Disco de Wham!: “Music From The Edge Of Heaven”

No doubt about it, this is a bit of an "odds and sods" collection. Released in 1986, there were really only three "new" songs on it - "The Edge of Heaven", "Battlestations" and "Where Did Your Heart Go" (which itself was a cover of a song by the band Was (Not Was), and was the band's last single, released in early '87).

The others include "A Different Corner", which was a George Michael single, issued and listed as a single under his name only in early 1986, and which had charted before this album was released.

"I'm Your Man" had also run up and back down the charts before this album came out, having been released in '85. The version on here is longer than the single version. "Wham! Rap '86" is a "re-make" of a song from the group's debut album, in which George claims to have "street credibility" (!) I like the song, but I don't what street he thinks he has credibility on, other than maybe Sesame Street. 2Pac he ain't.

"Blue" is a live version of a song that was originally released around the time of the band's debut album, and "Last Christmas" is from 1984, which was two years before this album.

Overall, the album is pretty good and bridges the gap between the overly-sugary sound of "Make It Big" and George's more "serious" songs and sound on "Faith". The sexual overtones in "Battlestations" give a hint of what was to come with songs like "I Want Your Sex" and "Father Figure" and "The Edge of Heaven" has a flavor similar to "Look at Your Hands" and "Hard Day".

In the alternative, you could buy the import album called "The Final", which was the UK version of this album and is a true greatest hits collection. It also has all of the songs on here (except "Blue"), plus the group's other hits (including the version of "Everything She Wants" with the additional lyrics), and the sound quality is far superior. Nonetheless, this CD is pretty cheap and the live version of "Blue" is worth the price alone if you're a George Michael fan.

Be forewarned that the sound quality of this CD, like the vast majority of CDs that were mastered in the 1980's is horrible; the sound is flat and tinny. Given George's poor relationship with Sony it is doubtful that this will be remastered any time soon.

This album, the final release of WHAM!, has a very 'pieced together' feeling to it. It is easy to tell that George and Andrew were no longer working as a group as most of the new tracks have a definite George feel to them. Of the tracks, there are a few songs which were previously released with nothing to do with this album ("I'm Your Man", "Last Christmas", "A Different Corner", "Wham Rap") leaving only a handful of "new" material. The first "new" single, "The Edge of Heaven" has sort of a sixties feel to it, and still manages to beckon the earlier WHAM! hit "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go". The second, "Battlestations" is a bit of a departure from WHAM!, having more of an electronic feel to it than most WHAM! songs. The rest of the album sounds like a George Michael afterthought. Perhaps songs he was auditioning for 'Faith' but wisely turned down. At either rate, this was definitely the end of WHAM!, the end of the innocence, and the end of an era.

MUSIC FROM...is a an odds & end disc with a few new tracks and remixes...and the "Final" album released by WHAM! With The Edge of Heaven (with Elton John on keyboards), I'm Your Man (included here as an extended mix clocking near 8 minutes)--WHAM! was sounding more hard edge as far as pop music goes...Battlestations is a gritty, dark track and 'til this day have never heard George Michael do another song that sounds like this...WHAM! RAP '86 is a rougher/revved up version of Wham! Rap (Enjoy What You Do?) from their 1st album FANTASTIC..A DIFFERENT CORNER--An, at the time single release ballad by George Michael (solo) is on this album along with BLUE (LIVE IN CHINA)-- a great, powerful George ballad with great lyrics and heartfelt vocals...Where Did Your Heart Go is another decent slow song and the best 80's XMAS song next to BAND AID'S DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS (Also with George Michael), LAST CHRISTMAS rounds out the album...It was the end of WHAM! and the beginning of George Michael becoming an 80's musical Icon...I give it DOUBLE 5 STARS!!

Released only in America and Japan, "Music From the Edge of Heaven" is a less satisfying (and shorter) Wham! farewell than 1986's "The Final" - an international package with all the group's essential hits. However, the U.S. counterpart features an excellent live recording of "Blue" not available elsewhere. As a budget-priced CD, "Edge of Heaven" is worth having for the bouncy title track, the unedited "Last Christmas" and a memorable version of the Was (Not Was) ballad "Where Did Your Heart Go?" Still, if you're willing to spend a few extra dollars, "The Final" remains a superior investment.

George certainly was the shining star of WHAM! and I miss the nostalgic sounding pop tunes they came up with but this is certainly a collection to cherish and hold on to.

I hope he comes out with a new album soon. I am always amazed at how diverse he is and that we can always count on something different and fresh sounding.

I really enjoy his greatest hits double CD also,it sounds even better with the top down.

Thanks everyone and enjoy.