Arguablythe polar opposite of John Foxx but his death really struck me Firstly I own nothing by him but his songs were a background tapestry to my youth When I caught "Club Tropicana " and "Freedom " on the radio, like Marcel Proust biting into his petite Madeleine*, I was instantly transported back to those good times, The frightening thing he was a contemporary of mine (and a good few others on here I would wager) Despite his reputation for throwaway pop , he had a deeper side too. I bet he's sat round the pool in heaven in his white cossie asking Mr Cohen "Well Len , do you agree that charity is a coat we wear twice a year ?"
Anyway , thanks for the memories George
*As I'm a thicko footie watching type , the board's resident intellectual Membs will probably explain this litrary concept better than me
Never thought I'd ever see Le temps perdu and Club Tropicana uttered in more or less in the same breath, nevertheless
mon ami I was likewise taken much aback by the news of George Michael's passing and am equally flabbergasted given his relatively young age, notwithstanding personal and social excesses of that all-too-short half century.
Both Wham! and Michael as a solo artist have always fallen strongly into the 'guilty pleasure' category, and I admit to having stepped back in amazement on recently discovering I own a copy of 'Ladies and Gentlemen', an anthology of the man's work issued in 1998. That said, it was solid quality pop through and through as far as the late George was concerned and hardly a false step was made (the only exception, perhaps, being a cover version of New Order's True Faith which I admit I have never heard).
The aforementioned Club Tropicana, Everything She Wants, Last Christmas, Careless Whispers .. the list goes on, but I would particularly like to single out 2004's largely unnoticed track 'Shoot the Dog' which not only managed to skilfully sample The Human League ca. 1981, but also launch a protest against the Bush administration and its associates. His most political song since the 'Wham Rap!' debut, inspired and fuelled by the Thatcher regime, and 'the benefit gang' Zeitgeist.
Thank you George. I am sure you always did and always will enjoy what you do. Pity you didn't get a knighthood.
