{"product_id":"tonight-the-music-seems-so-loud-the-meaning-of-george-michael","title":"Tonight the Music Seems So Loud: The Meaning of George Michael","description":"\n\u003ctable align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"productDetailSmallElements\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A case for taking a superstar more seriously. Sanghera leavens his smart analysis of Michael's career and legacy with endearing self-deprecation. He is an unapologetic fan of Michael's, and his sympathetic account makes clear why the singer-songwriter means so much to so many. A spirited and nuanced portrait of a complex pop icon.\"-- \" \n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003c\/b\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Sanghera provides an expansive, thought-provoking reconsideration of British musician George Michael. It adds up to a worthy reassessment of an influential pop star.\"-- \" \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBiographical Note\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eSathnam Sanghera\u003c\/b\u003e entered the British education system unable to speak English but went on to graduate from Christ's College, Cambridge, with a degree in English language and literature. He has been shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards twice, for his memoir \n\u003ci\u003eThe Boy with the Topknot\u003c\/i\u003e and his novel \n\u003ci\u003eMarriage Material.\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eEmpireland: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain \u003c\/i\u003ewas a \n\u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e (London) bestseller, longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction, and named a Book of the Year at the National (UK) Book Awards. His latest book, \n\u003ci\u003eEmpire World\u003c\/i\u003e, was a \n\u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e (London) bestseller. Sathnam lives in London.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePraise for Sathnam Sanghera's \u003ci\u003eEmpireland\u003c\/i\u003e: \u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A fascinating reckoning with a history of empire.\"-- \" \n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Should be on the compulsory reading list.\"-- \n\u003cb\u003eJohn Simpson, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Word Detective\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"I only wish this book had been around when I was at school.\"-- \n\u003cb\u003eSadiq Khan, mayor of London\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A balanced and insightful study of the British empire and contemporary attitudes towards it.\"-- \" \n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Times \u003c\/i\u003e(London)\u003c\/b\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"This immensely readable book is very timely. The account by Sanghera is simultaneously personal and scholarly. It addresses many of the questions that are now urgent subjects of public debate--such as Britain's role in the slave trade and the connections between empire and multiculturalism.\"-- \" \n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Financial Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"An important book and that's not a phrase to use lightly. It's an exposé and a reminder of how conveniently the British have rewritten the past and buried the bones of their shame. A necessary, uncomfortable and illuminating read.\"-- \n\u003cb\u003eKit de Waal, \u003ci\u003eNew Statesman\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A historian of British imperialism (Empireworld, 2024), novelist (Marriage Material, 2016), and memoirist (The Boy with the Top Knot, 2008), Sanghera now presents a deep dive into one of the most ubiquitous and divisive pop artists in recent times. In the voice of a friend trying to convince you their favorite band is the best, the author interweaves his argument with personal reflections and myriad sources, liberally giving voice to Michael himself. Longtime fans will revel in Sanghera's local pilgrimage, starting on the bus line where Michael wrote \"Careless Whisper.\"\" \n\u003cbr\u003e -- \" \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eBooklist\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Marketing\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe story of the life and music of a pop superstar and a kaleidoscopic window into fame, homophobia, the 80s and 90s, creative genius, and addiction, revealing why the love for George Michael has only grown in the years since his tragic death on Christmas Day 2016.\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThere is no shortage of earnest books about the cultural significance of musicians like David Bowie, Bob Dylan, and John Lennon. But George Michael does not attract such attention. The music he produced is not generally deemed worthy of serious analysis, the man considered more noteworthy as a celebrity than a cultural figure. Yet such dismissals overlook how Michael's life and work broke extraordinary boundaries and, in so doing, helped define an era. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA second generation immigrant and child of a Greek-Cypriot restaurateur, Michael could barely read music, and was not trained on any instrument, yet would compose hit songs in a single afternoon and play nearly every instrument on recordings that have reached totemic status. He had the rare ability to master both rock and R\u0026amp;B; and was, following Freddie Mercury's death, seriously considered as a replacement frontman for Queen. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFor many he became a symbol of eighties excess, played benefit gigs for miners and nurses, and was a prolific secret philanthropist. He had massive pop hits sometimes without any promotion at all, even after launching one of the most aggressive court cases against a record company in pop history. He was a teen crush for millions of girls, and stayed in the closet due to intense homophobia from his father and the media, but then became an impassioned campaigner for gay rights. A large part of his audience was suburban, middle-aged, female, and white, yet some of his most famous tunes were essentially R\u0026amp;B pop songs about casual sex in the city. He was wildly popular, at times ridiculed in the press, and fêted by some of the toughest critics, often simultaneously. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA deeply personal engagement with the life and music of George Michael, Sathnam Sanghera's groundbreaking \n\u003ci\u003eTonight the Music Seems So Loud\u003c\/i\u003e offers a colorful, insightful story on immigration, homophobia, and fame; the glorious eras of the 80s and 90s; creative and musical genius; the tabloids; addiction; obsessive fans; and why the love for George Michael has only grown in the years since his untimely death.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e 03\/15\/2026 (EAN 9798897101177, Hardcover) - *Starred Review\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/span\u003e 04\/06\/2026 (EAN 9798897101177, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/span\u003e 04\/24\/2026 pg. 1 (EAN 9798897101177, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eBooklist\u003c\/span\u003e 05\/01\/2026 (EAN 9798897101177, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eContributor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003eSanghera, Sathnam\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eSathnam Sanghera\u003c\/b\u003e entered the British education system unable to speak English but went on to graduate from Christ's College, Cambridge, with a degree in English language and literature. He has been shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards twice, for his memoir \n\u003ci\u003eThe Boy with the Topknot\u003c\/i\u003e and his novel \n\u003ci\u003eMarriage Material.\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eEmpireland: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain \u003c\/i\u003ewas a \n\u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e (London) bestseller, longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction, and named a Book of the Year at the National (UK) Book Awards. His latest book, \n\u003ci\u003eEmpire World\u003c\/i\u003e, was a \n\u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e (London) bestseller. Sathnam lives in London.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n","brand":"Pegasus Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51496159019286,"sku":"9798897101177","price":35.94,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0857\/9910\/8886\/files\/9798897101177.jpg?v=1783054433","url":"https:\/\/lusper.myshopify.com\/products\/tonight-the-music-seems-so-loud-the-meaning-of-george-michael","provider":"Lusperbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}