Reports of an alarming nature reached me today: Robbie Williams is holed up in a studio in New York once again with Take That. I know many Take That fans who were upset when he left the band nearly 15 years ago, and I know that many of them will now be hoping that anything will happen to stop him returning.
Despite his protestations, the only thing that pushed Robbie out of Take That was his ego. He believed he was better than the other members, and whilst Robbie loved the Angels and Take That became another mere memory in the history of boy bands, his commercial success perhaps proved his theory right for a few years. But nobody expected Take That to make the comeback they did and Williams felt it hardest. The band have undeniably moved on leaps and bounds since the days where their videos saw them writhing around in waterfalls on tropical islands, and Gary Barlow's undeniable writing talent combined with the other three lads' charisma and vocal ability has won them new fans and drawn back their old. With multi-date sell out shows at Wembley Stadium this summer and three other sell out tours under their belts since their 2005 comeback, Robbie will have had no choice but to question his decision all those years ago.
In comparison, Williams' last album Rudebox was critically panned and even his long serving fans couldn't get behind the record. His last tour ended as Take That kicked off their reunion and he has since been hidden away in the depths of Los Angeles. So should he be allowed back into the group who he has, in the past, so publicly spurned? In my opinion, the answer is no. Take That have proved they can survive without him and sustain their position as credible musicians. Would Robbie be trying to fit back in with them if his own solo career wasn't flopping about the bottom of the charts like a dying fish? Most likely not. The Take That: For The Record documentary that bought about the band's reunion in the first place saw Robbie snub the opportunity to meet with his former co-members and his attitude towards a couple of the band suggested he would rather have Gary Barlow's face tattooed on his chest than ever rejoin the group. Nothing has changed in this period apart from a role reversal in stakes of money and success. It was Robbie's perpetual desire to be as famous as possible that lead to him leaving the band and it is this that once again drives his attempts to rejoin it. I'm sure that the success of Williams' comeback album later this month will ultimately determine whether his efforts to mend his broken bridges with Barlow will be followed through, but whatever the outcome is, the band would be fools to even consider taking him back.
No comments:
Post a Comment