FAITH in the Flesh


Rolling Stone September 1988
By:  David Wild


What would happen if the soul of Marvin Gaye suddenly entered the body of a Chippendale's dancer? Probably something very
much like the often ,dazzling two-hour, wham-bam-thank-maam  love fest that George Michael brought  to Capital Centre, in
Landover, Maryland, on August 6th and 7th, to   open the forty-five-date American  leg of his  Faith world tour.



"This has  been a great year for me, especially in America," Michael confided to the racially mixed,predominant female  audience
after a charged opening of I Want Your Sex," during which the twenty-five-year-old British  pop  vocalist engaged in some
unabashed, crowd pleasing bumping and grinding.  At such moments and there were many-  Michael's American debut as a
solo concert attraction seemed to be as much about the powers of flesh as about the powers of Faith.


"I've seen a few shows recently," Michael told the adoring masses, which included a healthy percentage of mother-daughter teams.
Then, in a potshot that was seemingly aimed at Michael Jackson, the singer said, "And please don't expect to see hundreds of
dancers with me, and don't expect me to disappear and reappear. Because all you're going to get for the next two hours is ... me."


George Michael may not be the most humble of performers. But then again,
what does George Michael have to be humble about? He is, after all, every
bit as phenomenal a talent as he seems to think he is. And if his on-stage
crowd seduction sometimes seems as mannered as his ongoing designer
stubble, he remains a remarkable singer and pop songsmith.



Backed by a supertight, eight-piece fuck-rock unit, featuring Michael's longtime
bassist, Deon Estus-the singer showed no signs of his recent throat surgery,
delivering convincing, soulful versions of some of Wham's finer moments
(Careless Whisper, Im Your Man), most of the multi platinum Faith (including
breathtaking versions of Father Figure and One More Try) and some killer
covers, including Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music."-a particularly pithy
choice for this white boy.  The highlight, though, was A Different Corner, a
moving ballad that provided that Michael doesn't need to strut his stuff in
order to break hearts.