George Michael tries to atone for lost time
When George Michael thanked those in Saturday's crowd for attending his 25Live gig at the Wachovia Center, he credited their patience. The British song crafter acknowledged the difficulty of being a fan for all these years - yet by the end of the concert, he promised, the long stretch would seem like a breeze.
When George Michael thanked those in Saturday's crowd for attending his 25Live gig at the Wachovia Center, he credited their patience. The British song crafter acknowledged the difficulty of being a fan for all these years - yet by the end of the concert, he promised, the long stretch would seem like a breeze.
He was right - but for the wrong reasons.
Michael was referring to the fact that since his last American tour 17 years ago, he has been more famous for his foibles (including arrests for lewd conduct and drug possession) than for his work.
Who cares? People expect stars to be lewd and stoned.
The difficult part of loving Michael - the Wham! singer whose 1987 solo debut
Faith
sold epic amounts - has been his mix of hubris and reluctance.
Faith
and its follow-up
Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
proved that Michael could produce plastic soul and confessional pop of the highest magnitude.
His work since then should have been the halfway point between David Bowie's
Young Americans
and Justin Timberlake's
Justified
. Yet his disgust with critics who didn't take him seriously led Michael to release few good records (even fewer with self-penned tunes) filled with faceless Euro-disco epiphanies, a small bit of which ("Flawless," "Amazing") he performed gorgeously Saturday.
It's angering, really, because with each ring of his high-tenor voice and breathy intonation, you realize how much time he wasted
not
engaging his talents. Surrounded by a massive video-tech stage, a band on risers and an angelic choir, Michael moved through the gospel slink of "Father Figure," the holy-rolling "One More Try," and a saxophone-laced "Careless Whisper" with a quiver in his voice and clarion highs. The sturdily grooving "Everything She Wants" simmered with sensual delight. The lyrical conciseness he lent the accusatory "Praying for Time" was rendered with slow-stewing bravado. While the brushed, jazzy feel of "Kissing a Fool" showed off Michael's lower range and relaxed, easy flow, his take on Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" proved that his sass was intact.
"You didn't really think I took myself that seriously?" Michael said, laughing, when he stopped what started off as a somber-electro version of the chipper hit "I'm Your Man" before continuing its swinging Motown vibe.
Michael should continue thusly. He's too great to waste, and this was too joyous to miss.
