Feel : Robbie Williams

by Chris Heath

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.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Music, Autobiography, Biography Memoir, Book Club, German Literature

544 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Phillip Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will write more about this at a later date but this was absolutely fascinating and has convinced me Robbie is probably the last Popstar to ever exist

edit: https://sprezzaturadosul.blogspot.com... wa la

[Caitlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

it pains me to say this as I am and always have been a superfan, but I've had to put the book down half way through. I think that what's his face is a good writer but I would disagree with people who say it's a good biography. Its a catalogue of mysoginost comments about women and who in Robbie's past past is to blame for his screw ups. and while the author does show you the warts and all version of Robbie, he does seem to spend a lot of time being an apologist for him too- it's not his fault, its the drink and drugs and evil papperazzi that make him like this. I think that the biography would have been better if it had been written by someone who didn't like him. There are also chapters which basically consist of lists of names to drop, and that really does grate after a while. So, I'm going to stop reading and leave my childhood crush in tact for a while longer. A little knowledge can be a very bad thing.

[Jem · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quite simply, if you're a Robbie Williams fan and want to stay a Robbie Williams fan steer clear of this book.

[Chakster · Rating 5 out of 5]

robbie really is the world's most honest and sincere asshole

[Katrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a biography about one of the Take That members turned into single artist, addicted to drugs and to pain. A haunted soul who has no clue who he is nor what he wants from life. Very sad.

[Amy W · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn’t so much a biography as a “year in the life”. Chris Heath follows Robbie around, documenting what he says and does from just before the release of the Escapology album to the end of the related tour.

It lays bare Robbie’s lifestyle and gives over paragraphs to his thoughts on it as well as other topics that happen to come up. In reading the book, I didn’t really feel I learnt anything ground-breaking or new. Robbie’s addictive personality, the way he can become fixated on certain ideas or hobbies and then drop them suddenly, and his hating of fame yet need for approval is well documented elsewhere. Although it must be said I am reading this book 10 years after its release – I can imagine at the time the content was more revelatory.

The book starts the same way it ends: straight into Robbie’s life and then, some 500 pages later, straight out again. I didn’t get the sense of this being a bildungsroman. Robbie doesn’t seem to change or grow in any way over the course of the book. There are some small flashbacks to his early life and Take That years, but these happen as and when Robbie thinks them up rather than being structured in any way. That seems to be the point of this book: a no-holds-barred, warts and all portrayal of everything Robbie thinks and does over this year or so period in his life.

Heath and Robbie make some good points along the way about how fame can negatively affect one’s quality of life. Super-fans trying to prove their devotion by stalking the object of their affection can evidently do more harm than good. Money and success also makes it harder to get close to real people, something that Robbie struggles with every day. He also says he hates performing and touring, yet somehow manages to muster up the courage to give very convincing performances night after night. He is clearly a troubled soul.

I will say that at times Heath could come across as obsequious at times. He seems to find everything Robbie does hilarious and agrees with him on most topics, almost like a super-fan himself who can’t quite believe he’s managed to get into the inner circle. I wonder if they’re still close today.

A note as well on the few pictures in the book – these didn’t add much as they were small and dark (black and white) so you couldn’t see what they were supposed to be. Maybe in the original hardback they were in colour? Also there were a few annoying typos.

I went into this book not being a particular Robbie fan, but not disliking him either. Having finished the book, my opinions on him haven’t changed. Maybe reading the book as a fan would be a different (better?) experience.

[Aki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ich habe das Buch via Lovelybooks getauscht und war wirklich gespannt darauf, habe mich wirklich sehr darauf gefreut, gerade weil Robbie ein wichtiger Teil meiner Vergangenheit war, aber irgendwie.. bin ich enttäuscht... zumindest vom ersten Teil des Buches.

Erst hatte ich totale Probleme überhaupt ins Buch zu finden, weil ich es teilweise total langatmig und auch.. ich will nicht überheblich sagen, aber der Schreibstil hat mir so gar nicht zugesagt.

Vielleicht hatte ich wirklich zu große Erwartungen an das Buch, vielleicht hätte ich wirklich ungezwungen an das Buch herangehen sollen und meine Erwartungen etwas zurück schrauben.

Teilweise hatte das Buch jedoch auch Passagen, in denen ich entweder dachte "Typisch Robbie, so hat man ihn in den Medien "kennengelernt", aber auf der anderen Seite hatte ich wieder das Gefühl, dass er.. ich weiss nicht genau, wie ich das erklären soll... dass er viel "Schlimmer" dargestellt wurde, als er vielleicht letztendlich war oder immer noch ist. Auch wenn wir als Fans ihn so eh nie kennenlernen werden.

Wir wissen alle, dass er kein Unschuldslamm war, dass er gerade zu Zeiten von Take That oft genug über die Stränge geschlagen, aber einiges wurde in diesem Buch doch sehr überheblich dargestellt.

Aber vielleicht kam es mir auch nur so vor? Aufgrund der hohen Erwartungen?

Der zweitew und dritte Teil hingegen war für mich als Leserin schon flüssiger. Ich konnte einige der Handlungen und auch Worte Robbies durchaus besser nachvollziehen, als noch im ersten Teil. Chris Heath hat ihn über einen langen Zeitraum hinweg begleitet, die Hoch und Tiefs des Sängers quasi hautnah miterlebt.

Was mich wirklich gestört hat, war der teilweise wirklich abfällige Umgang Robbies mit seinen Fans, aber da hat vermutlich jeder eine andere Meinung.

Alles in allem ein Buch, was mehr für richtige, wahre, eingefleischte Robbie - Fans geeignet ist und auf andere vielleicht sogar abschreckend wirken könnte.

3 von 5 Sonnenblumen.

[Redfox5 · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know that Good Charlotte song?
"Lifestyles of the rich and the famous
They're always complainin'
Always complainin'
If money is such a problem
Well they got mansions
Think we should rob them"
Well this kept popping into my head while I was reading this. Robbie is an interesting one, he hates the trappings that come with fame and yet he would not be able to live like he does without it. And I'm not just talking about the money. He has people with him all the time. Doing things for him. Moans about the fans stalking him but when he asks them to leave him alone and they do, he goes back to talk to them. What!?
I'm not really a Robbie fan, I don't mind some of his songs but I don't own any of his albums (though after reading this I want his greatest hits). This was an enjoyable read. I think Chris told Robbie's story quiet well and in a fair way. I think another title for this book could have been "Why I'm not bothered about breaking America" because it come up ALOT. Overall I think this book is aimed more for fans but people who arn't really fans will like it aswell though 422 pages is to much Robbie for me.

[Writerlibrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Biographie autorisée, le journaliste Chris Heath a eu accès à Robbie Williams pendant 18 mois durant les années 2002-2003. Ce n’est pas une biographie banale, c’est le récit sans fard d’un artiste de talent mais sans confiance en soi. Le récit aussi, d’une création, le dernier album original de Williams, Feel, de la fin d’une collaboration intense avec Guy Chambers, les coulisses du monde du spectacle sans le glamour et tous les à côtés un peu tordus du show-biz.

Intéressant par l’approche, pour le personnage. Robbie Williams est une construction, un personnage public derrière lequel se cache un artiste talentueux, pleins de contradictions et d’insécurités.

[Micaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

my future husband. :) ha!
My best friend gave this book to me on my birthday and I could not have had a more perfect gift. I will always hold on to my "girl hood" dream of marrying him (ha!) but seriously, this biography covered EVERYTHING... his music career, personal life, and even the kooky details of this rock star-- that he uses the bathroom a lot and was addicted to a futball game and is truly shy. Usually I can't put a book down that I love and I had to force myself to read only a few pages at a time cos I didn't want it to end. Ya, I'm a dork. :)

[Smell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used to like Take That as a teenager but grew out of the phase, I never really enjoyed Robbie Williams as a solo artist and the same goes for the rest of the band members. However this book was given to me for free a few weeks ago and I decided to read it.
It started off really well but then became a bit repetitive, which I suppose in fairness is what everyone's (or at least most)real life is like, but then I guess people wouldn't pull out money to read about the fella-on-the-my-street's daily comings and goings.

[Martina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Though I am a huge Robbie Williams fan I must be honest and say this book was a disappointment due to lack of the some important storytelling elements, such as flow and vividness. It seemed to me as if this book was written for nothing more but PR and money purpose. I missed Robbie's soul in it. His "searching for love" thing probably meant to break the readers' hearts. But it doesn't coincide with his actions in the book which are completely different from "love searching" if you know what I mean.

[Melissa Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been reading this book for a year and as silly as it sounds, I put it down so I didn't finish it so quickly! Then I forgot about it! :( I love this book because it is written unlike most biographies. Instead of writing about the subject's life from start to present, it's written as the author follows Williams through an important time in his life. Sure they scratch away at his past, but more as a conversation between friends than a subject and biographer.By the way..I'm not even a Robbie Williams fan, I just have a soft spot for British popstar biographies!

[Dawn Bates · Rating 4 out of 5]

although i am not a "fan" of Robbie Williams, I have respect for him, after having read this book, i have even more respect for him. Chris' writing is fluid and i read the book in 3 days, could not put it down. Great insight into many of our societies insecurities and shallowness, even though you know it is there, and those that have experienced being in the public eye like i have, seeing things in this books even surprsied me...

a great book for all...

[Paul · Rating 1 out of 5]

this has to be one of the most boring and impersonal biographies that i've stumbled upon. unfortunately, reading the daily activities via here say becomes tedious and tiresome...if i'd wanted a story told via a third person, i would've found more joy in the tabloids. on the positive side, the book makes for a good paperweight or door stop.

[Pauline Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's 532 pages long - and obviously quite historic when I read it in 2012 - eight years after publication. By that time, he had taken a wife, re-joined Take That and was looking forward to becoming a Daddy - all rich fodder for the next installment! I enjoyed the book, but was left with a feeling that I was very glad to know what had happened next!!

[Desley (Cat fosterer) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read a few Robbie books, and this was the hardest to read of the lot, it has taken me months to get through. I found most of it hard going due to the way it was written, and while parts of it were insightful, overall I don't think it flowed that well.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is where he farts too much... surprised, it's not called "smell"...

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robbie is a messed up boy with potential. This took me 12 months to read. Perhaps it was the style of the book rather than the subject matter that I had difficulty with though.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this a really sad account of Robbie Williams life. He seemed to want a family life and the fame caused him heartbreak. It proves that money doesn't necessarily bring happiness.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

another great book about music/pop stars today

[Oh Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

biographie 1A! i like it ;)

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

love!

[Winter Sophia Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating Insight Into A Musical Genius!

[milica · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was very difficult for me to rate this but ultimately I decided on 3 stars cause there was a lot I did enjoy in this book even though the writing and overall concept are not very good. Robbie doesn't come out of it looking great which might disappoint some people (fans in particular) but I've been familiar with his unhinged personality for many years now so nothing in this book comes as surprising other than him not even attempting to portray himself in better light. There's a lot of interesting bits about song writing, touring and promotion, lots of funny stuff happening to Robbie and his entourage during the time the author of the book spends with him, many disturbing encounters with obsessed fans and even more moments of Robbie just being a plain asshole to so many around him but what got me to most is him talking about his struggles with mental health. He describes dealing with depression in ways that I personally connect and sympathize with greatly. All in all, it's a fun biography even though I expected more/better from it considering how hyped it is.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. I was a fan of Robbie Williams before I read this slice of his life, which has deepened my understanding of this fascinating person and performer. In a way I imagine a similar book could be written about anyone in his position - huge pop star whose every thought and move, real or fabricated, is breathlessly gossiped and written about. If you've ever harbored any daydreams of being an internationally famous mega celebrity pop star, reading Mr. Heath's detailed and deeply layered accounting of what life is like from day to day for Robbie Williams may make you think again.
If you've liked his music, this book will give you a much greater insight into it, but even if you're not a fan or have no idea who Robbie Williams is, it's still an eye-opening look into this world of pop stardom, accompanied by some surprising introspection on the part of the man at the center of it all.
One of the more satisfying reading experiences I've had.

[ColinJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific first-hand account of the most tumultuous and interesting time in Robbie's career. Signing his massive record deal, falling out with songwriting partner Guy Chambers and his aborted attempt to crack the US market. Heath was there to see it all and he has documented it in incredible detail.

But far from being a mere puff piece, it never holds back from showing Robbie as a talented, driven but extremely sheltered pop star.

[Jonny Brick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Portrait of the artist as a 29-year-old man, dealing with his own demons and the attention of the world while half-heartedly trying to break America. In 2004 it would have been fascinating and a look at contemporary celebrity; in 2024, with Rob about to turn 50, it's a snapshot of a life lived in public. Very good on the boring nature of touring and the 'private plane' celebrity world. There's a sequel where we find out he lived happily every after (and made up with Gary Barlow!).

[Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Der Autor hat Robbie zwei Jahre lang während einer sehr spannenden Phase seiner Karriere (Anfang 2000er) begleitet. Ein toller Rückblick mit vielen Überraschungen. Freue mich bereits, den Nachfolger „Reveal“ zu lesen.

[Jade Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely fascinating the entire way through. Chris Heath makes even the most mundane stories interesting and captivating and gives a real insight into RW’s life. I highly recommend this to any RW fan or any fans of music biographies in general.