By Gregg Shapiro

Contributing writer

George Michael is back! Putting the mix of all of his recent bad press and questionable behavior behind him, the Greek god of 1980s pop music is on a cross-country concert tour promoting the expanded domestic release of his hits compilation “Twentyfive” (Aegean/Epic). More than 20 years have passed since his groundbreaking solo disc “Faith,” but the 25 of the title refers to his career since his pre-solo debut act Wham! Among the quintet of Wham! selections on “Twentyfive” listeners find essentials, including “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” and “Careless Whisper.” As with “Ladies & Gentlemen,” Michael’s previous double-disc collection, “Twentyfive” is broken into up (“For Living”) and down-tempo (“For Loving”) discs. Michael’s rendition of “Feeling Good” (from his appearance on the TV series “Eli Stone”) is one of six new tracks included here alongside classics such as “Faith,” “Too Funky,” “Fast Love,” “Freedom! ’90,” “Outside,” “Father Figure,” “One More Try” and “Praying For Time.” The set also includes his duets with Elton John (“Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”) and Mary J. Blige (“As”), but cheats us out of “I Want Your Sex” and “Kissing A Fool.”

An extraordinarily talented artist whose premature death from AIDS left a gaping hole in the world where music and performance art intersect, Klaus Nomi has been resurrected with “Za Bakdaz” (Heliocentric). Released almost 25 years after he departed, Nomi’s “unfinished opera,” performed in a variety of languages (including his own made up “Glossolalia”) is, as you might imagine, unlike anything you’ve ever heard before. New wave opera at its best and most exotic and enthralling, the dozen selections are an ideal soundtrack for building shrines to those who have died too soon, as well as watching the sky for alien activity.

Backed up by a crack team of musicians, including Marc Ribot and Kenny Wollensen, Steven Alvarado returns with his radiant fourth album “Let It Go” (Mott Street). A queer take on roots and Americana music, Alvarado’s gruff but gracious vocals provide the glow in songs such as “It’s For You,” the early Tom Waits-like “Nobody Knows,” the swishing swing of “Burning Bridges,” the urban twang of “Gone, Gone, Gone,” the Springsteen-esque “It’s Alright” and the most overly gay number on the disc, the glorious “New York,” a track Alvarado dedicated to his best friend, acclaimed gay poet Aaron Smith.

Prolific, decorated and crowd-pleasing queer musician Eric Himan returns with his new album “Resonate” (Thumb Crown). A nominee in the “Brink of Fame” category for Logo’s New Now Next Awards, Himan retains his trademark sound and style while expanding his subject matter by including songs about a transgender boy in “Little Boy Blue,” lashing out at the religious right in “Protestor’s Song,” the spiritually leaning “We Are The Same” and a humorous poke at the celebrity-obsessed culture “For Me.”

“Boob Tube,” the disco-licious second track on the album “The Messenger” (jameslcollins.com) by James Collins is a modern novelty song in the tradition of “Stars on 45.” Collins’ original song asks the age old question, “What’s on the boob tube?,” and then proceeds to answer by incorporating TV themes from “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Wonder Woman,” “The Golden Girls,” “Laverne & Shirley” and others. The remaining songs on the 15-track disc (including two bonus cuts) dabble in a variety of musical styles and range in subject matter from the anti-crystal meth “Since Tina Moved In” to a nod to karaoke in “In The Right Key” and a reverential cover of Roger Miller’s “King of the Road.”

Performing under his own name, Patrick Balthrop of Chezwick fame has released a disc of electronic-oriented microbeat songs titled “Autopoetic” (Gears of Sand). The mostly instrumental collection, featuring minimal use of vocals, is at turns soothing (“Until We Meet Again,” “Shout Along the Highways” and “Throwaways”) and startling, as in the cases of “The Night Rose,” featuring Sententia, and “Inside of Me.”  

A pair of older releases came to this reviewer’s attention long after they were released, but are still worth mentioning. Michael Ashanti brought a much-needed slice of soul to the table with his album “All of Me” (michaelashanti.com). The self-titled disc by Logan Lynn (loganlynnmusic.com) is a dark, if bubbly and bouncy, synth-pop buffet on which listeners can feast on 19 songs that beg to be danced to repeatedly. Of special note, especially in light of the recent turn of events in California, is “Ring Around,” with its “put a ring around my finger” sentiment.

George Michael performs at the United Center, 1901 W. Madison, July 9.