Search - George Michael :: Twenty Five

A fascinating career retrospective with ups and downs

MUSiCOLOGY | 11/22/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"George Michael celebrates 25 years in the industry with the release of greatest hits compilation "Twenty Five", a two or three-CD package that takes in everything from Wham! hits to the "Faith " era and his most recent material (depending on how long you want to spend with him).



No matter what you might think of him in terms of his media depiction, George Michael remains one of the most successful and prolific artists of our generation, and an iconic music industry figure since the 1980s.



He has been a solo star for over 20 years, during which time he has achieved international success and sold over 85 million albums worldwide. There have also been six US No.1 singles, 11 British No.1s and the title of "most played artist on British radio" in the past 20 years.



Of the two formats of "Twenty Five", the 3CD version is arguably the most rewarding, given that the third CD features some rarer tracks, the occasional cover and a solid version of "Brother Can You Spare A Dime?" that was recorded as part of Pavarotti and friends. It's mostly for the die-hard fans but succeeds in showcasing a side to George Michael that isn't always featured on the radio.



The remaining two CDs are packed with some fairly obvious choices - the best of which pick themselves. For the shamelessly nostalgic, there's the cheesy Wham! hits "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go", which has to be filed under 'so bad, it's fun' and the equally shameless "Freedom" (which those of a certain generation will probably remember singing or bopping along to).



"Last Christmas" and "Careless Whispe"r also feature (as they do at countless wedding ceremonies).



Early solo material such as the breezy pop classic "Faith" still sound fresh today and retain a timeless quality. "Faith", in particular, is arguably one of George Michael's finest creations and is similar in feel-good value to U2's "Desire" or OutKast's more recent "Hey Ya" - ie, no matter how many times you hear it, you'll still feel like dancing.



The deeper and more sombre style of George Michael is best exemplified in heartfelt songs such as "Father Figure" and J"esus To A Child", while there's a brilliant reworking of "Heal The Pain" which is performed with Paul McCartney (and never has a song title seemed so appropriate!).



And efforts like "Too Funky" and "Freeek" capably show how the artist has consistently been able to mix the ballads with funkier offerings that ensure he retains a place on the dancefloor.



But not everything George Michael has done - or still does - reaches such high standards. In fact, some tracks are downright grating. Whether it's over-earnest and even drippy ballads such as "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" (with Elton John) or new track "This Is Not Real Love", a wretched, ponderous duet with ex-Sugababe Mutya Buena, they seem to be striving a little too hard to pull at your emotions.



On the other side of the coin, "Flawless" is a fairly non-descript pop offering that is bland in the same way that so many chart hits are - it feels like a desperate attempt to appeal to younger listeners that marked a lowpoint in his career.



That said, there's still plenty to appeal to his diehard fanbase, or even more recent fans, on "Twenty Five", making this career retrospective a fascinating journey that serves to show why George Michael has remained at the top of his profession for so long.









"

An Interesting Collection From One of the UK's Best Pop Arti

Carl Peterson | 01/13/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Note: This review is based on the UK release of "Twenty Five."





I'm a HUGE fan of George Michael and although his albums of late have been a bit lackluster, this "Best of" album is worth a listen. "Twenty Five" represents his entire carrer - from his days as the better half of WHAM!, to the colorful events of a few years ago, to his most recent musical contributions. The songs he's chosen are pretty much what you'd expect with a couple of notable omissions.



The following are all of the (major) albums George has made to date, with the tracks used on "Twenty Five" listed below. (Tracks with a - are on both the Standard and Deluxe releases while those with a * are on the Deluxe release only):



"Fantastic" (WHAM!):

(nothing)



"Make it Big!" (WHAM!):

-Everything She Wants

-Wake Me Up Before You Go Go

-Freedom

-Careless Whisper

*If You Were There



"Music From the Edge of Heaven" (WHAM!):

-A Different Corner

-Last Christmas



"Faith:"

-Faith

-Father Figure

-One More Try



"Listen Without Prejudice:"

-Freedom '90

-Praying for Time



"Five Live" (live Freddie Mercury tribute):

(nothing)



"Older:"

-Fastlove

-Spinning the Wheel

-Jesus to a Child

-Older

-You Have Been Loved



"Ladies and Gentlemen:"

-Too Funky

-Outside

-As (not on the US release of Ladies and Gentlemen)

-Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me (with Elton John)

*Fantasy (not on the US release of Ladies and Gentlemen)



"Songs From the Last Century:"

*Roxeanne

*My Baby Just Cares for Me



"Patience:"

-Freeek

-Shoot the Dog (not on the US release of Patience)

-Amazing

-Flawless (Go to the City)

-Round Here

-John and Elvis Are Dead

*Precious Box

*Cars and Trains

*Patience

*My Mother Had a Brother

*American Angel

*Please Send Me Someone to Love

*Through



New Tracks:

-An Easier Affair

-Heal the Pain (duet with Paul McCartney)

-This is Not Real Love (with Mutya)

*Understand

*You Know That I Want to

*Safe

*Brother Can You Spare a Dime? (live)



There are several tracks that should be here but aren't: From "Faith," I'd include 'I Want Your Sex (Parts 1 & 2),' 'Monkey,' and 'Kissing a Fool.' 'The Strangest Thing' and 'Star People' from "Older" should also have been included. And 'I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)' is my favorite duet George has performed (with Aretha Franklin).





BUT WHAT YOU WANT TO READ ABOUT is the new stuff, right? Well, as I said in the opening, I feel George's recent music isn't as good as his older compositions. This generally holds true for the new tracks on "Twenty Five." The one exception is "An Easier Affair." It'll get you dancing and smiling but feels like a genuinely new direction for his music. It's fantastic. The rest of the new tracks are needlessly re-hashed songs or so-so new compositions.



Another thing you'll likely be curious about is the Standard VS. Deluxe versions of this album. In my opinion, the Deluxe version is not substantially better than the Standard. The third exclusive disc is mostly made up of tracks from 'Patience' although it does have some (so-so) new songs. You'll probably have to listen for yourself, but I was not especially impressed.





Conclusion: A few of the track selections (and omissions) on this album are unfortunate, but an amazing career provides some of the great pop music. This "Best of" album even delivers a new classic tune. Pick it up and if you haven't, explore George's "Faith" and "Older" albums."

Older Go-Go

Michael Kerner | Brooklyn, New York U.S.A. | 12/17/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The 1980's have brought us so many definitive performers we look up to today. Acts like Madonna, Whitney Houston and especially Michael Jackson and Prince have reshaped, and made us believe what pop music really is. That also could be said for George Michael as well. Since he came out almost a quarter of a century ago, his music has been everywhere overseas, although his main claim to fame here on his own, mostly is considered towards the Faith record. There also was a definitive hits record reflecting George's solo efforts released nearly a decade ago, Ladies & Gentlemen, which did very well on his career. Now, another hits album thrives it way to earning new George Michael fans, but does it really work?



Twenty Five, George Michael's 2006 Greatest Hits record, is like the previous one, Ladies & Gentlemen is a double album reflecting, and expanding on George Michael's longevity as a singer, and performer. The album includes 29 songs, including a couple of new recordings that also shine on this album. The songs here have all been remastered well, and shine brightly as they were released years ago. the album includes great tracks like One More Try, Father Figure, the somber 1996 ballad Jesus To A Child, as well as other classics. The album also does a little better of a job highlighting George's era as a part of Wham with Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, and Everything She Wants. Sadly though, like many good hits packages, there is always something missing. The album overlooks songs like Knew You Were Waiting For Me, his duet with Aretha Franklin which was highlighted on Ladies & Gentlemen, and other great tracks from his Wham era like The Edge Of Heaven and Young Guns too.



All in all, Twenty Five is a fairly well put collection for die hard George Michael fans, as well as die hard fans of his Wham era. Although I wish it could've highlighted more, I still recommend this as a great addition to your music library, and that is everything you want.



Album Cover: B+



Songs: B



Price: B 1/2-



Remastering: B+



Overall: B"