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Now we have the latest in this long and shameful line of vanity vehicles, Robbie Williams Live at the Albert. Sure, Williams means nothing here in the States, but in the UK he's huge - think Madonna with a dick. But he infuriated the critics and left the kids scratching their heads late last year with this channeling of the spirit of Frank, Martin and Davis - the bloke actually had the nerve to believe that he could resurrect The Rat Pack and still have a smash. "I wanted to kill Robbie off for a while," as he so smugly put it, but the punters may have had to eat their words. Williams not only has the passion and the chops to pull this off, but he excels as a cheeky postmodern Mr. Bojangles.

Admittedly, I usually hate this type of music, but it says something that this DVD hasn't left my player in a week. Easily the most overrated singer in the history of everything, I fail to understand the allure of Frank Sinatra. But Williams has that rare britpop ability to be both charming and annoying at the same time. Incredibly smug, he seems to laugh at everything, but just when he's about to slip into the abyss of self-mockery, he musters up a tear and a brief flash of sincerity to sucker you back in. He somehow manages to wring new life out of these old tunes, with a show that is overdone yet subtle, a mix of flash, pomp, swagger and tunefulness. How'd he do that!?

As for the performance itself, it features 16 classics and is an impeccably produced, star-studded affair. Would you believe Jon Lovitz coming out to sing a number with Williams? How about Robbie crying a river of tears for the show-closer "My Way?" Or a cloying Rupert Everett as MC? Williams even scores by throwing in a wry new tune, "I Will Talk and Hollywood Will Listen" that pokes fun at his lack of Stateside success. Yes, this all sounds like a recipe for disaster, but give Williams credit. This is a one-off lark - he did it, it was good, and now he's on to the next thing. But let's just hope it doesn't kick off a trend. For every "reworking the classics" that scores like this, there are 10 other miss. Just ask Madonna, eh?

The track list includes: Have You Met Miss Jones?, Mack the Knife, Straighten Up and Fly Right, Let's Face the Music and Dance, Well Did You Evah?, Lady is a Tramp, Things, One For My Baby, Mr. Bojangles, I Will talk and Hollywood Will Listen, Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me, Beyond the Sea, Me and My Shadow, Ain't That a Kick in the Head, It Was a Very Good Year, and My Way.

Video: How Does The Disc Look?

Shot in 1.78:1 widescreen and anamorphically enhanced, this is one damn gorgeous transfer. The Albert Hall looks smashing on DVD, and this may be one of the best live concert presentations I've yet seen on the format.

Colors are incredibly vibrant and stunning, yet smooth and free of noise or smearing. Blacks are rock solid and contrast generally excellent, if a bit overpumped at the highs (which is likely a stylistic choice.) Surprisingly for a shot on digital video production, sharpness and detail are very good with little of the softness that plagues most of these types of releases, and I also noticed few compression artifacts. However, the one drawback that keeps this from being a five-star transfer is the edginess of the transfer; I noticed frequent stairstepping on highly-contrasted objects which can distract. Otherwise, rare have I seen a concert presentation on DVD look this three-dimensional short of high-def!

Audio: How Does the Disc Sound?

As with the video, I was also blown away by the audio. Featuring a terrific Dolby Digital 5.1 surround mix, finally someone got it right. I'm often distracted by 5.1 mixes of live concerts, but hopefully in the future more artists will listen to this one to see how it is done. From the highest highs to the lowest lows, dynamic range is wonderfully warm and full. Separation between all channels is impeccable - Williams is firmly rooted in the center channel (and I was quite impressed with how good he sounds raw and live) with the orchestra well-dispersed across the fronts and the rears. The crowd noise is also perfectly balanced and never overpowering, with no gimmicky surrounds to pull one out of the experience. Low end is also supple and strong but never overbearing. I loved this classy, elegant mix!

Also included is an English 2.0 stereo track, but for once I enjoyed the 5.1 mix more. Alas, no subtitle or closed caption options are provided.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

Surprisingly feature-laden, in addition to the fine main concert (complete with intro and aftershow clips), EMI has included some rather nice supplements that should keep Robbie fans happy for hours. And in a nice plus, all the supplements are presented in anamorphic widescreen.

First up is the 20-minute documentary (ahem) Well Swung. A peek at the making of Williams' "Swing While You're Winning" album, this is a bit fawning, but then what did you expect? For once, Williams actually comes across as grateful and happy, and yes he's smug, but hey, wouldn't you be, too, if you were a rich popstar? Some nice behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with Williams' familiar cohorts adds insight and makes for a fun way to spend 20 minutes.

Better is the inclusion of the much- discussed (in the UK, anyway) Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman video Somethin' Stupid. A colorful, campy parody of Barbie and Ken, we get a nice tune and a rather hot bedtime tryst between the pair. (Too bad we couldn't get the X-rated version!) The included featurette The Making of Somethin' Stupid is a bit dry, even technical, featuring a long interview with director Vaughan Arnell and plenty of behind-the-scenes shenanigans. Overlong at 12 minutes, this could have been a little shorter, but here it is.

Up next is a still gallery with only 15 publicity stills taken during the recording of "Swing While You're Winning," along with a 15- minute montage of Robbie's greatest video hits, The Day Job. This is kinda fun, though a bit frustrating, because just as you're getting into a song, up comes another one. But, hey, it's meant to sell records, right? Unlike the other supplements, The Day Job is the only one presented in non-anamorphic widescreen. All told, a very nice package.

DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?

No ROM extras have been included.

Parting Thoughts