In & Out Of Consciousness : The Greatest Hits 1990 - 2010

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A two-disc set that is expanded even further in accompanying CD/DVD editions, In and Out of Consciousness: Greatest Hits 1990-2010 presents, even in its most basic edition, no less than 39 examples of what made Robbie Williams a fascinating millennial superstar. Seemingly all things to all pop fans -- ambitious and self-deprecating, sensitive and boorish, dynamic and introverted -- Williams never lacked for people with a strong opinion of his work (although the number and force of the detractors seem at least equal to that of the supporters). Unlike his previous compilation, Greatest Hits, which was six years old in 2010, In and Out of Consciousness: Greatest Hits 1990-2010 presents a much richer picture of Williams' discography. All the hits are here plus, for the first time, a wealth of album tracks capable of supplementing any casual fan's understanding of what made Williams occasionally great, sometimes infuriating, and nearly always worth hearing. The collection proceeds from newest to oldest, beginning with a pair of new songs (both of which are Gary Barlow co-compositions; the two were famously at odds during their Take That days) and ending over two hours later with tracks from his debut album plus the Take That single "Everything Changes" from 1994. (The very unhappy Williams was invited to leave the group one year later, although Take That management contracts prevented him from releasing solo material for nearly two years.) The compilers have chosen well, taking slightly fewer songs from infamous duds like Escapology and Intensive Care (although those tracks appear on the first disc) and spending more time on his precocious, entertaining '90s albums I've Been Expecting You and Life Thru a Lens (plus the non-album single "Freedom," a George Michael cover that out-performed the original on the British charts). The compilation even finds time for four tracks from Swing When You're Winning, his standards side project, and the new track from his previous Greatest Hits, "Eternity." In the end, whether listeners want Greatest Hits or In and Out of Consciousness: Greatest Hits 1990-2010 (or the original albums themselves) will depend mostly on the amount of time and money they're willing to spend, but In and Out of Consciousness certainly offers a full portrait of Robbie Williams, the greatest pop star of the '90s and 2000s that few people appeared to respect but everyone enjoyed. ~ John Bush