Sunday, March 14, 1999

Teenybopper all grown up

He's made the tricky leap from teenybopper sensation (as a member of boy group Take That) to mature solo artist in his native Britain.

Now he tries to win North Americans over with The Ego Has Landed, which compiles the best songs from his two U.K. solo albums - Life Thru A Lens and I've Been Expecting You.

The sugary ballad Angels was the massive overseas hit, but the upbeat numbers are the best, as they combine Brit-pop with club-savvy electronics and an attitude that's equal parts arrogance and self-deprecation. "Early morning when I wake up/I look like Kiss but without the makeup," he sings on Strong, one of several irresistible numbers here. (Another, No Regrets, features the Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant and sounds like one of the best song PSB never recorded).

Let Me Entertain You is more than one of Williams' songs; judging from this appealingly playful album, it's his personal motto.

Finally, mainstream pop for grownups. In stores Tuesday.

Track Listing 1. Lazy Days * 2. Millennium + 3. No Regrets + 4. Strong + 5. Angels * 6. Win Some Lose Some + 7. Let Me Entertain You * 8. Jesus In A Camper Van + 9. Old Before I Die + 10. Killing Me * 11. Man Machine + 12. She's The One + 13. Karma Killer + 14. One of God's Better People * * - tracks from 'I've Been Expecting You' + - tracks from 'Life Thru a Lens'		Album rating