Symphonica

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One More Try was originally released on Michael’s highly successful debut solo album Faith and it’s a George Michael classic that remains as fresh today as the day it was written and recorded. This live rendition honours the original studio release perfectly and the addition of the symphonic orchestra is complementary and therefore takes nothing away from the original. Idol is an underrated Elton John and Bernie Taupin collaboration from John’s 1976 album Blue Moves. This live recording, however, is one of those examples where an artist records a lesser-known cover, makes it their own, and that recording then becomes the standard to which all others are compared. Vinyl release of George Michael - Symphonica (Vinyl). Released through Virgin EMI Records and available on 2LP. We take all reasonable steps to keep secure any information which we hold about you. Personal information may be stored both electronically on our computer system, and in hard-copy form.

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face is an absolute classic and this live recording represents one of the very best interpretations of the song I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. The other thing worth highlighting – although most people of a certain age in the UK will remember this well – is just how successful it was. His Faith album was a monster in America (just the four number one singles…) but it underperformed in the UK, relatively speaking. There’s no other way of looking at it. George’s two previous solo singles (‘Careless Whisper’ and ‘A Different Corner’ had both reached the top-spot in Britain, as had ‘(I Knew You Were) Waiting For Me’, his 1987 duet with Aretha Franklin. And he had four number ones with Wham!. There’s no way anyone was expecting him not to have a bunch of chart-toppers from his first solo album, but it only delivered two really big hits ‘I Want Your Sex’ and ‘Faith’ and neither reached number one.One of the things that ‘happened’ this week was George Michael‘s Older album turned 25. There are lots of interesting things to say about this record. First off, George was only 32 when he released it. Who’d have thought at that time that he’d have only ONE more studio album of self-penned material left in him? What a waste. Sadly, this is yet another case of SOMETHING NOT HAPPENING on the watch of George’s de facto manager, David Austin. Since George’s untimely death on Christmas day in 2016 there has not been one single reissue campaign of any Wham! or GM album ( Listen Without Prejudice was all but completed before George died). The Japanese Wham! Singles Collection: Greatest Hits CD+DVD was admittedly an interesting release, although it seems unlikely that was driven by the team in the UK. While I was fortunate to have owned the stunning HFPA (High Fidelity Pure Audio) Blu-ray release, following a culling of formats, I now find myself limited to the streaming offerings and I have mixed feelings. The DTS-HD Master Audio 24-bit/96kHz edition of the album, from the Blu-ray, was as close to having a private audience with George Michael as I was ever going to get and while I have few regrets about downsizing my collection; this is one of them. When in line with the preferences you have shared with us, provide you with information or advertising relating to our products or services. Concerning the selection of songs, I find it incredible that Michael’s own works mix so perfectly with the classics of yesteryear. Seriously, it’s a seamless transition between tunes and goes to show just how incredibly talented Michael was as not only a vocalist but as a songwriter.

Through, a George Michael original from Patience , is a beautiful song to open the album with and it’s as if it should have always included an orchestra for this live performance trumps the original recording. The strummed introduction, intermingled with vocals and subtle symphonic elements, sets the tone for the entire album and subsequent performances.

Release

My Baby Just Cares For Me is upbeat and jazzy and would do any jazz club in New Orleans proud. The horn section in this song is perfectly balanced and I appreciate this as sometimes the brashness of brass instruments can overpower a song.

Vinyl.com.au aims to provide up to date images of the products and accurate information. However, product detail may change from time to time and there may be a delay in making updates. It’s weird; George transitioned from more or less owning the number one spot in the UK singles chart to, by the time of 1990’s Listen Without Prejudice, being someone who had hit albums but didn’t really chart well with singles. Only one of the five singles from that second solo album went in the UK top 20 (‘Praying For Time’, #6). Everything else could be badged ‘minor hit’, including ‘Freedom 90’ which only reached number 28 (‘Cowboys and Angels’ didn’t even get in the top 40!). Some of this can be put down to George’s ‘I don’t want to make/be in videos, anymore’ stance, but it’s still a curious situation.We will not sell, distribute or lease your personal information to third parties unless we have your permission or are required by law to do so. We may use your personal information to send you promotional information about third parties which we think you may find interesting if you tell us that you wish this to happen. Roxanne will appeal to any fan of The Police for this live recording is a beautiful interpretation of their original tune from their 1978 release, Outlandos d’Amour. As solid as the original is, the jazz-influenced live recording by George Michael is exceptional and amplifies the song beyond The Police’s version. We still don’t know what these ‘plans’ actually are, but manufacturing difficulties only really applies to vinyl right now so clearly a vinyl reissue of Older is the minimum we can expect. There are no such issues with CD manufacturing, so they could have chosen to split the ‘celebrations’ and issued something on CD this year with vinyl to follow next. The fact they haven’t done this makes SDE wonder if CD are in their plans at all. Feeling Good is epic! George Michael performs this tune masterfully. That said, I still consider Nina Simone’s version to be the pinnacle recording of this classic song. I Remember You isn’t the strongest closer as it’s rawer, from a production and recording standpoint, than the rest of the songs featured on Symphonica. I also find the harp to be distracting, along with the audience, and subsequently, while I Remember You is included in this review, I remain convinced that the right decision, for me, is to omit it from my digital library, thereby allowing You’ve Changed to close the album out pleasantly.

Some may lament the studio manipulation, but most live albums are created similarly. Truthfully, I prefer the additional spit and polish for live performances can be hit and miss and that’s a core reason why I’m not a fan of attending concerts. It’s a case of once-bitten, twice shy, and I prefer higher production values when live recordings are released. All this singles activity, over a long period of time (‘You Have Been Loved’ was issued 21 months after ‘Jesus to a Child’) made Older George’s biggest selling album in the UK. It has sold 1.8m copies – more than both Faith and Listen Without Prejudice. This draw is conducted in a secure enivironment selecting an identifier which can not be used to access your account and the data is deleted as soon as the draw has been conducted. You Have Been Loved was originally featured on Michael’s album Older and this live recording doesn’t break any new ground but it remains a lovely ballad with some exceptional jazz drumming and beautiful symphonic elements. That said, this is one case where I prefer the original recording to the live rendition.

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