Can I just say how great this thread is for me at the moment.

3 days a week I'm in a car for 4 hours for work. Can just crank tunes all day. So I'm getting to deep dive on every artist. So much fun.

In my head, Shoot The Dog was similar to Fastlove. On listening to it for the first time in years its more like, I dunno, a New Order song?

Sorry about that Cinty.
I realise I am a bit irregular on calling stuff. I like the thread to be organic and I'm stacked with work and my daily visual project so sometimes have to call things impromptu.

If you ever need a bit of time just shout, I keep track of the thread even if I'm not posting. I held off for Dante and Face before, its no stress.
Goes for anyone, if a few days have gone past but you want another 24 hours just shout.

Like I say, I want this to be about discussion more than awards.

So there have been personal stories in here before and I guess I will go for it.

First of all, I never met George Michael, I wish I had but it was luck (bad luck) more than circumstance that I didnt.

My friend at uni was, I guess you could call related. His mum was in Bananarama and his step dad was Andrew Ridgley. I met his mum a few times, she was great fun, met Andrew at graduation, he was less fun.
George being George he would turn up at my mates shitty student house at uni unannounced like he was your Auntie bringing care packages. For my friend Tom, he was just Uncle George, Tom didnt really even understand fame until first year of uni, he didnt know his mum was famous ffs.

By all accounts from friends, and I mean genuine friends, George was a really great guy, just a nice bloke, he spent time to watch their shit student films and give his input. Just generally supportive and honest.

When he passed my mate was understandably devastated, it really, really hit him. Prior to that he enjoyed his drugs but knocked it on the head massively.
When it all came out about George's generosity I wasnt shocked, neither were my friends, he was always that way. It's a weird thing, I feel a closeness to him beyond other celebs despite never meeting him, it is based on people I love loving him, not the TV him, him him.

Times Daily Quiz today, Q.5:

Whose first UK solo No.1, Sacrifice, features on his 1989 album Sleeping With The Past?

I reckon with another day of this thread I wouldn't have put George Michael.

It's a great song, Also you have been loved and jesus to a child are the standouts.. the rest is dinner party filler really.

Interesting fact about George he favoured the left side of his towards the camera as per the video as he had  a little mole/growth on the otherside.

g.man wrote:

Not by any stretch of the imagination my final answer (which is proving virtually impossible to decide), but damn, as posthumous bangers go, this one is right up there as an all timer...



quite possibly the best thing Nile Rodgers has been involved with too.

g.man

This is fucking huge.

It feels like (and not as good because how can you be) Prince 2.0

Moot_Geeza wrote:

I've listened to Older and it's not my cup of tea.  Wonderful voice and deftly crafted pop songs, but after impassively foot tapping through it I'm happy just to paddle this week.  I'll deep dive when we do Radiohead so I can make a joke about The Bends.

I'll have Fastlove as my pick as the verses are smashing.

Should have started with faith.



Having gone through first 2 albums, I'm certain I'm leaning towards his ballads for my picks.

Very much because they're when he really takes his voice out for a spin.

It really was a special voice. His falsetto is something I hadn't given enough credit to either.

Just amazing. Not quite prince level, but damn. On point.

When he slides through some notes and then switches to falsetto, and it's all so on the money, Woah.

Get the feeling, if he wasn't such a stunner and hadn't come up via wham he could have been a hell of an Al jarreau style contemp jazz guy and absolutely gone ham on crazy vocals.

That's not a lament or criticism either. He's just so good.

I want your sex is less gimmicky and genuinely great than I remember. Especially the full 2 part album version.

Kissing a fool and one more try are stunning on the first.

(can't remember who voted father figure, but it's disqualified - a little - in my mind, like faith and I want your sex, because that breathy vocal is actually frustrating once you go all in on his voice. Even though father figure in particular is absolutely a great tune.)

Anyhoo. Inject this man's vocals directly into my veins.

Also, I think my only request fot next artist is that they're not dead, or at least not semi recently or dead young.

Chris and George back to back has been awesome but tinged with sadness.

(alternatively, let's just do Buckley, Bowie and Prince in a row and wallow.)

I still can't believe that in a world where George Michael exists, Queen replaced Freddie Mercury with Paul Rogers.

Diluted Dante wrote:

I still can't believe that in a world where George Michael exists, Queen replaced Freddie Mercury with Paul Rogers.

Let's be honest though, they have never actually replaced him.

Does anyone remember that Toby Bourke guy George introduced back in ‘97? They did a song together, Waltz Away Dreaming. I found it amazing.

We've done Bjork already Elf.