Hug Me Baby

About 11 years ago I moved into a flat with my then girlfriend (who has since become my wife). There are many arduous tasks associated with starting up a home-particularly when you've only been dating for six weeks (yes I know)-but few things cause as much strife as the "merging the record collections". Do you write your name on them all in case it doesn't work out, and she tries to do a runner with your cherished copy of Head Hands & Feet's Old Soldiers Never Die ? What order do you put them in -alphabetical, chronological, order of preference? Whichever one you choose it's likely to be wrong. In the end I just put all of Trish's CDs (she's too young to get records) in a rack on their own-mainly because I thought they were bloody awful- an over abundance of Take That & compilations with Rubik's cubes on the front. And every one of these compilations had one thing in common-Wham! would inevitably feature on all of them.

I didn't like Wham! In my defence there was no earthly reason why I should-as a 12 year old I liked Iron Maiden & Van Halen-bands for teenage males with raging hormones. Wham! were a group for girls-no man could be seen wondering around with a copy of Make It Big, with its Voguesque cover and those hairdos. As I progressed into my twenties and thirties I still didn't get the "George Michael is a genius" claims from girlfriends, popsters-even my Father In Law. Yes he had a nice voice but he was no more a songwriting genius than Gary Barlow (and don't get me started on him.....) But when I saw a copy of Make It Big in my local charity shop for a pound yesterday I felt it only fair that I should go back and listen without prejudice.....

It doesn't start well. I've always hated Wake Me Up Before You Go Go- the line "don't leave me hanging on like a yo-yo " is right up there with Duran Duran's "you're about as easy as a nuclear war" when it comes to terrible lyrics. And there was the video too-those bloody Choose Life T-Shirts and enough hair lacquer to single handedly destroy the ozone layer...Even as I approach 45, it still brings me out in hives.

And I've never liked. Careless Whisper either-mainly because of the saxophone, which sounds like it's been airbrushed to within an inch of its life. And there's the "literal" storytelling video, which like so many 1980s videos now seems surplus to requirements. A standard it may be, but it's one that still had me reaching for the mute button.

Thankfully things do get a lot better. One thing you could never accuse George of is having poor taste in covers. When I discovered The Isley Brothers 3+3 about 25 years ago I knew I had heard If You Were There before-and George's vocal is up there with the Isleys-sweet and heavenly.

The 12 year old me would die if he heard me saying this-but Freedom is a fantastic pop single-nostalgic yes but a smashing attempt to recreate the joy of 60s pop. George's vocal is fantastic-tender, soulful and the refrain "hug me baby" could have come from any Motown 45 you care to mention......

But if Make It Big has a crowning glory it is Everything She Wants-the tale of a man stuck in a bad relationship where he appears to be doing all of the work and getting no thanks. "If my best isn't good enough than how can it be good enough for two"....I've been there, and I suspect you have too. Slung away on the B-Side of Last Christmas-it may be the one performance in George Michael's career that can be labelled "genius". https://youtu.be/Yf_Lwe6p-Cg So...is Make It Big likely to rival Get Happy!! As my favourite album soon? No. But it has taught me that George Michael was a talented songwriter & performer, with a magnificent soulful voice. So much better than Gary Barlow. And a finer human being too. Thanks George-rest in peace.

Top 50 Best Debut Albums List

So it's list time again-& this time it does contain more than a few that I did experience at the time of release! Of course-seeing lots of other lists posted by my fellow twits have convinced me that this list may already be out of date! Still-it's set in stone now......


1) Searching For The Young Soul Rebels- Dexys Midnight Runners
2) The Lexicon Of Love - ABC
3) New Boots & Panties! -Ian Dury
4) The Kick Inside - Kate Bush
5) Bellybutton - Jellyfish
6) Anymore For Anymore - Ronnie Lane & Slim Chance
7) Can't Buy A Thrill - Steely Dan
8) The La's - The La's
9) The Nightfly - Donald Fagen
10) If I. Could Only Remember My Name - David Crosby
11) Are You Experienced - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
12) Blue Lines - Massive Attack
13) The Guilded Palace Of Sin - The Flying Burrito Brothers
14) Murmur- REM
15) Specials - Specials
16) Rickie Lee Jones - Rickie Lee Jones
17) The Clash - The Clash
18) The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
19) Roxy Music - Roxy Music
20)  A Walk Across The Rooftops -Blue Nile
21)  3 Feet High & Rising - De La Soul
22) I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight - Richard & Linda Thompson
23)  I Just Can't Stop It - The Beat
24) High Land,Hard Rain - Aztec Camera
25) Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
26) Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
27) My Aim Is True - Elvis Costello
28) In The Court Of The Crimson King (an observation by..) - King Crimson
29)  Ramones - Ramones
30) Psychocandy - The Jesus & Mary Chain
31) Just As I Am - Bill Withers
32) GP - Gram Parsons
33) Swoon - Prefab Sprout
34) Copper Blue - Sugar
35) Crosby Stills & Nash - Crosby Stills & Nash
36) The Smiths - The Smiths
37) Five Leaves Left - Nick Drake
38) The Undertones - The Undertones
39) Down By The Jetty - Dr Feelgood
40) Pretenders - Pretenders
41) Randy  Newman - Randy Newman
42) Suede - Suede
43) Trio - Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris
44) Van Halen - Van Halen
45) Never Mind The Bollocks - Sex Pistols
46) Heartbreaker - Ryan Adams
47) Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman
48) Seasons Of My Soul - Rumer
49) Whatever - Aimee Mann
50) I Trawl The Megahertz - Paddy McAloon

And that's it .....til the next one........

That 70s album list......

along with many of my fellow twits-I took it upon myself to do a list of 70s albums recently. As a 41 year old, most of these were not experienced at the time of release-with the exception of the no1!

Of course it will be all different next week...
#70sAlbumsMJS
1)Parallel Lines-Blondie
2)This Years Model-Elvis Costello
3)Darkness On The Edge Of Town-Bruce Springsteen
4)Hunky Dory-David Bowie
5)For Your Pleasure-Roxy Music
6)New Boots & Panties!!-Ian Dury
7)Bless The Weather-John Martyn
8)Rust Never Sleeps-Neil Young & Crazy Horse
9)Sticky Fingers-Rolling Stones
10)Physical Graffiti-Led Zeppelin
11)Good Old Boys-Randy Newman
12) Blood On The Tracks-Bob Dylan
13)London Calling-The Clash
14)Innervisions-Stevie Wonder
15)Tapestry-Carole King
16)The Kick Inside-Kate Bush
17)Who's Next-The Who
18)Born To Run-Bruce Springsteen
19)Court & Spark-Joni Mitchell
20)Fire & Water-Free
21)Anymore For Anymore-Ronnie Lane & Slim Chance
22)Silk Degrees-Boz Scaggs
23)Solid Air-John Martyn
24)Live & Dangerous-Thin Lizzy
25)Labour Of Lust-Nick Lowe
26)A Nods As Good As A Wink..To A Blind Horse-Faces
27)Bridge Over Troubled Water-Simon&Garfunkel
28)After The Goldrush-Neil Young
29)Wish You Were Here-Pink Floyd
30)Can't Buy A Thrill-Steely Dan
31)Exile On Main St-Rolling Stones
32)Live At Carnegie Hall-Bill Withers
33)Sail Away-Randy Newman
34)If I Could only Remember My Name-David Crosby
35) Exciteable Boy - Warren Zevon
36)Rock Of Ages-The Band
37)Every Picture Tells A Story-Rod Stewart
38)Small Change-Tom Waits
39)It's Alive-The Ramones
40)Specials-The Specials
41)It's Too Late To Stop Now-Van Morrison
42)All Things Must Pass-George Harrison
43)Station To Station-David Bowie
44)At Filmore West-King Curtis
45)Late For The Sky-Jackson Browne
46)Dixie Chicken-Little Feat
47)Rickie Lee Jones-Rickie Lee Jones
48) Pretzel Logic-Steely Dan
49) All Mod Cons-The Jam
50)Abandoned Luncheonette-Hall & Oates