European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 26, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse 3est available cop George Michael goes against the tide by Stephen Holden new Yor times George Michael s hit single praying for time evokes a 1970s Anthem by an sex Catle turned emotionally upside Down. Against a funereal beat of the sort George Harrison used to favor in his devotional ballads the 27-year-old English pop Star Sermon izes in a voice that deliberately seems to Echo the fuzzed vocal texture of jut in Lennon s imagine. But instead of exhorting religious mysticism or it it it Putni nil earns Michael emits an extended yelp of do fair a a stirs to Lov a 10n Thern so much to 11,, l.ii�?�. I Kion to hot a Ali unit Issei a Hope to a a if Quot i 1 a r Gnu a 1 it min a 1 a 1 i / a 1 a i a \ a a. 1, i St of Iii. A 1 a a a i 1 i is a a 1 i i 1ii in a a i i i1,1 is a i a Vitt 1 lit11 a. Ai 10111. A a it i j 1 i i h. Ill i m i m Edn a ill it 1 s a do it Tut it 11 my Medof lond once i urn ii10 in ugh miking pud of my v. Several other songs Chad the downward course of a still unresolved love affair. The record s music is much spar Cranmore acoustic than that of Michael s Las album Faith. Vocally and in the production Michael also seems less interested in following the latest trends in pop soul and dance music. In its diminished musical scale and downbeat sentiments. Listen without prejudice amounts to a Smalt act of rebellion. A i think its against the tide in Many ways Quot Michael said recently in a rare interview. Quot but t Dir in l fool t had any Choice. In be never made an album that sounded like the one before. If i d made Faith it would have Boon unsatisfying for making Faith 2 would have been a tall order. The 1987 blockbuster a his Solo debut after four years As half of the pop duo wham a sold 15 million copies and won Michael a grammy for album of the year. The record catapulted his artistic reputation from talented teen age heartthrob to budding pop Genius and heir apparent to the English pop Rock tradition of Paul Mccartney and Ellon John. It also generated controversy when some american radio stations banned the single i want your sox for being too suggestive in the age of ads. The album s several music videos in which the Star sported a carefully clipped Field of facial stubble helped turn him into one of the top male pinups of the late 1900s, in Freedom 90, which will to the followup single to praying for time Michael expresses his disgust with that image. Quot i went Back Home got a Brand new face for the boys on mtg Quot the Lyric scoffs. Quot but today the Way i play the game has got to no video has been made to promote praying for time. Although one will accompany the release of Freedom 90, Michael said decide to direct a video that will have some of the top models in the world lip synching to my music but i wont be anywhere to be seen Quot he said. Quot the irony is that the video will probably be a huge Success because of the Way those people if there is a link Between praying for time and Freedom 90, the two songs on the album that make the strongest statements it is their lyrical connection to television. In praying for time Michael declares sarcastically Quot this is the year of the guilty Man your television will take a the gloomy lyrics describe a world in which Quot the Rich declare themselves poor Quot and where Quot Charity is coat you Wear twice a the song s starkest lines imagine people huddled behind their doors clinging to material possessions and screaming Quot what a mine is mine and not Quot no event inspired the song just life in general Quot Michael said.1 its my Way of trying to figure out Why it s so hard for people to be Good to each other. I believe the problem is conditional As opposed to being something inherent in Mankind. The Media have affected everybody s consciousness much More than most people will admit. Because of the Media the Way the world is perceived is As a place where resources and turn Are running out. We re taught that you have to grab what you can before it s gone. Its almost As if there in t time f Michael sees television As the enemy of Hope and compassion by spreading More bad news than people can Deal with he also sees it As the enemy of his own musical creativity. 1 although for a Long time i Felt perfectly comfortable making videos a he said,1 for me they have also been a Large distraction from doing theone thing that makes me Happy which is writing songs and making Michael who was 7 when the beatles broke up said that lately he has been listening to pop and Rock from the 1960s and 70s, Quot i went Back and Analysed a Lotof 60s Stull i was popular before the Advent of the Synthea a the Bolles the stones Joni Mitchell and by Azilian music. It made med Seidelo strip everything echoes of Michael s studies can be heard Oil Over the new Alburn. In addition to praying for time the song heal the pan looks Bac tothe fab four s rubber soul album. The new records Lush est moment cowboys and Angels is a Wistful Ballad that re creates the throbbing atmosphere of Astrid Gilberto a 1960s records of Antonio Carlos Tobim songs. The albums Only non original song is a and piano remake of the Stevie wonder Syreeta Wright Ballad they wont go when i go from wonders 1974 album fulfilling Ness a first finale. Except for Mother s Pride an Antiwar song the remaining cuts a something to save and waiting for that Day Are part of along Cycle within the album in which Michael reflecting on an unhappy relationship flails about like a wounded Puppy. Even though three years have passed since Faith in some places on the new album he sounds younger More confused and More vulnerable. That Aura of ingenuous Ness May reflect Michael s research into a recent Pas that for now at least he seems to find More appealing than mainstream pop in its present hard edged Mode. Quot the thing i envy about All those groups in the �?T60s was their rivalry and the incentive it gave them Quot he said. A a in be grown up in a period where the real incentive has been to have a bigger record and to be a bigger celebrity. Al you have to do to have Ever increasing Fame is to repeat what has been successful before. Quot what s obvious in those 60s records is How those people All had a desperate desire to move ahead of each other. You can hear it in the Way the beatles at one Point were obviously copying the Beach boys and in the Way Lennon would copy Dylan. Though it was kind of shameless it must have been a fantastic period to be a songwriter and i wish it were going on singles 1. Can t live without your love Anda affection Nelson 2. Close to you Maxi Prosl 3. Release me Wilaon Phillip 4. Blaze of glory a Jon Bonjiovi a praying for time a George Mac time 0. Something happened on the Way to heaven poll Colluna 7. Do me a Belt Btu Devoe 6. Thieves in the Temple Prince 0. Of girl Pool Young 10. My my my Johnny Guipo albums 1. Please Hammer Don t Hurt Mem -m.c. Hammer 2. Wilson Phillips Wilson Palm up 3. Mariah Carey Marlah Carey 4. Blaze of glory Young guns ii Jon Bonjo Al b. Poison Bell blvd Devoe 6. Graffiti Bridge Prince 7. Flesh an blood a Poison 8. Soul provider Michael Bolton 5. Composition s Anita Baker 10. Queen Ryche Empire country a singles Black a singles 1. Jukebox in my mind Alabama 2. Fri ends in Low places Garth Brooks 3. Holding Good hand Lee Greenwood 4.1 fell in love Cariene Carter 5.1 meant every word he said Ricky Van Shelton 6. Fourteen minutes old Doug Stone 7. Drinking Champagne George Strait 8. Precious things Steve Warner 9. The Battle hymn of love Kathy Mattea Lino Broten 10.toocoldathome a Mark Chesnutt 1 Prince 2. Crazy the boys 3. Everybody everybody Black Box 4. Heaven knows Lalah Hathaway 5. Living youth benefits pebbles 6. Closet you Maxi priest 7. Fairweather Friend Johnny Gill 8. Us men Vogue 9.1 Nalee 10.the booming system la Cool j Rock a tracks last weeks listing 1. Suicide blonde inns 2. Days Uke these Asia 3. Boyser Tough bad company 4. A night on the town Bruce Hornsby 8. The Range 5.type�?living Colour a a 6. Mansion on the Hia Neil Young amp crazy Horae 7. Cant get snuff a Winger Byoung lust Bryan Adams 9. While my guitar gently weeps the Jett Healey band 10. Live it up Reo Speed Wagon a compiled billboard Page 16 the stars and stripes wednesday september 26,1990
