Published by Mason Oldridge, 6 September 2022
Robbie Williams celebrates his 25th anniversary as a musical superstar with orchestral reworkings of his greatest hits, an intriguing yet somewhat unnecessary project.
Ranging from his breakout single Angels to his latest phenomenon Love My Life, the wise decision was made to include a vast array of Williams’ back catalogue as opposed to solely the classics, which too are nice to hear again.
However, while these orchestral mixes are well produced, they heavily resemble the original versions, with the only noticeable differences being the additional strings and vocals of an older Robbie. As this is the case, it makes more sense to listen to the originals, which have a much wider selection of instrumentation.
Despite this, it is interesting to hear how they have moulded such favourites to belong in the Royal Albert Hall. While some such as Millennium and Bodies were already orchestral to a certain degree, it is fascinating to hear how the more rock-orientated singles such as Kids have been modified.
In conclusion, despite the reworkings offering only minimal change, it is still refreshing to hear such a fantastic discography in a new light. Ultimately though, the originals are still majorly better.
6/10