fastloveoutside
some fucking great songs
― NickB, Sunday, 25 December 2016 23:45 (seven years ago) link
cheers Dan
― illbient microtonal poetry Surbiton (imago), Sunday, 25 December 2016 23:45 (seven years ago) link
the poll was such a good experience and really gives a v complete idea of his music
cried reading joan's post idk what to do with myself
― who is extremely unqualified to review this pop album (BradNelson), Sunday, 25 December 2016 23:52 (seven years ago) link
Prince and George Michael in the same year, what a horrible year for pop music this has been. And 53 is way too young! I guess there's some cruel irony that the writer/singer of the best known Christmas song of the last 40 years would die on Christmas. I was just listening to it a couple of hours ago and admiring what a perfectly crafted, wisttul pop tune it is, but it'll be hard to listen to it again for a long time.
― Tuomas, Sunday, 25 December 2016 23:53 (seven years ago) link
it's ridiculous and unfair that Michael Jackson, George Michael, Whitney Houston, and Prince are all dead.
― nomar, Sunday, 25 December 2016 23:56 (seven years ago) link
Fucking hell.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 25 December 2016 23:57 (seven years ago) link
Precious Box, y'all. All of Patience.
could prob spend the rest of my life thinking about the way he sings "amazing"
― who is extremely unqualified to review this pop album (BradNelson), Monday, 26 December 2016 00:01 (seven years ago) link
First, David Bowie and then Prince and now George Michael. 2016 cannot end soon enough. RIP
― Bee OK, Monday, 26 December 2016 00:03 (seven years ago) link
RIP
― ¶ (DJP), Monday, 26 December 2016 00:04 (seven years ago) link
Just gobsmacked. Damn.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 26 December 2016 00:04 (seven years ago) link
Guys I'm so sad
― horseshoe, Monday, 26 December 2016 00:07 (seven years ago) link
I was just thinking the other week about how remarkable (especially in retrospect) "Father Figure" is as a combination of the music, the arrangement, the lyrics.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 26 December 2016 00:08 (seven years ago) link
Last christmas indeed.
― dance cum rituals (Moka), Monday, 26 December 2016 00:13 (seven years ago) link
I hadn't given his music any thought in years, but the - I think genuinely felt - tribute in the movie Keanu reminded me that, yeah, the guy had a bunch of great songs.
― Don Van Gorp, midwest regional VP, marketing (誤訳侮辱), Monday, 26 December 2016 00:29 (seven years ago) link
And one of the prettiest voices
― horseshoe, Monday, 26 December 2016 00:30 (seven years ago) link
incredibly sad. wrote so many fantastic songs - produced a ton of them himself and played most instruments on a lot of his biggest hits.
co-sign on Amazing. i heard that properly for the first time after meeting my current amazing partner a few years after coming out of an awfully painful breakup - and it captured that feeling of how incredible a connection to a new person can be so well.
will miss the hell out of him - and he always seemed mega genuine. not to mention releasing Outside so soon after the horrendous UK police and press had tried its hardest to wreck his life was such a fucking ballsy move. what a dude.
― jamiesummerz, Monday, 26 December 2016 00:34 (seven years ago) link
and though it wasn't an incredible track, Shoot The Dog was ballsy as hell too.
― jamiesummerz, Monday, 26 December 2016 00:35 (seven years ago) link
Wow. Unlike Bowie or even Prince, George Michael was ours, my generation's prodigy. His casual mastery of pop form was daunting -- just two days ago Javier Gomez and I were in awe of his 1984-1985 dominance, as we listened to "Last Christmas," the only Xmas standard of the last 40 years after Mariah Carey's.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 26 December 2016 00:39 (seven years ago) link
Sorry -- the aforementioned is a friend. I'm drunk.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 26 December 2016 00:40 (seven years ago) link
Any cause of death confirmed?
― dance cum rituals (Moka), Monday, 26 December 2016 00:45 (seven years ago) link
Careless Whisper, the world's smoothest song.
― skip, Monday, 26 December 2016 00:46 (seven years ago) link
"no suspicious circumstances" usually means suicide
― Autumn Almanac, Monday, 26 December 2016 00:54 (seven years ago) link
or a long illness
― maura, Monday, 26 December 2016 00:57 (seven years ago) link
anyway this quote from 1988 sums up a lot
"If you listen to a Supremes record or a Beatles record, which were made in the days when pop was accepted as an art of sorts, how can you not realize that the elation of a good pop record is an art form? Somewhere along the way, pop lost all its respect. And I think I kind of stubbornly stick up for all of that."
Hadn't been in and out of the hospital over the last couple years?
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Monday, 26 December 2016 01:06 (seven years ago) link
no suspicious circumstances in UK police speak is probably actually more like "we can't see an obvious cause of death but nothing suggests murder/foul play". if there is no obvious cause they cannot give an absolute public answer on anything until an autopsy legally makes it clear. due to recent quietness i expect its just more of his recent ill health problems.
― jamiesummerz, Monday, 26 December 2016 01:10 (seven years ago) link
I was going down for the third time - my heart was broken, I was not open to your suggestion - had so many questions that you just kissed away. I guess that Cupid was in disguise the day you walked in & changed my life. I think it's amazing, the way that love can set you free. So now I walk in the midday sun. I never thought that my savior'd come. I think it's amazing. I think you're amazing.
standing behind a club in 2007 listening to this on headphones over and over, my lifeline, in a state of disbelief that the guy whose "Edge of Heaven" had taken me by surprise in '85 -- I was so young, music moved so fast, I'd figured Wham! was old news and I'd moved on and then BAM, there it was...but life is long and there's so much, and by '07 I'm not thinking about Wham or G.M. at all, that's stuff from my teen years right? and the iTunes says "new George Michael single" and I say "sure, let's give it a shot, he was so good once"
and then that burbly 4 a.m. muffled club synth intro into that smooth beat and that da-da-das
you were a giant, George Michael. truly a giant.
― though she denies it to the press, (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Monday, 26 December 2016 01:29 (seven years ago) link
If Lou Reed made me gay, and David Bowie made me insouciant about it, then George Michael helped me realize it.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 26 December 2016 01:37 (seven years ago) link
<3
― Flamenco Drop (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 26 December 2016 01:41 (seven years ago) link
I put youtube on my tv and have been shuffling through his catalog, crying and dancing and quietly thinking about George
such a friend to my ears
"As" on right now & I simultaneously wish for a dance party and rain
Oh George
― Flamenco Drop (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 26 December 2016 01:47 (seven years ago) link
I wrote this in September, when he wasn't dead.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 26 December 2016 01:47 (seven years ago) link
An amazing artist with a huge heart and a wicked sense of humour. RIP George.
― Acting Crazy (Instrumental) (jed_), Monday, 26 December 2016 01:50 (seven years ago) link
oh man "Somebody to Love": It's this perfect combo of techinical prowess + passion. He was the only performer that night who projected not only how much he LOVED Freddie Mercury's music, which is quite enough if you're straight, but how Queen had saved him.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 26 December 2016 01:52 (seven years ago) link
Consummate artist
― Master of Treacle, Monday, 26 December 2016 01:53 (seven years ago) link
and I can't get past how often he sneaked gay overtones into these massive pop hits. "Different Corner," sure, but listen to "One More Try" without thinking it's a gay "Maggie May."
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 26 December 2016 01:53 (seven years ago) link
"One More Try" is maybe a top 5 vocal performance of the late 80s (at least)
― Master of Treacle, Monday, 26 December 2016 01:55 (seven years ago) link
fuck this shit. <3 and rest in peace George.
― Neanderthal, Monday, 26 December 2016 01:56 (seven years ago) link
RIPthe morbid weirdness of hearing "Lazarus" and "Sometimes it Snows in April" and "You Want It Darker" and now and "Last Christmas" sums up this year all too neatly
― A big shout out goes to the lamb chops, thos lamb chops (ulysses), Monday, 26 December 2016 02:01 (seven years ago) link
no suspicious circumstances in UK police speak is probably actually more like "we can't see an obvious cause of death but nothing suggests murder/foul play".
true, and "unexplained" doesn't really indicate it was suicide.
― Autumn Almanac, Monday, 26 December 2016 02:03 (seven years ago) link
thinking illness, esp since the family said he died peacefully
― Neanderthal, Monday, 26 December 2016 02:07 (seven years ago) link
his spokesperson said he hadn't been ill, but tbh we're already knee-deep in not-our-business territory so
― Autumn Almanac, Monday, 26 December 2016 02:11 (seven years ago) link
Some striking photos here:
https://www.theguardian.com/music/gallery/2016/dec/26/george-michael-life-in-pictures
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 26 December 2016 02:25 (seven years ago) link
lovely bittersweet listen here, George's Desert Island Discs ep from 2007
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008006s
― Flamenco Drop (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 26 December 2016 02:34 (seven years ago) link
Oh thanks!
― Acting Crazy (Instrumental) (jed_), Monday, 26 December 2016 02:42 (seven years ago) link
8 years ago, I got his Twenty- FIve, which has shit from Older and Patience that I had never heard and really liked it… I knew "fastlove" referencing his recently deceased boyfriend, and "outside" which has a funny vid re: his "importuning" arrest but that was it…which is to say that in America, his work past Listen W/out P. is obscure; like, what he did in 1990-1991 was not in tune with the 90s alt-milieu, and I don't remember the MOR audience going for him.
I would be interested in English people's, or people from anywhere else, impressions of his last 20 years: like did his shit get on the radio or you heard it everywhere you went upon release? is ti true that he was huge everywhere else?
― veronica moser, Monday, 26 December 2016 02:55 (seven years ago) link
Older was massive in Australia iirc
― Flamenco Drop (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 26 December 2016 02:57 (seven years ago) link
This feels cruel and unfair.
Fuck you 2016.
― never have i been a blue calm sea (collardio gelatinous), Monday, 26 December 2016 03:26 (seven years ago) link
Outside and its accompanying video are one of the most fearless and funny artefacts in pop. A 100% "up yours!" to the media and the establishment. I'm so sad that he's gone but so happy that he turned devastating events into something so joyous. He did not give a shit in the last 10-15 years. I think he was happy and happy being a fuck up. He was brutally honest with George and generous to others.
What a FANTASTIC man!
― Acting Crazy (Instrumental) (jed_), Monday, 26 December 2016 03:50 (seven years ago) link
He was a hell of a ballad singer, and as close to a pure pop artist/auteur as the 80s had - MJ and Madonna had too much outside help to really qualify, Prince was too rock/funk/whatever and too flat out eccentric. Not a first-rate lyricist but at best he was pretty sly. What nobody ever mentions is that he was also a preternaturally gifted composer - "Freedom '90" and "Jesus to a Child" among others are as remarkable for their structure and arrangements and chord changes as they are for their by-now-obvious subtext. This is OTM:
His casual mastery of pop form was daunting
And so is this:
fresh out of the gate, he had more hits than most people would even dare to pray for, every one of them a dense tapestry of impulses & influences; and he was underrated from early on, too
RIP.
― Futuristic Bow Wow (thewufs), Monday, 26 December 2016 04:14 (seven years ago) link
The new Wham! documentary on Netflix is really good imo, paints a good picture of their friendship & George’s struggles
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 7 July 2023 03:45 (ten months ago) link
Will be seeing it tomorrow or Saturday for sure.
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 7 July 2023 03:49 (ten months ago) link
so much excellent footage! many quality pairs of neon short shorts
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 7 July 2023 03:55 (ten months ago) link
Well, if you're gonna do it...
― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 7 July 2023 09:21 (ten months ago) link
I think someone needs to write a short novel/film about Lindsay Anderson and Wham! in China in 1985
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jul/07/dead-dogs-capitalist-critique-and-only-four-songs-when-wham-squashed-lindsay-andersons-china-film
― Piedie Gimbel, Friday, 7 July 2023 09:45 (ten months ago) link
We enjoyed the documentary tremendously, especially my wife who was/is a massive Wham!/George Michael fan. It was really amazing how they made it through with their friendship relatively intact given the diverging interests the Wham! journey and Michael's solo career presented.
― il lavoro mi rovina la giornata (PBKR), Friday, 7 July 2023 12:12 (ten months ago) link
A genuine friendship: they understood each other's weaknesses. I can't remember a single moment in his life when Michael slagged off or condescended to Andrew.
― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 7 July 2023 12:19 (ten months ago) link
If we take Ridgeley's word -- and why not? -- he's the most gracious junior partner in pop history. A true mensch.
― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 9 July 2023 23:05 (ten months ago) link
thought of that as well.
― fpsa, Monday, 10 July 2023 00:06 (ten months ago) link
Also appreciated the point that they had hard to please immigrant dads — in order to succeed in their eyes they actually had to be the best, et voila.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 10 July 2023 00:29 (ten months ago) link
I reviewed this thing.
― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 11 July 2023 21:45 (ten months ago) link
Tissue-thin it may be, but it had some great bits, like the story of Careless Whisper getting homogenized at Muscle Shoals. Or the fact that Andrew's mom saved the "wake me up before you go go" sign in a scrapbook.
I'd love to watch a deep dive on the songwriting and recording process, but the audience for that is probably significantly smaller.
― enochroot, Wednesday, 12 July 2023 00:28 (ten months ago) link
The problem is, producers underestimate the intelligence of the audience. George Michael already went around this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3MZgGiIAQY
― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 12 July 2023 00:44 (ten months ago) link
on some level the two of them had to realize that the only way to out-stud the simon lebon and john taylor of rio and seven and the ragged tiger was with a greek man
― reggie (qualmsley), Wednesday, 12 July 2023 00:53 (ten months ago) link
I enjoyed the documentary (and your piece, Alfred). I wonder if there's anyone else who was so big who had such a drop-off of productivity, and so young. He was still in his 20s when he released Listen Without Prejudice - and yet there were only two more albums of original material to follow before his death 26 years later.
― Zelda Zonk, Wednesday, 12 July 2023 01:21 (ten months ago) link
I once heard someone describe it as, “He pulled the cord on his career too early” – which I thought was apt. Releasing an album called “Older” at age 33, etc.
― Bittern Storm Over My Hammy (morrisp), Wednesday, 12 July 2023 04:10 (ten months ago) link
i love Older
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 12 July 2023 05:08 (ten months ago) link
from last week's Popbitch
Netflix's new documentary on Wham! is a gorgeous snapshot of the friendship between George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. There's hundreds of stories about the bond they shared, but here's another nice one we heard.During Robbie Williams' first coke bloat era (post-Take That; Glastonbury with the Gallaghers) he found himself at Jimmyz nightclub in Monte Carlo where he saw George Michael on the dance floor. Aware that every boy band member who went solo always said something along the lines of "I want to be the next George Michael!" Robbie thought it might be funny to turn that whole trope on its head.So he went up to George and said: "I wanna be the next Andrew Ridgeley..."A line which not only failed to raise a smile out of George, but caused George to look Robbie dead in the eye and snap: "DON'T take the piss out of Andrew."
― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Wednesday, 12 July 2023 06:31 (ten months ago) link
Wow, love it.
― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 12 July 2023 09:52 (ten months ago) link
he was definitely much loved in his home village of Goring. My wife and I have been walking the Thames path and found ourselves there a few weeks ago, on what would have been George's 60th birthday. In all the pubs and the village hall they were playing his music and selling T-shirts and other memorabilia bearing his image. I had been in George's local previously, for a work meeting with someone who lived there who said that George was a regular and was treated like any other customer although he was "huge now". When I raised an eyebrow at this, I was told that he now weighed 20st (127kg) and when we left, he pointed down the street to where George's house was and explained that George would always get in his Range Rover and drive the short distance to get there, barely 200 metres. That was in early December 2016. George died at Christmas that year :-(
― Grandpont Genie, Wednesday, 12 July 2023 10:52 (ten months ago) link
that demo tape from the wham doc...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRi53xDDgTA
raises so many banal questions... how did andrew learn to play funk guitar? was george operating a drum machine? how'd they afford it? who's on bass? how did george learn to produce on the portastudio? where is the full tape???
― corrs unplugged, Tuesday, 26 September 2023 12:28 (seven months ago) link
The answers to your questions are found here:
https://medium.com/@paulmex/pressing-the-record-button-on-pop-history-4d62b4744410
― citation needed (Steve Shasta), Tuesday, 26 September 2023 12:57 (seven months ago) link
Incredible! Thanks!
― corrs unplugged, Wednesday, 27 September 2023 11:45 (seven months ago) link
From a Neil Tennant interview:
I first met him in 1982. I interviewed him and Andrew (Ridgley) for Smash Hits and then the last time we saw him it was exactly 30 year later, at the Olympic closing ceremony. We were in these Portakabin-y dressing rooms and the person next to us is playing music unbelievably loudly. I said to our tour manager: ‘Can you go and ask him to turn that down, please?’ And suddenly the door flings open and George, who we hadn’t seen since he’d been in jail, comes in and says: ‘Did you just tell me to turn my music down?’ I said: ‘Yes, I did.’ And he says: ‘Give me a hug.’ And then he went back to his dressing room, put his stereo on and played West End Girls – loudly.”
― birdistheword, Saturday, 13 January 2024 19:07 (four months ago) link
Ridgley’s RRHOF induction speech for GM was great.
― Wooly Bully (2005 Remaster) (morrisp), Saturday, 13 January 2024 19:18 (four months ago) link
― nxd, Sunday, 14 January 2024 15:37 (three months ago) link
Michael was a massive PSB fan. Chris Heath's first PSB book notes how in 1989 GM hung out by the sound booth pumping his fist in the air to "Left to My Own Devices" singing every word.
― poppers fueled buttsex crescendo (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 14 January 2024 16:07 (three months ago) link