#480 - George Michael - Faith

Let me just preface this post with this statement:

George Michael's Faith ranks pretty highly on my list of guilty pleasures, especially "One More Try."

Growing up, I thought George Michael was as cool as it gets. I mean, just look at the supermodels gracing his videos. Wow. As I grew up, my naivete faded and I found out that homosexuals existed in the world. This is in no way a criticism or slam against homosexuals. Instead, at such a young age I just wasn't aware homosexuals existed. Looking back, I have no idea how I didn't know. I mean, just listen to the lyrics of the album and you have to acknowledge that most of the adult world had to know. For God's sake, look at the Wham! videos. Enough said.

This album is pop gold. "Faith" with its iconic video that all but created the look of 'designer stubble.' "Father Figure" whose video has Michael stalker model Tania Coleridge. Do I really need to say anything about "I Want Your Sex" and its multiple parts. I believe it speaks for itself. Even the censors couldn't keep this song quiet. It blew up on the Billboard charts. And with a song titled "Monkey;" again, how did the world not catch on.

Catchy rhythms. Subtle funk elements. Pop bliss. I wish I had more to write about this album, but I believe the record speaks for itself. Michael did nothing spectacularly original, innovative, or even creative, but he did deliver a singable and danceable album.

Some may have thought I would include Limp Bizkit's version of "Faith." Those people are wrong.My choices this week: One rendition of "Faith" that was so awesome (the girl seems cool as hell, too) I had to include it. The other, so awful I only got through :30 of it.

-d.


Great timing to get to this album. While it appears George Michael has put his musical career on the back burner, he manages to keep himself in the news through his frequent arrests and basic self destruction. I’ve always been a fan, even of some the cornier Wham! songs, but the man can’t turn around without making himself into another punch line. But what of Faith, his first solo effort?

There’s really no better way you could start your first album than with a classic like Faith. No point in even talking about the song, as everyone has heard it. Then you throw "Father Figure" at everyone next? Ok, so Mister Panayiotou wanted to make a statement right off the bat. A little touch of synth-r&b with some gospel, and possibly an offer to teach the listener the pleasures of sweet man love. Stylistically it marks the emergence of Michael’s obsession with trying to sound like Freddie Mercury. Normally that’s a bad sign, but he’s pretty much the only singer in pop music with the voice to pull it off. Oh Queen, why did you take Paul Rodgers instead?

So maybe we can get a break from the run of singles? No? "I want Your Sex" was the first release from the album and pretty much got banned everywhere. It seems pretty tame in retrospect, but I vaguely remember hearing it on the radio and my seven year old mind exploding. It really isn’t half as graphic as its inspiration, Queen’s Hot Space album, specifically "Body Language" and" Get Down Make Love." Things finally lay off a bit as the record finally has to give us some breathing room. "One More Try" is a perfect prom season slow jam and was the third single to top the charts in a row ("Sex" peaked at number 2 despite the lack of play). "Hard Day" and "Hand To Mouth" are both typical 80’s club songs. Both good, but not really anything that stands out.

"Look At Your Hands" is a somewhat misguided attempt at getting bluesy. Again, it’s not bad, just misplaced and way out of George’s comfort range. He brings back the groove with "Monkey," the fourth and final number one. Not my cup of tea, but I can definitely imagine a rush of teenagers rushing to a dance floor or roller rink in white wash jeans and Relax t-shirts 23 years ago. Things end on the surprisingly nice jazz number, "Kissing A Fool." Seriously, you could hear this from a combo at your local jazz club. It’s a typical torch song, with Michael singing the part usually reserved for the breathless blond with a slit to her thigh. Trust me, it works.

It’s a great album. That’s why three of the songs ("Faith," "Father Figure," "Sex") are still common on the radio and in movies. I’m actually surprised it wasn’t ranked higher. I guess his reputation as lightweight pop from the Wham! days still carries over. Or maybe it’s the repeated arrests. Whatever. It’s a classic.

Cover is NIN doing some of the Queen I mentioned earlier (since Danny probably has a good one already). Check it.

#481 - The Smiths

I’ve tended to avoid The Smiths. I was just a bit too young to have listened to them before they broke up, and I found Morrisey’s solo efforts to be a bit pretentious and not really all that good. In turn, I never saw a reason to give his original band a shot. This album goes a long ways to making me reconsider my views. The Smiths were very similar to R.E.M., but more aggressive, much more rooted in punk. You can hear a fair bit of The Jam and Gang Of Four spread throughout, but Johnny Marr uses the same jangling guitar sound Peter Buck made famous in the U.S.
One of the things that made it hardest for me to get into the songs here is the icon himself. Morrisey has an annoying tendency to try to overtake a great riff with a dramatic moan. His voice is at it’s best when he sings in his lower register, with an almost disinterested sound. On a song like Miserable Lie he becomes a distraction when piping out random falsetto vocalizations over one of the heavier rhythm tracks. Freddie Mercury was an obvious hero, but he doesn’t have the voice or the outrageous flair that allowed Freddie to pull it off.
That’s not to say his performance is without merit. The Hand That Rocks The Cradle stands out with some of his better work. Despite the somewhat creepy lyrics (which despite denials from the band, seem to be pretty obviously about love for an underage acquaintance) it’s one of the best songs overall on the album. Great use of Marr’s arpeggio-laden guitar, smooth bass playing and very nice vocals. The drumming is pretty much the same as on the rest of the record; competent. There’s really no place in these songs for any flashy hi-hat or snare fills, but I wish he’d do something to mix it up a tad. Most songs have the same simple pop beat.
This Charming Man may be the best song here. Somehow, both ridiculously poppy and darkly obsessive. It’s like Walking On Sunshine adapted by someone on lithium. You can really hear how they influenced a generation of alternative bands though. Blur, Oasis, the Cranberries, the Housemartins and even Barenaked Ladies all wear their love for the Smiths on their sleeves.
The album goes out on a suitably morbid note with Suffer Little Children. The song created a stir when it was released, for mentioning some of the victims of the Moors Murders by name. The song is honestly on the disturbing side. For me it’s not the subject matter, just the comfort with which Morrisey can sing the lyrics, as well as the probably unnecessary use of a woman’s laughter (a reference to Myra Hindley, one of the murderers who was once described as the most evil woman in Britain).
A solid album, and from a historical perspective probably worthy of inclusion. But for me it’s just a nice distraction. I can’t really explain it, maybe it’s the lack of any big moments or emotional high points, but this one just didn’t grab me in the way I’d want from a record included in this list. Nowhere near bad, just not that enjoyable for me.

-tfm

Warning: The Smiths are not a band you want to pop into your car stereo to go for a summer drive.....especially with another person in the car. It only makes for an awkward drive. Actually, I've always felt The Smiths are a band best enjoyed alone. This probably explains the influence it has had upon certain bands. I don't like labeling music. I find it absurd and a simple outlet for those who are narrow-minded in their musical tastes. That being said, The Smiths are a definitive inspiration for the 'emo' music scene. Actually, I initially gave The Smiths a listen based upon a lyric from Brand New's "Mix Tape." Before then, I had only heard The Smiths as mentioned in Marilyn Manson's book The Long Hard Road Out of Hell (it was not a glowing statement in regards to the band or its listeners). I believe I was a freshman in high school when the Manson book came out, which reveals how young and naive my musical tastes were back then.

Regardless, The Smiths are a band I enjoy, at times, but I do find significant fault and considerable irritation at the warbling mentioned in Mike's critique. It's grating and unnecessary while dampening the genius of Marr's workmanship on the guitar. Morrissey has moments that showcase his unique and phenomenal voice, but he also has the inability to realize where the line signifying "over the top" is located and consistently steps over that line. Fortunately, this does nothing to sully the greatness of "Reel Around the Fountain," "You've Got Everything Now," "Pretty Girls Make Graves," and "This Charming Man."

Another great thing about The Smiths is their ability to write great and affecting lyrics that could be considered modern day odes to loss, love, and sometimes murder. In fact, "Suffer Little Children" is a creepy, but emotionally affecting account of the Moor Murders. While listening to this song, all I could think about was the painting of "Moor Murder"-er Myra Hindley (who along with her boyfriend, Ian Brady, murders five children between the ages of 5-10) constructed solely out of children handprints I saw at the Saachi Gallery in London, England a number of years back. I felt chills while looking at the painting and reading the back story. Those same chills came back upon listening to this album's conclusion.

I give this album a passing grade in terms of great albums, but mostly due for the inspiration it brought other artists. On the other hand, it does not make a lot of other lists due to its inaccessibility. This makes me wonder (and perhaps even wish I could witness) how the album was received and played during its release. Was the music scene accepting of such an album? Did friends play it at parties, in their cars, or simply locked away alone in their rooms? These questions plague my mind at inopportune times and for extended periods. I'm weird.

I decided to give this album's video to the man himself, Morrissey, due to its absolute over the top dramatic delivery. I personally love the "Agh!" outbursts and arm flairs.

-d.