FEATURE:
Too Good to Be Forgotten: Songs That Are Much More Than a Guilty Pleasure
Robbie Williams – No Regrets
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THIS is going to be a fairly short…
edition of Too Good to Be Forgotten: Songs That Are Much More Than a Guilty Pleasure. I am featuring Robbie Williams’ 1998 single, No Regrets. There is not a lot of information regarding the song, but I know that a lot of people think of Williams’ music as a guilty pleasure. I have seen No Regrets included as a guilty pleasure on some lists. I am a fan of his first two solo albums. I think I bought his debut, Life Thru a Lens, in 1997. It was a confident and accomplished album from the former Take That member. It must have been hard stepping away from such a successful and big band to go alone. Co-writing with Guy Chambers on most songs on the album, I think that album is one worth exploring if you have not done already. With singles like Angels, and Let Me Entertain You scoring high chart positions, Life Thru a Lens was a commercial success for Williams. There was no real sophomore slump on his follow-up, I've Been Expecting You. If the cover for his debut saw Williams drowned in cameras and looking quite serious, I've Been Expecting You featured Williams as a James Bond-like figure with a cheeky look. I do think that I've Been Expecting You is a more confident album than his debut in fact. There are great songs right through the album. From Strong, Millennium, to She’s the One, there are so many moods and highlights to be discovered!
In their review of the album, this is what AllMusic had to say:
“A more mature, calculated album from a pop star who's often gloried in being immature and spontaneous, I've Been Expecting You may suffer from comparisons to its excellent predecessor, but it also finds Robbie Williams weathering the sophomore storm quite well. While Williams' debut was infectious and outrageous, the second is indeed a more studied album. The opener, "Strong," begins very well, with the spot-on lyrics: "My breath smells of a thousand fags/And when I'm drunk I dance like me Dad," and "Early morning when I wake up/I look like Kiss but without the makeup." Many of the tracks on I've Been Expecting You show an undeniable growth, both in songwriting and in artistic expression; two of the highlights, "No Regrets" and "Phoenix From the Flames," are sensitive, unapologetically emotional songs that may not be as immediately catchy as those on his debut, but pack a greater punch down the road. Williams does indulge his sense of fun occasionally, playing up James Bond during the transcontinental hand-waver "Millennium" (which samples Nancy Sinatra's theme for You Only Live Twice), and simply roaring through "Win Some Lose Some" and "Jesus in a Camper Van”.
No Regrets was released on 30th November, 1998 as the second single from I've Been Expecting You. This song is in particular about his time in (and departure from) his former band Take That. It is also about past relationships. The single reached number-four in the U.K. and it went on to sell over 200,000 copies, being certified Silver by the BPI. It must have been hard putting out a single about his time with Take That. There would have been critics compared Williams to the band; others who were noting his solo material was not quite as strong. That said, I think Williams’ material matched the best of Take That. No Regrets seems like a song that sees Williams comfortable with his decisions and enjoying no freedom and success. If you have been a bit hesitant to embrace Robbie Williams’ music in the past, I would say that I've Been Expecting You is a good album to get involved with. No Regrets is my favourite song from the album, as it is one of Williams’ best vocal performances and strongest set of lyrics. Written with Guy Chambers, No Regrets is one of the finest songs from the 1990s in my view. So many people dislike the song or feel that, as it is from Williams, it is a bit naff and lightweight. The fact he had Neil Hannon and Neil Tennant providing backing vocals shows that No Regrets is a strong song with plenty to appreciate – the two legendary artists add something wonderful on their brief turns. Rather than it being a guilty pleasure, No Regrets is a fantastic track that should be played more. Take a moment to set No Regrets aside and…
GIVE it some time and love.