George Michael's Faith is hugely successful and still shows up critics' lists of the greatest albums. Despite containing the awesome track "Look at Your Hands," one of the few tracks from this album not to appear on a Michael compilation, I often delayed picking this one up. However, I finally got a copy. There's not actually a track on here that I hadn't heard before, but I will just say that any acclaim this gets is deserved. Great tracks and sequenced well.
Tracks:
1. Faith
2. Father Figure
3. I Want Your Sex (Parts 1 & 2)
4. One More Try
5. Hard Day
6. Hand to Mouth
7. Look at Your Hands
8. Monkey
9. Kissing a Fool
10. Hard Day (Shep Pettibone remix)
11. A Last Request (I Want Your Sex Part 3)
Showing posts with label george michael. Show all posts
Showing posts with label george michael. Show all posts
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Monday, September 1, 2008
Five Live (George Michael with Queen and Lisa Stansfield)
Five Live came on the heels of Freddie Mercury's death. To give a pretty good idea of how and why this inspired George Michael, Queen, and Lisa Stansfield to collaborate on this live performance at Wembley, here are some quotes from the liner notes:
GM: "Special thanks to Roger, Brian, and John for their kind invitation, and of course to Freddie, who probably saved me from life as a waiter. P.S. Thanks again, Lisa."
"All artist royalties and record company net profits from this compact disc will be donated to the Mercury Phoenix Trust for the distribution to AIDS charities worldwide in memory of the incomparable Freddie Mercury."
GM: "I think a lot of people, not necessarily people who have anything against gay people, are probably taking some small comfort in the fact that although Freddie died of AIDS, he was publicly bisexual. It's a very, very dangerous comfort. The conservative estimate for the year 2000 is that 40 million people on this planet will be infected by HIV, and if you think that those are all going to be gay people or drug addicts, then you are pretty well lining up to be one of those numbers. So please, for God's sake and for Freddie's sake, and for your own sakes, please be careful."
As for the music itself, it's all quite good. There's really nothing more to be said. Listen and enjoy.
Tracks:
1. George Michael & Queen: "Somebody to Love"
2. George Michael: "Killer"
3. George Michael: "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone"
4. George Michael & Queen with Lisa Stansfield:" These Are the Days of Our Lives"
5. George Michael: "Calling You"
6. Queen: "Dear Friends" (this is an album cut for Sheer Heart Attack)
GM: "Special thanks to Roger, Brian, and John for their kind invitation, and of course to Freddie, who probably saved me from life as a waiter. P.S. Thanks again, Lisa."
"All artist royalties and record company net profits from this compact disc will be donated to the Mercury Phoenix Trust for the distribution to AIDS charities worldwide in memory of the incomparable Freddie Mercury."
GM: "I think a lot of people, not necessarily people who have anything against gay people, are probably taking some small comfort in the fact that although Freddie died of AIDS, he was publicly bisexual. It's a very, very dangerous comfort. The conservative estimate for the year 2000 is that 40 million people on this planet will be infected by HIV, and if you think that those are all going to be gay people or drug addicts, then you are pretty well lining up to be one of those numbers. So please, for God's sake and for Freddie's sake, and for your own sakes, please be careful."
As for the music itself, it's all quite good. There's really nothing more to be said. Listen and enjoy.
Tracks:
1. George Michael & Queen: "Somebody to Love"
2. George Michael: "Killer"
3. George Michael: "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone"
4. George Michael & Queen with Lisa Stansfield:" These Are the Days of Our Lives"
5. George Michael: "Calling You"
6. Queen: "Dear Friends" (this is an album cut for Sheer Heart Attack)
Monday, July 7, 2008
Older (George Michael)
While the fact that I still don't have Faith in my collection is reaching the point of absurd comedy, I did pick up a copy of Older. While I wouldn't say it's my favourite of Michael's studio albums, it's still a very solid disc. Highlights include "You Have Been Loved," "It Doesn't Really Matter," "Fastlove," "Spinning the Wheel," and "Jesus to a Child." I cut myself off there because I realized I was about to list almost every track.
Tracks:
1. Jesus to a Child
2. Fastlove
3. Older
4. Spinning the Wheel
5. It Doesn't Really Matter
6. The Strangest Thing
7. To Be Forgiven
8. Move On
9. Star People
10. You Have Been Loved
11. Free
Tracks:
1. Jesus to a Child
2. Fastlove
3. Older
4. Spinning the Wheel
5. It Doesn't Really Matter
6. The Strangest Thing
7. To Be Forgiven
8. Move On
9. Star People
10. You Have Been Loved
11. Free
Monday, May 12, 2008
Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael
Technically, Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael isn't really a new set for me. A friend of mine made me a copy of this set at some point in time, and I did enjoy listening to it. However, while it was cool having the tunes (which are great), I wanted to buy the actual set, which also includes two nice booklets with lyrics (one per disc) and photos of George Michael. Good stuff. I'm glad to have the actual set.
Those of you who noticed my recent entries for the extensive Twenty Five collection and the album Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1 may be wondering what advantage there is to purchasing this compilation. Well, in addition to the aforementioned booklets and art, this set contains the Astrud Gilberto duet "Desafinado" from the Red Hot + Tango album. It also contains "Star People '97," the single version of the track "Star People" from the Older album, and "I Can't Make You Love Me," an excellent, excellent remake which was included on the "Older" single. Also included are the two singles from the Five Live EP, "Killer/Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" and "Somebody to Love." Since I don't have Five Live, those are nice additions. It is also, I believe, currently the only George Michael album to contain his big hit duet with Aretha Franklin, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)." You also get the very pretty "A Moment With You," which is exclusive to this set. This is my case for why Michael fans (or at least, why I) would want to own both sets. If forced to choose just one, I would recommend Twenty Five, which contains a more complete representation in that it spans his career even after this set was released.
Let me reaffirm that all of the music included here is great, lest you think I'm ignoring or forgetting it. I thought I'd take a more discographic approach to this one since I already did a bit of musical commenting on the previously mentioned Michael entries. Just for fun, after the track list, see my recommendation for what would give one a George Michael collection that contained all the essentials. This is just my opinion, of course; others could opt for a more or less sparse version.
Tracks:
Disc 1 (For the Heart)
1. Jesus to a Child
2. Father Figure
3. Careless Whisper
4. Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me (with Elton John)
5. You Have Been Loved
6. Kissing a Fool
7. I Can't Make You Love Me
8. Heal the Pain
9. A Moment With You
10. Desafinado (with Astrud Gilberto)
11. Cowboys and Angels
12. Praying for Time
13. One More Try
14. A Different Corner
Disc 2 (For the Feet)
15. Outside
16. Fastlove
17. Too Funky
18. Freedom
19. Star People '97
20. Killer/Papa Was a Rollin' Stone
21. I Want Your Sex (Pt. II)
22. Monkey
23. Spinning the Wheel
24. Waiting or That Day
25. I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) (with Aretha Franklin)
26. Hard Day
27. Faith
28. Somebody to Love (with Queen)
And here's what will net you a good George Michael collection:
*These studio albums: Faith (The killer "Look at Your Hands" is never on any compilations), Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1 (The awesome remake of "They Won't Go When I Go" is a must, as is "Mothers Pride"), Older (taking this based on advice and acclaim - have not heard the album tracks to be able to point to what make it worthwhile), Songs from the Last Century (Awesome interpretations of a cool selection of tracks, based on the tracks I've heard)
*These compilations: Twenty Five (3-disc edition), Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael, Wham!'s The Final
*These singles: "You Have Been Loved" (for "The Strangest Thing '97"), "Round Here" (not necessary if you own the Patience album, as I do, but you get every other track from that album on the 3-disc version of Twenty Five, so it's just as well to buy the single and get the mixes), "If I Told You That" (a duet with Whitney Houston released to promote a compilation of hers)
*Another Lost Decade: The '80s Hard to Find - this disc contains the Deon Estus and George Michael hit "Heaven Help Me," as well as some other cool 80s tunes, some of which are rarer than others. There are other albums that contain this track, but this is the only one I can find which is still in print.
Did I really just type all that out? I sure do entertain easily.
Those of you who noticed my recent entries for the extensive Twenty Five collection and the album Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1 may be wondering what advantage there is to purchasing this compilation. Well, in addition to the aforementioned booklets and art, this set contains the Astrud Gilberto duet "Desafinado" from the Red Hot + Tango album. It also contains "Star People '97," the single version of the track "Star People" from the Older album, and "I Can't Make You Love Me," an excellent, excellent remake which was included on the "Older" single. Also included are the two singles from the Five Live EP, "Killer/Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" and "Somebody to Love." Since I don't have Five Live, those are nice additions. It is also, I believe, currently the only George Michael album to contain his big hit duet with Aretha Franklin, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)." You also get the very pretty "A Moment With You," which is exclusive to this set. This is my case for why Michael fans (or at least, why I) would want to own both sets. If forced to choose just one, I would recommend Twenty Five, which contains a more complete representation in that it spans his career even after this set was released.
Let me reaffirm that all of the music included here is great, lest you think I'm ignoring or forgetting it. I thought I'd take a more discographic approach to this one since I already did a bit of musical commenting on the previously mentioned Michael entries. Just for fun, after the track list, see my recommendation for what would give one a George Michael collection that contained all the essentials. This is just my opinion, of course; others could opt for a more or less sparse version.
Tracks:
Disc 1 (For the Heart)
1. Jesus to a Child
2. Father Figure
3. Careless Whisper
4. Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me (with Elton John)
5. You Have Been Loved
6. Kissing a Fool
7. I Can't Make You Love Me
8. Heal the Pain
9. A Moment With You
10. Desafinado (with Astrud Gilberto)
11. Cowboys and Angels
12. Praying for Time
13. One More Try
14. A Different Corner
Disc 2 (For the Feet)
15. Outside
16. Fastlove
17. Too Funky
18. Freedom
19. Star People '97
20. Killer/Papa Was a Rollin' Stone
21. I Want Your Sex (Pt. II)
22. Monkey
23. Spinning the Wheel
24. Waiting or That Day
25. I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) (with Aretha Franklin)
26. Hard Day
27. Faith
28. Somebody to Love (with Queen)
And here's what will net you a good George Michael collection:
*These studio albums: Faith (The killer "Look at Your Hands" is never on any compilations), Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1 (The awesome remake of "They Won't Go When I Go" is a must, as is "Mothers Pride"), Older (taking this based on advice and acclaim - have not heard the album tracks to be able to point to what make it worthwhile), Songs from the Last Century (Awesome interpretations of a cool selection of tracks, based on the tracks I've heard)
*These compilations: Twenty Five (3-disc edition), Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael, Wham!'s The Final
*These singles: "You Have Been Loved" (for "The Strangest Thing '97"), "Round Here" (not necessary if you own the Patience album, as I do, but you get every other track from that album on the 3-disc version of Twenty Five, so it's just as well to buy the single and get the mixes), "If I Told You That" (a duet with Whitney Houston released to promote a compilation of hers)
*Another Lost Decade: The '80s Hard to Find - this disc contains the Deon Estus and George Michael hit "Heaven Help Me," as well as some other cool 80s tunes, some of which are rarer than others. There are other albums that contain this track, but this is the only one I can find which is still in print.
Did I really just type all that out? I sure do entertain easily.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Spotlight: Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 (George Michael)
My recent acquistion of Twenty Five caused me to break out my copy of Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1, his 1990 album. This was, as I recall, the first Michael album I ever purchased. It had been a while since I'd listened to it, so this was a bit of a rediscovery for me as far as just how great it is. I've fallen in love with "Heal the Pain" all over again, but that's just one of the love-worthy tracks on the album. Also included are the major hits "Praying for Time" and "Freedom," both of which the general public seem to remember fondly. Then there's "Waiting for That Day," the song which should have been way bigger than it was. There're also the haunting "They Won't Go When I Go" and the great "Something to Save," the latter of which probably could have been a single in its own right. "They Won't Go When I Go" is a remake of a Stevie Wonder track from his 1974 album Fulfillingness' First Finale. I must admit to being unfamiliar with the Wonder version, but I love Michael's version, and it works very well in the context of the album. "Cowboys and Angels" was a single in the UK that inexplicably underperformed, but it's a cool track in its own right. "Mothers Pride" is a beautiful track and ended up garnering unsolicited airplay as many looked to it as musical comfort during wartime. The closing tracks, "Soul Free" and "Waiting (reprise)," leave one (or me, at least) with the feeling that one hasn't just heard a great album, but that one has just been taken on a sentimental journey. The exact sentiment isn't the same each time, but the album never fails to evoke strong feeling, which I believe is one of its greatest strengths. It may not be as fondly remembered as the megasmash Faith, but Listen Without Prejudice is an album which, if ever I endeavored to make a list of "essential albums," would definitely be included.
Tracks:
1. Praying for Time
2. Freedom
3. They Won't Go When I Go
4. Something to Save
5. Cowboys and Angels
6. Waiting for That Day
7. Mothers Pride
8. Heal the Pain
9. Soul Free
10. Waiting (reprise)
Tracks:
1. Praying for Time
2. Freedom
3. They Won't Go When I Go
4. Something to Save
5. Cowboys and Angels
6. Waiting for That Day
7. Mothers Pride
8. Heal the Pain
9. Soul Free
10. Waiting (reprise)
Friday, May 9, 2008
Twenty Five (George Michael)
I've had trouble writing this, and the reason is, I can't even be remotely objective when it comes to George Michael. So I'm not gonna try. Twenty Five is a compilation set spotlighting some of his music throughout his illustrious career, and I love it. Michael's catalogue is large and stylistically diverse, and to my ears he pulls all those styles off well.
The collection isn't something to buy and expect to get every George Michael song you'd ever want, but it does contain a good selection, plus some great new material, like "An Easier Affair" and "Understand." I really like the picture of Michael that adorns the cover, also.
Tracks:
Disc 1 (For Living)
1. Everything She Wants (Wham!)
2. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (Wham!)
3. Freedom (Wham!)
4. Faith
5. Too Funky
6. Fastlove
7. Freedom
8. Spinning the Wheel
9. Outside
10. As (with Mary J. Blige)
11. Freeek!
12. Shoot the Dog
13. Amazing
14. Flawless (Go to the City)
15. An Easier Affair
Disc 2 (For Loving)
16. Careless Whisper
17. Last Christmas (Wham!)
18. A Different Corner
19. Father Figure
20. One More Try
21. Praying for Time
22. Heal the Pain (with Paul McCartney)
23. Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me (with Elton John)
24. Jesus to a Child
25. Older
26. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
27. You Have Been Loved
28. John and Elvis Are Dead
29. This Is Not Real Love (with Mutya)
Disc 3 (For the Loyal)
30. Understand
31. Precious Box
32. Roxanne
33. Fantasy
34. Cars and Trains
35. Patience
36. You Know That I Want To
37. My Mother Had a Brother
38. If You Were There (Wham!)
39. Safe
40. American Angel
41. My Baby Just Cares for Me
42. Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
43. Please Send Me Someone (Anselmo's Song)
44. Through
The collection isn't something to buy and expect to get every George Michael song you'd ever want, but it does contain a good selection, plus some great new material, like "An Easier Affair" and "Understand." I really like the picture of Michael that adorns the cover, also.
Tracks:
Disc 1 (For Living)
1. Everything She Wants (Wham!)
2. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (Wham!)
3. Freedom (Wham!)
4. Faith
5. Too Funky
6. Fastlove
7. Freedom
8. Spinning the Wheel
9. Outside
10. As (with Mary J. Blige)
11. Freeek!
12. Shoot the Dog
13. Amazing
14. Flawless (Go to the City)
15. An Easier Affair
Disc 2 (For Loving)
16. Careless Whisper
17. Last Christmas (Wham!)
18. A Different Corner
19. Father Figure
20. One More Try
21. Praying for Time
22. Heal the Pain (with Paul McCartney)
23. Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me (with Elton John)
24. Jesus to a Child
25. Older
26. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
27. You Have Been Loved
28. John and Elvis Are Dead
29. This Is Not Real Love (with Mutya)
Disc 3 (For the Loyal)
30. Understand
31. Precious Box
32. Roxanne
33. Fantasy
34. Cars and Trains
35. Patience
36. You Know That I Want To
37. My Mother Had a Brother
38. If You Were There (Wham!)
39. Safe
40. American Angel
41. My Baby Just Cares for Me
42. Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
43. Please Send Me Someone (Anselmo's Song)
44. Through
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