Faith

On the wrong side of 80's cheesiness for me. I have no interest in albums that fall into that category, and even less interest when they are 51 minutes long.

I don’t even feel guilty about this score. Check my feet for proof.

George Michael came out swinging for the fences on his debut album and hit a grand freaking slam. Faith is so good that it’s pretty hard to believe that it’s a debut album. He wrote the songs, played the instruments and truly produced one of the monumental works of the 1980s.

Listening to George Michael was a death knell for any guy who liked his music. Fortunately for me, I did not enjoy his music when I was young enough to get called names for even suggesting I liked his music. It didn't help that Michael made trouble for himself inside of bathrooms. This is my first listen to Faith, though not my first listen to half of Faith's songs, as they were played constantly on the radio and on MTV. It would have been a shame if Faith was not in this book, not only because of the cultural effect it had, but because this is loaded with excellent songs. This would be a greatest hits album for a lesser artist. And yes, I did not need 9 minutes of I Want Your Sex and another song tacked on at the end of Faith about George Michael wanting my sex. Still, it's hard to get upset when George Michael has such a great voice and the songs match the excellence of the production. The key change before George Michael's vocals kick in on One More Try should be studied as a lesson in how to let the listener know a song means business. I mean, his voice is just incredible on the song. This is a classic and hopefully I don't get bullied for saying that. My favorite tracks: Faith Father Figure One More Try Hand to Mouth Monkey Kissing a Fool

Legendary Pop album full of hits. (Listened to it on Apple Music)

Fairh es la única que vale la pena, las demás malas

Good album! Classic songs and classic artist 😎

The most interesting thing about this album was the person who wrote a review about lizards plotting to destroy humanity by putting sexual lyrics in pop music. Other than that, I feel violated by this album’s presence and apparently I’ll have to listen to him trying to have sex with me again sometime within the next 859 days.

First time listening to the album in full. Such a solid pop album but I expected nothing less from George 3/5

somewhere between Michael Jackson and Phil Collins

Överlag härliga låtar med enstaka som sticker ut. Mycket bra!

love his voice and the vibe of this album, would give this a 3.75 if i could but it feels wrong to give it a four, but i think i should round up bc i do think he deserves it

I like Faith (the song) but the rest of it is pure fluff. Fluffy fluff, coated in a thick excess of cheese and semen.

Maybe it's just because I'm a lesbian, but there's something just so unbelievably unsexy to me about music with a male vocalist. Like he's just trying to damn hard to be sexy in this, but I just find it so boring and a little bit cringey. He's just blabbing on about how horny he is and how much he wants to have sex (I hope not with me), and it's just like ok buddy???? I'm happy for you that you're expressing yourself but please don't get me involved. Even beyond the embarrassing attempt at being sexy, this is just so boring and generic. For someone considered to be so prolific, George Michael is genuinely one of the least interesting artists I have listened to, and I continue to be disappointed by his music every time.

It’s hard to explain my then 15-year old fascination with this album when it came out. Partly MTV (Wham!), partly the cute girl in Spanish class who frequently wore the album cover t-shirt, partly the freedom of working at the 7-11 with some cash in my pocket and access to the “world” and of course a whole lot to do with “that song”. So vibey. So dirty. I played this album in my headphones for a solid 3-months straight. Feelings of nostalgia are frequent with this project making it hard to be objective. As much as I loved this album when it came out after a while I returned to the Cure, Smiths, DM, etc and rarely came back to it. Same is true for most of GMs work - no doubt he made some flashy, some exceptional music but I never wanted to put it on all the time the same way I did with others. On pure nostalgia this is a 5. But overall lands 4. 4/5

Would have been higher just based on Faith and Father Figure alone, but the rest was a bit meh.

хуже этого я ничего не слышал. этот "певец" звучит так, словно записывался под одеялом ночью, чтобы родители не услышали. слушать это скучно, под конец первой же песни уже хочется спать. инструменталы тут полное говно моя оценка: 0/5, надеюсь никогда больше не услышу этот кал.

I can understand completely why this album was as big as it was just sadly the sound was not for me.

Unbelievably horny album with some (pun intended I guess) bangers. I know at some point in my life I’d heard at least part of I Want Your Sex, but had never really heard the lyrics till now. In such a ridiculously horny song with lines like: “Sex is something that we should do Sex is something for me and you Sex is natural, sex is good Not everybody does it But everybody should Sex is natural, sex is fun” the line that follows “Sex is best when it's one on one.” was very funny to me. No threesomes for George Michael, that’s just too far.

very michael jackson. milquetoast sexy fun. enjoyed learning more about george through this

Eh… this album was exactly what I expected.

PERFECT

Really great pop record with some fantastic songs and incredible vocal performances all around.

This one pleases me.

With fairly low expectations, I hit the play button on this album. Only because it was my daily recommendation from the "1,001 albums you need to hear before you die" project. I had heard a few of the songs already; the radio hits. But as the album progressed I was more and more surprised at how much I liked it. This style of pop is not really my thing, but this was surprisingly ok, especially considering I was not expecting to like it at all. It was so ok that I was very much on the fence of calling this "good". The reason I decided to go with "Meh." is because I know that it isn't something I would ever seek out to listen to on my own accord. It was enjoyable enough in the moment (again, surprisingly ok) but I don't know that I'll ever voluntarily go back to it. However, if it ever happens to be on I don't think I'll turn it off either.

George Michael was a mensch. Look up stories about his philanthropy - so well-hidden that the stories only came out after his death. Anyway, I owned this album as a kid when I wasn't too good at English. Looking back, I'm pretty happy my mum didn't understand the lyrics or I wouldn't have been able play it as often as I did. The production is unfortunately dated but the songwriting is impeccable. Hand To Mouth foreshadows Listen Without Prejudice (and the extensive philanthropy work that GM kept hidden); One More Try is a stone-cold classic that pulls no emotional punches; Kissing A Fool is bold work for a post-Wham! teen idol with its Cole Porter/Gershwin nods. It doesn't always work. I Want Your Sex just doesn't land. Look at Your Hands suffers from juvenile lyrics. I wasn't a fan of Monkey as a kid and today it isn't as strong as the rest of the album. Faith and Father Figure? Hall of Fame songs. Put them in the Louvre. Anyway, I've not listened to this album in years, but the songwriting (which is 99% George) and the vocals hold up. I can hear this album in Rufus Wainwright and Harry Styles. I hear it in Father John Misty and Chappell Roan. While I've never described myself as a George Michael fan, he was an immensely talented and influential mensch.

This is why I use this site. I was ready to think it would be gay and Id hate it. Well it was gay but I liked it. The bass is great, the opening organ from the very beginning is epic. I love the electric piano, drum machine and bass that come together to sound like suites of unused n64 music. Fantastic album color me surprised.

Favorite track(s): Faith, I Want Your Sex (Parts 1 & 2), Hard Day

2.5. Fun music but nothing I loved. Some iconic songs. Overall good album

1. ooooh i wanna have sexy sex with you honeyyy 2. ooooh i wanna have sexy sex with you honeyyy 3. ooooh i wanna have sexy sex with you honeyyy 4. ooooh i wanna have sexy sex with you honeyyy 5. ooooh i wanna have sexy sex with you honeyyy 6. ooooh i wanna have sexy sex with you honeyyy 7. ooooh i wanna have sexy sex with you honeyyy 8. ooooh i wanna have sexy sex with you honeyyy 9. ooooh i wanna have sexy sex with you honeyyy 10. ooooh i wanna have sexy sex with you honeyyy The only saving grace is his voice.

Give this One More Try and have Faith you will like this one.

George being all libidious. Crafted songs, not my taste though

I have faith that this album sold as well as it did because George Michael was hot and a great singer. Songs didn't really do it for me. Some great basslines here and there though; I used to play Faith in cover bands all the time as well, and that's a jam.

Huge pop bangers, too many filler ballads

So... he did a Prince album as his debut? Oh, wait a sec, I detect a hint of Talking Heads on one of these songs. But definitely a Prince album.

So many bangers. Loved it.

It was alright, I'd recognized some tracks here and bordered cheesy for me. 3 stars

The hits from this album are better than I remember them being. I have to take away a star for the terrible 80s production. 3 stars.

Very good n successful debut solo album.

has so much better albums , I love this guys voice and everything

This is okay but I would listen really showing it all off

pretty good

All the traits of 80s excess with sparse arrangements that makes those sounds really cool. Awesome songs mostly bout good old fashion man fuckin. Liked it. Didn’t love it.

wouldnt let this guy near an elementary school

Classic George Michael, if you like that.

Alright pop music I guess. A couple familiar songs before just stuff I'd never really be in the mood for and easily forgot

I was never a fan of either Wham or George Michael's music. Nothing against him, but the music is really dorky.

What will it take to make you love me? Poor George, struggling to be heard amid the din of Prince, Madonna, Michael, and Janet, forced to shout "have sex with me!" in desperation. I kind of liked Kissing a Fool, however. He could have been great if he'd just toned the whole act down. (After I finished this, I turned on a radio stream and heard Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, and honestly it sounded great in comparison.)

Someone has pointed out in their review that it would have been great to have some of these songs arranged and performed with some of solid groovy bands like the Roots, and I can't get it out of my head now. His vocal is great but the music is mediocre at best.

HUGE album at the time, even people who weren't into WHAM and pop owned this one. You couldn't get away from it, MTV, radio, clubs, everyone was playing these tracks. George was an icon even though he frightened many a hetero man. The tracks stand up pretty well even this many years later. "Faith" (770M listens), "Father Figure" (270M listens), "I Want Your Sex" (34M) and "One More Try" (125M) were everywhere. You still hear all 4 of these on the radio today and not just on the 80's station. "Monkey" & "Kissing A Fool" also got time on the radio and MTV. Outside of those 5-6 tracks, the rest is pretty weak stuff. 3.5 stars for the hits, longevity & instant recognition those songs still have.

Whether you like it or not it's one of those where it's hard to begrudge listening to it - I enjoyed the feelgood aspect and liked it musically too. The fatigue set in with a few tracks left so probably not an artist I'll return to by choice

Smooth soul pop with some neat variety, never really gets unsatisfying and has some nice highs, fun time

The title track is incredible, Father Figure and Kissing a Fool are both great, and the rest of the songs don't really do it for me. I think my expectations were too high for this one, as Faith is my long-rumored karaoke song choice.

A sexy slog

I had faith. I was mistaken.

Good pop record, loaded with hits on top then really thins out

Someone get this horny motherfucker out of my feed.

You need it to make it through this.

There's almost a weird cult around George Michael in the UK (and who knows maybe elsewhere). A generation of Wham fan teeny-boppers who then transitioned into near worship of a perceived tortured and unjustly maligned individual. The Venn diagram between George Michael fans and "Princess Diana was killed by the royal family" conspiracy theorists is essentially a circle and this is nothing more than bloated 80s pop/soul. +1 star for Faith being a party choooooooooooooooon that was absolutely rinsed by Vic & Bob : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__MUf2Qv6_U

Really?

I think he went a bit to far trying to kill the teeny-bopper image of WHAM! to the verge of sleaze. There are a couple fun club songs but most of the music sounds very soulless and computerlike. You can hear the MJ and Prince influences here but they were already doing this and much better

2/5 This guy is super horny.

Mr. Michael had an amazing voice and presence which was highly evident on this wonderful album.

2/5

Much better than a lot of 80s pop music.

Really enjoyed this! Is it dated? Yes. But who doesn't love a throwback 4 ⭐️

Sex.

I understand the appeal of some songs, but find this to be chokingly bad.

Boring

Ugh! How refreshing!!!

Faith is a good song, but this really is not for me. I think I just don’t like it. 1/5

George Michael is almost more interesting to me for his reception history than his music: "the first album by a white solo artist to hit number one on the Billboard Top Black Albums chart" (?!), plus "Careless Whisper" (not on this album, alas) becoming a post-millenial meme

(4/7) started out strong but then faded over time

Nope

Bro has a good voice

Very high 4. If the production wasn’t so genuinely dated this would be in my heavy rotation

So good. Unfortunately the album slows down in the second half but still a great listen.

The campiest camp.

“Faith” is such a cool song but this album gets a little weird later on the A side.

sexy

++: Faith, I Want Your Sex, One More Try, Hard Day, Look at Your Hands, Monkey, Kissing a Fool, A Last Request (I Want Your Sex Part 3) +: Hand to Mouth +-: Father Figure -: Hard Day 8,7/10

2.4/5 - Headfirst into this album, my first impressions are not stellar. An endless stream of godawful, cloyingly romantic lyrics have never been suitable for any moment of my life. Yet, despite enduring this, my experience only worsens as upon opening Spotify I am met with lingerie covered ass in my "now playing" view, in full bloom and full brightness across the righthand third of my screen. This particular jumpscare had no positive effect on today's study session at the public library. All in all, although Michael's voice may be objectively awesome, this album was definitely not to my tastes, and nor was his singing.

As a lower middle class kid in the 80s, I had to be picky if I bought an album, or cassette in most cases. My hard and fast rule was, does the album have 3 or more singles that I liked for me to able to spend my allowance on it. Not many albums passed this test for me at the time. This was one of few albums that passed that test. I listened to this non stop and I have no regrets. Now relistening to this many decades later, it's crazy my conservative parents let me listen to this.. lol. Good going mom/dad, you helped create the liberal you hate now. It's a fantastic album, even after almost 40 years later... Shake that bum, George!

Listening session: september 11th, while getting ready in the morning Listened to before: heard a few songs before Thoughts: some songs are a bit much when it comes to the songwriting, but there’s no denying that George Michael has a really smooth voice Favourite tracks: Faith, One More Try & Father Figure

George Michael is a good singer and all. But these songs aren’t good.

Track 1 is ok but the rest is pretty cringe/boring.

vibes a las historias de ig de tu versión en los 80’s x chat gpt 🥴 no lo terminé, me empachó (9 minutos de I want your sex?!) quizás en otra oportunidad george!

grandes temas, no me volo

I have to admit that the album opener "Faith" is quite a banger that slaps me in the face, however after that there are too many pitfalls with weak sleezy ballads.

This album would not hold up at all if it wasn't for GM's voice. That boy was SANGING, no doubt. The singing brings this up to like a 2.8. FWIW, the album does feel like an inflection point for modern pop, and for that reason I can understand its importance. Highlight: I Want Your Sex

Like it 3/5

sorry i couldnt stand it

I do love the title track, but it disintegrates after that.

This was fine. And I'll never listen to it again.

The title track is my favorite of his. I liked the ambition right up until I Want Your Sex. That was too much ambition.

Faith is a great song and a couple of the others are okay. The rest are not okay.

3/5 - Michael has a fantastic voice, and this album is a real artist's vision, no doubt. Takes huge balls to release "I Want Your Sex" as the lead single in the 80s. I really enjoy about 1/2 this album, but get really bored with the other 1/2. Definitely belongs on the list, but not one I need for repeat listens. Purple Rain fits better for me in the "whoa, that's a lot of 80s sex" album slot.

The two pretty decent and even enjoyable, slow vocal songs couldn’t save this album from its frenetic and repetitive 80s sound.

Sooo many hits on this album. I enjoyed this as a whole much more than a lot of other powerhouse pop albums from the 80s that have appeared on this list. It's not perfect all the way through but it's pretty great.

It’s beyond me how no one thought he was gay when this came out. Also father figure remains creepy to this day.