Escapology - Review & Editorial

Something Beautiful: A mid-tempo tune, showing Williams in good,
soulful voice singing, "Lost, tired and lonely, something beautiful
will come your way."
Monsoon: With ample rock guitar riffs and a song structure which
hints towards Mr Mercury, the most Queen-like track of Williams'
career.
Sexed Up: A swooning guitar ballad, IE have ear-marked this as a
possible single for Xmas 2003, among the most Elton-like tunes of the
selection.
Wanna Love Somebody: More Bond than Queen, but another massive epic,
almost rock opera number with a massive sound.
Song 3: A play on Blur's Song 2 perhaps? An opening Damon-like fey
vocal, begins a glam-gunge rocker.
Feel: The first single (which is due in early December), this is one
of the least immediate of the selection, but a classic ballad.
Cursed: Led by Robbie's distorted vocals, this is a true rock-out
with string-break in the middle and underscored by an epic melody.
Me & My Monkey: A fabulously immediate melody, this highlights Robbie
at his most mischevious and borrowing a lyric from The Beatles'
Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except For Me & My Monkey.

"Hotly anticipated" is a wildly overused phrase in the music
business. But, in the case of Robbie Williams' new, fifth studio
album, the anticipation is about more than just the music.
Who will release the record has become one of the longest-running
sagas of the year - and it appears no nearer a resolution.
Despite suggestions last week that EMI have secured a deal - after co-
manager Tim Clark's visit to Williams in Los Angeles on Tuesday -
nothing is yet finalised. Indeed, it is understood that all the major
companies - barring only BMG - remain in the frame, with Warner's
Riger Ames and Sony's Paul Burger joining EMI and Universal by
throwing their hats in the ring.
Williams' management company IE Music declines to comment on the
speculation surrounding deal negotiations, but IE's Tim Clark says
they are ready to go with the record themselves, if necessary.
"We have put together a brilliant team of people to put this record
out if we have to," Clark says. "We have out plan A, which is to do a
deal. We are still talking seriously to a number of majors about it.
But we will be able to put the record out."
Retailers have certainly been left in no doubt: the
album, "Escapology", is firmly linked in for November 18th. IE - with
3mv - have been playing five tracks to retail over the past
fortnight, with the second of two presentations staged on Wednesday
last week.
Eight tracks played to Music Week range from magnificent, mature
ballads such as the Elton-esque "Something Beautiful", to rock epics
which echo Queen at their best. The diversity of the tracks suggests
that Williams has added new maturity to his familiar impudence, and
that his partnership with Chambers is as potent as ever. Virtually
every track on the album is written by Williams with Chambers;
although one track was penned solely by Williams.
Chris Briggs, who has A&Red Williams' albums for EMI:Chrysalis over
the past five years, has also been hired by IE to A&R the latest
project. Although some final mixing is still continuing, the entire
album of 14 finished tracks is completed, following six months of
recording in Los Angeles with Guy Chambers. Work is also now starting
on a video for the first single, "Feel", which is set for an early
December release.
On the promotional front, word is also emerging of a media scoop to
rival last year's Live At The Albert Hall concert - which was
broadcast by the BBC twice during the final quarter of 2002, and
again earlier this month - to give impetus to the album campaign.
IE's "brilliant" team of independent consultants include Outside
Organisation (press), The Partnership (promotions), Katie Conroy
(international promotions) and Andy Murray (international marketing),
with THE as distributor.
IE's deadline for making a decision on a deal is fast approaching.
Sources close to the company suggest that they will make their mind
up by the end of next week, barely seven weeks before "Escapology" is
due for release.
For a string of majors, it will be an anxious wait. The clock is
ticking. (music week)


Taken from http://www.efanguide.com/~rwilliams/main.htm