Tonight the Music Seems So Loud cover art

Tonight the Music Seems So Loud

The Meaning of George Michael

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Tonight the Music Seems So Loud

By: Sathnam Sanghera
Narrated by: Homer Todiwala
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'No ordinary pop biography, this is a very personal exploration of a very unusual artist' – Dorian Lynskey

'A beautiful, frequently extraordinary book. Part biography, part social commentary and part love letter, it somehow does full justice to the magnificent man it examines' – James O'Brien

'Far more than a biography of a pop icon – it’s a sharp, insightful look at George Michael’s life and how he challenged society, from politics to identity, in ways that still resonate today' – Sadiq Khan

He wrote one of the biggest hits of our age in ‘about an hour’ in his childhood bedroom.

He would go on to collaborate with some of the greatest musicians of all time, from Aretha Franklin to Stevie Wonder.

He was a pop star who bleached his hair blonde, wore tiny shorts and, at the same time, critiqued his own image mercilessly.

He lived through the AIDS crisis and one of the most homophobic periods of British history and yet when he finally came out, he did so boldly and unapologetically.

Wham! were the first Western pop group to play in Communist China and he repeatedly broke boundaries in music too.

Ten years after his death, George Michael is still everywhere: the annual success of ‘Last Christmas’, new covers of his songs, and endless memes on social media.

Tonight the Music Seems So Loud is at once a kaleidoscopic portrait of one of Britain’s most beloved musicians and an account of a strange and turbulent period of British history. In this unconventional and enthralling audiobook, bestselling author Sathnam Sanghera explores the connection between music and politics, exposes what secrecy does to the soul, and reveals how fame rots the sense of self.

Throughout, Sanghera captures, joyfully and poignantly, one of Britain’s greatest artists in all his musical glory.

Biographies & Memoirs Editors Select Entertainment & Celebrities Music Celebrity
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Critic reviews

This is a beautiful, frequently extraordinary book. Part biography, part social commentary and part love letter, it somehow does full justice to the magnificent man it examines. For me, and for millions of others, that really is the highest praise possible (James O'Brien)
This is far more than a biography of a pop icon – it’s a sharp, insightful look at George Michael’s life and how he challenged society, from politics to identity, in ways that still resonate today (Sadiq Khan)
His lucid and accessible writing reaches out to those with closed minds
This affecting exploration of the troubled genius’s impact is packed with anecdote, sharp analysis and social context
A compulsive new fan’s-eye life of the singer . . . A fabulous account of the various expressions of George’s precocious and polymathic talent, from writing "Careless Whisper" aged 17 on the top deck of the No 32 bus to the great soul-revival of Faith
No ordinary pop biography, this is a very personal exploration of a very unusual artist. Sathnam Sanghera digs deep into sexuality, ethnicity, politics, celebrity and, of course, the songs to change the way we think about this misunderstood megastar (Dorian Lynskey)
It’s this occasionally eccentric revelling in detail, this willingness to give proper time and thought to an artist still too often stuck in teen-idol aspic, that makes this book such a revelatory blast
What makes Tonight the Music Seems So Loud such a hugely enjoyable read is that it offers thought-provoking insights and analysis that goes far beyond the usual biography. It helps that Sanghera writes so compellingly about his own life and fandom . . . it works beautifully and captures the complexities and contrasts at the heart of Michael . . . the book is rarely less than a joy and is likely to bring admirers closer to the singer than the many biographies out there
The first serious reckoning with Michael’s life and music
With the years the spent ‘in the trenches of the culture wars’ while writing and promoting his brilliant books on the British Empire having taken their toll, Sanghera resolved to embark on a project that would spark joy. The result is this elegiac, yet also poptastically enjoyable, exploration of the life, times and creativity of George Michael
An affectionate but thoughtful portrait of the artist’s music, contradictions and background
To understand the magic of his book you have to understand its author, and he gives us just enough of his own life to add a depth that others may have lacked . . . This book isn’t a eulogy, it’s a frank examination of the open wound of celebrity; an assessment of the man George Michael was and what he meant as a public, political and artistic figure. And, most importantly, what he meant to a fellow misfit who forged a life-long connection with him (Alex Kadis, The Financial Times )
All stars
Most relevant
This is a great analysis of George Michael, as a person and as an artist. It’s not just about his genius but also his frailty in various ways. I would highly recommend it.

I, unfortunately, have to say that I was not keen on the narrator. I think his inflections were wrong at certain times. Also, I don’t think putting on different voices when quoting was needed or successful.

Overall, a really, thoughtful and intelligent book.

Excellent

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I'm a huge GM fan and an admirer of this author's work so this was an obvious purchase for me. It did not disappoint. Satnam manages to reflect on George's story and his legacy without sugar coating any of the less attractive elements of his life and I came away feeling even more appreciative of what George has left behind. I was also sad to ponder what might have been. George - you have been loved. I'm pretty sure you would have approved of this book.

As good as the reviews said it was

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as a lifelong fan myself I just dont get it, we all know George had his flaws but the author seems to concentrate on those quite alot, I enjoyed the earlier chapters about his childhood and the beginning of Wham! but the author seems to implicate that George took his own life because his ability to write songs & produce hits wasn't as it had been in earlier years, maybe I'm reading it wrong but thats how it came across to me

Not what I was expecting

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