For me, this is one of those albums that I will absolutely never tire of. So you didn't think a white boy could sing passionate stately soul music with the best of 'em? Well, you're sadly mistaken. George Michael is an incredibly-underrated singer and musician and he tapped something special when he pieced this fine work together. It was a six-year wait between his greatly-underappreciated 'Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1' and this album, and when it finally dropped there was a lot of skepticism going around about whether he could still deliver. But, the fact is, Michael is a truly gifted singer and musician, who has only grown better and better over time. The songs all have a clear sound and a nice emotional feel, whether it is a slower song or a laid-back groove. The music holds down a nice neutral ground between R&B, jazz, and dance, and he shows true mastery of everything.

There is no doubt that this is his most deeply personal and heartfelt songwriting here. Most of the songs are ballads or soft, mid-tempo numbers and Michael pours every bit of emotion he can surmise into these songs. The most somber song on the album is the opening track 'Jesus to a Child', a quiet reflection on love lost and the painful day-by-day struggle to come to grips with it. Interestingly enough, it was chosen as the first single. 'Fastlove' is a bouncy disco number about getting hot and bothered with a girl and getting her in bed for a quickie just for the sake of it (well, that's the vibe I got from it, whoever he wants to get into bed with is his business, na'mean?). The title track 'Older' is a nice, melancholy number that serves as the album's theme - letting go, moving on, and growing older, as the title suggests. The next song 'Spinning the Wheel' is one I've recently re-discovered due to some relationship troubles I've been going through. The way he words and phrases this number is just perfect to me. Just listen to it. The instrumentation on the song is excellent as well, with a complete horn section over the midtempo percussion and keyboards, it is effortlessly funky, but clean and polished enough to flow well with the album. Next comes one of my favorite songs 'It Doesn't Really Matter', another song coping with the pain of losing your one and only love. With its sparse percussion and organ playing, this is the kind of song I'd like to hear in an after-hours jazz club, going down hard with a shot of whiskey. It has such a laid-back feel and relaxed aura that I wouldn't be surprised if Michael recorded the song while reclining on a couch (something Marvin Gaye was known for doing to create a relaxed atmosphere in the recording studio). The same goes for 'To Be Forgiven' and 'Move On' both songs that concern repentence and redemption, and feature jazz-like instrumentation that border closely on easy listening of the Sinatra standard, except that Michael's voice has so much soul, it stands on it's own. And, in spite of the dour subject matter, both songs (particularly 'Move On') are such catchy, finger-snapping grooves in the basslines and jazzy horn interjections, they could appeal to just about anyone and any mood. Finally, there is 'You Have Been Loved' which basically closes the album and it is one of the most beautifully-written songs on the entire album. I don't know how to explain it except to say that it touches the soul, no matter how ravaged you may feel inside because of the pain of life, there is relief. And there is healing. That's the note this album concludes on: Healing of the mind, body and soul.

This album, as well as 'Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1', really opened my eyes to this man's range as a writer, singer, and musician and how much he'd matured musically and grown as an artist since the sex-filled youthful energy of his late '80s work (which I was never a big fan of). Much to my dismay, 'Older' was not well-received by critics or much of the public in the United States when it was first released for reasons I'm not really sure of (aren't most critics arrogant snobs anyways?). Eventually, though, time serves great art. And, the more time goes by, the more this work stands on its own. It's style, class and elegance is something sorely-missing from a lot of singers nowadays. This is by far Michael's best album ever.

George Michael had two hit albums under his belt by 1990, but then had to take six years out the game due to record label drama. This 1996 comeback is, for my money, the best George ever sounded. This proves George is a legit artist, he vibes like one of them ole 70s cats, frequently playing every instrument on his jams and also bringing a nice variety of jazz, soul, funk, and dance to the mix. This is a very mature & intelligent set, and you can connect with GM on a lot of these tracks with his emotions and the pain & doubts he's going through. `Jesus' is a deep, deep cut, `Fast Love' and `Spinning The Wheel' are awesome floor movers, and the title track rides an eerie sax groove. `Move On' sounds like it came from a cool jazz café jam & uses a wicked hook, `Star People' is not only funky but a hilarious dis of the celebrity people, man all the material here is so strong. The production & arrangement is real impressive, George brings a dark, moody atmosphere to `Older' and this has to be his best effort. Recommended for people into soul, jazz, funk, etc, you might enjoy this.

It took six years for George Michael to release his follow-up to 1990's brilliant-yet-misunderstood LISTEN WITHOUT PREJUDICE and to say that this album was highly anticipated by Michael's loyal fan base is a grave understatement. When OLDER (Michael's one and only release on the Dreamworks label in the US) did finally hit stores, it was met with an extremely mixed reaction among fans and critics. The album was successful, hitting #6 in the US and #1 in the UK, and selling a few million copies worldwide, but it still divides listeners almost evenly to this day. There are many who consider the album to be a mature, adult pop recording, while an almost equal number tend to view the disc as a pompous, bloated ego-trip from an undeniably talented musician who takes himself way too seriously. When listening to the album objectionably, it seems that both groups are right - Older is both an complex album of musical mastery AND a somewhat misguided attempt by a gifted pop star trying too hard to make a "serious" recording.

George Michael is an artist who has never received his proper due from music critics or the general public, and I can understand why he would make such a obvious stab for artistic respect. As a result, OLDER is an almost joyless recording, with two brilliant dance cuts "Fast Love" (#7 US, #1 UK) and "Star People" (#2 UK) thrown in to round things out. That would not be a problem if the record was as musically engaging from beginning to end as it is on a handful of tracks. The jazzy ballads "Jesus to a Child" (#6 US, #1 UK), "You Have Been Loved" (#2 UK), and the title track (#2 UK) are three of Michael's loveliest compositions, and if the rest of the album was as strong as the these tracks, then maybe the album really would have finally earned Michael the respect he deserves. Unfortunately, none of the remaining songs have melodies that truly stand out, which leaves the record sounding somewhat samey and occasionally dull. It always sounds good and professional, but isn't always memorable. As it is, OLDER is a good record, but not a masterpiece.

Older is one of the best albums from the 1990's in my opinion. It was a long wait since his last album in 1990, but this fan wasn't disapointed. The death of his lover caused George to reevaulate his life, and this deeply introspective album is very dark and depressing, but it's truly beautiful in its own ways. His words come from wisdom and experience, you can feel his pain in each song. There wasn't a song that didn't resonate in my soul when listening to this album, even to this day. The album is very jazzy in a sense, and there isn't much uptempo material other than the hit Fastlove, and another single from the album, Star People.

The songs are so beautifully written, and sung with every bit of passion and emotion that sits in his soul. He poured himself into this album, and its truly remarkable. Songs like Jesus to a Child will stand as classics forever. Other truly great songs here are It Doesnt Really Matter, You Have Been Loved, and Older, only not a filler track is to be found anywhere on this collection.

This album is perfect when you are feeling sad, and want to understand yourself. Just turn out the lights, sit by the fire, have a glass of wine and enjoy this truly compelling collection of material, its his best yet.

George Michael's last album of original material, "Older", is his most stylized and sophisticated effort. The songs continue much in the vein of "Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. I" but with an added element of gentleness. Most of this album consists of ballads or soft, mid-tempo numbers and Michael delivers his most delicate singing here. The music bounces between R&B, jazz, and dance, with some exotic middle eastern melodies and languid saxophone solos mixed in here-and-there that work well. Much of the album also features busy yet feather-like percussion that keeps it from drifting into "boring ballad" land. Michael plays much of the instrumentation himself and proves to be a fine musician & arranger.

This album is a bit of a rarity in a way; many of the songs have a gentle, slow feeling but the sound as a whole is so stylish and graceful that the album doesn't put you to sleep. This album contains none of the sex-filled, youthful energy found on his first album (except for the catchy disco song "Fastlove"), but rather, as the title explains, showcases the work of an artist who is indeed getting older (and better). Singers of the world beware of this album, this man has got style & skill to spare.