George Michael’s career seemed a lot more compelling before he revealed his homosexuality in 1998. “Older”, released the previous year, turned out to be the closest he’d ever come to recapturing his late 80’s/early 90’s appeal. This was an artist who had parlayed the extraordinary success of his band Wham into an even more successful solo career.
The album that made him a bona fide superstar was 1987’s “Faith”, an album which has since sold twenty million copies world wide. 1990’s “Listen Without Prejudice” Volume 1 announced his intentions of being considered a serious solo artist. Why then, 18 years later, is he still trying to capitalize on the success of Wham and his first two solo efforts?
That is a question begging to be answered after the release of yet another greatest hits collection with only a couple rarities and acceptable new songs. “Twenty-five” is marketed as a celebration of George Michael’s 25 years in the music business. What goes without saying is that only half of those years have featured the release of compelling material.
Maybe “Twenty-five” was just a marketing ploy to get people interested in Michael’s nationwide tour. Then again, Michael could be hinting at better things in the future and the six new songs are only a prelude to a forthcoming masterpiece. Forgive me for considering the former.
In 2008, Michael is clearly an artist who takes himself too seriously without the credible material to back-up his ambitions. “Twenty-five” puts forth the question: Have George Michael’s fans grown with him? Unfortunately, in an ever changing music world many have moved on without him.
“Twenty-five”, still, will please the casual fan to the devout looking to updated their Ipods. All the Wham hits are here and the only conspicuously absent solo gems are “I want your sex” and “Kissing a fool.” Maybe next compilation, George? For his career’s sake, lets hope that question goes unanswered.
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