Boys to Men
Ex-teen dreams Ricky Martin and Robbie Williams are all grown up and ready to play in the big leagues. So take that, America.

By David Browne. Click herefor the photograph.

(The Ricky Martin portion of the article has been cut)

U.K. bad boy Robbie Williams also feels the pain (referring to a prior mentioning of one of Ricky Martin's ballad where he sings,"So much time, so much pain.") though he has a different solution: "Life's too short to be afraid/So take a pill to numb the pain." Williams knows that great pop starts are made of strong personae as much as memorable music. So, on his U.S. debut, The Ego Has Landed, he presents himself as a loveable lout. He commits blasphemy ("I hope I live to see the day the Pope gets high" in "Old Before I Die"), compares himself to Kiss "without the makeup" when he arises ("Strong"), and babbles freely about his sef-indulgences that you'll feel like you're at a group-therapy session for Oasis.

Those attributes alone would make Williams stand out, but the anthemic splendor of The Ego Has Landed (culled from his to U.K. albums) is more shocking than any of his drug references. Like Ricky Martin, the album touches on everything from the grandest of sky-high ballads ("Angels" "Strong") to alternative bubblegum ("Millenium") to grotty corpprate rock ("Win Some, Lose Some"). But Williams feisty personality and the cranked-to-11 energy of his band hold everything together. And who would have thought that a highlight would be the sublime and sophisticated "No Regrets," which has the shimmer and wit of the Pet Shop Boys (and their Neil Tennant on harmonies to boot)? Williams and company stumble when they attempt over-baked glam. But for the most part, Williams is the drinking man's George Michael, and, bless his crude heart, he'll never let you forget it. Grade given=A- (Ricky Martin's album received a B-)

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