Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1037 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-12-03
• Rating: Exempt
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 100 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
For one night only the Robbie Williams showcase Live At The Albert is a fantastic testament to what was a very special evening. The concert offered tracks from his Rat Pack covers album Swing When You're Winning an album that finally gave him across the board appeal from nostalgic Grannies to hormonally imbalanced teenagers. With the average ticket price well into three figures and the likes of Tara Palmer-Tompkinson, Bob Geldof and Nicole Kidman in the stalls, this was no ordinary Robbie concert. Backed by a full swing band, accompanied by a slew of glamorous dancers, compered by Rupert Everett and featuring duets with John Lovitz, Jane Horrocks, the scene-stealing Jonathan Wilkes and even Old Blue Eyes himself Frank Sinatra (albeit in video form), Robbie takes centre stage and performs like never before. Classic track follows classic track--from "The Lady is a Tramp" (which Robbie dedicates to his last three girlfriends), to "Mr Bojangles" to "My Way", each and every one of them is instantly recognisable, even to most of the younger members of the audience. Directed by Hamish Hamilton (the man behind the spectacular U2 Elevation DVD) this is a great up close and personal view of an intimate gig.

On the DVD: The disc is lovingly put together in glorious 5.1 surround sound. The DVD also features the documentary "Well Swung" which follows Robbie all the way to Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, where he recorded some of the tracks for the album with members of Frank's original band. There is also a gallery of luscious shots of Robbie on location and at the Capitol Studios. At times it does tend towards the schmaltzy, with Robbie fighting back the tears when the video footage of Frank singing booms out across the Albert Hall, but this is scant criticism. All in all this is a fantastic performance from a legend in the making. --Helen Marquis

Special Features
English
Region 2

Synopsis
LIVE AT THE ALBERT, recorded in October 2001, features pop singer extraordinaire Robbie Williams performing tunes from his SWING WHEN YOU'RE WINNING album, backed by a 58-piece orchestra. Songs include "The Lady Is a Tramp," "Things" (featuring songbird and actress Jane Horrocks), "Well, Did You Evah" (featuring comedian Jon Lovitz), "It Was a Very Good Year," and "My Way." (Nicole Kidman, who recorded the duet "Somethin' Stupid" was originally slated to perform the song with the Ego, but she declined at the last minute due to nervousness.) Witness Robbie in all his swinging, swaggering glory on this release, which also contains backstage footage and more.

Customer Reviews

***** THE EGO HAS LANDED *****
The rat pack's cool image made something of a comeback in 2002 with Stephen Soderbergh's remake of Ocean's Eleven, although it seems that for Mr Robbie Williams, in his 2001 concert Live at the Albert, the rat pack sense of style never went out of fashion.

Live At The Albert is primarily a showcase for Robbie's multi million selling Swing When You're Winning, an astonishing album of vintage classics from the '50s swing era, originally sung by Robbie's heroes, namely, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jnr and of course, the legendary Frank Sinatra. Live At The Albert features several live duets including "Well, Did You Evah?" with Jon Lovitz and thanks to the miracle of modern technology, a duet with the late great Frank Sinatra himself. Live At the Albert is a young man fulfilling a childhood dream; wearing a tux, backed by an old style big band and playing to an adoring (sold out) audience at London's famous Royal Albert Hall, with his mom in the front row.

The first time I watched Robbie Williams live concert at London's Royal Albert Hall, on a Saturday evening last November, I was so impressed I went straight online at Amazon to review his debut U.S. release The Ego Has Landed. "The Ego Has Landed" refers to Robbie's often brash public statements about himself, which (if taken at face value) suggest that he is a bit of an ego-maniac. However, despite much of his rhetoric, Robbie Williams has in the past turned to both booze and drugs to conquer his fears and self-doubt. Thankfully he survived both or we would have been deprived of the world's greatest showman. For in a pop world inhabitated by characterless pre-packaged record company girl and boybands and goody two shoes solo-singers (a la Ricky Martin and Britney Spears) Robbie Williams is something of a rarity; the genuine article, a complete showman with a checkered past and a very bright future, having recently signed a British record deal with EMI worth a cool £80 million (approx $110 million), to deliver four more albums.

Robbie Williams formerly of Boy band Take That graduated to the forefront of the British music scene with his single "Angels" and has never looked back since. Several number ones and many many hits later he is not only established as a credible singer/songwriter, he is quite simply Britain's biggest and brightest star. Robbie Williams makes fantastic, original and very funny videos (Rock DJ, She's The One, Millenium and A Love Supreme for example) and regularly plays to sold out stadiums around the world and the only two nuts he still has to crack are America and the movies.

But why is America still cynical? A lack of airplay in America? A lack of record company publicity? I don't know. All I know is that, in my opinion, he is the greatest showman to have graced a music stage since the late great Freddie Mercury. He is so good live that he has played at several festivals on the same bill as Indie bands such as the Prodigy, and stolen the show from them, in front of what would traditionally be hostile audiences for a pop performer. Live tickets for Robbie Williams shows are like gold dust in every place bar North America, such is his reputation for putting on a great live show. If you don't believe the hype then you need to watch Live at the Albert and be converted. Robbie Williams has got a great sense of humour, a great sense of style and a great deal of class and frankly America, you don't know what you are missing!!

Entertainment at it's best.
Robbie Williams has come so far in such a short space of time. This DVD demonstrates exactly that. How able he is to change roles. The DVD provides a backstage film and scenes of the making of the Swing when you're Winning album. To see him so happy making the album in the recording studio is very emotional, for both him and viewer. The DVD offers excellent entertainment for all Robbie fans and those who perhaps don't follow him quite so avidly! He sings all of the songs to an excellent standard along with his special guests, particularly the duets with Jane Horrocks and Johnathan Wilkes. Superb, go buy it!!!

Great Show, great DVD
I loved the show, it is well captured on this DVD! Robbie Williams is in excellent shape. The only thing missing is the videoclip to "Somethin' stupid" with Nicole Kidman. That would have been great to have it included.