I received this as a present Christmas 2008 from my fiance and was really surprised with his choice of gift as although he knew I like George Michael I hadn't mentioned it or dropped any hints for it so was very pleasantly surprised.

Anyway, on with the review, I have tried to provide background history, chart information, my personal review of each of the songs and a rating out of 5. This might mean that the review is a lot longer than my normal 'concise' reviews so thanks in advance for reading, hopefully rating and most of all for bearing with me!

There are two versions of this album, a two disc and a three disc, my review is based on the two disc edition.

George Michael was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou on June 25, 1963 in East Finchley, North London. He first became famous in the U.K by teaming up with Andrew Ridgeley in 1982 as part of duo Wham!, by the time they split in 1986 George had already become very successful as a solo artist and was known for his amazing song-writing abilities. He has had many hit singles over the last 25 years and has regularly been in and out of the press, some of his songs are based on true stories from his life and incidents involving the press ('Outside'), also politics such as 'Shoot The Dog'.

This album was released in November 2006 to coincide with the '25' tour by George Michael celebrating 25 years of his music.

CD One - For Living:

1. Everything She Wants - Wham!

This song was released by Wham! in 1984 and reached Number 2 in the UK charts.

The lyrics talk about a man who is increasingly stressed by the constant demands of a partner and goes on to talk about her being pregnant and if he's not good enough for her how can he be good enough for her and a baby?

This has a very funky beat to it, very 80's (which I love!) and a song that you can definitely croon along to. My first memories of this song must have been early 90's and my Mum used to listen to this whilst doing her housework. A song that has stayed with me all these years which I absolutely adore.

Rating: 4/5

2. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go - Wham!

This song was released by Wham! in 1984 and reached Number 1 in the UK charts, it was their first number 1 as a duo.

The lyrics are very playful and cheesy, ironically it also sings about not wanting to go solo, George clearly didn't mean that literally.

This song is very vibrant and will make pretty much anyone want to dance, it's got a fantastic beat in the background which builds in to a slight crescendo to the chorus. It really begun to show George's vocal range too with those high notes!

Rating: 4/5

3. Freedom - Wham!

This song was released by Wham! in 1984 and reached Number 1 in the UK charts, giving them their second Number 1 of an already successful year for them.

The lyrics are singing about being in love and what you would and wouldn't do. Nothing matters as long as you're together with the one you love, it's not about taking away their freedom or playing games.

This is my least favourite hit by Wham! and gets quite repetitive after a few minutes, it also sounds quite familiar, like the backing music belongs to another song (perhaps by someone before or after Wham! released this, I'm really not sure).

Rating: 3/5

4. Faith

This song was released by George in 1987 and reached Number 1 in the UK charts, giving George his first number one as a solo artist.

The lyrics are about having faith and not being swayed away from a relationship by an attractive third person or thing.

It starts off very church like with an organ playing and then breaks in to someone playing a guitar (supposed to be George in the video but I do doubt that, he's having enough trouble focusing on staying in those leather pants!). It's got quite a simple tune all the way through that's very easy to get carried along with and I find myself swaying in time to the beat.

The song is very short and simple, I like it but there could really be more to it.

Rating: 3/5

5. Too Funky

This song was released by George in 1992 and reached Number 4 in the UK charts.

The lyrics are quite sexual, talking about wanting to see somebody naked and them being his goal and that goal being in sight tonight.

It really is a funky song, it's very upbeat and lively, quite different to some of his other earlier material.

Rating: 4/5

6. Fastlove

This song was released by George in 1996 and reached Number 1 in the UK charts.

The lyrics are singing about relationships, having fun and looking for some Fastlove.

The song is very dancy and has an almost club like feel to it, it sounds a little grainy and almost LP like on my headphones which is odd as I haven't noticed this before when listening to the phone. George shows his vocal range on this song once again and it is yet another classic song that pretty much anyone who was in to music in the 90's will remember. When you listen on headphones you can really hear all of the extra spoken words in the background which gives the song a whole new depth.

Rating: 4/5

7. Freedom '90

This song was released by George in 1990 and reached Number 28 in the UK charts.

The lyrics seem to describe the struggle of being a homosexual but not being able to 'come out' and admit who you really are, this was only really made clear in years to come when George was arrested for an 'incident' in a restroom in 1998. George is now open about who he is and is certainly out and proud (which is the way to be!).

The song has a great beat to it and has a '90' added to the end to ensure there is no confusion between this and the Wham! song released in 1984, it's really dancy, the lyrics are definitely what makes the song, anybody who is hiding who they are for whatever reason can really enjoy singing along with this song and being proud of themselves, even if only for a few moments of joy.

Rating: 4/5

8. Spinning The Wheel

This song was released by George in 1996 and reached Number 2 in the UK charts.

The lyrics seem to describe the torment of being with somebody when they are clearly being unfaithful to you, all the angst that you would go through wondering where they are at 5am and just what they are bringing home to you. George also sings about the plight of somebody spinning the wheel and pretending that all is well and fine when clearly it isn't.

The song is quite a slow song with great instruments on it (including a saxophone), George's voice is melodic and almost hypnotic, I could find myself listening to this song on repeat and never getting bored of it, maybe it's because at one point in my life the lyrics really made sense to me and my life at the time. This song is a true classic by George and I'll never tire of hearing it.

Rating: 5/5

9. Outside

This song was released by George in 1998 and reached Number 2 in the UK charts.

The lyrics talk about George's arrest for an 'incident' in a restroom in 1998 and was seen as quite a publicity stunt to help him get back in the charts. It talks about going outside and getting back to nature etc.

The song is very funky and George's voice is pretty gruff and sexy on this song, I guess just to keep up with the image of the whole new nitty gritty George who gets down and dirty outside. It's not really anything special, it's certainly easily listenable but it's just a bit too cheesy in my opinion talking about it all and being bored of having sex everywhere else.

Rating: 3/5

10. As - with Mary J. Blige

This song was released by George in 1999 and reached Number 4 in the UK charts, it is a cover of a Stevie Wonder song.

The lyrics are talking about loving someone forever (until the oceans cover every mountain high).

Mary J Blige helps to make this song what it is, they just sound fantastic together and their voices go together fantastically. The music is nothing special, quite plain really until the gospel choir chip in and are then followed by Mary J. Blige.

Rating: 4/5

11. Freeek!

This song was released by George in 2002 and reached Number 1 in the UK charts.

The lyrics are quite sexual and talk about being somebodies sexual freak.

The music is quite sexy sounding with some weird noises in the background, some grunting and moaning and an old dial-up sounding tone, it's not anything special in my opinion and one of my least favourite George songs.

Rating: 2/5

12. Shoot The Dog

This song was released by George in 2002 and reached the top 40 in the UK charts although I am unsure of the chart placing.

The lyrics are very political and are talking about Shooting the dog, the UK being the dog and the USA being the people who are shooting us, talking about us rolling over like a good dog and taking what we are given. The lyrics are quite controversial, a fair few expletives in this song too. The video shows Tony Blair as a poodle on the white house lawn and is an absolutely fantastic video although you won't find it on many music channels!

The music is very fast and furious, quite techno in places, it's got a great vibe to this song, George is very gruff and sexy again. I really enjoy singing along to this song and liked it even when I was a 14 year old too immature and naive to understand what the lyrics were about!

Rating: 4/5

13. Amazing

This song was released by George in 2004 and reached Number 4 in the UK charts.

The lyrics talk about thinking someone is amazing and them being mixed up and confused with who they are and what they want to be and helping to bring that person out of themselves and change who they are.

This song reminds me very music of 2004, I used to listen to this CD religiously in the car, especially during the summer of 2004, it's got a very positive, upbeat, happy vibe to it and I still enjoy singing along to this now.

Rating: 5/5

14. Flawless (Go To The City) - Radio Edition

This song was released by George in 2004 and reached number 10 in the UK charts.

The lyrics are quite repetitive (like the sample in the background), they sing about going to the city, how things are always the same there.

The music is very fast, dance/techno style, it makes you want to shake what you momma gave you and this song has always been very popular in clubs, I believe the sample is by 'The One'.

Rating: 3/5

15. An Easier Affair

This song was released by George in 2007 and reached number 13 in the UK charts.

The lyrics talk about what I guess is George's life and how it's actually easier not to be him because of all the pressures and problems that come with being in the public eye and having to pretend that you are someone you are not for years (his 'straight' years).

The music is very upbeat, it's got a great beat in the background, this is definitely a song for dancing too, it's quite a simple song really, nothing too complex, it builds in to a great crescendo before the chorus kicks in.

Rating: 4/5

CD Two - For Loving:

1. Careless Whisper

This song was released by George in 1984 and reached number 1 in the UK charts.

The lyrics talk about being unsure as you dance with somebody and wanting it to be just you and them on the dancefloor and how you'll never dance again the way you did before you felt guilty about things you have done.

The music is lovely, so soft and slow with an absolutely beautiful saxophone riff which is then joined by George's gorgeous voice.

Rating: 4/5

2. Last Christmas - Wham!

This song was released by Wham! in 1984 as a double A-side with 'Everything She Wants' and reached number 2 in the UK charts.

The lyrics to this song are probably so well known all over the world by people of so many different ages and backgrounds. It sings about giving somebody your heart for Christmas and them giving it away the very next day and how this year you'll make sure you give it to someone special.

The music is very festive, it is always a song that gets me in the mood for Christmas and even though it is now March and it's ages until Christmas I still can't wait to be bombarded with this song all the time over the festive period (which seems to start in November these days!).

Rating: 4/5

3. A Different Corner

This song was released by George in 1986 and reached number 1 in the UK charts.

The lyrics of this song are rumoured to be about an ex-girlfriend that George had and they are beautiful, singing of how love is a magical thing and how that special person can be the only one who can stop your tears and how you might never come close to having love that again.

The music is quite simple but suits this powerful song so well, it's soft and gentle all the way through with a little light guitar playing and some quiet percussion in the background.

Rating: 3/5

4. Father Figure

This song was released by George in 1987 and reached number 11 in the UK charts.

The lyrics of this song are a sensual tale of seduction and sum up perfectly the nature of George's writing in the short time since Wham! had split.

The music is calm and soothing all the way through, a rhymytic beat in the background to keep the song going along.

Rating: 3/5

5. One More Try

This song was released by George in 1988 and reached number 8 in the UK charts.

The lyrics talk of reluctance to enter a new relationship because of being emotionally hurt in previous ones, by the end of the song George sings of temptation taking over and giving in.

The music definitely sounds like it comes from the 80's, it's slow once again (as are most of the songs on this album) and is a fantastic love song, it's even more amazing live.

Rating: 5/5

6. Praying For Time

This song was released by George in 1990 and reached number 6 in the UK charts.

The lyrics are fairly political and talk about social ills and injustice in the world, the vocals sound very echoey and this is quite different to his usual vocals of the time.

The song is quite dark and sombre, George's vocals are really monopolising the music but it goes so well together with the echoey effect of the song.

Rating: 4/5

7. Heal The Pain - with Paul McCartney - Previously Unreleased

The original version of this song was released in 1991 but this version is previously unreleased in the UK having been released in the U.S in 2008.

The lyrics are sung beautifully by Paul & George, they sound fantastic together, the song sings about being good to yourself and making the world a better place for all.

The song is quite Paul McCartneyesque and definitely sounds like something Paul himself could have written, it's quite melodic and happy-go-lucky in it's style.

Rating: 3/5

8. Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me - with Sir Elton John

The original version of this song was released by Elton John in 1974 and this version was released by George & Sir Elton in 1991 and reached number 1 in the UK chart.

The lyrics sing of helping somebody and them then rejecting you.

The music is amazing, Elton on the piano and is just filled with emotion and is very soulful.

Rating: 5/5

9. Jesus To A Child

This song was released by George in 1996 and reached number 1 in the UK charts.

The lyrics are dedicated to Michael's friend and lover, Anselmo Feleppa, who died from an Aids related illness just two years after George met him in 1991 in Rio de Janeiro, after he died George was unable to write for two years and then went on to pen this song in just an hour, remarkable.

The music is very melancholy and is beautiful, this song is a very fitting tribute to somebody that George loved and lost.

Rating: 5/5

10. Older

This song was released by George in 1997 and reached number 3 in the UK charts.

The lyrics are singing about becoming older (as the title might suggest).

The music is very soulful, being joined by a saxophone in parts, very melodic.

Rating: 2/5

11. Round Here

This song was released by George in 2004 and reached number 32 in the UK charts.

The lyrics of this song are about where George grew up and how life came to be how it is now.

This song has a great beat to it, it's nothing too fast, just fits the lyrics perfectly.

Rating: 3/5

12. You Have Been Loved

This song was released by George in 1997 and reached number 2 in the UK charts.

The lyrics talk of the past and loving somebody (a son) and all of the memories that you have and all of the trials and tribulations you go through to help love somebody and make them who they are.

The music is very slow and soothing, a light beat in the background but nothing truly special.

Rating: 3/5

13. John And Elvis Are Dead

This song was released by George in 2005 and did not chart as it was released as download-only and downloads could not contribute to the singles chart at the time.

The lyrics talk about people that have passed on and depression.

The music is quite techno-esque but very slow at the same time, with lots of percussion instruments.

Rating: 3/5

14. This Is Not Real Love - with Mutya Buena [ex-Sugababes] - Previously Unreleased

This song was released by George in 2006 but I am unsure if or where this charted in the UK.

The title of this song is quite self explanatory with regards to what the song is about.

The music is quite upbeat and sweeps you along with the song.

Rating: 3/5

I can't really fault a single song on either of the CDs, I adore both CDs and the songs are fantastic, my only real complaint is that 'I can't make you love me' isn't included on the 'For Loving' album as I think this would just complete the album so much better.

I would highly recommend buying this album for any fans of Wham! and/or George Michael, the songs are amazing, there is something for pretty much anyone on this album.

The two disc version of this CD is available on Amazon.co.uk for around £8.00 and is an absolute bargain in my opinion!