...?

As some of you might know, I'm a huuuuuge GM fan. In fact, I'm a fan for 5 years now. I had to wait EXACTLY 2 weeks for Patience to come, haha. I know how it started. First I downloaded some Wham! songs. You must know I was born in 1988 and in Germany George was not big in the 90s. Radio plays only 3 songs...
So I was curios whether or not I would like more Wham songs that Go Go and CW. To my pleasant surprise I found, that I actually LIKED almost ALL of their songs.

My local library has the OLDER Cd, the only GM CD they have, so I got that one, and I thought: I don't know ANY of those songs by their name. Also I didn't belive I would like more than 4 songs.

But then I listend to it I was BLOWN! The quality, the talent, the craft amazed me. I liked EVERY song. The only other album I liked every song was Thriller!

in early 2004 there was little wikipedia.. So within a week I had to check his discography on amazon and downloaded the complete Faith album and other stuff, and what was the best is, that I knew so many melodies but wasn't aware it was him and I didn't knwo the titles. It was a great time.

Within two weeks I grew a lot GM knowledge, in fact so much that I was sooo turned off by Patience. I know the day it was released, it was a beautiful March day...
But the title track was sooo boring. I thought: OMG his voice has changed...

The next day I remember telling afriend that I disliked the production and that most of the songs are not as traight forwards as his previous songs...

And now I want to ask you when his decline started and was the last song you was FULLY satisfied with?

As one member said, I think smoking weed damaged his skills. Older was good, but song for song by far not as strong as Faith or LWP! But it worked well, because the album had a theme, and older was not one of those every track is a single albums anyway...

But then... Outside is funny, but that's the first song i felt his production skills left him. It has not the classy production his other songs have. I just don't know. That Moment With You is not satisfieng either.

Freeek! for me seems to be the last song where George has his old voice, meaning where he's not sounding old and smokey.. Shoot The Dog is awful. And then Patience is hit and miss. Some songs are okay, but they are not tight, a bit TOO loose for my taste.

An Easier Affair was a total disapointment, Understand rubbish and This Is Not Real Love again has not the classy production like for instance Jesus has...

December Song i liked parts but was not fully satisfied with either.

For me the last song i liked from the bottom of my heart is Amazing. It's my first George Michael song that was released when i was a fan.

The only thing that kept me to him was his tour. the concert in Stuttgart, Germany was excellent...

OH! And when do you think was the last time he looked hot? I think the Net Aid concert was cool. His hair was full, he was thin and moved sexy. In 2000 he had this back surgery and since that he moves so stiff and as if he was 60.

The album version of Flawless is his last best for me lol Fastlove comes at a close second...

I'll say Flawless for uptempo and John and Elvis Are Dead for a ballad.

The last time he looked good, I mean seriously good was the Fastlove video. The opening with him in the chair... the part with him dancing with the water coming down...

graecophilos said:

Precious Box and Amazing.

Patience was a good album IMO.

The production is amazing. I don't LOVE all the tracks but there are great songs in there, including the title track, which I consider to be very thoughtful about today's state of the world. Maybe he moved to wider topics than relationships in this cd.

Love:

Cars & Trains (great lyrics and cohesive story in 3 parts)
Precious Box
Flawless (very uplifting)
Amazing
John & Elvis are Dead
Round Here (very intimate)
Through

Cars & Trains is really one of the only ones that I've cared for in over 10 years.

errant said:

I would say "Understand" I love that song

errant said:

Co-sign. That's probably my favorite song on 'Patience'. But it amazes me that people don't talk more about 'A Moment With You'.

Thanks for your many replies. I wouldn't have thought that. Well, seems to me I am pretty hard on him and Patience? I WISHED I could like it, I tried for 5 years now, but...
Someone said he likes the song, Patience. Why do you think it's good? I think it has no melody you can.. catch.
Flawless was mentiond by many. I don't like the fact GM just sang over that instrumental dance song. I mean, that's soo cheap. It has to be said, most of his dance songs relied on samples since 1993. Killer was a cover, Fastlove was based on Forget Me Not, Star People on Burn Rubber, Freek! has several samples, Shoot The Dog on Love Action...

The only songs I like on Patience are Amazing, John & Elvis /althought that aaaaaha annoys me), Round Here and Please Send Me Someone.

Cinnie said:

haha, what do you mean with that

5 years? ahahaha you're serious right. an easier affair was fiyahh.

Dude, "Praying For Time" from Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1

The last one I thought was okay was Fastlove, and the last one I really loved was Too Funky

It's nice you got into Wham despite being born late. Wham and George Michael's music are among some of my first memories, I was born in 83'
[Edited 1/20/09 23:07pm]

JackieBlue said:

Fastlovewas great. I also think Outsidewas good. If I have to say the LAST good song was "John and Elvis are Dead". That song grabbed me from the first listen. Flawless is on the list also.

dannyd5050 said:

The last good GM song? He has done some really good work since that album.

daPrettyman said:

I must've jumped off the GM bandwagon in '90.

daPrettyman said:

Outside is good too. I think his dance songs are underrated. You can't listen to them without dancing which is why I barely sat down during his entire concert. People were dancing HARD, like they were in a club or something. But back to the music... I love John and Elvis. Another nice one is My Mother Had A Brother but I don't listen to it so much because it makes me sad and its a tad long. John and Elvis is a little less melancholy.

JackieBlue said:

JackieBlue said:

I haven't played Cars and Trains in a while. I will have to dig it up. GM is soo underrated. It's sad that he is so overlooked here in the states. It seems that since he confirmed his sexuality, the US stopped playing his music. Hell, I hardly hear his Wham or Faith stuff anymore.

daPrettyman said:

I'm afraid that is the case altho I don't want to believe or accept it.

daPrettyman said:

George pretty much torpedoed his own career in the States with that whole Sony nonsense. I can't imagine much of the world was surprised when he was outed. Nonetheless, he is terribly underappreciated.

Freeek! had to be the best use of samples i've ever heard.

George Michael - Amazing

http://www.youtube.com/wa...yyoIWIB_-E

He is ....great singer ...class

LondonStyle said:

I find it interesting that most of us are bringing up lots of material from Patience. That was a very good album.

violator said:

I agree. I even think he's a better singer and songwriter than... well, let's not start THAT discussion again.

I don't know how much airplay he has in the US. But his active career was finished with the court case, not his outing. In 1998 nobody cared about George anymore.
What I think is, that it was a mistake that he stopped promoting his music properly. I guess most of his American fans felt heavily let down after the FAITH period, and than the non-video/interviews period of LWP. But unfortunately this proved to me that most of his US fans just bought his record because they were in love with him. I can't believe those 8 mio FAITH buyers did not know that he has another album out. But soon they rfealized there are no pretty pictures or sexy videos... And his female fans certainly weren't impressed with those top models!!!

Now he's seen as a 80s star. Most people don't know his 90s and 00s stuff. I still imagien how it could have been... if he had promoted LWP 1 properly and would have released LWP2 with the fast songs...

One of the things I've liked about George and I think it's been mentioned here once before is his overall image.

He has a clean minamalist style if you will. From the album artwork, to the his dress, and photos. Simple, clean, fine lines, neutral colors, etc. I love that about him. He explores a bit in his videos but even they have a crispness to them. Never busy or crowded or clumsy, unbalanced. I'm guessing at this point it's intentional and I find that attractive as a fan and a consumer and it translates into his music. The only other person I can think of who has sort of maintained a specific style that translates into various facets throughout their career is probably Sade.

JackieBlue said:

I agree with you on that. His simplicity makes him stand out. Prince tries, but doesn't always succeed at doing that.

graecophilos said:

You know, GM sold well in the states with LWP. Praying for Time and Freedom were big hits. They didn't perform as well as the prior material, but still did good.

The US is so fickle about gay stars. They don't want to market a gay icon to the masses. When George was busted in the restroom, many didn't even know he was gay. When he did come out, his career DIED.

Before all of that took place, George still managed to have hits. The Queen tribute project did well, as did "Jesus To A Child". They managed to chart well in the States. They tried to revive his career with songs like "As" and "Shoot the Dog", but America wasn't having it. I remember "As" getting lots of airplay when it first came out, but MCA stopped it claiming that Mary didn't get permission to record it. That song could have been his BIG comeback song if MCA hadn't blocked it.