Escapology (album)

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Escapology
Escapology cover
Studio album by Robbie Williams
Released November 18, 2002
Recorded 2002
Genre Pop, Soul music , Rock music
Length 73:55
Label EMI
Producer Guy Chambers, Steve Power
Robbie Williams chronology
Swing When You're Winning
(2001)		 Escapology
(2002)		 Live at Knebworth
(2003)
Singles from Escapology
  1. "Feel"
    Released: December 2002
  2. "Come Undone"
    Released: March 2003
  3. "Something Beautiful"
    Released: July 2003
  4. "Sexed Up"
    Released: November 2003

Escapology is a 2002 album by Robbie Williams, his fifth solo effort, and his last with producer and co-songwriter Guy Chambers. Critics were negative about the album, calling it "stale songs, formulaic arrangements, and mediocre songwriting" All Music Guide,[1] Rolling Stone was less harsh, describing it as a "self-conscious effort to craft a pop-rock blockbuster"[2] PopMatters said it was "probably the weakest Robbie Williams album to date".[3] However, fans and some critics had the opinion that Escapology was an enormous masterpiece. The most successful singles released from the album were "Feel" and "Something Beautiful". Escapology was arguably conceived as a concept album due to its lyrics being totally reflective about Williams' life as a popstar in Los Angeles, particularly his hopes ("Hot Fudge") and fears ("Monsoon").

Williams has said of the album that "half of it is written from the standpoint of 'Look, this is really me with my tears of a clown. Do they love me or hate me?' The rest of it is about somebody that I have to think I am to get up onstage. Because little me wouldn't get up there. It's too scary!"

The album was revised for the U.S. market upon its release there in 2003 and was named the 'Best Album by a Solo Male' in the International Category on the Oye! Awards in Mexico.[4]

This album has been released with the Copy Control protection system in some regions.

Contents

[edit] Album Description

In 2002, Williams signed a record-breaking £80 million contract with EMI.[5] The contract featured a number of provisos, including the label ceding greater creative control to the artist and a commitment to breaking Williams in the US market. In return, EMI affirmed they would benefit from a cut of Williams' non-recording activities, including touring, publishing, and merchandising, thus protecting the company from any commercial downturn in the singer's album sales.[6] So far it has become the biggest music deal in British history.[7]

Williams began working on what would be his fifth studio album, after a year out recording, the album heralded a new era for Robbie; he had taken a more active role in the making of this album giving an indication of his growing confidence in the studio, and "One Fine Day", "Nan's Songs" and "Come Undone" were the firsts songs that Robbie wrote without Guy Chambers input. Most of the songs were recorded in Los Angeles, with most vocals sung naked, one of the songs that didn't make the album was even recorded in a Superman costume.[8]

[edit] Track listing

[edit] International

  1. "How Peculiar" – 3:13
  2. "Feel" – 4:22
  3. "Something Beautiful" – 4:48
  4. "Monsoon" – 3:46
  5. "Sexed Up" – 4:19
  6. "Love Somebody" – 4:10
  7. "Revolution" (featuring Rose Stone) – 5:44
  8. "Handsome Man" – 3:54
  9. "Come Undone" – 4:38
  10. "Me And My Monkey" – 7:12
  11. "Song 3" – 3:48
  12. "Hot Fudge" – 4:05
  13. "Cursed" – 4:01
  14. "Nan's Song" – 3:52

In addition, two hidden tracks follow "Nan's Song", the first concerning the state of society, often referred to as "Save the Children", the only line of its chorus; however it is identical to the last track on the U.S. version, named "How Peculiar (Reprise)". The second concerns Williams' abstract thoughts during a date with a boring girlfriend, "I Tried Love".

[edit] United States

All tracks written by Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers, except where noted.

  1. "Feel"
  2. "Monsoon"
  3. "Sexed Up"
  4. "Get a Little High" (Williams/Boots Ottestad)
  5. "Come Undone" (Williams)
  6. "Something Beautiful"
  7. "Love Somebody"
  8. "Revolution"
  9. "How Peculiar"
  10. "One Fine Day" (Williams)
  11. "Me and My Monkey"
  12. "Handsome Man" (Williams/Chambers/Adrian Deevoy)
  13. "Nan's Song" (Williams)
  14. "How Peculiar (Reprise)"

The U.S. release, on Virgin Records, shuffles the song order, removes "Song 3", "Hot Fudge", "Cursed", and one hidden track, adding "Get a Little High", "One Fine Day", and the first hidden track as the last song of the album, titled "How Peculiar (Reprise)".

[edit] Success

When Williams' fifth studio album, Escapology was released in late 2002, it hit number-one in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland and Austria, elsewhere, it made the top ten, however in the United States failed to make an impact, reaching number forty-three on the Billboard Albums Chart.

Williams started his world tour in the summer of 2003, and he was about to do three live concerts in Knebworth, The three shows attracted a total of 375,000 fans breaking the record for most attendance in this venue

Escapology ended 2002 as the best selling album of the year in the United Kingdom with 1.4 million copies sold,[9] by the end of 2003 the album had sold almost 2 million copies being certified 6x Platinum by the BPI,[10] becoming the 60th Best Selling album in UK Music History. Worldwide the album went on to sell over 7.5 million copies.

[edit] United States

As part of his new deal, an attempt was made to raise Robbie's star power in the United States. Though Escapology sold well in Europe, it fared considerably less in the U.S. The album peaked there at no.43. While many fans have pointed out that Robbie's reluctance to do major US promotion could have been a cause, the ever fickle US music scene also might have not taken much favor to a Brit-pop singer like Robbie Williams (it's also worth noting that Kylie Minogue, Robbie's contemporary in the euro music scene, has a limited following in the US amongst clubgoers. To date, her only major success in the US was her 1988 single "The Loco-Motion", and the 2001 album "Fever", with the single "Can't Get You Out Of My Head").

Robbie's only form of success in the United States is 1999's "The Ego Has Landed", which sold moderately and scored two small hits with "Millennium" and "Angels". Ironically, Robbie currently resides in Los Angeles, where he feels more comfort going about due to his minimal celebrity stateside.

[edit] Singles

The album's first single, "Feel", written by Williams and Chambers, was recorded as a demo, when they started working on the album and trying to re-record the vocals, Williams felt unsatisfied with it, so he decided to include the demo version and then release it as the first single.[11] When the single was released in late 2002, it became Robbie's biggest international hit, selling over 4 million units worldwide and reaching the top ten in every single European country and it topped the charts in Argentina, Italy, Hungary, Latvia, Portugal, Mexico and The Netherlands, the success of the song was so masive that it spent 54 weeks inside the Canadian charts, the video for the song received attention in the United States, because it featured the Hollywood actress Daryl Hannah as his love interest, leading the radio stations to play the track, eventually peaking inside the top forty in the Billboard Hot 100.

Album's second single, "Come Undone" became a top ten hit around the world, due to its controversial video, it was heavily censored by MTV Networks Europe for depicting a debauched (but fully-clothed) Williams having three-way sex with two women. The video also showed unsettling images of insects and reptiles, however, the uncensored version of the video was released on DVD Single in Europe and was also included on the Enhanced CD Single.[12] BBC Radio 2 also banned the song for its explicit content.[13] During such furores at this time, it was confirmed that Williams and Guy Chambers were to officially part ways.[14]

The third single taken from the album was "Something Beautiful", the song was written in Barbados, the song was first offered to Tom Jones, but it was then reworked and for its inclusion on Williams' album,[15] when the single was released in the summer of 2003, it hit the top ten in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Ireland and Denmark, it failed to make an impact in the world charts. The video featured a casting in which people from all over Europe contested to win the chance to perform as Robbie Williams at the end of the same video, the three winners had the chance to meet Robbie, three different versions of the video were released to different parts of the world featuring a different winner.

The fourth single "Sexed Up" became another top ten single for Williams in the United Kingdom, elsewhere it failed to make an impact in the charts.

[edit] Certifications, Peaks & Sales

Country Peak Position Certification (If Any) Sales/shipments
Argentina 2 2x Platinum[16] 80,000+
Australia 3 5x Platinum[17] 350,000+
Austria 1 (4 Weeks) 4x Platinum[18] 120,000+
Belgium 1
Italy 2 (4 Weeks)
Canada Gold[19] 50,000+
Denmark 4x Platinum[20] 120,000+
Finland 1 Platinum[21] 46,225+
France 3 (2 Weeks) Platinum[22] 300,000+
Germany 1 4x Platinum[23] 800,000+
Hungary Gold[24] 5,000+
Mexico 3 Platinum[25] 150,000+
Netherlands 2x Platinum[26] 160,000+
New Zealand 3 2x Platinum[27] 30,000+
Poland Platinum[28] 40,000+
Portugal 2 Platinum[29] 20,000+
Sweden 1 (2 Weeks) Platinum[30] 60,000+
Switzerland 1 (8 Weeks) 6x Platinum[31] 240,000+
United Kingdom 1 6x Platinum[32] 1,800,000+

[edit] References

  1. ^ All Music Guide on "Escapology"
  2. ^ Rolling Stone on "Escapology".
  3. ^ PopMatters on "Escapology"
  4. ^ Oye! 2003
  5. ^ £80 Million Contract with EMI Music
  6. ^ Robbie Williams and his record-breaking music contract with EMI
  7. ^ Discography>Albums>Escapology
  8. ^ Discography>Albums>Escapology
  9. ^ Discography>Albums>Escapology
  10. ^ BPI Certification for "Escapology"
  11. ^ Discography>Singles>Feel
  12. ^ Escapology
  13. ^ Discography>Singles>Come Undone
  14. ^ Escapology
  15. ^ Discography>Singles>Something Beautiful
  16. ^ CAPIF
  17. ^ ARIA
  18. ^ IFPI Austria
  19. ^ CRIA
  20. ^ IFPI Denmark
  21. ^ IFPI Finland
  22. ^ Dique En France
  23. ^ IFPI Germany
  24. ^ MAHASZ
  25. ^ AMPROFON Award for over 150,000 copies sold
  26. ^ NVPI
  27. ^ RIANZ – December 14, 2003
  28. ^ ZPAV
  29. ^ AFP – Week 23, Year 2003
  30. ^ IFPI Sweden – 2002 Certifications
  31. ^ IFPI Switzerland
  32. ^ BPI
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Robbie Williams
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"Live In Your Living Room" · "Angels" · "Where Egos Dare" · "Live At The Albert" · "Escape Routes" · "The Robbie Williams Show" · "What We Did Last Summer" · And Throuht It All: Robbie Williams Live 1997-2006
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