George Michael wtf? Jesus 2016.

[Alcatraz]

1 hour ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

I saw someone describe Outside as the greatest punk rock single of the 1990s and it's difficult to argue with that assessment. Probably his finest moment.

 

8 year old me used to sing along out loud to this joyously. My mother was too much of a GM fan to tell me otherwise I think

[FloorFiller]

3 minutes ago, Alcatraz said:

8 year old me used to sing along out loud to this joyously. My mother was too much of a GM fan to tell me otherwise I think

yep i'm pretty sure i was the same, and then rediscovered it over a decade later when i realised it's perfectly okay to be a George Michael fan 

[mjsell]

My favourite thing is his ability to not take himself seriously at all. Like someone said the way he handled those 'scandals' must have really pissed off those that were hoping to destroy him wth them.

The two sketches he appears in with James corden and Ricky Gervais (Comic Relief and Extras) just goes to show his ability to make a joke of his own public image. 

[russycarps]

23 minutes ago, Zac Quinn said:

Maybe it wasn't quite so effective if you're old enough to remember his creative peak but certainly among my peer group (21 ish) the tabloids did a fine job of ensuring he was best known for the drug escapades and the car crash and the tabloid sting with the undercover policeman and anonymous sex in Hampstead Heath and all the rest of it  the negativity was particularly vociferous - homophobic, even - when he became a leading critic of the Iraq war, indeed his quote expressing frustration about that from a few years ago has been doing the rounds to ridicule those same papers now putting out front pages mourning him. 

when it came up he died my girlfriend's first comment was "oh that'll be the drugs" not "oh but he was such a gifted songwriter what a shame", that says a lot. And just look at some of the language being used to describe him in the last few days, 'troubled' etc. Yes he was open about having depression but they still wouldn't be speaking about him in those terms if the tabloids hadn't normalised the idea that he'd gone off the rails. V v sad

Cheers, it's very interesting to hear the perspective of other generations on this sort of thing. To me he was always a pop superstar first and all the other stuff was just a footnote. I guess for you it's completely the other way around.

Very sad as you say, especially now it's emerging just how decent a human being he was, what with his political views and charitable endeavours etc

[FloorFiller]

13 minutes ago, mjsell said:

The two sketches he appears in with James corden and Ricky Gervais (Comic Relief and Extras) just goes to show his ability to make a joke of his own public image. 

his bit in Extras was genius

'how'd you know he's here?'

'a joint, and a kebab'

[Rose-Colored Boy]

1 minute ago, russycarps said:

Cheers, it's very interesting to hear the perspective of other generations on this sort of thing. To me he was always a pop superstar first and all the other stuff was just a footnote. I guess for you it's completely the other way around.

Very sad as you say, especially now it's emerging just how decent a human being he was, what with his political views and charitable endeavours etc

I'm full of admiration for him hearing all these stories but I can't help wondering how different his public image would have been if he hadn't insisted on being so private about it all  but then that in turn is obviously admirable in that it suggests he prioritised leading his life how he wanted to and not caring about all the rubbish

[FuzzyDunlop]

Im was 14 and at High School when George Michaels controversy hit. When he was outed. My generation seem to like his tunes, but ridicule him.

I always thought he was great, but thats because of my mum.

My mums favourite act as a young un was Gladys Knight. In the 80's it was Prince & George Michael...

She played this constantly when I lived at home. No doubt its been on over the last 2 days

 

 

[siweltrebor]

Bowie and Prince hit me hard, my girlfriend has cried a couple of times in the last couple of days of George. I always thought we might see him show up in the Legend spot at Glastonbury and would have loved to have seen him, seems like he did some nice gestures with his considerable wealth and it's telling that he didn't want any praise for such actions and preferred to be completely out of the limelight if possible, seemed to have his demons throughout his life which is a shame.

It's why I got so angry on facebook on xmas day. I only just heard the news and all I could see on the wall aside from xmas posts and the usual were just people with no class or self control trying to get in first with the puns and the jokes around his songs, his death and xmas. Absolutely disgusting. Not all my friends, not even many of my friends, but a couple who well should know better, they expect people to treat them a certain way then think it's ok to behave in such a manner is beyond me.

Edited December 28, 2016 by siweltrebor

[kalifire]

Weird how hard this has hit me, really. I suppose that sometimes you just don't appreciate how intricately somebody's music has been with you through your life, even if you don't count yourself as s particularly massive fan (though in this case I would happily say I enjoy his output). 

Was listening to Elton John's Hyde Park set from earlier this year in the car earlier today on R2 and he dedicated Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me to George. It was a very average version and it became abundantly clear just how much GM carries that classic duet from back in the day. I was struggling to keep it together as we drove. 

It dawned on me how much the man wasn't just a singer. He was a tour de force, owning almost every song he turned his voice to. He was quite something. It pains me to know I'll never get the chance to hear him live now. 

[eastynh]

George Michael was fekkin fantastic.

[Winslow Leach]

I second all the George Michael love. The songs are great, he was clearly a very generous guy, he really took the "being publicly outed against his will" bull by the horns and apparently he was a member of the Young Communist League.

 

[maelzoid]

I think he was brilliant. The young man rock snob I was wouldn't allow me to get really into him, although I liked some of Wham!'s stuff (I'm your man) and have fond memories of listening to Faith in the car as my Mum drove us to Cirencester.

Fortunately I got over that and discovered his music properly. Faith is still a classic album, but my favourite is Patience which is incredible on so many levels and really hasn't got the reputation it deserves. The singing and songwriting have always been praised, but I think he never got his dues as a producer. All of his records sound incredible. Patience especially has so much going on sonically, all these tiny details in tracks like Shoot The Dog, Flawless and Precious Box make it great headphones music.

Regretfully I never saw him live, and without question he would have dominated the pyramid stage either on a Sunday afternoon or as a headliner, just like he dominated the Freddie concert or many other stages he guested upon.

[H.M.V]

I remember as a kid asking for the wham album for my birthday. It always makes me realise how much of an asshole my old man was when he arrived back with the fucking Thompson Twins. Like wtaf. 

Suffice it to say I was not happy and there were tears. I got that tape the next day. (For the young uns online tapes came after records and before CDs but thankfully died a death strangled in their own tape)

On another note, George was the ultimate all time fucking legend when he got caught in the lavs and then turned it around with the ultimate of ultimate fuck you with Outside and video. Wow. That's pure fucking class and cahonnies. 

But my personal favourite song which I was only watching a week before cos even now the video is slick as a formula 1 tyre is Freedom 90. Never got tired of that sound although it was played to death. 

So sad that another icon from my youth is gone and no chance of ever seeing them rock the stage. 

[trevethin]

Far too young to go.  RIP x

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

I used to dance my little cotton socks off the Freedom '90 in my younger days. One of very few songs that I've ever heard where I could go in to my own little world while dancing to them and not feel any self consciousness.

[bamber]

This was always my favorite, listened to this a LOT after my first big breakup. Still gets me now all these years later. Good to see many recognizing the talent here. Seeing through the bullshit is something I wish more people in the world could do.

 

[maelzoid]

So, I guess Andy Kershaw's a twat, then?!

Frivolous, Glib and Fleeting:

 

[stuartbert two hats]

2 hours ago, maelzoid said:

So, I guess Andy Kershaw's a twat, then?!

Frivolous, Glib and Fleeting:

 

What's Kershaw done?

[CaledonianGonzo]

 

[Rose-Colored Boy]

Seem a really random bunch of names he's plucked out of thin air to back up his 'point'? Doubt most people in this country have even heard of Robert Johnson. Fair play to him for at least sticking to his guns rather than joining in The S*n's attempts at pretending they never threw all that bile at George, though, I suppose. And he does have a point in general terms re lots of cultural figures being held in higher esteeem after their death than when they were alive, it's just a poor show to make said point regarding someone who absolutely doesn't come into that category. Same with Katie Hopkins and Carrie Fisher. No need.

Edited December 29, 2016 by Zac Quinn

[Alex DeLarge]

3 hours ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

[giantkatestacks]

I made the mistake of lookng at some of the comments on one of the global online news feeds about GM. It was incredibly homophobic. Shockingly so. And all the shit like 'Trump is already killing off the liberal musicians'. What is wrong with these people?

[fatyeti24]

6 hours ago, stuartbert two hats said:

What's Kershaw done?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1580641/BBC-radio-DJ-Andy-Kershaw-back-in-prison.html