Feel - Robbie Williams

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I have been a fan of Robbie Williams since Take That first came on the scene many years ago. I always thougt he was the most real member of the group, but there was always a sense that behind the clowing around he was the one with the most problems. I [...] (http://www.ciao.co.uk/Feel_Robbie_Williams__Review_5526872)
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Full reviewToday I finished reading the Robbie Williams book 'Feel' by Chris Heath. It has taken me about three months. I had the book for Christmas at my request.

I was interested in the person of Robbie Williams more than his music (the kind of attention Robbie apparently hates) although I like some of his stuff. The song from which the title of the book is taken - 'Feel' is beautiful. Anyway, I had my reasons as to my interest in what makes Robbie 'tick'.

It has taken me so long to read this book because I have only been reading it during my lunch breaks at work. But it was the time of day I looked forward to most as I lost myself in Robbie's world. In the book he says he is an entertainer, and that he is not all about 'keeping it real', but rather 'keeping it un-real'. It's certainly a bit of escapism to read this book, yet Robbie's life is shown to be very real in ways in which we can all appreciate.

The writer, Chris Heath - a friend of Robbie's- gives a good and seemingly un-biased account of Robbies life during the promotion of his 'Escapology' album. Chris doesn't draw much attention to himself and doesn't give too much of his own opinions about Robbie's phsyce. He just observes, asks questions, and records. What you get is a glimpse of Robbie's life from the point of view of a companion.

This book seems to be very much about setting the record straight. I have ofetn heard the term 'Don't believe all that you read in the papers' but have never thought about it until I read 'Feel'. It apears that most of what has been written about Robbie Williams in the papers is rubbish and partial truths based on presumption and flimsy evidence. The whole controversy about Robbie's sexuality is a constant recurring theme in this book.

The book begins with a long prologue ('Before') covering the last days of Robbie's writing partnership with Guy Chambers, who many perceived to be the backbone of Robbie's songwriting.

The rest of the book, up until the epilogue ('After'), gives a deatiled picture of Robbie's lifestyle, attitudes, emotioanal ups and downs during the touring phase of 'Escapology' and a half-hearted attempt at breaking the States.

Recurring themes are: Farting, how 'Take That' messed his head up, obsessive fans, drinking lots of coffee, Robbie's phases of single-mindedly pursueing new pass-times such as computer football games and golf, writing new music under the guise of a new alter-ego, hating the old music and the old 'Robbie Williams'.

You get to see that although Robbie's life is different - lots of money and fame - you see a young man struggle with all the insecurities and fears of anyone. To quote Robbie from the book in my own words - he has been all over the world and only seen hotels. You realise that his fame is a prison for him. Yet at the same time, you see a Robble who is happy where he is, doing what he is - an entertainer entertaining.

This book made more of an impact on me probably due to the length of time it has taken me to read it. It has been a little closer to 'real time' I suppose.

I greatly enjoyed reading this book, and will probably miss it during my lunch breaks now.

Full reviewI have been a fan of Robbie Williams since Take That first came on the scene many years ago. I always thougt he was the most real member of the group, but there was always a sense that behind the clowing around he was the one with the most problems.

I have read many things in the papers and magazines which claim to tell you about the real Robbie, but this book goes beyond that and gives an insight into the real Robbie and the mad pop star world that he inhabits.

The book is written by journalist Chris Heath who was given unlimited access to the star from August 2002 through the build up to Robbies 3 date concerts at Knebworth a year later.

The story is told through the conversations which Robbie has with the author and those around him. He often tells stories about people and situations in his past. He talks openly in this book and you get the feeling that he is hiding nothing. I found much of the book funny and it is littered with jokes told by Robbie and his Dad. I also found it interesting to read about his relationships with people around him including his family, staff and his best friend Jonathan Wilkes. Their relationship has been the subjetc of much tabloid speculation but the feeling that you get from the book is that they are incredibly close friends, perhaps even more like brothers.

Robbie does not hide his personal problems in this book. He talks openly about his addictions to drink and drugs and his struggles to overcome them. He also talks openly about how he suffers from depression. As someone who has suffered with depression myself I found it refreshing to read someone talking about it in an intelligent way. There were even some passages that I showed to my other half as I felt that the book explained the feelings better than I could myself. Robbie is definately someone who is ok with showing his emotions and he often gets upset talking about more painful aspects of his life. Some of the book can feel uncomfortable to read as it is obvious that Robbie has some serious issues and a real lack of contentment in his life.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is a Robbie fan as you will learn more about the man behind the headlines and may understand him and his music better. I would also recommend the book to non fans who want to see behind the gloss into the real life of the stars.

The book has 532 pages and can be picked up in most bookshops for £7.99. It was first published in 2004 by Ebury Press.

Full reviewFeel is a terrfic insight into the world of Robbie williams ex member of boy band take that and now the most successful male singer in the uk.
The book takes the reader on a journey into Robbies life from recording in the studio,to showbiz parties and says in hotels.It delves into the most important things to happen in his life and how these have affected him.

The book kicks of from where Robbie is currently now,just having signed a £80 million record contract and splitting from long term songwriting partner Guy Chambers.It then flashes back to events in the last year.Robbie is going through mixed emotions with being happy with his new record deal in his own words"im rich beyond my wildest dreams"!..to sadness and bitterness with his split from Chambers.He has fallen out with his old friend because he had demanded more money and Robbie felt he was being too greedy and now felt he could do without him.This will be a common theme running through the book,mixed emotions from Robbie on his success.

The part of the book which comes across as the saddest is Robbies tales about life in Take that and his troubled relationship with lead singer Gary Barlow and the groups manager.Both of them come across as control freaks whose behaviour towards Robbie still causes resentment with him.On a chat with another member of the group,Mark owen he pours his feelings out near breaking point.At this point the reader can see the vulnearablity that lies behind the cheeky ,cocky public persona of the singer.
Also Robbies comments on constant rumours that he is gay ,are met intially with jokey remarks that he doesnt care about what is being said about him,but later on he makes clear he is fed up of them,as they are not true.

However Robbies jockey sarcastic sense of humour also shines through in the book.His ecounters with other stars at showbiz events and in general are a eye opener and very funny.IT shows he has a great sense of humour though not everyone appreciates its dryness.The humdrum nature of songwriting and sense of frustration that comes with being a pop star and everyone wanting a piece of you also comes through in the book

Feel is a very enjoyable book to read,once you start you dont want to finish.Its like evesdropping on a showbiz world and it actually feels like you are living the experience.T he only cons are the lack of pictures in feel but overall its a terrific read.Also recommended is the 2002 book being somebody which is just as good

Full reviewBeing a big Robbie fan, and having read the other "unofficial" books, endless magazine articles and watched many documentaries on him, I wasnt expecting this book to tell me anything I didnt already know. But I was wrong.
Feel is written by Chris Heath who is a friend of Rob' s and it shows in the many personal details contained in this book. We get to know what really goes on in Rob' s world and he is refreshingly honest about things which many people would feel uncomfortable about telling the world.
Rob tells of his feelings on Take that, drugs, drink, love and songwriting.
This book is well worth buying, fans will love it and even if you dont like his music you cant help but like him and will find this an excellent read which has many pictures never seen before.
I thouroughly enjoyed Feel it made me laugh and cry (sometimes both within the same paragraph!!!)
I would recommend this book to everyone its a very good read.

Full reviewwell first of all before reading this book i wasnt a robbie fan, i didnt exactly like his music, i mean i new he was a nice enough guy..but i wasnt a fan (never brought any of his singles or albums)!.

I was talking to a friend about how i really feel like reading a funny, easy to follow sort of book..as i dont really have the time to read long, deep books (often lose interest!). Thats when my mate told me about this book 'Robbie williams-Feel'. To be honest i was alittle bit sceptical at first, not exactally interested in his music, nor his life!..but after some searching on the internet and seeing how cheap the book was, i decided to gamble alittle and give it a go!.

Once i started to read the book, i literally couldnt put the book down, it's such an easy read...and Robbie's great sense of humour throught the book kept my eyes hooked from page to page..always wanting to know "oh whats going to happen next"...and well it was really interesting!, much to my suprise i really found his life interesting and the way it was written, it's almost like your right there next to robbie or freakly..in his mind!.

The book isnt actually written by Robbie himself, but much to my suprise that didnt really matter, because the author (Chris Heath's) was able to connect so well with Robbie, it was hard to tell that they werent family.

Although there is the frequent robbie humor in the book, the book also touches on his very deep depression he suffered and how till this day he still takes anti-depressants...the book goes into detail about his drug addiction, drink addiction etc...this gives the book a great contrast...of great humor and also often sadness. He also often refers back randomly to his days in TakeThat..which is easily to say are not his happiest memories!

The much published fued or seperation from guy chambers is also included and a very interesting insight into his studio life as well as his home life. What makes this interesting is that i never really thought of robbie as a true musical artist, however after reading about his song writting process, and how he randomly writes songs using his gitar..i have to say Robbie is definately shinning new light on me.

over all i have to say a great book...and its not just for fans (as im an example of that)..packed with humor, sadness and great day by day diary of the odd but human robbie williams.

"A MUST"! :)

Full reviewWell, being a big Robbie Williams fan this was a must for me. Although I was pretty disappointed. Even though it was Robbie Williams autobiography - it was set up quite strange. Basically there is a writer Chris Heath who spends almost every second of everyday for a couple of years with Robbie Wiliams and all his mates. he gets to see robbies highs and robbies lows and puts it all down in writing.

At times i found the book a big hard to follow as it was a bit like he said, she said, he said. But once I got used to that I was ok.

It was quite exciting hearing Robbie talk about gigs that I had been at like Knebworth - that gave me goosebumps.

Also I really dont want to give much away but Robbie Williams also told stories of his Take That days, his times with his dad and best friend Jonny Wilkinson, his encourters with some well known names including chris martin from coldplay, his bust up with louis walsh. What he really feels about Gary Barlow and just how many fans has this man slept with???? He also talks about his alcohol and drug addiction and how he struggled, so much so that Sir Elton John even checked him into rehab!!

There wasnt many photos in this book, there should have been more naughty ones haha!! I mean there was over 400 pages im sure they could have fitted in a few more pics.

I wasnt as addicted to this book as i have been to others, it took me quite a long time to read, and in the end it did become quite a chore even though i am a robbie fan.

But this is a must for any robbie fan.

Full reviewThis is a great book for a Robbie Fan or for anyone who likes autobiographys and the music business.

Gives a great insight into the business that is 'Robbie' and his experiences with crazy fans, depression and drugs and his fellow celeb friends!

I found it hard to put the book down as it really takes you in, would have been nice to have some more pictures included though and maybe a little more about Robbie's childhood.

It is also amazing how all celebrities seem to know one another! Robbie's personality shines through in this book and will make you smile!

I would recommed this to anyone I nice easy book to read that is entertaining, well written and just the right length.

An excellent well written read.

Feel - Robbie Williams

http://www.femail.com.au/img/feel_robbie_williams.jpg by Chris Heath

First came Ebury's massively successful, 2001 illustrated account of Robbie's touring world, Somebody Someday. Now the time has come for the complete, intimate story of Robert P Williams.

Spanning his childhood through Take That to his current status as rock icon, probing his love life and his family relationships, this is closer than you'd ever thought you'd get to Robbie Williams.

Written by Chris Heath, who has spent nearly two years working with Rob on this book, every word is imbued with Rob's humour, charisma, talent, memories and complexity. But more than ever before, this book tells the truth about his extraordinary life. Billy Connolly told his story through his wife, and with Rolling Stone journalist, Chris Heath, Robbie's own story promises to be as brilliantly and insightfully told. You may have seen his face a million times, heard his music every day, followed him from the beginning of Take That, but this is a man with some serious surprises in store. The World According to Robert P Williams - a ground-breaking package; a truly original and brilliantly written book; a grippingly honest story of an extraordinary man.

When Chris Heath's groundbreaking book with Robbie Williams was first published it became an instantaneous bestseller. But its honesty, humour and intelligence took the public and media by surprise. In a world of pampered images and deceptive celebrity 'Feel' has a unique wit and energy and a shockingly honest edge.

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ABOUT THE BOOK

When Chris Heath?s book with Robbie Williams was first published in September 2004 it became an instantaneous bestseller. So far, so predictable...However its honesty, humour and intelligence took the literary critics by surprise. The review in the Saturday Telegraph read, ?Feel is far too good to be confined to Robbie Williams fans. It is one of the great documentaries of our time?. In a world of deceptive images and pampered celebrity Feel has a unique wit and energy, and a shockingly honest edge. It is a groundbreaking book.

Chris Heath?s writing is evocative, compulsive and extremely funny. His book is one of the very few to ever explore eloquently the nature of fame, ambition and talent. It has been praised as the most extraordinary book ever to be written on the business of celebrity, but at heart it is a beautifully constructed, very surreal tale of an ordinary young man thrust into a most peculiar world.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robbie Williams first conceived the idea for this book when Chris Heath came to interview him in 2002. Robbie felt that between them, he and Chris, a friend and respected music journalist, would write the very best and most honest book.Chris, also an investigative news writer, has written for Rolling Stone, Details, Telegraph and Sunday Times, amongst many others. His subjects have varied from Madonna and Lisa Marie Presley to politicians, murderers and artists. Chris and Robbie spent nearly two years working on this book.

MORE ABOUT THE BOOK!

Written after two years of collaboration with music journalist Chris Heath, Feel is the definitive book on Robbie Williams. Insightful, moving and incredibly funny in equal measures, this intimate account of the world of Robbie Williams really does promise to reveal all...This is by no means a ghosted autobiography, it is in fact much more raw rock documentary than memoir and reveals a man who is mischievous and enjoying life, as well as one who is bemused and trapped by the celebrity card life has dealt him. The book examines the very nature of our obsession with success and celebrity. Chris is excellent on the increasingly malign celebrity culture that infects Britain today. ?It is as though we, as a society, have become addicted to fame, and hate the subject and substance of our addiction,? he writes, adding: ?To be famous in the 21st century is to be pelted with little lies, day after day.? All in all Feel is a groundbreaking, original and well-written book.

The story begins in early 2002 when Robbie has just moved to LA, saying he wants a year off. In August, Chris joins Robbie?s entourage of bodyguards, assistants and friends, as the final songs of the Escapology album are being recorded in Los Angeles, at first as an occasional backgammon partner, then to interview him for the Telegraph magazine and finally to write this book. He sticks to his subject like a limpet for the next 18 months as the album is promoted around the world. EMI pays a reported £80m for a new contract, Robbie parts from Guy Chambers, his long-time collaborator and tries half-heartedly to ?break? America. He drifts creatively for a while, before finding a new song-writing partner in Stephen Duffy, who seems to possess the requisite talent and patience for the job.

It?s all there, the inside story that the fans have guessed at and the tabloids have done their best to invent. Yes, the famous photos with Rachel Hunter were staged. No, Rob isn?t gay. Yes, he has been taking antidepressants. No, the Guy split wasn?t about exclusivity.

Chris observes, asks all the right questions, stands back and leaves any criticism of his subject implied but his ultimate loyalty is clear: he is annoyed by negative album reviews, exercised about the shameless, misrepresentations of the tabloids and is infuriated by an ill-informed attack by former culture minister Kim Howells.

It is the literary equivalent of a reality television show in which Robbie is both cameraman and sound engineer. To his great credit, he is an unobtrusive yet perceptive narrator.

What you don?t get is the standard stuff of biography. What Chris offers instead of the traditional scissors and paste cuttings job is a riveting account of just what it involves, and feels like, to be as famous as Robbie Williams ? and a compelling warts-and-all portrait of the star himself.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR!

Chris Heath, is an investigative news writer and has written for, amongst others, Rolling Stone, Details, The Telegraph and Sunday Times. His subjects have varied from Madonna and Lisa Marie Presley to politicians, murderers and artists.In 1991, Chris lent his measured, deadpan style to an account of the Pet Shop Boys? first tour. He was invited to join the group on their 1989 Japanese tour. The book that resulted ? Literally ? remains one of the most enjoyable books on pop to date. The book tells of the evolution of the group, introduces contemporaries and gives them the opportunity to recite their views. This earlier book is the template for Chris?s access-all-areas tour of Robbie?s world. The unmediated access Heath was given is virtually unheard of these days, and at times the book feels bracingly antique like a 400-page Rolling Stone article from 1973 but with jokes.

THE INSPIRATION FOR 'FEEL'

Chris says he became involved in the project in ?a random way?. He had interviewed Robbie a number of times since Take That, when he was commissioned in 2002 by The Daily Telegraph?s Saturday magazine to write another profile of the singer during promotion of his album, Escapology.

The pair ended up spending a lot of time together for this article and Robbie felt that between them, he and Chris, a friend and respected music journalist, would write the very best and most honest book. So, Chris stuck around with the tacit agreement that he would eventually write a book. This agreement gradually morphed from a vague idea into a concrete project.

Chris was granted unusual access ? not only to recording studios and backstage at concerts but also to Robbie?s homes in both London and LA and his hotel suites while on tour. He was around when the star woke up, usually in the afternoon, and still around when Robbie finally got to sleep again in the not so early hours of the following morning; notebook in hand, tape-recorder whirring. In all Chris and Robbie spent nearly two years working on the book. Intimacy is guaranteed ? so much so that Chris says reading the book will be ?like you are in the room with him standing only two feet away?.

Chris admits fascination with celebrity, and was attracted to the idea of writing a real-time account of fame. ?Quite a lot of celebrities spend 10 or 20 years being famous and then 10 or 20 years doing worthwhile things. It is then that they start to reflect on their fame and maybe tell the truth about the time when people were most fascinated with them,? he explains. ?This is a different kind of book, because with this it is as if you are there, observing all the details of what is happening and the sheer randomness of fame.?

Many people will question whether a book endorsed by an icon ? and his management ? and written by a friend can ever be more than a heavily edited version of events. ?Yes,? says Chris, ?though it depends on the celebrity.? He says that when is came to editing the book Robbie, ?spent two weeks going through the rough manuscripts, which is always the crunch time. There is always the danger that to the celebrity it sounds like a lot of fun to have a book written about them, but then when it appears it is y?know, ?Whoah!? That is just not Rob though.?

Also, friendship between journalist and subject is a notoriously tricky area to negotiate. For hardened hacks the story always comes first even at the expense of intimacy. Friendship involves compromise and sacrifice, even if it means losing a scoop. Chris says that he never faced this dilemma, because of Robbie?s willingness to push the boundaries. ?One of the reasons I was comfortable with doing this was that I knew that where Rob would draw the line at what he is comfortable with me writing about is so much further on than from where other celebrities would draw the line?.

Robbie Williams, himself, is the most successful British pop star of his generation. He has sold more than 32 million albums, 17 million of them at home. In 2003, 375,000 people attended his record three-night live stint at Knebworth. The film of this event became the biggest-selling music DVD ever, and has sold five times as many as its nearest rivals. In January, Robbie?s song Angels was nominated for a new award that has been introduced to discover the nation?s all time favourite British single in celebration of the Brits? 25th anniversary. It is one of 5 songs listed for the award. The winner of the Brits 25 - Best Song Award will be announced at this year?s awards ceremony on Wednesday 9th February.

According to Chris, with Robbie what you see is truly what you get. ?He hardly gives any interviews, because he doesn?t enjoy it, by and large, but the truth of it is that when he does do something, his instinct is to be open and honest; he?s of the point of view that he doesn?t have anything in particular to hide, so why not tell the truth?? http://www.channel4.com/media/generic/spacer.gif

Ottakar?s Staines Reading Group, from Middlesex.
They are a group of about twenty but on average only 10 to 12 come at a certain point. They are an amalgamation of two groups who meet different days. They are quite a young group and the ages range from 25 to 55 years old.They read a huge variety of different books and they usually vote from a shortlist of about five for their next months read. They recently read ?A Million Little Pieces? by James Frey.
Here's what they thought...
?If you want to be famous you need to read this book.?
?Whether you like Robbie or not you?ll feel empathy towards him by the end.?
?It?s surprisingly honest and you will change your opinions on Robbie Williams after reading this.?
?It?s a disjointed linear narrative that gives great insight into Robbie?s personality.?
?This book goes a long way to give Robbie Williams a credible voice.?
?The author gives an interesting insight into the world of modern celebrity.?
?An interesting read into how Chris Heath portrays Robbie Williams and his honest opinion and he tells it like it is.? The members on the day of filming were: Richard Hanley, Rachelle Beaumont, Edna Ridge, Neil Wood, Ian Boffin, Rebecca Hoggett, Lisa Jones, Matt Steer, Nicola Withey.
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Feeling Robbie Williams

One of the things Alison (http://alsybarclay.typepad.com/alsyblog/) and I have in common, besides our geeky-girlyness, is an appreciation for Robbie Williams (http://www.robbiewilliams.com/) and his music. We had actually tossed around the idea of doing a joint review of his last CD (Rudebox (http://www.amazon.com/Rudebox-Robbie-Williams/dp/B000HC2MFC/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-4221873-7925222?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1182189310&sr=8-1)) but never got around to it…because yeah - real life totally got in the way.

During one of our recent chats she mentioned that I should read Feel (http://www.amazon.com/Feel-Chris-Heath/dp/0091897548/ref=pd_bbs_1/105-4221873-7925222?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182187535&sr=8-1), Chris Heath (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Heath)’s biography about Robbie. What I gathered from the readers’ reviews on Amazon is that the main emphasis of the book - beyond giving an intimate glimpse into one of my favorite artists, is that it shows the emotional toll and true downside of fame and celebrity. See, the deal is that while Robbie seems to enjoy relative obscurity in the United States, he is a monster pop star in the UK, and as such the paparazzi’s and the public’s attention on him is relentless. This book is an opportunity to be the proverbial fly on the wall…

While I wouldn’t go so far as to call this typical summer reading, I would like to say that after devouring the first 50 pages I’m hooked, and I am glad to be reading it. I would like to thank Alison for telling me about Feel, and let you all know that if you are looking for a good read about a great artist dealing with more “crap” than the average bear, then this might be it.

Alison said that after finishing the book, she really wanted to give Robbie a hug. I think that when I am finished, I might want one, too.

source (http://www.geardiary.com/2007/06/18/feeling-robbie-williams/)

:20b: feels so good to read something nice!

Thats great, nice to read something postive about Rob for a change.Thanks Shell :D