Robbie Williams
The Heavy Entertainment Show
(Columbia)

There is no escaping the over-the-top 11^th studio album, The Heavy Entertainment Show by Robbie Williams. You maybe have heard about the controversy Williams is engendering over the lyrics in the album’s first single, “Party Like a Russian” and how kinky the video is (at least the shoes are kinky that the models/ballerinas wear in the video). But there is lots to like about The Heavy Entertainment Show. From the interplay between the simple piano and Williams’ barker opening vocals contrasting with the welcoming big horn and roiling choruses of the title track opener, to the dance tune over the Sergei Prokofiev spikes of “Party Like a Russian.” “Motherfucker” has big strummed acoustics and just vocals in the verses contrasting with the big electric guitar-led lines and snapping snare in the anthem-like, singable choruses. “David’s Song,” a tribute to Williams’ recently deceased manager David Enthoven, is one of the many ballads here (which kind of throws you with the big number that begins this record and the concept I thought we were keeping to). Guest stars like The Killers and Rufus Wainwright help out, as does John Grant on what might be the best song for me here, “I Don’t Want To Hurt You” (I like the prog-rock keys-as-horns sweeps to the song’s big chorus build). “Marry Me” ends, another acoustic guitar and piano ballad. It’s very sappy, but it’s a nice closing song on a slightly disjointed theme, but certainly well-rendered release.