Patience
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Albums:
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Patience
- Artist: George Michael
- Rating:
- Release Date: May 18, 2004
- Type: Lyrics are included with the album
- Genre: Rock
Review
Almost immediately after he became an international superstar with 1987's Faith, George Michael developed a complex that he was not taken seriously as an artist. He was right -- he wasn't being taken seriously, but at the height of their success, mainstream pop stars rarely are; it's only after they've been around for a while that critics and audiences alike appreciate the craft behind their best work. Elton John and Madonna both are pop icons who earned good reviews after they proved their lasting power, but Michael, for want of a better phrase, didn't have enough patience to wait to be regarded as an artist, not just a pop star. So, he followed Faith with 1990's Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1, whose very title was a plea to skeptics to shed their preconceived notions of him and hear the music anew. At the time, it seemed like this was temporary hiccup, a somber exorcism Michael needed to work through as an artist, but over the years, it's clear that this was the blueprint for his solo career. Not that there have been that many albums since then, of course. Michael took six years to deliver Older, a delay that was initially blamed on a vicious battle with his record company, Sony, but its own successor, Patience, didn't appear for another eight years, a time which not only had no spats with the label but also saw him re-signing to Sony. Those long, long separations between albums suggest that Michael is a painstaking perfectionist in the studio, and Patience sure sounds like the work of a musician who spent every day of those eight years working on these 14 tracks (12 on the U.S. version; the anti-Bush and -Blair "Shoot the Dog" was excised for the American CD, presumably because it would be too controversial, but who knows why the reprise of "Patience" was cut).While there are unifying lyrical and musical themes throughout the album, each track is its own entity, scrubbed, polished, and manicured without regard to how it fits alongside the next. There's an excessive attention to detail to each song, and that tunnel vision means each song runs about a minute or two longer than it should, which ultimately makes Patience seems twice as long as its actual running time. That's unfortunate because the core of the album is quite good: it's hard not to admire his studiocraft, there's a starkly confessional streak in his writing that's disarmingly direct, and, as an album, it balances the moody ballads and sleek neo-disco better than Older, feeling much brighter than that claustrophobic affair. If there's a lack of incessantly catchy hooks or undeniable rhythms -- in other words, singles as indelible as those on Faith, or even Listen Without Prejudice -- that feels like a conscious decision by Michael, as if any concession to chart-bound pop would cheapen his music and diminish his chances of being taken seriously. They would have lightened the mood of the decidedly somber and portentous Patience, which is clearly not what Michael wants, since by stretching out each song and burying his hooks beneath the album's shiny surfaces and preponderance of mid-tempos, he's forcing listeners to work to understand his intentions. For some fans, it's worth the effort, particularly since it's his best album since Listen Without Prejudice (not saying much since it's only his second album of original material since then), but it's hard not to hear it and think that Michael's ultimate ambitions would be better served if he tightened up and lightened up just a little bit. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
| Patience (2001 Album by Patience Moore) | |
| Patience (2005 Album by Dancing Dogs) |
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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Patience (George Michael album)
| Patience | ||||
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| Studio album by George Michael | ||||
| Released | 18 March 2004 | |||
| Recorded | 2002–04 | |||
| Genre | Pop, dance, soul | |||
| Length | 70:15 (UK) 63:09 (US) |
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| Label | Sony Music Entertainment | |||
| Producer | George Michael | |||
| George Michael chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Patience | ||||
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Patience is a 2004 album by George Michael. The much delayed follow-up to Older, it debuted at #1 on the UK Albums Chart, and at #2 in Australia on 22 March 2004. It is considered Michael's comeback album and became one of the fastest selling albums in the UK, selling over 200,000 copies in the first week. The record reached the top five on most European charts, and peaked at #12 in the US. It sold around ten million copies worldwide, spanning six singles (the first two, "Freeek!" and "Shoot the Dog", were released in 2002 by Polydor, when the album was originally due, and last, "John and Elvis Are Dead", were only sold through the Internet).
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Contents
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1998–2002
Patience was George Michael's first album composed of original material since 1996, and his first for Sony Music Entertainment since 1990's Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1.
His single "Freeek!" was successful in Europe going to #1 in Italy, Spain and Denmark in 2002 and reaching top ten in the UK and top five in Australia. It made 22 charts around the world. However, his next single "Shoot the Dog" proved to be highly controversial when released in July 2002. It was highly critical of George W. Bush and Tony Blair in the leadup to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The video showed a cartoon version of Michael astride a nuclear missile in the Middle East and Tony and Cherie Blair in bed with President Bush. The latter image was apparently intended as a homage to the 1986 video for "Land of Confusion" by Genesis. The cartoon was produced by the makers of 2DTV, a satirical animated television show broadcast weekly on ITV (independent television) in the UK. The song itself was a partial cover of The Human League's 1981 hit, "Love Action (I Believe in Love)", building on instrumental samples from the song and featuring the same rap interlude.
In an interview with MTV, Michael said the song was primarily intended to highlight what he saw as a lack of consultation by Tony Blair about the decision. "People are looking at the song in context of an attack on America, as opposed to an attack on Tony Blair. And really, my attack is that Tony Blair is not involving the British in this issue. He's perfectly happy staying up to watch the World Cup and enjoying the Jubilee (of Queen Elizabeth II), all things I'm perfectly guilty of, but there's a serious discussion about Iraq, which hasn't taken place. We don't know what Saddam Hussein is capable of, the British public has no idea."
"Shoot the Dog" was not released as a single in the US over sensitivity to the 11 September 2001 attacks. While it reached the top five in Spain, Italy and Denmark, it failed to reach the top ten in the UK and its chart performance was disappointing by Michael's career standards.
He has also recorded a version of "The Grave" (written by Don McLean as a protest against the Vietnam war) to emphasise his opposition to the invasion of Iraq. It was released as part of the War Child charity album Hope. Michael performed the song on long-running British chart show Top of the Pops on BBC Television on 7 March 2003, introduced by the writer and stand-up comedian (and fan of George Michael) Ben Elton. It was Michael's first appearance on the show since 1986, when he performed "The Edge of Heaven" as one half of Wham!. He ran into conflict with the show's producers for an anti-war, anti Blair t-shirt worn by some members of his band.
The album also makes great use of samples, for example. "Freeek!" samples "Try Again" by Aaliyah, "Breathe and Stop" by Q-Tip, and "N.T." by Kool & the Gang. "Shoot the Dog" samples the Human League song "Love Action (I Believe In Love)" (it also features the "Gotta get up!" line taken from George's 1996 hit, "Fastlove" but is not credited for the writing credit goes to George already). "Please Send Me Someone (Anselmo's Song)" samples "Moonraker" by John Barry and Hal David. "Flawless (Go to the City)" samples a dance track, originally recorded by The Ones, called "Flawless".
Return to Sony Music and final album
On 17 November 2003, George Michael re-signed with Sony Music Entertainment after a legal battle with the company led to his contract being sold to rival record companies Virgin Records and DreamWorks Records on 14 July 1995. Michael claimed that his contract with Sony was stifling him and was keeping him in "professional slavery".
Michael announced that Patience will be the last record on sale to the public. He told BBC Radio 1 on 10 March 2004 that future music that he puts out will be available for download with fans encouraged to make a donation to charity. He said: "I've been very well remunerated for my talents over the years so I really don't need the public's money. I'd like to have something on the Internet which is a charitable download site where anyone can download my music for free. I'll have my favourite charities up there and people will hopefully donate to that." He stated that the decision will put less pressure to produce a new album every so often and allow him to have more of a private life.
Chart success
The first single off Patience released in 2004, "Amazing", went to #1 in Italy and Spain. The song reached #4 in the UK and #6 in Australia and made 22 different charts.
Patience went on sale in most of the world in late March and debuted at #1 in the UK and #2 in Australia and has sold well in Europe. The album went on sale in the US on 18 May 2004, however it did not contain "Patience Pt. 2" or Michael's scathing anti-Tony Blair song "Shoot the Dog". It debuted in the US at a rather disappointing #29 but after many TV specials such as on The Oprah Winfrey Show the following week it reached its chart peak of #12.
The fourth single, "Flawless (Go to the City)", performed well in the charts reaching top ten on the UK Singles Chart and peaked at #8. It became a huge dance hit, especially in the US reaching #1 on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs.
In November 2004, Sony released a fifth single from Patience: "Round Here". Featuring the album version as the lead track and the album version of "Patience" as the B-side, the only real lure for fans was the video for "Round Here". The single stalled in the UK charts at #32.
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   link |
| BBC | (positive) link |
| Blender | link |
| Entertainment Weekly | (C) link |
| Mojo | (positive)[1] |
| MSN Music |  link |
| Q | [2] |
| Slant Magazine | link |
| Stylus Magazine | D+ link |
| The Guardian | link |
| Uncut | (mixed) link |
Track listing
| UK edition | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length | ||||||
| 1. | "Patience" | George Michael | 2:53 | ||||||
| 2. | "Amazing" | Johnny Douglas, Michael | 4:25 | ||||||
| 3. | "John and Elvis Are Dead" | David Austin, Michael | 4:23 | ||||||
| 4. | "Cars and Trains" | Douglas, Michael | 5:51 | ||||||
| 5. | "Round Here" | Michael | 5:56 | ||||||
| 6. | "Shoot the Dog" | Michael, Philip Oakey, Ian Burden | 5:07 | ||||||
| 7. | "My Mother Had a Brother" | Michael | 6:17 | ||||||
| 8. | "Flawless (Go to the City)" | Michael | 6:51 | ||||||
| 9. | "American Angel" | Ruadhri Cushnan, Niall Flynn, James Jackman, Michael | 4:07 | ||||||
| 10. | "Precious Box" | Michael | 7:39 | ||||||
| 11. | "Please Send Me Someone (Anselmo's Song)" | Michael | 5:26 | ||||||
| 12. | "Freeek! '04" | Cushnan, Flynn, Jackman, Michael | 4:28 | ||||||
| 13. | "Through" | Michael | 5:22 | ||||||
| 14. | "Patience (Reprise)" | Michael | 1:30 | ||||||
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Total length:
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70:15 | ||||||||
| US edition | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length | ||||||
| 1. | "Patience" | George Michael | 2:53 | ||||||
| 2. | "Amazing" | Johnny Douglas, Michael | 4:25 | ||||||
| 3. | "John and Elvis Are Dead" | David Austin, Michael | 4:23 | ||||||
| 4. | "Cars and Trains" | Douglas, Michael | 5:51 | ||||||
| 5. | "Round Here" | Michael | 5:54 | ||||||
| 6. | "My Mother Had a Brother" | Michael | 6:17 | ||||||
| 7. | "Flawless (Go to the City)" | Paul Alexander, Eric Matthew, Michael, Oliver Stumm, Gary Turnier, Nashom Wooden | 6:51 | ||||||
| 8. | "American Angel" | Ruadhri Cushnan, Niall Flynn, James Jackman, Michael | 4:07 | ||||||
| 9. | "Precious Box" | Michael | 7:39 | ||||||
| 10. | "Please Send Me Someone (Anselmo's Song)" | John Barry, Hal David, Michael | 5:26 | ||||||
| 11. | "Freeek! '04" | Ronald Bell, Robert Bell, George Brown, Cushnan, Flynn, Roy Handy, Horne, Jackman, Michael | 4:28 | ||||||
| 12. | "Through" | Michael | 4:55 | ||||||
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Total length:
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63:09 | ||||||||
- An alternative version of "Please Send Me Someone", the B-side to "Flawless (Go to the City)", appears only on Japanese pressings of the album.
Charts and certifications
Chart procession and succession
| Preceded by Call Off the Search by Katie Melua |
UK number one album 27 March 2004 – 2 April 2004 |
Succeeded by Confessions by Usher |
| Preceded by Feels like Home by Norah Jones |
European Top 100 Albums 3–10 April 2004 (2 weeks) |
Succeeded by Anastacia by Anastacia |
| Preceded by Samotność po zmierzchu by Ania |
Polish Albums Chart number-one album 8 – 28 March 2004 (2 weeks) |
Succeeded by Znaki szczególne by Maanam |
| Preceded by The Platinum Collection by Mina |
Italian albums chart 18 March 2004 |
Succeeded by Convivendo parte 1 by Biagio Antonacci |
| Preceded by Feels like Home by Norah Jones |
Swedish Albums Chart number-one album 26 April 2004 |
Succeeded by Baby Dry Your Eye by Marit Bergman |
| Preceded by Swan Lee by Swan Lee |
Danish Albums Chart number-one album 26 March 2004 – 2 March 2004 (2 weeks) |
Succeeded by Anastacia by Anastacia |
| Preceded by Feels like Home by Norah Jones |
Dutch Albums Chart number-one album 3 April 2004 |
Succeeded by Feels like Home by Norah Jones |
References
- ^ Mojo Magazine, Apr 2004, p. 103
- ^ Q Magazine, Apr 2004, p.104
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Peak positions. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ a b Patience – George Michael. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ Longplay-Chartverfolgung. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ Hungarian Albums Chart. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ Irish Albums Chart. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ George Michael albums sales ranking. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ Polish Albums Chart. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ Spanish Albums Chart. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ Top 75 Releases. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ Discos de oro y platino. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ Accreditations. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ Gold & Platin. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ Awards 2004. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ Danish certifications. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ IFPI Awards. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ Certifications Albums Or – année 2004. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ Gold-/Platin-Datenbank. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ Adatbázis. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ Goud/Platina Muziek. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ Top 40 Albums Chart. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ Polish certifications. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ Lista de los titulos mas vendidos del 12.04.04 al 18 April 2004. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ ÅR 2004. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ Awards 2004. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ Certified awards search. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
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