Out of adversity comes positivity, for George Michael the 1990's began tumultuously. Bouts with his sexual identity, the loss of his partner Anselmo Feleppa, and a legal blowout with his label Epic Records inspired George Michael to create his third album Older (1996). The album locked Michael in as a top notch talent in pop throughout Europe and England, while America didn't know what to make of it. Despite this, Older is a testament of Michael's uncanny knack of making his human experience our sonic soundtrack.
History
George Michael had wanted his audience in 1990 to "listen without prejudice," and majority of the global music market did when Listen Without Prejudice, Volume 1 was released that year. Except America. His second solo album, an exquisite challenge, fell on lukewarm ears. America had already decided that Faith (1987) could never be topped, even by obviously superior material. This led Michael to move against his label Epic Records, accusing them of promotional bankruptcy, and he lost the misguided crusade. He signed with Virgin Records (British, international markets) and the now closed DreamWorks Records in America. Both labels allowed Michael a greater creative control than ever before.
However, with the passing of his partner Anselmo Feleppa, another layer of turmoil fueled the creation of Older that detailed Michael's life from 1993 through 1996.
The Record
George Michael wasted no time establishing his credentials in writing, arranging, composing, and producing his own work on his debut and sophomore albums. George Michael's pop functioned within a sturdy blue-eyed soul frame. Older exhumed the moodier elements present behind every coy and flirty jam he created in the past. Jon Douglas, longtime friend and musical partner, co-created with Michael on certain songs.
Assembling a golden range of musicians was imtegral: Steve Sidwell (trumpet), Andy Hamilton (saxophone), Fayyaz Virji (trombone), Stuart Brooks (trumpet, flugel horn), and Chris Cameron (string arrangements, Fender Rhodes, electric piano, additional keyboards).
The stickiness of love, fidelity, and sexuality are addressed on the nu-jazz of "Spinning the Wheel" and the heady disco thrust of "Fastlove." "Fastlove" made dutiful use of Patrice Rushen's "Forget Me Not's" which Will Smith sampled during the same period in his hit "Men In Black" from his Big Willie Style (1997) LP. Michael's poignancy on "Jesus to a Child," was a stunning portrayal of the eloquence of spirituality in love, and is the finest ballad he's recorded. An amalgamation of pop flavors, Older was Michael's leanest album in terms of representing quality in such a tight package.
The Impact
Released to the world on 5/14/96, the album had huge success in the United Kingdom with its six singles, two of them double-A-sides: "Jesus to a Child" (10/9/95-U.K. #1), "Fastlove" (4/22/96-U.K. #1), "Spinning the Wheel" (8/19/96-U.K. #2), "Older/I Can't Make You Love Me" (1/20/97-U.K. #3), "Star People '97"* (4/28/97-U.K. #2), "You Have Been Loved/The Strangest Thing" (9/8/97-U.K. #2). This run made Michael the first artist in British music history to place six singles at the #1, #2, #3 spots on the British charts from one record. The Older album achieved majority of its platinum scores in England where it perched at #1. It has currently shifted 12 million copies to date.
"Spinning the Wheel"
Directed By: Vaughn Arnell & Anthea Benton
In the U.S., Michael's commercial decline and critical indifference continued. "Jesus to a Child" and "Fastlove" both charted at #7 and #6 respectively on the U.S. Hot 100. The album itself charted at #6 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and certified gold. American critics didn't take to Michael's stark musings as well as their British counterparts. All Music Guide critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine called the LP "...a bid for artistic credibility," furthering his skepticism with "It is one thing to be mature and another to be boring. Too often, Michael mistakes slight melodies for mature craftsmanship and Older never quite recovers."
Despite the dwindling of George Michael's U.S. audience, he continued to find success in his recording career well into this decade globally. Currently engaged in his TwentyFive Live World Tour, which rekindled his relationship with his hot and cold U.S. fans. One can ponder why one audience connected to Michael in his difficult, shining hour, and another didn't in 1996. Older depicted George Michael at his peak, one that has yet to be eclipsed. Five out of five stars.-QH
[Editor's Note: For more information on George Michael, visit www.georgemichael.com. *-"Star People '97" was remixed for its single release with a sample of The Gap Band's cut "Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me?)," and differs from the album version initially released in 1996.-QH]
This album reminds me of my junior year of high school ... I got this for Kodi for his birthday that year. Good times.
ReplyDeleteVery informative piece on a man whom I consider to be a True Artist. Whether he ever has HITS the size of those he garnered in his late-80s heyday or not, he's always been a man with something to say in his music, & so I hope he'll always continue to write.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite song by him 'Father Figure.' It stands the test of time.
One.
I've always appreciated GM as an artist & a quite talented one. But, for one reason or another his music as of late does not touch me. Like the post before me I adore the track "Father Figure".. it absolutely stands the test of time. Perhaps I shoud give the album "Older" another listen. You have piqued my interest.
ReplyDeletePrncsB xoxo