Some really good videos in this that were at the top of the charts back in the day. It's unfortunate that George Michael let his health deteriorate and got tied up in scandals after his rise to fame. Skip the first two videos, those are really weird!
3 of 3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Movie Reviews
Great Compilation of Video Classics
Luis Hernandez | New York, New York, USA | 07/28/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The voice of George Michael is probably one of the greatest in music history. Starting with Wham! and later with a successful solo career, Michael's transformation from teenage poster boy to a mature adult singer happened in front of our eyes due to the growth of music videos during the last 20 years.This compilation which covers most of the span of Michael's career makes an excellent addition to any music lover's collection. As a pioneer of sex in music videos, Michael has definately left his mark on the medium. His popularization of fashion models in such videos as "Freedom" and "Too Funky" made many runway models household names. Other videos such as "I Want Your Sex" popularized foreplay without any smut involved at all. The highlights of this DVD collection have to be the videos "Fast Love" and "Outside". "Fast Love" (from his "Older" album) incoporates beautiful color schemes and special effects. "Outside" (his new single off his greatest hits collection) starts out a soft-core German sex film. However, in reality Michael wants the song and video to be a message about sexuality (especially his own's) and the troubles it can lead people to. While many are aware of his 1998 scandal where he was arrested at a public bathroom in Los Angeles due to indecent behavior, Michael actually shows he has no shame of what he did in what I think is one of the most inventive videos made in recent years.The only negative thing here is that with the exception of "Careless Whisper," all of his videos from his Wham! days were not included in this collection. Videos such as "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" and "Everything She Wants" were excellent videos, however it seems that the producers of this video compilation thought differently. Besides the videos, the DVD version contain several live performances on several American and British programs. It was great to see these, because it only shows that Michael's voice is all natural, even in front of a studio audience. I loved this collection, and hope that everyone who purchases this collection will enjoy it as much as I did."
A great collection of videos, lasting almost 2 hours!
Jarrod Miller (jgmiller@pitt.edu) | Pittsburgh, PA, USA | 05/29/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you like George Michael, then you'll love this video. As a side note, it totally eliminates need to buy the George Michael Faith video, as all of those videos are on here too.Since you may not be able to find a track listing, here goes: Outside, Fastlove, Spinning the Wheel, Freedom '90, Killer/Papa Was A Rolling Stone, Too Funky, Faith, I Want Your Sex (mistakingly listed as part 2, it's really part 1), Jesus To A Child, Waltz Away Dreaming, Father Figure, Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me, Kissing A Fool, I Knew You Were Waiting For Me, Somebody To Love, Monkey, One More Try, Star People 97, I Can't Make You Love Me, A Different Corner, You Have Been Loved, Careless Whisper.Most of these videos can be found elsewhere if you're lucky. Exactly half (11 of 22) I have on commercial releases, and others you could simply have copied from MTV. But I've been a lucky fan.A great set of videos from a great musician!"
THAT VOICE! NOW, *THAT* IS TALENT!
Claude Bouchard Jr. | Frederick, MD | 12/14/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"In an industry where good looks and talent don't often go together, it's great to see George have the success he so richly deserves. What a talent! His vocal abilities are mind-blowing --I'm sure I'm not the only guy who wishes he could sing like him!--, his songwriting skills are sharp and insightful, and he knows how to put on a show (on video and on stage). This DVD, with a few exceptions, is a great retrospective of his work so far. From his beginnings as a teen idol (I'm old enough to remember when "Careless Whisper" had the girls swooning) to the more mature and socially-conscious messenger that he is today. Not all the videos work, let's agree that some are boring, but most are superbly entertaining. The first video, "Outside", is a trip indeed and is quite an aural and visual treat. You'll remember that one for a long time!Technically, the DVD is excellent. The images are crisp and the sound is clear and loud. One exception is with "Careless Whisper", which I feel could have been digitally remastered since the video is somewhat grainy compared to the others and the sound is a tad lower on this one. But this is minor and really doesn't detract from this classic song. The bonus BBC interviews and performances are excellent. The interview shows George as a very comfortable-with-himself person with a great sense of humor. Well worth owning."
George Michael's entire career on one disc...
Michael T. Rognlien | Chicago, IL USA | 10/22/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"OK, so maybe not the Wham! days, but those days were (officially) not about George as a solo artist.What remains is a collection of videos from my favorite recording artist ever. The campy bootie-shaking in Faith - the boy in the tophat dancing around in Monkey - the noticeably absent pop singer in "Freedom 90" (one of my favorite songs by him) and the somewhat "out" George in "Jesus to a Child." If you watch closely, you can see the pivotal turning point in which his music becomes more honest, more fresh, and less driven by the need/desire for commercial success. Like Madonna and Michael Jackson, he is a master of video as an art form - often sacrificing self-promoting face time for the rest of the video-making process. Thankfully, he ended his career woes and personal issues and jumped out in front of the camera again to be seen by fans. Not included is one of his most controversial videos - Praying for Time, in which a dispute with then-label Columbia led him to refuse to appear in his videos, replacing himself with text on screen. I wish they'd have included this video as well, as it was one of the most powerful (if unintentional) uses of words on screen to convey the power of the song's lyrics.I've said it before and I'll say it again here - pop music is a hugely underappreciated music form, and this video collection is a great representation of one of the true masters of pop. Indeed a must-have."
The wait is FINALLY over, but where are the Other videos!
Kethmach | Florida, USA | 01/28/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you are a fan and have been keeping an eye out for this DVD, then rejoyce! The wait is over. If you are a True FAN... you not only knew this was coming out but probably saw the ads for it a few months ago. In those ads, it promised the Making of As... nowhere on the Disc! Not only was the US deprived of the duet with Mary J. Blidge, but now the long awaited DVD that can hold HOURS of video... leaves it out! On the whole, this is a GREAT BUY and I would recomend this to ANYBODY who lives good music! This has an interview and two videos that were released only as bonus items on a few of the George imports (singles). If you are looking for a near complete record of GM's hits, then look no farther, if you are looking for Everything he has done(like I was hoping for) keep writing the Record company and lets get AS and Older here for us to view in the states! I love your stuff George! Keep up the fantastic work!"