Following the dissolution of Wham!, there was no doubt that its lead singer, George Michael was going to be a solo star, what with "A Different Corner". Sure enough, six singles from this album hit the Top Five, with four #1s, garnering him a Best Album Grammy. It also showed a maturation point for Michael, where adult contemporary radio could play his songs instead of teeny-bopper fare from Wham!

"Faith" became George Michael's first #1 hit, and after its inauspicious church organ beginning to add to the theme title, jumps into a racing skiffle rhythm. Deon Estus, Wham!'s bassist, lends strong support here and other songs. I heard Limp Bucket's rendition and rolled my eyes; they ruined a great song.

"Father Figure" is an effective R&B ballad with gospel-tinged chorus sung by George Michael and Shirley Lewis. Another #1 hit for him.

"I Want Your Sex" got involved into quite a bit of controversy due to the title and the supposedly obscene lyrics. Originally on the Beverly Hills Cop 2 soundtrack, many radio stations here would NOT play this song, yet it peaked at #2 on the Hot Singles Chart. It's another case of "People, read the lyrics. Duh!" On one hand, yes, it's a case of the man begging for it, but another part dwells on the arguments he makes: "It's natural, it's chemical, it's logical, habitual" And a message here is aimed at PMRC types as well as the girl: "What's your definition of dirty, baby? What do you call pornography?" Part I of this song was the single with the thumping funky beat, while Part II-Brass In Love adds layers of piano and brass while maintaining the same melody.

"One More Time" is one of two great ballads. With keyboards giving an eerie atmosphere, say a more poppy "Whiter Shade Of Pale" but without the Bachian motif of the original. Michael really puts the most of his emotional self into this song than any here.

Two non-single songs here show Michael tackling social ills. "Hand To Mouth" soberly tells two stories of lives denied the American dream, someone who finally blows hit top and shoots out at people, the other a woman who has no one to turn to and becomes a prostitute. The criticism of Reaganite America is strong here: "I believe in the arms of America/I believe in the land of the free/But no one told me/that the gods believe in nothing/so with empty hands I pray."

The other, "Look At Your Hands", is on one hand a vengeful slap at a lost lover, but has fallen into an abusive marriage, domestic violence being a theme here.

By the time the anti-drug song "Monkey" came out, Faith had been on the charts for a full year, and the single went to #1. It has a pop-funk beat like "I Want Your Sex" and it's okay but I got the impression that Sony was leaning on Michael as a name. "Hey, it's by him, it'll sell well. Who cares which song it is?"

Now the piano cafe-jazz ballad "Kissing A Fool" is a different story. This was the last single released from this album, and . The recent Michael Buble rendition pales in comparison due to the soaring richness of George Michael's voice. Get the original, people. The sage wisdom of human nature is shown here: "People, you can never change the way they feel/Better let them do what they will/For they will, if you let them."

Part 3 of "I Want Your Sex", titled A Last Request, takes on a more devious tone, as the man waits for "that gin and tonic to go to your head" because in the end, "There's only so much a gentlemen can stand."

A landmark 80's pop album and considering George Michael's later troubles overshadowed his talent, a vital second step for him.

George Michael split from Wham! and released his first solo record, "Faith," in 1987. "Faith" was a massive hit, ultimately selling over 10 millions copies in the United States. Even the Grammys embraced George - awarding him with the coveted Album of the Year for "Faith."

A string of terrific singles followed, starting with "I Want Your Sex," which was also included in the movie "Beverly Hills Cop II." The song was considered pretty racy at the time and ended up being banned by many radio stations; nevertheless, it soared all the way to #2 on the Billboard Top 100. The next single was "Faith," which spent an amazing 4 weeks in #1. Powered by a catchy guitar intro, it's become George's signature song, no doubt aided by the memorable video which focused mostly on his rear.

Three subsequent singles also hit #1. "Father Figure" (2 weeks) and "One More Try" (3 weeks) are both atmospheric ballads; whereas "Monkey" (2 weeks) is perhaps the most danceable song on the CD. The final single was the retro-sounding "Kissing a Fool" (#5), which sounds like it could have been recorded by Frank Sinatra three decades earlier.

Ultimately, 6 of the 9 songs (the 11 tracks include a remix of "Hard Day" and an alternate version of "I Want Your Sex") were released as singles! The three other songs on "Faith" are also solid, and "Hard Day" in particular could easily have been a hit. In sum, "Faith" is first-rate 80s pop that stands up remarkably well. Unfortunately, George initiated a prolonged battle with his record company and changed his artistic direction after "Faith." His subsequent records have been more serious and less successful.

{ INTROLUDE } Year: 1987. Place: US. Everybody, ok... almost everybody, were crazy for Michael Jackson , Prince as still known as Prince, Madonna ( at the time of no black crowes, red geisha costumes, etc. ) and this recently broken-up superduo, Wham ! Everybody, ok... almost everybody, predicted that both George Michael and Andrew what's-his-face would sooner or later vanish from the scene. Well.... they were only half right. Law of averages has it that a cute-looking singer / front man who emerged from a lightweight pop duo, then released his first solo album which certainly was expected by self-proclaimed gurus, critics, etc. to either be something quite like those Wham! days stuffs or something that could be a hit or a flop but for sure, in all cases, would disappear in a short period of time to come. Well... in Michael's case it couldn' t be MORE wrong.... { THE ALBUM } Faith: The representative of Elvis-esque style of music in 80's... Father Figure: The sexy heartfelt, seductive ballad that shows both sensitive, feminine side of Michael and strong influence from American R&B music and, for me for some reason, some kind of Arabian flava too... Monkey: The funkiest number in this album with full extent of utmost satisfaction guaranteed ( For those who like TOO FUNKY, you will for sure LOVE this one )... One More Try: For those skeptics who have reasonable doubts in Michael's vocal talents, listen to his angelic sound of vocals and be enlightened by his stunning crooning talents normally reserved by those Afro-american talents only... Kissing A Fool: Blue-jazz style that you will love singing along. Oh.. by the way, if i' m not mistaken, Michael played bass on his own to this song too... I Want Your Sex: The most UNFAIRLY controversial, state-of-the art R&B song containing verses like " Sex is natural / Sex is good / Not everybody does it / But everybody should..."... Hard Day: Shep Pettibone's Mix with hip hop flava that shows you that you don' t have to be in mid-90's to love hip hop; you could be in mid-80's when Run DMC ruled and still love hip hop by a non-black hip hop talent... Look at Your Hands: Who says you could find great piano / keyboard solo in Billy Joel's or Elton John's only ?; you'll find it right here too. Hand to Mouth: Sarcastic yet intelligent lyrics. Lovely yet not too loud beat. Great, manipulated sound of vocals. Great bridge with great, corresponding keyboard on the background. What more could you ask for? Just be my guest and feel free to dance. { The Final } With more than 5 top 10 hits from only one album on the most prestigious music chart in the planet, namely, Billboard Hot 100 Single Chart, the record set as the first solo male singer whose more than 1 million copies of album in CD format had been sold in US alone, the stunning, WOWs results of Grammy Awards ( using former numbers of categories )and American Music Award, the latter of which included that / those category (ies ) traditionally reserved for Afro-american talents only, this album is like a state-of-art Greatest Hits one. The only main difference is that you don' t have to wait for the record company to compile all songs from several albums by the same artist into one Hits album... Michael, with no doubts, proved that you can create an almost, if not, perfect album herein full of only great numbers only if you are as talented as he was ( is )... And to do so, you don' t have to be aggressive, anti-social, depressed type singing about racism, semitism, hatred, suicidal, etc. either. For those of you who have never listend to songs in this album, chances are you are now in your early teens and / or did not buy Ladies & Gentlemen ( his Hits ) either. I DO RECOMMEND this album for you, if you like quality pop music in 90's you will also at least enjoy some, if not all, songs in this album. Have a nice day of Listening Without Prejudice. Shin H. Piyakulkunakon ( MICHAEL )

When people look back at George Michael's days with Wham!, it is either with disdain or as the beginning of a career in pop music that still shows some promise if the public will just accept it. True, George may have been both the brains & brawn behind Wham!, but he hadn't been accepted as his own man yet. So when he officially went solo in 1986, he set about conquering the world & proving that he wasn't one-half of Wham!, he was George Michael.

FAITH hit the shelves in the summer of 1987 & naturally took the charts & the world by storm. With an album that would eventually spawn 6 top 5 hits (a record not beaten until Janet Jackson did with RHYTHM NATION) & sell 10+ million copies, anyone would be a fool to say George didn't deserve it. The music was catchy & fresh & of course, George was not a bad looker either. While he would soon rebel against the things that he said held him back as an artist, I'm sure during the blockbuster success of FAITH, he wasn't complaining all that much.

The first song to reach the public was the controversial "I Want Your Sex". Featured in the movie BEVERLY HILLS COP II, the video for the song was only shown on MTV after midnight & in the now-AIDS-conscious time that was the 1980s, a song about wanting to have sex was more than a bit daring. George would defend it by saying it was about monogamy. You could see his point, but really the scorching nature of the song would have you believe otherwise. Either way, the song peaked at #2 on the charts, but wouldn't be the last we'd hear of George & FAITH.

The title track was a rockabilly-inspired number that was a far cry from, say, "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go". The change in sound proves that George really did have some more aces up his sleeve than just a dance-floor one. "Faith" topped the charts for 4 weeks & today remains a classic not even blemished by Limp Bizkit's sacrilegious "cover" of it. Three more songs would reach the pop summit: the sultry yet heartfelt "Father Figure" (later sampled by P.M. Dawn on their hit "Looking Through Patient Eyes & even later by LL Cool J on his hit "Father"); the soulful "One More Try" (which actually topped the R&B charts!) & the wonderfully funky "Monkey" (after it was remixed from its rather limp album version by Jam & Lewis).

The remaining songs on the album are equally pointed towards the dance floor with one exception. "Hard Day", "Hand To Mouth" (later covered by Joan Baez, no kidding!) & "Look At Your Hands" were overlooked in all the hoopla surrounding the songs that became hits, but they show the wonderful way George has of getting people to dance. These songs would become bigger club hits than chart singles.

Finally, we have the album's 6th & last top 5 hit, "Kissing A Fool". Probably the best-written song on the album, this jazzy ballad features one of George's best-ever vocal performances & shockingly only reached #5 on the charts. My guess is because it was released more than a year after FAITH first hit the stores, people were starting to grow tired of the album from overexposure. But the song is still an overlooked classic & the title to an equally-underrated romantic comedy.

With a blockbuster album & his face plastered on girls' bedroom walls all over the world, George Michael should have been & was probably rightfully happy with his accomplishments. But I guess George wanted to prove that FAITH only scratched the surface of what he could do. He must have thought the only way to prove to his fans new & old that he was about much more was to break from his past & virtually dismiss any of the adulation he had won courtesy of FAITH.

Unfortunately, George's record label Columbia didn't feel the same way & failed to stand behind his follow-up, 1990's LISTEN WITHOUT PREJUDICE, VOL. 1, as much as they did its predecessor. It would be the beginning of a long stand-off between George & Columbia that would win him his freedom, but alienate his audience. By the time 1996's OLDER came out, George's old fans had moved on to other things & to them, George was a relic of the past. But he hasn't given up, for there has been talk of a new album coming out sometime in 2002. The first single is said to be titled "Freeek", so perhaps George is returning to the winning way he has always had with dance tunes. Until that appears, we'll have an album like FAITH, which is truly a 1980s classic, to both bring back memories & remind us that George Michael is an artist whose talents are not to be underestimated.

A blockbuster album if there ever was one, the level of success that Faith achieved was nothing short of phenomenal. The album shot straight to #1 on the Hot 200, sold over 10 million copies in the US alone, spawned no less than six Top 10 singles on the Hot 100, and even took home the highly-coveted "Album of the Year" Grammy award. The album launched George Michael's solo career, while simultaneously sending him through fame's stratosphere. Writing eight of the nine songs himself (he shares a co-writing credit on "Look at Those Hands"), and producing and arranging the entire disc himself, FAITH is a testament to Michael's undeniable gifts as pop craftsman. More to the point, from start to finish, it's still an amazing record!

The Prince-esque smash "I Want Your Sex" (#2 Pop, #2 Dance, #3 UK Pop) was first heard on the BEVERLY HILLS COP II soundtrack, and created a minor controversy with some conservative groups. They must not have been listening very carefully, however, because the lyrics actually promote adventurous monogamy rather than straight out promiscuity. Either way, the song is as sexy as it is fun, and has a killer groove. The album's fifth single, the almost ridiculously catchy "Monkey" (#1 Pop, #6 R&B, #1 Dance), is similar in spirit, and somehow succeeds at the nearly impossible task of incorporating a meaningful analogy (in this case, the pain of being in love with someone who is a drug addict) into a irresistibly silly pop ditty. Against all odds, it works!

Michael also crafts some more haunting balladry, in the same vein as "Careless Whisper," yet he manages to vary the formula and never rehashes that signature hit. The moody "Father Figure" (#1 Pop, #6 R&B, #3 Adult Contemporary) is possibly one of the most atmospheric pop ballads of the eighties, while the jazzy "Kissing a Fool" ( #5 Pop, #33 R&B, #1 Adult Contemporary) is pure throwback to the big band era of torch singers. My favorite of the disc's ballads, however, is the gorgeous radio-staple "One More Try" (#1 Pop, #2 R&B, #1 Adult Contemporary), with it's beautiful melody and touching-yet-non-cliched lyrics, Michael's cry to a former lover breaks my heart every time I hear it. It is also a prominent vocal showcase for the singer - with it's aching sentiment and soaring chorus, no one can sing this song like George Michael did in 1987.

To my ears, however, the highlight on an album chock full of highlights is the swinging title track (#1 Pop, #5 Adult Contemporary, #2 UK Pop), which plays like a tribute to rockabilly greats like Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, and Elvis Presley, while managing to contribute something new to the genre as well. From Michael's impressively soulful guitar playing to his then-uncharacteristically impassioned vocal, "Faith" is rivaled only by Queen's 1980, Freddie Mercury-penned smash "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" as the best rockabilly recording since the death of Elvis in 1977. It's ironic that, since Elvis, only two Brits have even come close to mastering one of America's defining genres.

Any nine-song album (the other two tracks are a remix of "Hard Day" and a reprise of "I Want Your Sex") that contains six classic singles would be a worthwhile investment even if the remaining three tracks were rubbish. Impressively, Faith's three non-singles are nearly on par with the classic hits. The sputtering "Hand to Mouth" features a slinkily memorable refrain, the terrific "Look at Those Hands" is simmering piano-based rocker that would make Jerry Lee Lewis proud, and the hard-hitting club cut "Hard Day" (#5 Dance) is the type of eighties dance song that many of us miss today. Though not an official single release, "Hard Day" was released as a 12-inch promo and managed to garner a good deal of radio airplay in addition to becoming a big club hit.

Containing a group of sturdily-constructed pop songs, flawlessly performed and arranged with impeccable style, George Michael's FAITH is a pop music classic. Years after it's original release, it remains fresh and appealing, completely untarnished by Michael's personal scandals, his erratic schedule of new material, or the unflappable desire to be taken seriously in his later years. It's a vivid snapshot of an largely underrated artist at the peak of his powers. It does exactly what great music is supposed to do: endure.