Track Listing

1. Faith
2. Father Figure
3. I Want Your Sex (Parts 1 & 2)
4. One More Try
5. Hard Day
6. Hand To Mouth
7. Look At Your Hands
8. Monkey
9. Kissing A Fool
10. Hard Day (Shep Pettibone Remix)
11. A Last Request (I Want Your Sex) (Part 3)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2328 in Music
• Released on: 2004-11-08
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
"Well I guess it would be nice, if I could touch your body..." Given George Michael's restroom high jinks in early 1998, those words from "Faith" sound pretty funny, but they sounded fresh and exciting blasting out of car radios in 1987. Michael's stunning solo debut (after four years in the lightweight British duo Wham!) sold seven million copies and yielded a plehora of hits. Some of those were among the decade's best pop, including the hiccuping title track, the heartfelt ballad "Father Figure" and the wicked R&B groove of "I Want Your Sex". Unlike so much 1980s treacle, this album hold ups surprisingly well--even if Michael hasn't always done so himself. --Michael Ruby

CD Description
Before Faith George Michael was, to the record buyer, one half (or more) of Wham!, with its trite pop material and sexyteen image. Faith was crafted to establish him as a mature artist and serious lyricist, and it accomplished exactly that. Having had two years in gestation, it sold over 10 million copies and launched Michael's new personal and artistic image. 'I Want Your Sex' was a guaranteed number 1 hit after being widely banned, and was followed by five more hit singles. Although now seeming dated by its club-style production and spoilt by some embarrassing lyrics, it nevertheless marked the emergence of a major pop talent for the 90s.

Customer Reviews

FAITHFUL
I had this album bought for me on tape when I was a young fan. Just had to get it on CD (although still have it on tape)
It is something you will listen to over and over again, when your not listening to any other material of George's.
Any fan will already have this album. If not WHY?? your missing out. Buy it now!!!

Who is Wham ?

Album opener Faith is a 'faith'ful tip of the hat to rockabilly, fading in cleverly with a slow church organ dirge that on closer inspection turns out to be the melody for the chorus of Wham! hit Freedom- a not-so-clandestine message that here is an artist breaking free of the shackles of teen pop stardom.

Second track Father Figure has a similar heartbeat bass line to A Different Corner, establishing a mysterious vibe, while somehow avoiding controversy despite its incestuous/religious allusions.

Bluesy slow-waltz ballad One More Try is a showcase for Michael's pleading vocals, and is in my opinion a distant relative of Aretha's Natural Woman- of course Michael dueted with her on the #1 Knew You Were Waiting; she surely inspired him. The funky Hard Day was a hit on the US Dance Chart, the syncopated Hand To Mouth lent a sceptical eye towards Reagan's trickle-down America, Look At Your Hands is decent 80s pop, Monkey was a pop #1 and dance floor filler despite its incongruent accusatory anti-drug message- and is ironic in light of Mr Michael's recent travails. Kissing A Fool is a gorgeous jazzy period piece lament to a lover lost due to the suggestions of others.

Michael has created some stunning music since this album, but all in all, Faith is the one to get for George Michael at his very best and hungriest, pre record company battles, sex controversies and drug problems. It will be great to see him on stage again!

It has to be his best
It has to be his best. Yes it was early , yes it was a change after Wham and yes with hindsight it means something different. It does deserve to be listened to as a singular piece of recording history in a varied and roundly talented career. Its so listenable to and toe-tappingly great. His voice has a maturity that we could only guess at in his work with Mr Ridgely, and confirms that yes, he was the talent! The best one on the album...well...for me its "One more try". For everyone who has woken at 1.30 am trying to make sense of a relationship this is the one. The inevitability of loss, the yearning for honesty and completeness. He's clearly been through it all. Give this a try, have faith!