Life thru a Lens: Difference between revisions
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'''''Life thru a Lens''''' is the debut solo [[studio album]] by English singer-songwriter [[Robbie Williams]]. It was Williams' first solo album following his departure from [[Take That]]. Released on 29 September 1997 through [[EMI Records]], it is influenced by [[Britpop]], a departure from the poppier tone of music Take That employed. The album's [[working name]] was ''The Show-Off Must Go On''.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Southall|first1=Nick|title=Robbie Williams - Greatest Hits - Review - Stylus Magazine|url=http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/robbie-williams/greatest-hits.htm|website=Stylus Magazine|accessdate=14 May 2017|archiveurl= |
'''''Life thru a Lens''''' is the debut solo [[studio album]] by English singer-songwriter [[Robbie Williams]]. It was Williams' first solo album following his departure from [[Take That]]. Released on 29 September 1997 through [[EMI Records]], it is influenced by [[Britpop]], a departure from the poppier tone of music Take That employed. The album's [[working name]] was ''The Show-Off Must Go On''.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Southall |first1=Nick |title=Robbie Williams - Greatest Hits - Review - Stylus Magazine |url=http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/robbie-williams/greatest-hits.htm |website=Stylus Magazine |accessdate=14 May 2017 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091002104200/http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/robbie-williams/greatest-hits.htm |archivedate= 2 October 2009 |date=5 November 2014 |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref> |
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The album's first three singles, "[[Old Before I Die]]", "[[Lazy Days]]" and "[[South of the Border (Robbie Williams song)|South of the Border]]" (the only single to miss the top 10), were all moderate successes, but it was the fourth single "[[Angels (Robbie Williams song)|Angels]]" which catapulted Williams to international fame as a solo artist. Despite only peaking at number 4, it has sold over 1 million copies in the UK and is his biggest selling single to date. Fifth and final single "[[Let Me Entertain You (Robbie Williams song)|Let Me Entertain You]]" reached number three, becoming the album's third top-5 hit. [[Freedom! '90|Freedom]], Robbie's first solo success, a cover of [[George Michael]]'s 1990 hit, isn't featured on the album. |
The album's first three singles, "[[Old Before I Die]]", "[[Lazy Days]]" and "[[South of the Border (Robbie Williams song)|South of the Border]]" (the only single to miss the top 10), were all moderate successes, but it was the fourth single "[[Angels (Robbie Williams song)|Angels]]" which catapulted Williams to international fame as a solo artist. Despite only peaking at number 4, it has sold over 1 million copies in the UK and is his biggest selling single to date. Fifth and final single "[[Let Me Entertain You (Robbie Williams song)|Let Me Entertain You]]" reached number three, becoming the album's third top-5 hit. [[Freedom! '90|Freedom]], Robbie's first solo success, a cover of [[George Michael]]'s 1990 hit, isn't featured on the album. |
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| 25,000+ |
| 25,000+ |
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| United Kingdom<ref name="BPI">{{cite web|url=http://www.bpi.co.uk/certified-awards.aspx|title=Certified Awards|publisher=[[British Phonographic Industry]]}}</ref> |
| United Kingdom<ref name="BPI">{{cite web|url=http://www.bpi.co.uk/certified-awards.aspx |title=Certified Awards |publisher=[[British Phonographic Industry]] |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6EEYfYVwc?url=http://www.bpi.co.uk/certified-awards.aspx |archivedate= 6 February 2013 |df= }}</ref> |
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| 8× Platinum |
| 8× Platinum |
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| 2,097,548<ref name="UK sales">{{cite web|url=http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/by-the-numbers-inside-robbie-williams-albums-career/064727|title=By the numbers: inside Robbie Williams' albums career|last=Sutherland|first=Mark|date=9 May 2016|work=[[Music Week]]|publisher=Intent Media|accessdate=9 May 2016}}</ref> |
| 2,097,548<ref name="UK sales">{{cite web|url=http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/by-the-numbers-inside-robbie-williams-albums-career/064727|title=By the numbers: inside Robbie Williams' albums career|last=Sutherland|first=Mark|date=9 May 2016|work=[[Music Week]]|publisher=Intent Media|accessdate=9 May 2016}}</ref> |
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| Europe<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_news/plat2002.html|title=IFPI Platinum Europe Awards - 2002|work=ifpi.org}}</ref> |
| Europe<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_news/plat2002.html |title=IFPI Platinum Europe Awards - 2002 |work=ifpi.org |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726171753/http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_news/plat2002.html |archivedate=26 July 2011 |df= }}</ref> |
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| 3× Platinum |
| 3× Platinum |
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| 3,000,000 |
| 3,000,000 |
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Revision as of 14:49, 15 May 2017
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Life thru a Lens is the debut solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams. It was Williams' first solo album following his departure from Take That. Released on 29 September 1997 through EMI Records, it is influenced by Britpop, a departure from the poppier tone of music Take That employed. The album's working name was The Show-Off Must Go On.[1]
The album's first three singles, "Old Before I Die", "Lazy Days" and "South of the Border" (the only single to miss the top 10), were all moderate successes, but it was the fourth single "Angels" which catapulted Williams to international fame as a solo artist. Despite only peaking at number 4, it has sold over 1 million copies in the UK and is his biggest selling single to date. Fifth and final single "Let Me Entertain You" reached number three, becoming the album's third top-5 hit. Freedom, Robbie's first solo success, a cover of George Michael's 1990 hit, isn't featured on the album.
Life thru a Lens debuted at number 11 on the UK Albums Chart and initially remained in the lower regions, but upon the chart success of "Angels", it began steadily climbing and finally reached number one in April 1998, five months after its release. Despite never selling more than 60,000 copies in a single week, the album has sold over 2,094,000 copies as of November 2013, making it Williams' fourth best-selling studio album and fifth best-seller overall.[2]
Recording and music
After trying hard to find his own sound during a period of personal upheaval, Williams began recordings for the album at London's Maison Rouge studios in March 1997, shortly after his introduction to Guy Chambers. The title track, "Life thru a Lens" was written about Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, "Ego a Go Go" was written about Gary Barlow, "South of the Border" discusses Kate Moss, and "Baby Girl Window" was inspired by Samantha Beckinsale and her late father, actor Richard Beckinsale. "One of God's Better People" and "Angels" were inspired by Williams' mother, Jan. "Hello, Sir" is a poem that takes a dig at one of Williams' former teachers.[3] Williams reprised part of the poem on the 1 Giant Leap song "My Culture".
The sound of the album is influenced by Britpop and alternative rock, especially bands such as Oasis,[4] a direction his former Take That bandmate Mark Owen had also chosen to pursue on his debut album Green Man (1996). John Bush of AllMusic said that Life thru a Lens "continually betrays overt influences from Oasis and other Britpop stars, but triumphs nevertheless due to gorgeous production, Williams' irresistible personality, and the overall flavor of outrageous, utterly enjoyable pop music."[4]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   link |
| Melody Maker | Negative[3] |
| Q |  [clarification needed] |
Writing for Melody Maker in October 1997, Robin Bresnark gave Life thru a Lens a negative review; "There's nothing here... sure, Robbie Williams is as fascinating a hapless goon as we're ever likely to come across. But this album feels more like a press release than an album – and that's not what I call music."[3] However, John Bush of AllMusic was very positive in his four and a half stars out of five review, calling the album "excellent" and "one of the best U.K. debuts of the '90s".[4]
Q ranked the album at number 43 in their 2004 list of "The 50 (+50) Best British Albums Ever" and in their unordered 2005 list of the "Ultimate Music Collection".[5] Record Collector included the album in their unordered 2000 list of "10 Classic Albums from 21 Genres for the 21st Century",[5] whilst Robert Dimery included the album in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[6]
Commercial performance
The album was released in October 1997, not long after Williams's stint in rehab. The album was launched with his first live solo gig at the Élysée Montmartre in Paris, France. At first, the album was slow to take off, debuting at #11 on the UK Albums Chart, and falling to #104 not long after release, having sold a little over 30,000 copies.[7] The album reached the number one position after spending 27 weeks on the chart, as a consequence of the huge success of the "Angels" single, boosting the album's sales to 300,000.[8] The album spent a total of 218 weeks on the chart and two weeks at number one, becoming the 58th best selling album of all time with sales of 2.4 million copies.[9] Despite the album's success in Williams' homeland, it failed to make a bigger impact in the international market. However, in Argentina, the album reached the top ten in early 1998. The album has sold more than 4 million copies worldwide. The album has been certified as 8× Platinum in the UK.
Singles
- "Old Before I Die", a track co-written by Williams, Eric Bazilian, and Desmond Child, was released as the album's lead single in April 1997, peaking at #2 on the UK Singles Chart. The song failed to make an impact in other international charts.
- "Lazy Days" was released as the album's second single in the summer of 1997, amidst Williams' battle with addiction. He was allowed to check out from rehab to shoot the video for the song. The single charted at number-eight in the United Kingdom but, because promotion was nonexistent, struggled to reach the top forty of any other European chart.
- "South of the Border" was released as the album's third single in September 1997. It failed to make a significant impact on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at #14, and as such, many considered this the end of Robbie Williams.[10]
- "Angels", a song penned by himself and Guy Chambers, was released as the album's fourth single. The decision to release the song came after Williams met the record company to discuss concerns about his future. The single was released in December 1997, soon becoming Williams' best selling-single in the United Kingdom, being certified 2× Platinum by the BPI.[11] The song became a hit around Europe and Latin America and sold almost two million copies worldwide, rocketing sales of his album.
- "Let Me Entertain You" was released as the album's fifth and final single in March 1998. It peaked at #3 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming one of Williams' signature songs and being the opener of most Williams' tours throughout his career.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lazy Days" | Robbie Williams • Guy Chambers | 3:52 |
| 2. | "Life thru a Lens" | Williams • Chambers | 3:06 |
| 3. | "Ego a Go Go" | Williams • Chambers | 3:31 |
| 4. | "Angels" | Williams • Chambers • Ray Heffernan | 4:23 |
| 5. | "South of the Border" | Williams • Chambers | 3:52 |
| 6. | "Old Before I Die" | Williams • Desmond Child • Eric Bazilian | 3:52 |
| 7. | "One of God's Better People" | Williams • Chambers | 3:33 |
| 8. | "Let Me Entertain You" | Williams • Chambers | 4:20 |
| 9. | "Killing Me" | Williams • Chambers | 3:55 |
| 10. | "Clean" | Williams • Antony Genn • Martin Slattery • Richard Hawley | 3:51 |
| 11. | "Baby Girl Window" | Williams • Chambers | 3:10 |
| 12. | "Hello Sir" (hidden track) | Williams | 1:35 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Teenage Millionaire" | Williams • Chambers | 3:16 |
| 14. | "She Makes Me High" | Williams • Chambers • Gary Nuttall | 3:10 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Karaoke Overkill" | Williams • Chambers | 3:30 |
| 2. | "Average B-Side" | Williams • Chambers | 2:59 |
| 3. | "Cheap Love Song" | Williams • O. Morris • C. Abbott | 4:10 |
| 4. | "Better Days" | Williams • Chambers | 3:31 |
| 5. | "Antmusic" | Adam Ant • M. Pirrioni | 3:30 |
| 6. | "Deceiving Is Believing" | Williams • Chambers | 4:30 |
| 7. | "Rome Munich Rome" | Williams • Chambers | 3:07 |
| 8. | "Falling in Bed Again" | Williams • Matt Hay | 3:28 |
| 9. | "Get the Joke" | Williams • Chambers • Gary Nuttall | 3:02 |
| 10. | "Love Cheat" | Williams • Chambers | 3:45 |
| 11. | "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" | Neil Tennant • Chris Lowe | 3:07 |
| 12. | "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" | Cole Porter | 3:03 |
| 13. | "Happy Song" | Williams • Chambers | 2:53 |
| 14. | "I Am the Res-erection" | Williams • Chambers | 3:48 |
| 15. | "Kooks" | David Bowie | 2:37 |
| 16. | "She Makes Me High" | Williams • Chambers • Nuttall | 3:10 |
| 17. | "Teenage Millionaire" | Williams • Chambers | 3:16 |
| 18. | "Sexed Up" (demo) | Williams • Chambers | 3:58 |
| 19. | "Making Plans for Nigel" | Colin Moulding | 4:06 |
| 20. | "Walk This Sleigh" | Williams • Chambers | 3:01 |
| 21. | "Lazy Days" (demo) | Williams • Chambers | 4:32 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Old Before I Die" (Live on TOTP) | |
| 2. | "Lazy Days" (Live on TOTP) | |
| 3. | "South of the Border" (Live on TOTP) | |
| 4. | "Angels" (Live on TOTP) | |
| 5. | "Angels" (Unplugged – live on TOTP) | |
| 6. | "The Full Monty Medley" (with Tom Jones) (Live at the Brit Awards) | |
| 7. | "Michael Parkinson Interview" | |
| 8. | "Let Me Entertain You" (Live on TOTP) | |
| 9. | "Killing Me" (Live on TOTP) |
- MVC stores in the UK offered a free bonus CD with the purchase of either Life Thru a Lens or I've Been Expecting You during Christmas 1999. The album did not contain any unreleased material, but contained twenty-one previously released B-sides and demos from both eras.
Charts and certifications
Charts
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Certifications
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References
- ^ Southall, Nick (5 November 2014). "Robbie Williams - Greatest Hits - Review - Stylus Magazine". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 2 October 2009. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Sutherland, Mark (9 May 2016). "By the numbers: inside Robbie Williams' albums career". Music Week. Intent Media. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
- ^ a b c Bresnark, Robin. "Review: Robbie Williams - Life Thru A Lens, Chrysalis". Melody Maker (4 October 1997). IPC Media: 51.
- ^ a b c John Bush. "Life Thru a Lens". AllMusic.
- ^ a b "Acclaimed Music - Life Thru a Lens". Acclaimed Music.
- ^ Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (23 March 2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
- ^ Scott, Paul. "Heaven-sent hit that gave Robbie solo wings - Scotsman.com News". News.scotsman.com. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
- ^ "Life Thru a Lens". RobbieWilliams.com.
- ^ a b "Certified Awards". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 6 February 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Robbie Williams, "South Of The Border"". Rtl.musicbrigade.com. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
- ^ BPI Certification for "Angels"
- ^ "Discography - Album - Life Thru a Lens". RobbieWilliams.com.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Robbie Williams – Life Thru a Lens". Hung Medien.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Robbie Williams – Life Thru a Lens" (in German). Hung Medien.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Robbie Williams – Life Thru a Lens" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Robbie Williams – Life Thru a Lens" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
- ^ "IFPI - Robbie Williams: Life Thru a Lens". IFPI.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Robbie Williams – Life Thru a Lens". Hung Medien.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Robbie Williams – Life Thru a Lens". Hung Medien.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "ARIA". ARIA. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
- ^ "NVPI". Nvpi.nl. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
- ^ Steffen Hung. "IFPI Switzerland". Swisscharts.com. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
- ^ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards - 2002". ifpi.org. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)