make an album the general public may prefer and sell in higher numbers? It is in some ways a no win situation. I believe they have nothing to prove as they have achieved so much as band and have racked up some impressive album, single, dvd and tour sales. To date they have never released similar albums, each album is very different in its won right and that is a credit to them. They cant be accused of playing it safe.

 

I have enjoyed all the albums since the reform but will admit Beautiful World and the Circus are by far the stronger of the releases and both have aged wonderfully well. I enjoyed Progress in parts, The Flood is among my most liked songs by them. That said, i also love These Days and i prefer the Three album to Progress. It could be argued both Progress and Three are too far removed from what the general public want from Take That.

 

I still look forward to a new Take That release, i am always excited for a new album and i have yet to be left disappointed and i would believe that trend will continue with the next release. It would be wonderful if they could lead the next campaign with a Take That ballad and reignite interest in them that was lost in the Three era. I strongly believe they need to have 2 strong singles opening the new era and need to have promotion in place.

 

The Greatest Hits era with or without Robbie will do well for them, the tour alone would be huge. If Robbie is on-board i strongly feel it should be Take That songs only and there is no place for a solo Robbie section like before. Let Robbie sing the songs with them including Patience, etc. and they could do one Robbie song as group to pay nod to his solo career.

 

 

I would really want them to be very careful at least with the 1st 2 singles AND I want them to release both singles prior to the album. Once fans get their hands on the album, there's absolutely no reason for them anymore to buy a single, at least not in the digital format.

 

As for Robbie, no matter how they handle the approach, we're still gonna suffer. I still haven't made my mind up yet whether I'd suffer more from a Robbie solo set or from him lending his vocals to Patience or RTW :P I'd say I'm even inclined to pay him NOT to sing on those songs; heck, I'd give him an hour for his solo part just so he wouldn't ruin the TT songs. Maybe he could mime? Nobody's paying to listen to him anyway, he just has to stand there and...be Robbie.

Edited April 18, 20169 yr by milly

Completely agree, Pippa. If Robbie is involved, as he obviously will be, then there should be any Progress-y 'Acts'. It should ONLY be TT material. Trouble is he doesn't sing on many songs. I imagine he wouldn't touch the singles...maybe the lesser hits like love ain't here anymore will be more his wheelhouse in this situation. No danger in my mind that Gary won't be singing Patience or RTW...Robbie's voice couldn't pull it off anyways.

 

They've been great with their lead single choices in the past. They just need to ensure they have a STRONG second. Think the impact of up all night or shine. Even Kidz has a good impact on the album even though it itself struggled into the lower 20s

To get round the Robbie scenario they could mix up some of the classics in the way they have with The Flood. Rob could have a larger part in Never Forget (end section) he would sing lead on EC and CIBM, the Beatles medley and some songs from Progress. However, as it's an anniversary tour one would expect the hits which I guess would limit the number of songs from Progress. They could mix up Pray and a MLS and I can see a collaboration between Mark and Rob on Shine. However, I don't see how they can play around with RTW or Patience - it would be criminal to do so!!

 

BW and Circus have indeed stood the test of time because they are classic pop albums, well crafted with lovely orchestration and good harmonies. I firmly believe they need to go back to this sound. They've experimented enough and should return to their trademark sound which is firmly in the ballad/ up beat pop genres. I'm trying to be positive as Rob's collaboration with the boys did result in The Flood which is a fab song - so it is possible for them to work well together song writing wise.

 

Also agree that they should release two singles off the album before its release - I certainly don't buy singles once I've bought the album, unless there's a B side that I like. I'd also like any tour to be slightly more stripped back than Progress. Something along the lines of the Ultimate Tour would be fab as this wasn't too over the top. Sadly TT have made a rod for their own back with more elaborate tours as times gone on - which means that people expect them to top the last one in terms of visuals etc. I'd prefer them to spend the money on stages closer to the crowd, great lighting and a large orchestra.

 

dylan62 i completely agree with your post. Releasing 2 singles before the album is a move they need to do, not doing this will result in only 1 hit single off the album. Like others have said they always do very well with the lead singles and have picked their lead singles wisely each time in the past. Now they need to go one step further and ensure they pick 2 very strong, commercial and Take That style songs that will connect with the public.

 

Experimenting needs to be dropped for the upcoming album and deliver what most want from them. From the little rumours we have heard so far it indicates that the sound on the new album isnt returning to their roots but in another direction. It would be wonderful if its a direction that puts them back at the top, time will tell :huh:

Well, it seems some of us have jumped the gun. As Laura has posted Rob has denied the newspaper stories. I have to say it's all rather confusing :) Surely they'll need to arrange everything well in advance because of schedules etc ?

Yeah. Robbie has denied the rumours, but I think they're just trying to create anticipation, an element of surprise and, basically, they're stirring fans' interest. I, for one. don't believe Robbie. The Sun may be trash, but, so far, they've never published news about TT that weren't true - they have, indeed, a person of contact with TT and every single one of thei news about the band has been right so far, so I don't think this one is an exception.

I truly believe Robbie will be on board for the 25th anniversary. Until then we will have lots of he is and he isnt stories to build interest and anticipation. The more press coverage such stories get can only work to their advantage.

For anyone interested Mark is on Sky 369 - chatting with Neil McCormick about his song writing career.

Considering how much I despise the worm (the journalist, not Mark), I would have passed. Anyway, that interview has already been on yt for many years. I'll never understand why Mark accepted to talk to that guy - at the time, it was one of the things that bothered me, cause I thought Mark wasn't being a true friend to Gary (just like the time when he murdered BFG with Robbie).

Yeah, agreed Milly. He wouldn't be high on my Xmas card list!

I'm confused. The interview I watched last night was a relatively recent one. It was definitely recorded after the release of Mark's last album TAODN. Am I right in thinking the journalist writes for one of the up market papers? I recall him reviewing TT on a number of occasions- both negative and positive. From the reviews I've read I seem to recall that he had rather a 'soft spot' for Rob, although I maybe mixing him up with another journalist.

 

As for the interview. I didn't catch it all but it gave me an insight into Mark's work. I certainly didn't know that he started on key boards as I don't remember him performing keyboard for TT. Also interesting that he doesn't read music ( although many musicians don't) so he must have a different approach to song writing to Gary. After the break up of TT it seems the boys were quite supportive of his solo work. He came across as very reflective about his lack of solo success. Whilst he made some jokes about it, my gut tells me he's finds it rather difficult.

 

Another thing which sprung to mind was how Mark's voice has deteriorated. Although it's far stronger now than in the early days, at the time he released songs such as Child and Clementine his voice was gentler and had a nicer tone overall. I think the drinking and smoking has taken a toll on the quality of his voice.

Yeah, the interview was recorded right at the time of TAODN. I tried to watch it, but I lost interest after a while, cause I found Mark incoherent in parts and having difficulties in finding his words.

Neill Mcworm is a journalist (for The Telegraph, go figure!), who attempted to break into music, but fell flat on his nose and now, he's very frustrated with certain people who find success and are appreciated by the masses. He seems to take pleasure in putting Gary down, every chance he gets. He has a fascinating obsession with Gary:

Neil McCormick ‏@neil_mccormick 12 Dec 2012

Was Gary Barlow busy? RT @bestfitmusic Nirvana to reform for Hurricane Sandy concert, with Paul McCartney as Kurt.

Neil McCormick ‏@neil_mccormick 20 Aug 2011

Casting Gary Barlow as Mr Nasty is like casting Charlie Chaplin as Hitler, only not nearly as funny. #zzzzzfactor

Neil McCormick ‏@neil_mccormick 5 Jun 2009

It doesn't matter how much Gary Barlow buffs up, he still looks like the Fat Controller. An accountant in charge of a boy band

Neil McCormick ‏@neil_mccormick 6 Jun 2009

Dimly recall in hotel bar last night giving my Gary Barlow is the Fat Controller rap to woman who turned out to be Gary's business partner

Neil McCormick ‏@neil_mccormick 25 Aug 2011

The Steaming Turds? RT @TheSun_Bizarre: Gary Barlow wants your help naming his new band

 

He's deleted some of the posts he made on twitter about Gary.

 

He reviews everything Gary does and suffice it to say that the bile he's showing towards Gary in his articles would put The Guardian's "journalists" to shame. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/l...ena-review.html

Basically, he's a jerk - when he published an awful review of Gary's solo tour, comments started pouring in (from fans and general public) highlighting the unfairness of the article - McWorm, in his huge wisdom, lashed out on twitter at Gary's fans and at Gary and encouraged his own followers to gang on Gary's fans.

Neil McCormick ‏@neil_mccormick 6 Apr 2014

Another day, another torrent of abuse. Even I feel like being mean to me after my Gary Barlow review. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/l...ena-review.html …

 

I really really really find him a bad excuse for a human being.

And yes, Dylan, you're right: Mcworm, in his big hypocrisy, is a Robbie fan and doesn't miss any opportunity to compare Gary to Robbie.

 

That's why I said I didn't appreciate Mark accepting to do an interview with him. I thought it was almost like backstabbing Gary.

 

As for Mark's voice, although I don't like it, I think it's actually better nowadays. Whenever I see videos of him in the 90s attempting to sing, I cringe. He's got better at singing, from my point of view, but there's so much he can do with his voice limitations.

Edited April 20, 20169 yr by milly

Thanks Milly. I'll open some of the links and look at them . I thought he'd posted some negative reviews but I didn't realise he had so much dislike of Gary. I wonder where that stems from? Is there any suggestion that Gary's slighted him in the dim and distant past?

 

For quite a benign personality Gary seems to foster a lot of dislike from some areas of the media - he must have developed a thick skin over the years. It may explain his rather guarded responses in interviews. I'm giving Mark the benefit of the doubt - perhaps he has no knowledge of this journalists views on Gary. I have to say I was shocked when he said he'd bought Mark's record, I don't know why, but I assumed he's the kind of music journalist who wouldn't admit to buying a former boy banders music.