Poll: Do you dig George Michael?*

I picked "I like him" because many of his Wham! songs remain guilty nostalgic pleasures (Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, Freedom, Last Christmas, I'm Your Man, The Edge of Heaven) and I still enjoy the Final compilation aside from the first two juvenile numbers with their cringe-inducing rapping (and even Bad Boys though enjoyably catchy, only barely gets a pass, thanks to its stupid "Boys like you, are baaaaaad through and through"). I'm probably one of the few people here who actually prefers them to most of Faith, maybe because George back then didn't take himself so seriously. He got better as a mature songwriter through the 1990s though, and I'm still fond of many of the singles from this era and much of Older.

 

Can't stand him

 

Without a doubt, my favorite album by George Michael is Listen Without Prejudice (...second would be Faith). Since then, I haven't paid attention to his releases. I do think that he is a great singer, but I felt his earlier material (specifically Wham) was clearly too pop-top 40 oriented and it wasn't until he matured and really grew into his voice that I really began to appreciate his talent.

 

I like him. Very talented all-around, though I don't personally care for all of his catalogue.

 

I love him. great voice, very talented song-writer, singer and producer. I like his music including Wham and his solo. George is also very intelligent. really impressed by the fact that he dared to voice his anti-Iraq war (shooting the dog).

 

Liked Wham stuff, Faith, and Listen Without Prejudice - but especially Faith.

 

I think that he has a wonderful voice, that Wham were a great pop-singles group, and that his solo career started off very well with songs like the fabulous Freedom.

Unfortunately his career could have been so much better, but he seems to have cruised by the last decade and a half without putting much effort into his music, which makes him a bit of a wasted talent IMO.

Still, I think that his tribute to Linda McCartney was fantastic, and I really like his duet with Paul McCartney: 'Heal The Pain', which was apparently his attempt at a McCartney-esque song.

 

No.

 

He's ok. I have nothing in particular against him. Wham were okay in places, and I liked A Different Corner enough to buy the 45. I can't say I've heard much of his solo work.

 

Can't stand him. Never could.

 

Never been a big fan - but listening back to some of Wham's stuff recently (on my own terms this time tho, as opposed to an elder brother playing them almost constantly... and Last Christmas all year round too - but that's many years ago now ) I found their two albums to be a good listen (plus The Final - probably even better, actually.) I was surprised how nicely produced they are - expected them to sound tinny or something.... years of hearing Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, on tiny radios in the back of shops, I recon!

Faith has lots of good tracks on it and I was surprised too, at hearing that recently. These things do have a place and will be staying in my collection now - I've only got this far and knew the album from way back... probably bought my used copy of the LP sometime in the late 90s (50p - standard charity shop price at the time.) So I got it on CD this year - along with the 3 Wham ones above, for next to nothing really, I'll investigate a bit further, no doubt.

So, yep - I like his 'early' stuff anyway. I'd not listen to it very often, but like to be able to when I feel like.

 

Great singer. A couple of fantastic pop albums in Make It Big and Faith. Older is lovely and smooth in a Sade kind of way. Very spotty after this. I think from the mid-90s onwards George lost the knack of writing good songs. Upbeat tunes like Amazing and Outside are just pale reruns of Fastlove.

 

Prefered Wam and find most of his solo stuff rather pretentious. Wouldn't want to share a public convenience or a car ride with him anyway.

 

No.

 

No, I don't dig him at all. Wham are one of the worst bands I have ever heard. Atrocious.

 

He is OK. The man is definitely talented but most of his music is not my cup of tea.

From the early days Wham could make me change the channel on my radio. My Mom loves him and she loved Wake Me Up Before a You GO-GO.

 

He's just another reasonably talented pop/chart/radio act IMO and doesn't trouble me as I usually avoid those genres when possible.

 

I love "Careless Whisper" and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

 

I went with "OK", although personally I can't stand him and think he's vastly overrated as an artist. Some fantastic songs no doubt but also tons of crap.

 

No, I don't.

 

Don't much care for his music. Some good, but mostly mediocre.

 

He's okay. He has a nice voice.

 

Faith is of course an excellent pop album, Listen without Prejudice is pretty much perfection, and Older, while at first having a bit too much R&B vibe for me, ended up completely winning me over as well.

Songs from The Last Century and Patience are good albums, but not as solid as LWP or Older. Also if you notice, pretty much any of the songs officially released from Older (Star People, Spinning the Wheel) have been jazzed up to make them more appealing to a younger demographic, which is really disappointing. The original versions are miles above the releases.

Here's "You Have Been Loved" from Older:

 

"The Strangest Thing" from Older:



I really wish they'd reissue his albums on vinyl. Faith is easily found, LWP a little more difficult but not impossible, but Older, well, you'd need to sell your first born.

 

Really underrated tune, at least in the US. Had this one on today in fact.