Patience

I don't think the genius of this album is quite understood by most people. George makes it as personal as it gets as this farewell album compiles his public image, polemics, what he stands for politically, social injustices, depression, family background, relationships and sex. Everything is packed in this long awaited album (hence the title) with a fresh production that matches his well stablished sophisticated pop. This project could've been cut a few tracks shorter but nothing ends up ... read more

George was in his 40s here and you can tell that, there’s a level of maturity on these songs that sure tell you that he’s aged and it’s wonderful but there’s also this playfulness that keeps the record young and fresh, it’s a great farewell record.

Highlights: Freeek! '04, Shoot the Dog & Amazing.

Marking George’s return to Sony, his songwriting and sonics show clear signs of maturity from start to finish. The track list is an indicator that he wasn’t quite done as a perfectionist just yet, with songs such as Through, Precious Box, Cars and Trains, and My Mother Had A Brother showcasing impressive songwriting and ambitious soundscapes which are seldom talked about by most.

This project also contains plenty of digestible pop hits such as Amazing and Flawless (Go To The City) ... read more

The thing about George Michael is that he has a beautiful voice and a good musical taste, the production and arrangement quality on his albums is very good, yet, very often something is missing that would elevate these songs to true greatness.
On this album the ballads are nice, but tend to become boring after a while. The uptempo songs are fun and catchy, but all sound a bit like generic gay club dance music. Not a bad album altogether, but not great either.