Gorgeous George

In Edwyn Collins' prior musical life, his group Orange Juice was an integral part of the Glaswegian pop revolution that rode the UK charts in the early '80s, but caused nary a murmur in the States. Over a decade later, Collins finally bends the ear of the American listening public with GORGEOUS GEORGE, a collection of pop that challenges and never panders.
"A Girl Like You" will be remembered as the song that broke him in the colonies, thanks to its inclusion on the "Empire Records" soundtrack. With its heavy reverb, faux Motown beat and Collins' somber Iggy Pop-like vocals, "Girl" successfully melds these disparate elements of Detroit's musical legacy. Elsewhere, Collins displays a caustic wit, whether it's playfully swiping at '60s nostalgia ("The Campaign For Real Rock") or Guns'N' Roses ("North Of Heaven").
While his supporting cast includes former punks like Paul Cook (Sex Pistols) and Vic Godard (Subway Sect), Collins' main musical love is classic R&B. The chugging beat, clean jazzy riffs and muted horn section of "If You Could Love Me" sound like The Style Council fronted by a YOUNG AMERICANS-era Bowie, while the Arp synthesizer used on "It's Right In Front Of You" is straight out of any early '70s Gamble and Huff song. Nostalgic but not retrogressive, GORGEOUS GEORGE is Edwyn Collins' pop passport to the the United States.|