Robbie Williams - Swings Both Ways

This is where Robbie Williams is at his best singing charming songs that allow his personality to shine through. If he would be a little more consistent with his song choices on the albums he'd find himself at the fore front of popular music where he so deserves to be.

This collection of standards and such is brought to life and I'm sure gave my speakers a music-gasm. His duet with Olly Murs on "I Wanna Be Like You" from the Disney version of the Jungle Book is by far the best version of the song outside of the epic version in the flim.

Now when an album absolutely grips me as much as this one I can't deny it and I am compelled to shout it from the rooftops. The Rufus Wainwright duet on "Swings Both Way's" the albums title track is almost worth buying the entire album for alone. But then you are treated by what has finally usurped the Mama & Papa's version of "Dream A Little Dream" as the definitive version that includes the astoundingly good Lily Allen alongside Williams.

Robbie Williams recorded three of my all-time favorite songs on this album and that's not usually a good thing because the covers can pale in comparison and usually do to the originals. Now his take on "Puttin' On The Ritz" is fantastic and rivals the 80's new wave cover from Taco. He then takes on a song that comes with a very special connection to my grandfathers memory the classic masterpiece of songwriting from Bobby Russell "Little Green Apples" done to perfection by O.C. Smith and equally as brilliant by Roger Miller way back in 1968 the year I was born. Williams does his level best of recreating the feeling and emotion that makes the song so wonderful.

The man takes "Minnie The Moocher" and lays his personality, ego and swagger all over it that I have to admit I like a little more now than I did previously in all other versions. The man now takes on the third in the trio of my all-time favorites "If I Only Had A Brain" with a slow piano ballad treatment that works but admittedly never had a chance against that damn Scarecrow! This version is going to become a staple as a slow dance when I DJ gigs as it just makes you feel like cuddling up with that special someone in front of a fire on a winter evening.

Overall this album takes what began with Swing When You're Winning to a level that I didn't expect. This album is proof positive that Robbie Williams is one of the greatest pop singers of the modern era. There isn't a weak moment or song on this entire album and if you aren't a fan of him now you will be after this brilliant collection of songs that are produced and arranged to a degree that would make Michael Buble jealous.