Patience [PA] - George Michael > Reviews > SHOW YOUR WILLY, TAKE SEVERAL YEARS OFF OF WORK...

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Average
Value for Money

Advantages:	Some great tracks
Disadvantages:	Expensive .   Not as good as it should be .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

1996. Eight years ago. Since then we’ve seen wars start, foreign men managing the England team and a new phenomenon called the “Y2K” Millennium bug pass by without so much as a whisper. The Millennium Dome sprung up from nowhere and opened in Greenwich, failed miserably and then shut just as quickly. George Michael also managed to write 14 songs.

Yes, that’s harsh. But it’s also true. For a man with the talent that George Michael possesses, it’s not unreasonable for his fans to expect a little more from their idol. After all, this is a man who not only shuns promotion and interviews, but also a man who has not performed live at a major concert for over a decade.

However, the release of Patience, which is the first new studio album since Older, and the first new material since 1999’s cover-filled Songs From The Last Century has seen the ex-Wham! star back to form, looking and sounding as good as ever.

Beginning with a slow, piano-backed vocal, the title track of the album is a strange way to begin what is effectively the first album of an artist leaving his youth and looking towards middle age. Angst-filled lyrics and a lack of natural rhythm lead to a disjointed track. Not the best way to win over the critics, and by far the worst song on the album.

Track two is "Amazing". That’s the title and not the brief synopsis of the song, though the poppy tune is a welcome sound following such a dour opener. This song was released as the first single in 2004 and was a prequel to the release of the album, and what originally struck me as an above-average song has grown on me greatly since. A catchy backing vocal, reminiscent of Kylie’s “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” in some ways, and lyrics that speak the feelings of a man in love.

"John And Elvis Are Dead" is the third offering, and the opening couple of lines seem to have borrowed a rhythm from “Guilty” by Barbara Streisand. Lyrically reflective, this slow song is remarkably catchy. You’ll be singing the chorus for hours after.

“Cars And Trains” is another upbeat track, though far from being pop-driven like “Amazing”. The title is a reference to the things that people throw themselves under, and the words don’t make for pretty reading when taken literally. That said, it has a catchy hook, a slightly jazzy feel and is a pretty decent effort.

I’ve always liked artists that can preach about their backgrounds, and as a Londoner it makes me doubly proud when someone I admire does the same about our capital city. “Round Here” is George in flashback mode. A tale of his mum and dad meeting, early childhood memories, musical influences – it’s all here, and you sense that this one track was probably the happiest that George had written for this album. Not likely to be a big hit if it’s ever released, it’s middle-of-the-road quality probably does as much to alienate the listener as it does to please them.

“Shoot The Dog” is perhaps the best known song on the album. Released as a single at a time when feelings were high with regards to the war on Iraq and terrorism, the accompanying video, which portrayed Tony Blair as George W Bush’s poodle, hyped the song immensely but also helped to fan the flames that the national press had started when George was outed as gay a few years earlier. The song itself borrows heavily from Human League’s “Love Action (I Believe In Love)”, with the backing music almost directly taken from the track, and a slice of the bridge being used in the middle of the song. Ignoring the political stance of the song and concentrating on the upbeat feel and the use of differing pitch vocals, this is a good song. No, honest!

The revelation of George’s sexual preference must have been a somewhat welcome relief to George, and “My Mother Has A Brother” is the first song that has openly addressed this. Seemingly a tale of a gay uncle who committed suicide before the birth of this singer, who seems to be talking to his sadly-departed mum: “But mama will you tell him from your boy, The times they changed, I guess the world was getting warmer, And we got stronger, Mother will you tell him about my joy, I live each day for him, The sun came out, yeah, and I'm just breathing it in” A beautiful track. Emotive, though not overly powerful. The lyrics speak volumes that the music can’t convey.

Although credited as “containing elements from ‘Flawless’”, it’s impossible not to hear that this whole song “Flawless (Go To The City) is essentially Flawless with elements of a George Michael track. Borrowing so heavily from such an upbeat track means that the listener can instantly identify with the track, which sounds like an old favourite, and dance along. George’s addition to the track is some funky lyrics, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see this released as a single in the future. Hell, it’s even got me dancing on my seat!

If “Amazing” was George’s tribute to being in love, then “American Angel” is the same tribute for the person that the love is felt for. Slow, with a jazz feel that seemed to permeate through the “Older”album, this laid-back track is difficult to feel passionate about. It’s so personal to the writer that a listener couldn’t share the feelings felt, yet equally the song does nothing to make it unlikeable. Pleasant. That’s probably the best way to describe this song.

“Precious Box” is perhaps the one track that I seem to skip past already. A fast-paced background, but with lyrics that sound diluted, as if they haven’t been mixed properly, or that the music is overshadowing the vocals. I dare say this song is a grower, especially as the lyrics, which I think are about a love of television (though I am more than open to being proved wrong!), are interesting. I expect this song to be remixed, remastered and then released as a song sometime way in the future. It has potential, though it feels as though the potential hasn’t been realised yet.

Sometimes you hear a song that reminds you of another, though for the life of you you cannot remember what the song is. “Please Send Me Someone (Anselmo’s Song)” does this to me. Akin to Janet Jackson’s “Together Again”, which was an upbeat song about death, this song is surprisingly quick and immediately reminiscent of a fun and pop-filled song. The lyrics belie the feel of the song, talking of losing someone special. Musically, this is sunshine, and the two shouldn’t mix, though for some reason this seems to work.

The first single from the album was “Freeek”. That’s right, spelt with three ‘e’s. An updated version appears on the album, and it seems slightly toned down, though I cannot place my finger as to why. Orgasmic screams in the background, a mix of various instruments and sound effects, and a gritty vocal from George all lend to this song being upbeat, sexy and dirty. A definite grower for me, and one of the more played songs on the album. It’s also an ideal way of showing that first impressions don’t always last.

“Through” is the penultimate track, and is the only track that shows the power of George’s voice. A haunting vocal, comparable to the raw voice that Freddie Mercury had on recording the last Queen album. Bitter lyrics, a simple tune, and an effective song. This should have been the one to close the album with.

“Patience Pt II” picks up where the first part left of. Enough said really.

The album itself cost me £13.99 from HMV, though it will be available elsewhere for cheaper. The inlay shows a page of lyrics, with a photograph on the opposite page, and the only sign of George is on the front cover, dressed in black, sitting on a white sofa and looking reflective. The only sign of a George, apart from a family-shot photograph of a far younger George with his siblings that appears opposite the “Round Here” lyrics. With dedications on the back of the inlay, it really does nothing to add to the CD, but then I guess that why so many artists put their faith in their music. Let’s face it, you can’t polish a turd.

The album could be better. For being 8 years in the making, you’d expect so much more, especially from someone so talented. That being said, there are some stand-out tracks on the album and also some tracks that look like potentially brilliant tracks. I’ve listened to the album a few times now and I only skip past the one song, which for me is a big sign.

Similar in style to “Older”, it’s different enough to not be comparable, though as I mentioned above, the jazz feel still remains. Split roughly down the middle between maudlin and upbeat tracks, you can almost feel the ups and downs being experienced when writing, and although few of the tracks seem to stretch George’s vocal technique we are still left with a very enjoyable album.

Going by the rule that no albums these days are worth £14.00, but that we accept this figure as a standard I would give this four stars. If you can get it for under a tenner, which I believe is possible online at HMV.co.uk, then I would possibly raise that to four and a half stars, but seeing as this took the last of my Christmas HMV vouchers, I’m sticking with four.

George, it’s good to have you back. Let’s not wait so long next time, eh?