It’s interesting to revisit songs you listened to from your childhood and see if they stand the test of time. This blog is about the absolute best or classic songs ever written. It’s about understanding the songs I enjoy listening to, even if they don’t sound as fresh today due to their production choices. This song is definitely a song of the 90’s but there are elements here that I still enjoy in contemporary music.
George Michael’s ‘Freedom! ’90’ does not adhere to your standard verse chorus structure which is refreshing in a world of diminishing bridges, minimal modulations and impatience to get to the chorus. The song is over 6 minutes and it was made at a time where artists didn’t have to worry about people scrolling on to the next thing after 30 seconds, probably because their attention spans were at least twice as long in the 90s than they are today. Taken from 1990’s Listen Without Prejudice, the black and white album cover filled with people, possibly at the beach is something I still remember from our CD collection at home.
The song starts with a drum beat, a sample taken from James Brown’s ‘Funky Drummer’ and I agree it’s funky as hell with its combination of bongos, a tambourine and high hat all layered in a delicious way. After 10 seconds, the piano and vocals kick in, with George Michael’s smooth and soft, almost whispery voice sliding into your ears. Despite these dulcet tones, you can hear an edge on certain words like ‘love’. The intro is a modified chorus, followed by an instrumental section and a verse.
Michael wrote this song about his experience in the music industry as he was forging his solo career after Wham!. He began to feel wearied by fame; artists need the attention when they’re trying to build an audience, but when you’re famous enough, the needle shifts from you seeking it to people needing or expecting things from you. I’d imagine a recognisable face makes many things difficult in life, especially when you just want to make music for your own creative purposes. At this point in the 90’s MTV was rife and music videos were a requirement. How you looked was becoming just as important as your music; something many artists may not have confronted until now. There have been many comments I’ve heard over the years about musicians in the 60’s and 70’s not needing to be attractive as they were famous regardless. How the world had changed a mere 20 years later.
The idea moving towards being who you want to be and stepping away from the past is clear in the pre chorus:
I think there’s something you should know
I think it’s time I told you so
There’s something deep inside of me
There’s someone else I’ve got to be
Take back your picture in a frame
Take back your singing in the rain
I just hope you understand
Sometimes the clothes do not make the man
There’s a rhythmic quality to the vocal delivery in these pre choruses, like each word is pointed. The melody is super catchy and two melodies are repeated, perfectly segwaying into the chorus with the line “Sometimes the clothes do not make the man”. The intro lyric appears here as a backing vocal interspersed with the gospel tinged “Freedom!” all sitting over that piano riff. There’s a pleading and promise in the lines “I wont let you down, so please don’t give me up” which highlights the challenge of being free to be who you are while hoping others will continue to support you. I think its a struggle many artists would recognise.
I don’t often hear a glissando in contemporary pop music, but in this context it catches my ear every time and is a perfect fill at the end of the verse or at the end of the bridge. The bridge has a different, moody feel, with the use of a wah-wah pedal on the guitar. The melody changes towards the end of the bridge, increasing in intensity with overlapping vocal lines to bring in the final chorus. The melodies are great, its like Michael becomes unchained here after the soft start to the song and his voice soars on the word freedom.
The song begins to fade out; a good fade is one of my favourite ways to end a song. Its like the song doesn’t really stop, but has moved on and is playing on in some other time or place.
For me, this song has stood the test of time in all the ways that matter, with an enduring message and a drum beat that never ages and a piano riff that still kicks ass 35 years later. I dare you to disagree!