Apt Title
Ian D. Smith | Bangor, ME United States | 01/25/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"No one is going to call Robbie Williams the most original artist to walk the face of the earth, but that really doesn't matter, because his appeal comes from those words you hear connected to his name all the time: cheekiness, persona, charisma, showmanship. Williams' new album is fun and playful, tongue-in-cheek, and also very introspective and thoughtful. There should be no doubts about whether or not he can be taken seriously by now. "Supreme" is more or less the "Millennium" of "Sing When You're Winning." Williams and his collaborator Guy Chambers sample the instantly recognizable "I Will Survive" and put its beat and irreverent strings to good use. As usual, the lyrics are interesting (it's my understanding that Williams provides the majority of the words in his collaborations with Chambers), and the tune is catchy. Sampling this song is hardly a new idea, but again, Williams is out to entertain, and he really doesn't need to be so original. What matters is how he pulls these things off, and it's charm, honesty and style that makes it all stick. "Supreme" is a hit in Europe, "Sing When You're Winning" has gone multi-platinum worldwide and made many an editor's Best of 2000 list. All that says to me is that everyone else knows what I know: Robbie Williams is first and foremost an entertainer, but his music has the substance to back up the persona, the pop star and the longevity of a man who's just getting started.Note: "Supreme Pt. 1" contains a live video of a performance of the song in Manchester. Pt. 2 I believe contains the actual video made for the song, a cleverly pieced together vid that mixes 60s racecar footage with new shots, putting Robbie in a bit of history. Pt. 2 is also notable for the newly recorded B-Side, "Come Take Me Over" which has quite a nice refrain."
Great single
Ian D. Smith | 02/02/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"No, it's not really inventive, but it certainly is fun to hear. The lyrics are clever, the rap is fun, and listeners who take offense at Robbie Williams not being a pioneer for originality need to chill because he never set out to do anything more than entertain. Both enhanced videos are fun, the first especially for those who've never seen Robbie in concert."
