Bathroom escapades aside, there's no denying that George Michael has been responsible for some of the biggest party jams of the '80s and '90s. Have you ever noticed what happens to a room when "Faith" erupts from the speakers? Aside from the funk-fueled "Fastlove," the material from his most recent album, Older, is well and truly overshadowed here by the megahits from days gone by. The first disc starts off slow, with "Careless Whisper" and his remake of "I Can't Make You Love Me" the only real high points among otherwise bland ballads. It's disc 2 that exudes the essence of Michael, with "Fastlove," "Too Funky," and "Freedom 90" providing a nonstop dance-athon, and "I Want Your Sex" and "Faith" picking up the slack. The package also includes his rather unexciting (but hugely popular) duets with Queen and Elton John, his perfect pop pairing with Aretha Franklin, and two new tracks. Set aside some serious time for this one, folks. The hits don't stop. --Rebecca Wallwork
In 25 years, George Michael can already look back on more than 80 million in record sales worldwide. He has notched up six No. 1 singles from his debut album, eleven British No. 1 singles, and six No. 1 albums to date.
The last quarter-century has been nothing if not colorful for George Michael. But through all the controversy--the high-profile arrests and audacious videos, the falling-outs and band splits--he has emerged intact as a vital figure on the global pop scene--a fact compounded by his current 25 Live tour and this accompanying Greatest Hits package. Twenty Five is the fourth such collection in Michael's career, though it carries the obvious advantage of being more up to date than 1998's lauded Ladies & Gentlemen and features not only solo material but music from the early Wham! days. As such, it's the most comprehensive anthology yet, featuring upbeat Wham! classics like "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" and "Freedom" amidst somber solo material like "Praying for Time" and "Jesus to a Child." Spread across two discs (29 songs in total), the collection not only includes a host of evergreen classics but also recent singles "An Easier Affair" and "This Is Not Real Love" (with former Sugababe Mutya Buena) and two unreleased tracks. There are some notable absences from the collection--"I Want Your Sex" and "Kissing a Fool" are two glaring omissions--but it still remains the most comprehensive survey of the artist's legacy to date. --Danny McKenna
"Well I guess it would be nice, if I could touch your body...." Given George Michael's restroom hi-jinks in early 1998, those words from "Faith" sound pretty funny, but they sounded fresh and exciting blasting out of car radios all over America in 1987. Michael's stunning solo debut (after four years in the lightweight British duo Wham!) sold seven million copies and yielded six Top 10 hits. Some of those were among the decade's best pop, including the hiccuping title track, the heartfelt ballad "Father Figure" and the wicked R&B groove of "I Want Your Sex." Unlike so much 1980s treacle, this disc hold ups surprisingly well--even if Michael hasn't always done so himself. --Michael Ruby
