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Music from the Edge of Heaven  Performed by Wham! Rated 4.0/5.0, based on 25 reviews. Buy from Amazon:
New price: $25.98
Used price: $3.49 |
Reviews The demise of Wham!
Rating: 5/5
George Michael and his partner Andrew Ridgeley had hit large chunks of paydirt in 1984 and '85 with their sophomore album MAKE IT BIG. I remember buying this LP back in 1986 when this album was released. The cover(front and back) and the label were weirdly conceived. First of all,there is no side one and side two. Instead,the first side was labeled "HOT SIDE" and the second side was labeled "COOL SIDE". The front cover,a red-orange-yellow spectrum,lacked information without the removable sticker affixed in the pressing plants. The back cover,a green-blue-purple spectrum was intentionally wordless. The only permanently printed info was the artist,title,label and designation number on the spine. Now for the songs:the title track(the last four words only) features superstar Elton John playing his Yamaha piano(or was it his electric Roland?). BATTLESTATIONS is a tadbit funky,featuring a sexy,hooker-like beauty with a velvety voice and a childish giggle. I'M YOUR MAN was first released as a single in the fall of 1985. WHAM RAP '86 is technically,a re-release of WHAM RAP from 1983's FANTASTIC. A DIFFERENT CORNER is a nice,easy listening piece. BLUE is a live piece derived from a China concert. Michael admitted at the beginning of the track that was very personal to him. WHERE DID YOUR HEART GO? is the only track on the album that was not composed by Michael. Then,there's the previously released LAST CHRISTMAS which was played by many radio stations worldwide every Christmas season since 1984. Michael and Ridgeley mutually decided to call it quits with Wham! in '86,but remained friends. The pair moved on to solo careers,Michael with his '87 Grammy-winning debut FAITH followed by LISTEN WITHOUT PREJUDICE in '90(both released on Columbia). Ridgeley released his solo debut in '90 also. Good
Rating: 3/5
I wanted to listen to something different. I am typically bopping my head to the tunes of R&B, but I am familiar with George Michael and heard he used to be one-half of a group called "Wham!", so I was interested in taking a listen. "Music From the Edge of Heaven" is a solid album. George Michael has a great voice, and he obviously knows his vocal limits and doesn't try to exceed them, so, for that, he should be commended. I particularly enjoyed the live instruments on the songs. Today's music is done inside of a studio most of the time, so it is a treat to revert to a time when live instrumentation was still en vogue. The lyrics on this album are OK, but, for a writer such as myself, I wasn't impressed.
The album begins with the title track. The song is very upbeat; it will have you dancing in your seat or the dance floor. Notable are the guitar and drumming arrangements, I was very entertained throughout the duration of this song! "Battlestations" is another good song with a great beat. Michael does a nice job with the vocals. Pay close attention to the drumming on this track, it's awesome! "Last Christmas" is definitely an album highlight, kind of sad, though. This song is about being tired of having your heart broken, so this Christmas you are going to take your time and really find someone special, so you can avoid the heartache love can bring. I assume WHAM wanted to do something different on "Wham Rap `86" because here, you find George Michael really attempting to rap! He doesn't sound bad, ironically, but his singing runs circles around his rapping. The percussion, again, is impressive.
Fans of 80s Pop should definitely purchase this album because they will find themselves nostalgic, dancing around their homes because the songs and melodies are pretty infectious. Hey, even me, one who usually never deviates from R&B, was entertained by this album, so maybe everyone should add this one to their collection. 3 stars, not perfect, but likable.
Mikeisha's Top 5
1. "Music From the Edge of Heaven"
2. "Battlestations"
3. "Last Christmas"
4. "Blue (Live in China)"
5. "I'm Your Man"
Where Did Your Heart Go?
Rating: 5/5
What a blast from the past. Wham! really sang some great songs. EXCELLENT
Rating: 5/5
I really like the cd but there are 2 things about this cd/order that has really upset me with Amazon. #1, When the cd arrived t omy home, the cd case was cracked somewhat. I feel Amazon should replace the cd case. #2, I changed credit cards before I placed this order yet Amazon still took it out of my actual checking account instead of my Capital One account. +1/2, Not a proper album, but a decent compilation
Rating: 2/5
The last release from the Wham duo isn't really a full-fledged album, and is actually more of a semi-compilation of previously-released recordings that had yet to appear on a Wham album and three newly-recorded songs. The new tracks include the energetic hit "The Edge of Heaven" (#10 US, #1 UK), the underrated flop "Where Did You Heart Go?" (#50 Pop), and the cool album track "Battle Stations." Also included are the three single-only releases from the past two years - the holiday-themed "Last Christmas" (#2 UK), the terrific "I'm Your Man" (#3 US, #1 UK), and George Michael's solo ballad "A Different Corner" (#7 US, #1 UK). Unfortunately, the classic "I'm Your Man" is presented in a frankly horrible remix that drains most of the energy out of this high-octane track. The only other two tracks are an okay live recording of the song "Blue" and a decent remix of the "Wham Rap." Even though it really isn't a proper album per se, Music from the Edge of Heaven collected enough hits and worthy tracks to peak at #10 on the Hot 200, and is worth picking up if you're a fan of the duo. |
