28 from Glasgow, love films - so you'll probably only ever see me write about them lol
28 from Glasgow, love films - so you'll probably only ever see me write about them lol
Member since:08.03.2004
Reviews:116
Members who trust:9
So, its been 25 years since George Michael first graced the charts with Wham's unique brand of 80's pop. For the first time here, George releases a compilation that incorporates the pop magic of those days with his own tamer brand of adult pop. And as great a pop star as George Michael might have once been, you are left wondering why. Its only been one studio album of new material since his last Greatest Hits collection Ladies & Gentlemen, so why a need for an update to that. I would have no objection to a 25 year celebration if the pickings weren't so slim. The problem is that it mainly treads waters already crossed by Wham's Greatest Hits released just a few years ago and Goorge's own Ladies & Gentlemen. Both those albums were comprehensive enough, here the only addition to the singles already available are the "Patience" singles and a couple of new tracks.
Much like Ladies & Gentlemen, the songs are divided into a night and day style setting, the first cd giving us the faster tracks, whilst the second cd gives us the more downbeat of George's material. It may be an interesting concept, but one already explored on the aforementioned album, and certainly let down by the fact that many of his faster songs play second fiddle to the ballads. The songs are mostly no great surprise, most of us will already know them. Wham at their best gave us such party classics as Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, Freedom and the ever present Last Christmas, whilst George has given us some of the best adult pop of his generation. At his best, the "Older" selection of singles were superb. You Have Been Loved is a haunting tale of a mother losing a child that still sends shivers down my spine nearly 10 years on. Among the other tracks, the already released tracks are wildly more attractive and enjoyable than the few new additions on offer. Mutya guests on This Is Not Real Love and its pleasant enough on the ear, but she doesn't have the best voice and seems a bit overshadowed by George's gruff but lilting voice. The best of his tracks comes long before the ego took over and made him more famous for his media antics. Jesus To A Child, One More Try and Praying For Time are all testimony to a great songwriter who spends far too much time away from the recording studio these days, and Freedom is a belter of a guitar laden pop track that still sounds perfect to this day. Where his material lets him down is when he attempts to become political within his music. Politics should be left to the experts, and as insightful and thought provoking as George's music might be to music fans, it doesn't exactly take on the problems of world poverty, war and pollution. My other gripe with George's music is that it can be a tad self indulgent, and that at times can weigh heavy on otherwise great tunes. The compilation would also be better off without the cheap rip off that is Flawless, a completely unneccessary update on a song that was already bland and robotic to start with.
George may be a bit of a conundrum these days, but he's not a very interesting one. He should stick to what he does best, and thats making great music. Maybe then, he can offer us a more complete and worthwhile package than the one on offer here. Even the sleeve smacks of corporate boredom, with little or no input from George Michael. The CD is a double CD package, but is also available with a third bonus CD of other unreleased and rare material that I haven't had the chance to hear yet. So I cant comment on whether buying the 3 set is more worthwhile than just the two CD set.
NOTE: I have said that I wouldn't recommend it to buyers, but only on the basis that if you already have Ladies & Gentlemen, then there's nearly no point, but its still a good collection of songs.
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The last quarter-century has been nothing if not colourful for George Michael. But through ... more
all the controversy -- the high-profile arrests and audacious videos, the fall-outs and band splits - he has emerged intact as a vital figure on the global pop s...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
The last quarter-century has been nothing if not colourful for George Michael. But through ... more
all the controversy -- the high-profile arrests and audacious videos, the fall-outs and band splits - he has emerged intact as a vital figure on the global pop s...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
DISC ONE01 Club Tropicana (Wham!)02 Wake Me Up before You Go-Go (Wham!)03 Freedom ... more
(Wham!)04 Last Christmas (Wham!)05 Everything She Wants (Wham!)06 I'm Your Man (Wham!)07 The Edge Of Heaven (Wham!)08 Careless Whisper09 A Different Corner10 I Knew You W...
Advantages: Most of George's defining tracks present; well-packaged; good value Disadvantages: Some of George's key tracks are missing in favour of inferior choices.
Nov 15th, 2006
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