October 15, 200618 yr If any of you are members of Digital Spy can you go over and defend Rudebox as it's taking a bit of a pasting. :cry:
October 15, 200618 yr Exodous promised to buy the Rudebox album :wub: Edited October 15, 200618 yr by Mayte
October 15, 200618 yr Author If any of you are members of Digital Spy can you go over and defend Rudebox as it's taking a bit of a pasting. :cry: They are nothing but a bunch of sad snobby bast*rds on that site who seriously need to get out more :smoke:
October 15, 200618 yr If any of you are members of Digital Spy can you go over and defend Rudebox as it's taking a bit of a pasting. :cry: am sure robbie don´t care -_- as well us don´t care ^_^
October 15, 200618 yr If any of you are members of Digital Spy can you go over and defend Rudebox as it's taking a bit of a pasting. :cry: Ill try maybe later, but everytime I go on there and defend, I end up getting very ratty with the answers I get back :angry: , which is one of the reasons I dont visit there much.
October 23, 200618 yr I am afraid this is a copy and paste job but after listening to the CD again today my views still have not changed, so really I am not cheating. My review on Rudebox. So here it goes. :D http://i9.tinypic.com/2ly32b6.jpg Track 1. Rudebox. I love it. The chorus is fab, perhaps the lyrics abit corny, even so it is a good track with unique lyrics and a first rap to be amusing. Did not deserve the rubbishing IMO. Track 2. Viva Life on Mars. I was shocked when I first heard it on the listening feature. I was not expecting a country sounding track. It is a grower and has a great vibe throughout the track. Robbie's vocals are good. I like it. Track 3. Lovelight. Love it, one of the best covers on the album. Pure class! Track 4. Bongo Bong - Je ne T'aime Plus Liked this one instantly. I love it now. It is fun it has a euro pop feel about it and I adore the sax instrumental too. Very funky. Track 5. She's Madonna Brilliantly Robbie. I really like this track, the melody is infectious it is easy on the ear and I love some of the lyrics. A good track perhaps would have preferred it further down the listing, perhaps in between Keep on and Good Doctor. Track 6. Keep On. I think this track is 'wicked' in a good way. I love the slow verse moving into pure madness. Great beat, great vocals and you sense that Robbie loved recording this one. Head banging stuff. Track 7. Good Doctor. Well, I called this a 'pile of pills' Not anymore! I love it, It is a fun track which did not come across on the rw.com listening feature. The lyrics are funny and really are Robbie which I love. The chorus is pretty cool. I found myself laughing at this one. Say no more about Boots. That rounds it off nicely. Track 8. The Actor. Love it. The beat and the 'rolling' rhythm the deep vocals of Robbie are fab. I really like the names of all the actors being mentioned too. This one is ace. Track 9. Never Touch That Switch Not keen on this one at the moment. I am afraid the synthesizer plays on my nerves abit. I am not really sure what the song is trying to say, perhaps I should read the lyrics. I am sure I will get it if I listen to it abit more. Track 10. Louise. Love it. Very melancholy and placed in a good spot on the album, especially after Never Touch that Switch. You just need to hear Robbie sing and you do. It is plain, simple and very effective. Love his calming deep voice. Track 11. We're The Pet Shop Boys. I felt this track was too repetitive, it still is, but I love listening to the overlay of Robbie's vocals at the end where they keep repeating the lines. It does reflect away from it abit more, even so, it is an atmospheric track, the backing is good and hum, very Pet Shop Boys. Track 12. Burslem Normals. This one does not grab me at all. It has a nice melody but to me it is just a filler for the album and if that is the case I don't think it needed to be on the album. It goes nowhere and does nothing for me. Track 13. Kiss Me. I know he is tipping his hat to Stephen Duffy. But I just cannot stand this song. It is not Robbie, far too bland for him, not enough depth in the lyrics. Far too, what can I say, would it be '15 year old pop'? Track 14. The 80's. Love it Love it Love it. The album has got back on track again. This is brilliant. The melody, the beat, the rhythm is fantastic. The lyrics are amazing and are worked very well into the musical arrangement. It is very, very clever. A great track, funny, amusing, witty and a great vibe. A winner in my book. Track 15. The 90's. It works well with the 80's and the contrast between the two is breathtaking. This one is sad, to where the 80's is amusing. The 90's is a very cleverly worked out track. the musical arrangement is excellent and I love the 'overlay' again of Robbie's vocals. I like it, although it is not as strong as the 80's. They work well together and makes a very touching trilogy. Track 16. Summertime. Robbie has reached into his 'store cupboard' which is great. I have always liked this song. I prefer this one to the original. Robbie's 'cry' yes, he has that 'cry' in his vocals on this track and sends shivers down my spine just as Robbie says at the end. Great vocals, love the arrangement. Love the sound and I particularly liked the electronically enhanced vocals in the middle of the track. Track 17. Dickhead Well, what can I say. I am glad this is a 'hidden' track. :arrr: :angry: :o B) :wacko: :P :yahoo: :cheer: I love it, laughed my head off at the way Robbie delivers some of the lyrics. Excellent! I have always loved Robbie and the way he express himself. This track does exactly that. I find the musical arrangement dramatic, almost like a film score. What a shame the lyrics have put this one as 'hidden' Summery. Rudebox is a fabulous album. I never thought I would say it. The more you listen to it the better it becomes. I am afraid for me the listening feature on rw.com did not do these songs any justice at all. There are many surprises when you hear it on a CD. Great orchestral work, arrangements, different mixes and tweaking with sounds, the beats and rhythms are fabulous and I swear each time I listen to a certain track I hear something different again. All this with Robbie putting in great vocals. I feel it is very much a dedicated 'Robbie fan' sort of album which I find a shame. More than just fans should listen to it. He has an amazing talent for everything. I am lucky to be able to say I am one of those fans. I would not want to miss out on this one. Rudebox deserves to be a hit worldwide. Lets hope that they all trust Robbie on this one. He pulls it off big time. It is challenging, different, diverse and addictive. I give it 6 :spin: out of 5 http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y279/tc73/Smilies/icon_thumbs_up.gif Proud of you Robbie! thanks to Buzzjacks Robbie forum for the back sleeve of the album picture.
October 23, 200618 yr I have listened. All the way through. -_- And :unsure: :o God, it's a very long album. :P
October 23, 200618 yr Author I have listened. All the way through. -_- And :unsure: :o God, it's a very long album. :P :lol: :rolleyes: We want a full review track by track :P We've waited long enough :lol:
October 23, 200618 yr Here's mine :dance: Rudebox I have to admit it was a bit of a shock on first hearing! But it only took a few listens before I was shaking my Rudebox with Robbie! Ok, some of the lyrics are basic, but there are some great lines in there as well and if taken as a bit of fun, it’s a great track! After seeing it live it now has a special place in my heart. Will you wear your knee socks? 9/10 Viva Life on Mars A bit apprehensive because of it’s country roots, but I actually really like this one! Good fun, funky guitar and a mouth organ - what more could you want?! Love is natural, love is good 7/10 Lovelight Loved this from the first listen! Makes me want to get up and dance (not always a good thing lol!) Robbie’s vocals are stunning on this one and combined with the video it’s an incredibly sexy track. I don’t know the original version, so for me this is a Robbie song. Once again, something completely different from Robbie - love it! I’ve been holding back, is it any wonder? 10/10 Bongo Bong & Je Ne T'aime Plus Not one of my favourites on the album, but it is a lot of fun. I like Robbie’s laid back delivery of the lines, and Lily Allen’s vocals on the chorus are catchy. Once they both start talking in French it gets even sillier - especially Robbie’s ad-libbing at the end! Hear me when I come baby 6/10 She’s Madonna I think we all had such high expectations for this song after all the hype. Sadly for me it doesn’t quite live up to the hype - I was expecting more! Maybe the subject matter is what I have the problem with lol! Some clever lyrics and a beautiful chorus arrangement. Robbie & The Pet Shop Boys work well together and compliment each other. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the story behind the song is true as well. It might make a good single as I can see it would have a commercial appeal, but I don’t think it’s one of the greatest on the album. I’m sorry love, Madonna’s calling me 8/10 Keep On Another mental track but I really love this one, especially when it gets going. Not sure I really get the Hotel Motel bit but it provides a contrast to the frantic ramblings of the rest of the song! Again I like Lily Allen’s vocals. More French from Robbie as well - can’t be bad lol! I think with my dingaling 9/10 Good Doctor Another of my favourites and guaranteed to put a smile on my face! Very funny, honest lyrics and another great catchy chorus! Love that there’s so much to listen to - layer upon layer of vocals and spoken bits. His shopping list of drugs at the end is hilarious and I will never be able to go into Boots again without thinking of Robbie! I don’t feel pro-pah! 10/10 The Actor Yet again, Robbie doing something completely different. I like the call & response between him and Marsha Thomason . That’s certainly an interesting and varied list of actors he has in there! Obviously living in LA has made him a tad cynical! All I have is my instinct 8/10 Never Touch That Switch For some reason this one has really got to me now! It sort of passed me by on the first listen, but now I’m excited by it as soon as it starts! Love the beat and the music and Robbie’s voice is gorgeous on this one! There’s a schism in the time mechanism 9/10 Louise Yes, I’m old enough to remember the original! Not an all time favourite, but Robbie’s deep vocals are lovely on it. The story in the song is very sweet and it obviously means a lot to Robbie. He’s definitely kept it very 80’s sounding. Was the spoken bit at the end on the original? It seems very fitting for Robbie. There are wounds that you don’t wanna heal 8/10 We’re the Pet Shop Boys Another one that took me a few listens - like it a lot now! Maybe it doesn’t sound quite Robbie enough, but that’s fair enough, it‘s a song about being the Pet Shop Boys! Easy to listen to, and I like the way it builds up to the big chorus. It’s alright, it’s a sin 7/10 Burslem Normals Once I actually spent time listening to the lyrics, this song meant a lot more to me. It’s beautiful and poignant and hey, it contains the word chavs! A very unusual sounding song - is that trickling water in the background? Brilliant lyrics beautifully spoken by Robbie. Like saying goodbye to your innocence. Are you more normal than before? 8/10 Kiss Me I do remember the Stephen Duffy original, but not well enough to compare the two versions. A bit too lightweight disco for me, but I have found myself singing the chorus. Obviously it meant enough to Robbie to cover it and put it on the album as a tribute to Stephen Duffy. I explode inside your kiss 6/10 The 80’s I think I may actually be addicted to this track! It totally blew me away on my first listen and I am still in awe of it - it’s just brilliant! It’s the one that makes me want to go up to complete strangers and say ‘Listen to THIS!’ Takes me right back to my teenage years (admittedly early 80’s) and brings back so many memories of school, boyfriends etc! Incredibly moving lyrics, rapped brilliantly by Robbie as only Robbie can. Love the melody in the chorus too. Proof that he really is a lyrical genius. Things are better when they start 12/10 The 90’s I think this was the one I was most desperate to hear after all the controversy and I wasn’t disappointed. I sat and cried as he told his story of the time in Take That and how it all went wrong. Yes, we’ve heard it all before, but not like this! Lyrically brilliant and brutally honest (again). I would love to hear it complete with the NMS lyrics one day but the gaps speak volumes just as they are. Obviously it’s not one that we can relate to in the same way as The 80’s, but it’s Robbie’s story and that’s what makes it so special. Another beautifully sad chorus. I can’t forgive & it’s crazy, baby 12/10 Summertime I’ve always been quite fond of this bside - it’s got a lovely feel to it. Glad to see it make it onto an album and I like the production on it more now I think. A nice, summery feel and fluffy bunnies - what more could you ask for? Oh yeah, shivers down my spine lol! Admit it, you feel great 8/10 Dickhead LOVE this one! No one swears like our Robbie! Incredibly clever, funny lyrics delivered on top of a great beat and then the beautiful melody of the chorus kicks in - brilliant! It has to be played loud and if you’ve got someone in mind worthy of the Dickhead title it helps! Obvious comparison to Eminem which is not a bad thing - Eminem would be proud to have written this one! Robbie’s hysterical laugh is infectious, and it has to be Ant with the bucket of sh*t! Wonder why the British press have a problem with him - Dickheads! Give me my lighter 12/10 An incredibly exciting album - it takes you on a journey and makes you laugh and cry. I always look forward to new albums from Robbie, but this is the most excited I've ever been. Very proud of him for this one - it's just so Robbie and he obviously had a lot of fun making it! Each album he does is special, they all have their defining moments, but this one just seems to eclipse the others for me right now. It's musically diverse and lyrically brilliant (think I may have mentioned that before!) Thanks Robbie for sharing so much with us and for taking us on your journey with you! Love you :wub: Edited October 23, 200618 yr by RockDJ
October 23, 200618 yr Author tomorrow. ^_^ Fine -_- I just realised I have'nt gone a track by track review either :o Tomorrow ^_^
October 23, 200618 yr Thisispop's review after four plays of Rudebox: http://images.play.com/covers/1112126m.jpg Track 1. Rudebox. A very marmite track, but I love it. It made #4 on my Personal Chart. With its chorus taken from Sly & Robbies' 1987 hit Boops and a very enjoyable rap with brilliant flippant throwaway lyrics. This single suggested that the album was going to be very different from IC. 9 Track 2. Viva Life on Mars. Any track which namechecks my all time favourite song (David Bowie's Life On Mars) and has a Robert Plant-esque (Led Zeppelin) harmonica and banjo playing is on to a winner. A great country feel to the track, albeit reminiscent of Beck. 9 Track 3. Lovelight. At first I did not like this track, as it reminded me of a poor man's Justin Timberlake/Timbaland collaboration. However the first time I heard the track via the video on my surround sound TV with its extra musical sound quality made me realise that I was wrong. Currently #3 on my Personal Chart. 10 Track 4. Bongo Bong - Je ne T'aime Plus I thought I was going to hate it........ but I really like it, a great, fluid arrangement, with good backing vocals from Lily Allen and a very continental flavour. Voila! 8 Track 5. She's Madonna Very Pet Shop Boys, but Robbie does sound inspired on this track, with some great vocals. I love the melody, which is no surprise as I'm a big fan of the Pet Shop Boys (check out their latest album "Fundamental"). Another killer chorus. 10 Track 6. Keep On. This track starts off as if it is another Pet Shop Boys then quickly turns into a very good Shaun Ryder (Happy Mondays/Black Grape) pastiche. Lily Allen has never sounded better singing the "I love my Mum & I love my Dad...." hook. This has to be a single at some stage. 9 Track 7. Good Doctor. The first track that I'm less than blown away with. Probably because it's Reggae/Ska Ms Dynamite/Lady Sovereign sound reminds me too much of Lily Allen's disappointing "Alright Still" album. Very funny lyrics, but if EMI had insisted on editing this album to be a killer 10/11/12 track album, then this may have failed to make the cut. 6 Track 8. The Actor. This is absolutely fabulous. Strangely it reminds me Gwen Stefani solo "L.A.M.B." album. I love the electronic rhythm & beat to this track. 8 Track 9. Never Touch That Switch One of the lesser tracks on the album. It is OK, but the album may have benefitted with this track being cut. 6 Track 10. Louise. I loved the Human League 1984 original, and Robbie's vocals suit this modern sounding update perfectly. 9 Track 11. We're The Pet Shop Boys. Unsurprisingly this track sounds like the Pet Shop Boys. However this track is not as strong as She's Madonna, although the Pet Shop Boy's song title references are amusing. 7 Track 12. Burslem Normals. I'm hoping that this track is an introspective grower, and the melody grabs me. However at the moment there are a lot more stronger material on the album. Great instrumentation on this track. 7 Track 13. Kiss Me. In comparison to the Human League cover, his modern re-working of Stephen Duffy's most famous song, falls a little short in the vocals & the production department. A little too HI-NRG for me! 7 Track 14. The 80's. My favourite track on the album. This is perhaps the greatest lyrics of his career to date. This has the potential to replace "Better Man" as my favourite Robbie track. The lyrics are brilliant. Any musical snob who tells you that Robbie is not as good as Ray Davies or Morrissey for lyrics, then play them this track. 10 Track 15. The 90's. The Yang to "The 80's" Ying. You cannot help to feel the sadness in his lyrics and vocal performance though. Another brilliant arrangement that reminds me of The Beatles. However it is not quite as strong as "The 80's", I'm still giving this track.... 10 Track 16. Summertime. Is this track taken from the end of that Ricky Tomlinson England World Cup/Football Manager satire movie? A great track to end the album, it would sound great as a summer anthem. 9 Track 17. Dickhead Any track that has the line "This is Pop, Dickhead" is a winner in my book. (And my real name is Richard.... <_< 8 Overall I have over 900 albums including all of Robbie's studio albums. So I'm not a Robbie fanatic, however if I had to give them a rating out of 10 then: LTAL 9/10 IBEY 8/10 Sing WYW 7/10 Swing WYW 5/10 Escapology 6/10 IC 5/10 Rudebox 9/10 - believe me I have not got many albums where their are 12 tracks with 8 or more out of 10. :wub: :cheer:
October 23, 200618 yr What a fantastic review T.I.P. Thanks so much for that. I love the 80s and 90s as well. I just can't understand why these 2 tracks in particular are getting such a slating by the critics. I really think Robbie is a lyrical genius. If it was anyone other than Robbie the critics would be orgasmic in their adoration. It's so annoying. <_<
October 23, 200618 yr Thats a great review TIP :yahoo: . It warms my heart when a non Robbie fanatic can give a great review like that. Can you post this on the main pop forum too please...I want everyone to know how great it is...and that it's not just us :P
October 24, 200618 yr Author Track 16. Summertime. Is this track taken from the end of that Ricky Tomlinson England World Cup/Football Manager satire movie? A great track to end the album, it would sound great as a summer anthem. 9 Yes, it certainly is ^_^ Robbie's original is far superior IMO. ^_^
