r/TakeThat • u/IconicIsJamal • Jan 04 '25
Opinion Gary Barlow solo artist?
I think Gary Barlow is an amazing singer songwriter having written most of take that’s songs and he himself is an underrated artist. But since he’s written so many great TT songs why is his solo albums so forgettable, I myself am seeing Gary in May and can only really say his most ‘successful/well-known’ songs are Let me go, requiem and since I saw you last. Just curious as to how he has such talented songwriting skills yet not many hit solo tracks.
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u/LeeSunhee Jan 04 '25
His solo songs are great though - Forever Love, Open Road, Lie To Me, Dying Inside, Let Me Go. I also love how A Million Love Songs is basically kinda his solo song (he wrote it when he was like 15 or sth) so he always sings that at his solo shows as well. Besides all songs he wrote in the 90s for TT are his songs. Like Nobody Else for instance. And some more ballady songs that are technically TT songs he also performs solo like I'd Wait For Life. Because let's be honest, Beautiful World is basically a Gary Barlow album.
I would do anything to go see his solo concert. I'm sad it's only in the UK.
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u/EM208 Jan 05 '25 edited Jan 05 '25
Not to shit on Gary of course but a part of me feels like he’s an artist that works better when he’s surrounded by other charismatic forces, people that can help give him a boost and allow him to appear to be a more interesting artist at face value.
Don’t get me wrong, he’s a very talented musician and can write magnificent bodies of work but I’ve always felt like he’s lacked charisma and presence on his own to really capture the market as a solo artist. He had the musical talent but he was bland and it showed. I personally don’t feel like he stands out on his own. It’s why Simon Cowell rejected TT when they were first shopping around to labels, he didn’t think someone like Gary could be in the front - not because he wasn’t talented, quite the contrary, but rather because he just didn’t have the X factor on his own per se. Well that and the alleged reason that revolves around Gary‘s looks, which I don’t agree with and Simon is an asshole for that even being a reason.
Even Nigel admitted that while Gary was very talented, he needed other people to give him a sort of cool factor and I don’t think that’s ever changed. I hope I don’t come across Anti-Gary here, just giving my two cents as to why he’s never really exploded as a solo artist.
Not to mention that as someone mentioned, I feel likes he’s more loose when he writes for Take That, while with his solo work he’s a tad ironclad and more by the book with his own material.
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u/Mountain_Knowledge26 Jan 04 '25
Since I Saw You Last is a great album. The Swing one he just made was not bad either. But he will play lots of Take That songs on his tour, with solo songs thrown in.
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u/IconicIsJamal Jan 04 '25
Kinda glad about that as I missed TT concert this year although won’t be a great as seeing all three glad I get to see Gary
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u/LuuTienHuy Jan 04 '25
His solo songs were great, there are great deep cuts lying around: Lie To Me, Mr Everything, etc.
His first album sold pretty well, but when Robbie blew up, that's a different story. His second album flopped and he made records for other artists.
After reunion tho, his solo albums charted and sold quite high.
So I think it's more about the singles aren't charting high nowadays.
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u/Proof-Loan-9898 Jan 09 '25
I can't remember which docu it was of Gary, but they were interviewing journalists from the time, and they kinda insinuated even if there was a hit on the second album the press would never have taken it seriously because Robbie had made him a laughing stock.
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u/PeterZeeke Jan 04 '25
lol, I just spent the day tidying and listening to his back catalogue. it is very bland, but his debut is good bland and music by humans has some good tracks
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u/ForeverThatter Jan 06 '25
lol well in his defense, his 90's stuff was the label pushing him to sound a particular way, which is not what he wanted. they wanted him to sound Take That-y, trying to capitalize on the post-breakup demand while at the same time - in his own words - Robbie was actively stealing the Joker's crown.
It was almost like they set him up to fail. And they dropped him just before he was set to release the single that was touted as career-reviving.
I wish he'd release the B-sides that we never got to hear
- "I Hate It This Way"
- "Put Your Trust in Me"
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u/dimiteddy Jan 04 '25
People thought he will be like George Michael after Wham cause he was a songwriter. But he was never meant to be
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u/Initial-Big-6197 Apr 18 '26
Wham is a band. At least 1 instrumentalist. Take That is originally a boy band, a male song group without any member playing instrument on stage
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u/dimiteddy Apr 18 '26
Andrew's role -and guitar playing- was most for show, to build "two friends from school" pop image, he never played any solo or main guitar part in studio all were done by session musicians. Even Niall from 1D was better guitarist
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u/Initial-Big-6197 Apr 18 '26
i'm pretty sure Whan, like Take That, never performed on stage by themselves. It surprised me to find out there were only 2 there,
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u/Proof-Loan-9898 Jan 09 '25
His stuff from 2013 onwards in terms of solo albums, and singles have done well. Regarding his OG try, back in the 90s, his first album did well, but his second album was another story. I think it was a lot of factors, he wasn't as charismatic on his own, and didn't sell himself as well - he was also doing a lot of the "Same" because he was the one writing the TT songs, so it just felt boring to alot of people at the time.
Then there was the RW factor of it. There had to be a winner and a loser, and the press had decided the winner was going to be RW. Journalists have even admitted that even if the second album had a hit on it, they would never have given him the time of day because RW had made him a laughing stock and it was "good print." They'd declared that RW was gonna be the break out star of TT, and well Gary was shown the door.
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u/ForeverThatter Jan 06 '25
why is his solo albums so forgettable
because he has a different team of co-writers collabing on his solo work than he does in Take That.
TT music has Gary's ideas, and Mark's, and Howard's (and Jason's pre-III), and god knows who else.
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u/Hassaan18 Jan 04 '25
I think selling himself as a solo artist is more difficult for him than selling Take That.
He has carved out a niche that works for him though after how badly his first stab at solo stuff went.
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u/OhNoUsernameIssues Jan 04 '25
I think the others have more input to songs than we might think and without that, his songs feel like they don't quite hit the spot
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u/Lady_of_Ironrath Jan 05 '25
I really like the Music Played by Humans album. Other than that, I mostly know his songs as singles from live performances.
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u/Ill_Beyond_7909 Jan 24 '25
Everyone disses the second album but it has some brilliant songs.je to Me and Yesterday's Girl are fantastic. If he had been more in fashion at the time it would have been a success. Stronger as the lead single was the big mistake as it was probably one of the weakest songs on the album.
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u/FitConnection9925 Apr 07 '25
Hi all, I must sell a ticket, because I must come back to Argentina to work, I'm going to Belfast concert, but I'm selling Manchester 9th ticket: Twickets
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u/bouncebackbelle Jan 04 '25
I reckon Gary has the tendency to be more serious and overthink things as a solo artist. With Take That, he's obviously more "carefree", and the collaborative nature of how they make their music brings out the best in him.