Robbie Williams will release his highly anticipated and much talked about new album ?Rudebox? on October 23rd on EMI Records.

?Rudebox?, recorded during the early months of 2006 see?s RW collaborating with an array of musical mavericks including his heroes The Pet Shop Boys, King of ambient William Orbit, fellow Stoke natives Danny Spencer & Kelvin Andrews AKA Soul Mekanik, disco-house icon Joey Negro and NYC-based DJ cum-?ber producer Mark Ronson, on both new original compositions and covers of some of his favourite tracks by artists as diverse as Manu Chao, The Human League, My Robot Friend, Lewis Taylor and old friend Stephen Duffy, that through its 16 tracks ?Rudebox? marks out and charts his musical loves and life.

Led off by the title track and first single ?Rudebox?, a nasty, dirty, bass infused electro-funk-pop monster, twisted around his own unique visceral lyrical stylings, the result is the sound of our Rob jamming the electro-boogaloo on a bustling New York street corner in 1983. ?Viva Life On Mars? is the world?s country-space-funk-Technicolor-pop anthem. ?She?s Madonna? see?s Neil Tennant, Chris Lowe & RW forming their super-group and paying lovelorn homage to the first lady of pop, they also cover their Pet Shop Boys cover of My Robot Friend?s ?We?re The Pet Shop Boys?, as we all know an imitation of an imitation is the very highest form of flattery.

Mark Ronson brings his trademark horn-infused modern soul revue to four tracks on the album. ?Lovelight?, a spectacular cover of Lewis Taylor?s criminally unknown soul-anthem, takes it from its warm soul roots, and transforms it into a building euphoric disco anthem featuring a full-on falsetto vocal performance that ranks amongst his most dynamic to date. ?Good Doctor? complete with its hip-hop shuffle is a full on barroom-romp-cum-block party-jam set to a tongue in-cheek pharmaceutical theme. ?King Of The Bongo? reinvents Manu Chao?s classic world-music original for a more decadent and debauched 2006, Whilst ?Keep On? (incidentally for fact fans ? co-written once again with Stephen Duffy) is probably the most bombastic Robbie song ever, bustling with percussion, funk guitar licks, and exorcising the spirit of ?89 and Baggy. He is also joined here and for ?King Of The Bongo? on BV?s by the inimitable whirlwind that is Lily Allen.

?The Actor? is a stomping Germanic electro-pop anthem that fits equally as well on dancefloors, as it does lamenting Hollywood flunkeys whilst ?Kiss Me? takes Stephen Duffy?s 80?s classic and re-invents it as a Hi-energy electro pop anthem. Fulfilling a long-time ambition of a collaboration he joins forces with ambient legend William Orbit in recording two tracks here, ?Summertime?, a fuzzy euphoric Balearic anthem that was actually one of the first songs he wrote when he went solo 10 years ago and an emotive and faithful cover of the Human League?s ?Louise?. ?Louise? of course has been long documented as one of his favourite songs, and a muse in the construction of last years ?Intensive Care? album (which has now sold in excess of 6.5 million copies worldwide.)

Inspired by The Mitchell Brothers, Ian Dury and Mike Skinner and their rolling Prowse and recorded into an I-book in Rob?s bedroom in LA, ?The 80?s? & ?The 90?s?, see him joined by long-term bass player Jerry Meehan to document 15 years of his life in song. ?The 80?s? bounces along on to a braggadier?s swagger that tips at a hat to the glorious days of early LL cool J, Eazy E, Flavor Flav in his own poetic biographical comfy-rap monologue. ?The 90?s? documents the Take That years in a frank, personal and open display of sonic-catharsis over an uptempo pop classic. It?s a powerful and reflective moment, and perhaps not the frenzied bitch fest that some might have liked.

His rekindled song-writing relationship with Stoke?s other finest musical exports Danny Spencer & Kelvin Andrews, who back in the day contributed to the writing of ?Rock DJ?, continues here. Alongside ?Rudebox? and ?Viva Life On Mars?, ?Never Touch That Switch? conjures up images of 80’s electro dancing, breakdancing and days gone by, the final track of their four ?Burslem Normals? is an incredible strung out and personal electronic ballad. This is RW stripped down to his barest vocally and musically.

?Rudebox? already the subject of much speculation, (?the dance album?//?the rap album? // ?the Christian rock album? yada yada yada and not the two fingers to his catalogue as some might suggest!!) see?s RW on a musical journey of sorts, imbibed with a real sense of fun. Lyrically it is very broad; humorous, historical, honest and revealing, a rollercoaster that takes you from introverted to extravagant, the break up to the make up. This is perhaps the most definitive Robbie Williams opus to date, ten years down the line into his solo career, as his truest personal and musical inspirations collide to create an intimate and explorative sound that will surprise some, but after eight albums, this here is the sound of Robert Peter Williams, born 1974 in Stoke On Trent, UK.

People who approach this record with the pre-conceived notion that “Robbie?s gone dance,” will be very surprised by ?Rudebox?- it is an incredibly assured electronic record, as much if not more influenced by hip hop, soul, p-funk, indie, baggy, acid house, early 80’s electro house, and classic pop music as it is by contemporary ‘dance’ music. The sound is unmistakably fresh, yet unmistakably Robbie Williams! It could be no other. Fear not, this is pop, but not as we know it?

?They might say its ?dance? or it?s ?electro? but it?s just what I like! It started off as a busman?s holiday this time around, but it?s become something on which I?ve found myself. I was just doing my YTS up till now,? he adds. ?It has become something on which I?ve found myself. This is the right direction for me personally, this is what it is. I saw the whole Robbie thing coming to a close as it was, I couldn?t make another album like the ones I?d made, and this has just opened up a thousand other doors. What I am excited about now is making more music. I love all the stuff on the album, I love Rudebox, it?s a favourite song of mine. I don?t know what?s gonna happen now, I?m excited about getting it out there, but I?m more excited about making more.? ?Rudebox? is far from the end of Robbie Williams as we know it, but more a re-adjustment, a smile and a nod to the future.

RW is in the midst of his record-breaking ?Close Encounters? World tour, which hits the UK in September.

RUDEBOX TRACKLISTING:
1. Rudebox – produced by Soul Mekanik
2. Viva Life On Mars – produced by Soul Mekanik
3. Lovelight (Lewis Taylor cover) produced by Mark Ronson
4. King Of The Bongo – (Manu Chao cover) produced by Mark Ronson
5. She’s Madonna – produced by Pet Shop Boys
6. Keep On – Produced by Mark Ronson
7. Good Doctor – Produced by Mark Ronson
8. The Actor – produced by Brandon Christy
9. Never Touch That Switch – produced by Soul Mekanik
10. Louise (Human League cover) – produced by William Orbit
11. We?re The Pet Shop Boys – (My Robot Friend cover) – Produced by Pet Shop Boys
12. Burslem Normals ? Produced by Soul Mekanik
13. Kiss Me – (Stephen ?Tin Tin? Duffy – cover) – Produced by Dave ‘Joey Negro’ Lee
14. The 80s ? Produced by Jerry Meehan
15. The 90s – Produced by Jerry Meehan
16. Summertime – Produced by William Orbit
17. Bonus track – Dickhead ? Produced by Jerry Meehan

?RUDEBOX? ? Album is released on EMI Records on October 23rd 2006. The single precedes it on September 4th.

Robbie Williams – Rudebox – A Tack By Track Guide