George Michael is tweeting for the first time in more than a month, and this time it’s about the worldwide success of Symphonica (Amazon Ad). The new CD with vocals from the Symphonica tour was released this week.
Hi everybody, THANK YOU SO MUCH! Symphonica is at this moment sitting at No.1 in ELEVEN countries!! and it's so nice to be able to savour ..
The reviews for George Michael’s Symphonica are coming in, and most of them are good.
The Daily Mail gives Symphonica 4 out of 5 stars with the following verdict: poignant and polished.
As befits a man of 50, this record is more refined. With elegant strings and horns adding colour without being intrusive, it places the onus firmly on a smooth, expressive voice that is still in magnificent fettle.
The Telegraph gives Symphonica 4 out of 5 stars as well, saying:
An unadventurous set list reworks some of his most thoughtful and sombre songs with a selection of classic covers, all given a lush production gloss by the late Phil Ramone. What lifts it to a higher plane is Michael’s smooth and expressive singing. He has gorgeous tone and timbre and an instinct for when to introduce a breathy intimacy and when to raise the roof.
Michael avoids a number of traps on this album, which was produced by the late Phil Ramone, who also teamed with the singer in 1999 on “Songs From the Last Century.” Michael deserves credit for moving deftly into big band and orchestral territory without in any way trying to imitate the master, Frank Sinatra, or taking on the vocal tics of the many other artists who have turned to American standards as a mid-career tonic. The style and phrasings are all his own, confident and understated, and the sparse arrangements allow ample room for his hypnotic voice to soar. By instinct, he shies way from self-dramatizing vocal pyrotechnics, letting the melodies and lyrics carry the day.
Rolling Stone gives Symphonica 3 out of 5 stars, saying:
Mr. Explore Monogamy lounges it up on “One More Try” and “Praying for Time”; best of all is when he torches up the Wham!-era oldie “A Different Corner,” giving it a touch of autumnal wisdom.
The negative reviews are coming from the U.S., which is not surprising.
Song selection also plagues Michael’s “Symphonica,” which is an unaccountably strange creature — a not-entirely-live collection of covers and little-known originals, many of them drawn from his 1999 release, “Songs From the Last Century.” The last album produced by the legendary Phil Ramone before his death last year, “Symphonica” appears to have undergone more than the standard amount of studio sweetening, with Michael’s 2012 orchestral tour serving as a foundation.
Let’s not get too excited about “Symphonica,” the first new George Michael album in seven years, because the live recording is made up of well-worn material.
Symphonica (Amazon Ad) is released today in the U.K. and tomorrow in the U.S.
Today is the last day of 17 Days of Symphonica. Each day in March, George Michael has been previewing tracks from the forthcoming album. Today’s clip features “Cowboys and Angels,” “Let Her Down Easy,” and “Through.”
Today is Day 16 of 17 Days of Symphonica. The new George Michael CD will be released in the U.K. tomorrow and in the U.S. on Tuesday.
George Michael is celebrating the release of Symphonica (Amazon Ad) by posting a video a day until March 17, 2014.
“One Day to Go” proclaims the clip today, which is again a compilation of previous clips. The songs featured today are “Praying for Time,” “You Have Been Loved,” and “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime.”
“Two Days to Go” is the theme of today’s 17 Days of Symphonica. Unlike the rest of the clips, today’s video is a compilation of previous videos. Today, we see parts of “A Different Corner,” “My Baby Just Cares for Me,” and “John and Elvis Are Dead.”
George Michael’s official site is celebrating the release of Symphonica (Amazon Ad) on March 17. Each day in March until the release date, George Michael will be previewing tracks from the forthcoming album.
