Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1

A mature statement from one of the great mainstream pop artists shooting for eternal air play on Smooth FM, and the album that made it OK for me as a red blooded and masculine male to like George Michael.

I took your advice, George Michael, and you know what? This shit slaps. Best track: Freedom! '90

George Michael’s hits were an ever present constant in the 80’s and 90’s, but other than Faith, which sold 25 million copies, I hadn’t thought about his work in terms of albums. One day last year I heard his duet with Elton John for the bazillionth time and started to think about Michael’s talent. So I sat there and listened to Faith again and then to his entire solo discography and was blown away by his musical range and depth of feeling. A truly great artist and this album is worth absorbing every track.

George Michael peut se vanter de porter à bout de bras ce courant musical qu'est l'homosexual pop. L'album est une réussite de bout en bout. L'intro nous fait entrer dans un univers très riche, très marquée par une attirance envers la gente masculine. On slalome entre les pistes tel George Michael entre les passants sur son char lors des marches de fierté. L'album se conclue sur un coming out explosif. En bref, on en redemande.

One good song. Freedom! ‘90

Une homosexualité debordante de la part de notre ami George Michael, qui reprend tous les codes de la homosexual pop, très chère à notre ami robbière. En effet, ce genre musical porté par George Michael et Ricki Martins, n'a plus rien à prouver, et vient recolter un nouveau 4/5. Bien dommage donc de ne pas voir ce genre figurer dans le classement des genres du générateur. Un manque d'ouverture d'esprit peut-être? Je vous tiendrais au courant dès que j'en saurai un peu plus sur les motivations réelles de Robert.

Freedom is awesome, but the rest of it is weak boring sauce.

Other than 'Freedom 90' the rest of the album is kinda repetitive and slow

Isn’t it annoying when someone tells you, “Don’t look over there, but…”? The first thing you’re going to do is look over there, right? So when George Michael tells me to “Listen Without Prejudice”, I’m going to be listening with a more critical ear than usual. Big mistake, George Michael. So here’s my prejudiced take after listening: there’s so much reverb on George Michael’s voice on every track of this record that it sounds like he fell down a well and instead of trying to get him out, his producers lowered a microphone down into the well so they could record his vocals.

Classic. More ballads than I remember. Gifted writer, composer and voice.

I was ready to write this one off based just on the artist's clownish pose on the cover and goofy shades, but I reread the album title and promised myself that I would give it a fair shake. Thankfully, the music is just as clownish. The music is well-produced but takes itself much too seriously while saying nothing important.

Somber. Honestly, I was expecting more soaring vocals but it feels like he was trying to be restrained so as not to be one-dimensional. That's not to say his incredible vocals aren't on display but it's not like a Celine Dion album where every song is rising to a climax. Sometimes it's just even, intense vocals throughout a song. You've got to respect his decision to put his vocals and lyrics front and center. I guess with vocals like his that's an easy choice. I think his lyrics got better over time - he hadn't quite found it yet. But you can see the potential in Mother's Pride, Cowboys and Angels, and Praying for Time. Soul Free was a disappointment - like the record producers got their way with a track. Too cheesy. Fortunately Waiting takes it out on a big high note. From a pure enjoyment perspective I probably give the album a 4. But from a concept perspective and what he was trying to accomplish and the raw emotion, it's a 5.

If this album was a biscuit, it would be a plain digestive Not necessarily bad - just plain and not really anyones favourite 3 ⭐️

So very different to Faith or his work with Wham, this album is the pinnacle of George Michael's career. Even to a casual listener and not a super fan like my wife, it is hard to deny that this is pop perfection

No. 58/1001 Praying for Time 4/5 Freedom 90' 5/5 They Won't Go When I Go 4/5 Something to Save 5/5 Cobowys and Angels 4/5 Waiting for that Day 5/5 Mothers Pride 5/5 Heal the Pain 5/5 Soul Free 4/5 Waiting (Reprise) NR Average: 4,56 Wow, I'm super surprised about this. Incredible voice and songwriting. Influences ranging from gospel to funk to to rock. Had multiple relistens today and it got better every time. Pop Perfection. This is now my best rated album taking over from Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen (4,5)

A lot of stylistic variety. I really enjoyed the first portion of the album especially.

it sounded okay i guess but i couldnt get into it or connect with it at all.. felt nothing throughout.

No idea why this one should deserve a spot on this list. Certainly one of the most unremarkable albums we've listened to so far. Boring songs, adequate execution, subpar production. I did like Soul Free, the only track that stood out to me.

Started strong, but I lost interest pretty quick. Freedom! 90 fucks, but the rest I could take it or leave it. 2/5

It's not bad, but extremely dull and forgettable in most places

It's always fun to be pleasantly surprised, but I should have taken the advice of the album title. When I read it was a move away from George Michael's dance music, I imagined something boring. I ended up loving it. I will steal the comment of a contemporary critic and say that this felt "personal, not commercial." I really felt connected to it and loved its sound. "Freedom! '90" is the song I well remember and always liked, but I liked digging into it a bit deeper and listening to its lyrics about the emotional consequences of his fame. "Cowboys and Angels" is a lovely heartfelt waltz with a saxophone solo. I enjoyed the seamless transition to the Rolling Stones in "Waiting for that Day." And the rest! I liked all the songs on this. It was perfect music for the day.

So far above his debut it's not even funny. Poignant, catchy, fun, and interesting in historical context. This does everything it can to fight it's way to a 5 for me, and who am I to deny it?

When I listen to George Michael a couple of things cross my mind (and my heart). One, I just feel joy in everything he does, he was so very, very good. Everything he created was a gift. But now I also feel a sadness for the way we lost him, essentially to his fame. One thing is for sure, pop music probably would have taken a different trajectory without George Michael. There's a depth and maturity to some of his work that pop music is just starting to come back around to, after so many frivolous years. Listen Without Prejudice is not a perfect album. But it stands out so starkly from pop music of the 80s, from everything Michael had made up to that point. It's smart, seriously crafted pop that really cracked open the possibilities in 1990 of what a pop album could or should be. Another reviewer commented that the album essentially kicked off pop for the 90s, which is so true. The arrangements are more sophisticated, the lyrics are deeper, this is music for grown ass adults, not the teenagers who listened to Wham! in the 80s. That's not to say the album doesn't have fun, because that’s in there too. Maybe not as much fun as Faith, but that would be a hard one to top. There's another vibe at work here, one of introspection, one of growth. I can't think of a better opener than "Praying for Time." It has this lush, atmospheric arrangement that just pulls you in. Michael's vocal is so silky, so infectious, so gorgeous. I want to hear it forever. “Freedom '90” is damn catchy, a perfect pop song. It’s smooth, funky, more than a little angry. I have special fondness for it knowing it really is George Michael's declaration of independence from his image and our expectations of him. Being frank about the costs of stardom made Michael a far better artist. As I listen now, the album is a touch more dated than I expected it to be. But seriously, who cares? Pop music is specifically a time sensitive genre, but excellent is excellent. In that sense, Listen Without Prejudice is timeless. Fave Songs: Freedom! '90, They Won't Go When I Go, Praying for Time, Soul Free, Cowboys and Angels

Wow, I haven't listened to this album in decades. They Won't go When I go is a beautiful song. It really highlights George Michaels range.

Freedom is just one of those songs that you hear once and can never get out of your head. Phenomenal album from George Michael. A super strong album.

What a voice. His music is dramatic and soulful and there really can only be one George Michael. Some of it is a little over the top and I prefer his upbeat hit on this album ("Freedom.")

An album that pulled pop music out of its 80s malaise to kick off the 90s in style - hip hop beats, r&b and gospel influences, supermodels in the video and George Michael’s powerful, soulful voice (the greatest pop singer of his era?). Freedom 90 is a perfect pop record (and what a singalong) and the ballads have real staying power. You feel George Michael is starting to be the artist he wants to be, getting ever more comfortable writing confessional (perhaps?), personal lyrics. A significant improvement on Faith, which also appears on this list, Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 (is there a more pretentious album title - vol.1 indeed?!?! - I love it!) fully deserves its place on this list.

The credit card song! This was fine.

I just listened to this less than a month ago because Apple Music put it on their list of 100 best albums. I wasn’t impress then and am still not. Somehow, it’s more bearable, though. It depends on the mood I’m in, I suppose. If I’m not in a “heal the world, let’s all sing kumbaya” mood, then I won’t enjoy it as much. Also, I need to mention that what he does to “They Won’t Go When I Go” is a shame. It’s not bad, but doesn’t deserve to be on either list. 3/5

If Last Christmas was an hour long...

yeah prejudice isn't why i don't like this, it's just boring as fuck George

All a bit cheesy, like a mega Glee choir. I liked a few but nothing amazing

If there's one thing I'm not interested in it's generic pop albums from the past

They try to be all inspirational, but it just comes off as insincere.

I thought half was decent and the other half was pretty boring

A few good songs, but overall a little schmaltzy for me. I'd give it a few more listens to see if it grows on me.

okay

Not for me. Accessible but a bit too sappy. Favorite: Freedom! '90

Can't believe I listened to this whole thing. That will not happen again.

I tried to listen without prejudice but it really was shit. Clearly he was trying to be taken seriously as an artist but there's no substance just pretension added to basic ballads

Boy this is a boring album. Like... inoffensive soft-pop that very very quickly faded into background at the dentist office pap for me.

I listened without prejudice, but still thought it was shit. Sorry George lad.

Overproduced torch songs, I'd imagine this would go down well at Tescos.

I genuinely believe this is one of the most perfect albums ever made. At a minimum, the opening trio of 'Praying for Time', 'Freedom! '90', and the haunting cover of 'They Won't Go When I Go', have to be heard to be believed. It is also tied for me to childhood memories of all-out voice-belting family sing alongs, which is saying a lot given how dysfunctional we were. While I'm no George Michael biographer, I always felt like this album was a response to dysfunction. The man had been repressing his sexual identity while his musical career and international fame continuously grew, built (at least in part) on him being a hetero sex symbol. He is then outed in the most humiliating way possible and forced to confront it all, all at once, on CNN for Christ's sake. The album's name, it seems to me at least, is practically a plea to give him a chance. While the dysfunction in my own life was of a different sort, this perception has given me a personal connection to this album that has only grown and deepened over the years. I can hear echos of truths I don't want to live with in these songs, and the hopes of the possibilities that come with living life after I begin to put them behind me.

Last 3 tracks sound like perfection

Some lovely songs and an amazing voice. What's not to like?

Incredible

First album I bought for myself on CD. So much gold here!

Love this album!

Classic George Michael, brilliant album and sounds fantastic on this. Really enjoyed listening to the full album, some great instrumentals throughout also.

george michael is the loml

damn good. most of his best songs come from this one.

So much better than I remembered!

I loved this but I listened with (personal) prejudice, as I had completely forgotten but I’ve heard this before, it was in heavy rotation in my mom’s car growing up. Love this one! Also it takes massive balls to cover Stevie Wonder, and he nails it

I love this album. It's one of the best albums ever released, in my view, definitely top 20. This is a rare example, from this otherwise hopeless list, of an album that everyone actually should hear before they die. George Michael was the great white hope of soul, a wonderful voice and brilliant songwriter. The story of his life and tragic death will make an amazing film, one day.

An incredible album, power ballads and pop perfection. Standout Tracks: Praying for Time, They Won't Go When I Go, Something to Save, Cowboys and Angels, Mothers Pride

Excellent

FREEDOM, FREEDOM (George baby please come back I miss you)

u gotta have faith!!

This was great

Great album. Is it George Michael's best? I personally think Patience is his best, but that one doesn't have Freedom! '90 and that's a JAM. The rest of the album is noticeably more subdued, but Michael executes this perfectly. During listening yesterday it was Mother's Pride that really struck me, which unfortunately remains topical as ever.

cool

This is one of my all time favourite albums, thanks.

Wonderful

this was actually a really good album, I’ll give it a 9/10 I only really knew George Michael from Careless Whisper and the jokes on Arrested Development so hearing this album was actually a really nice surprise

I don't know why it took me until now to realize how much I ADORE George Michael's voice. His vocals, plus the instrumentals, lyrics, and general song composition, made for a great album. For some reason, I don't like Freedom! (yeah I know) but the rest of it was exquisite.

One of my all-time favourite albums. Even better now than when I first heard it in 1991. Beautiful and powerful.

love it

Just a good record. Nothing standing out. Just a groove.

Brilliant. I must confess I'd never listened to a George Michael album before today but this blew my mind. Such a great voice and some real heartfelt lyrics. Pleasantly surprised and defo 5 stars

In my mind, a perfect pop album. Blue-eyed soul (at it's finest) matched with masterful production and great songwriting equals a classic.

Intense and beautiful. A gem. Beautiful to listen to it all again after all these years.

Need to study how he wrote songs in 3/4

The best

Awesome

What a lucky week: Stevie Wonder, Radiohead, and now George Michael. This album is great from start to finish. Happy songs and sad songs. All so beautiful; his voice makes you melt.

Haven't listened to a lot of George Michael in my life, which right now seems criminal. Just a phenomenal showcase of musical talent on this album. I don't know if it's just me, but at times it sounds like Freddy Mercury singing. Not a knock against it; if anything it just goes to show how great Michael's voice is. I don't have anything bad to say about this album, it was a joy from start to finish.

Very good

:) make me think of me mom

Beautiful soulful voice. Honest

ea ea

What an accurate album title. From what I've previously heard from George Micheal I was expecting to hate this but I thoroughly enjoyed the entire album. It's a solid pop album with very interesting lyrics and a nice stylistic variety. Give it a go, you won't regret it.

Really excellent

A work of art by one of the great musical geniuses of my lifetime. Outstanding songwriting and a beautiful singer and it is amazing this was not actually a massive hit.

Pero que buenísimo que está. Ni una canción mala. No es repetitivo y el opener es increíble. Dudé mucho en darle las 5, pero cada vez que lo escuchaba me convencía más de ello, simplemente no pude evitarlo.

George's voice is timeless! Besides freedom! '90, for me heal the pain and waiting are super hits.

First George Michael album. The only George I am familiar with would be Faith and Careless Whisper, and now Freedom (in hindsight). I had no real expectations going into this one, however I finished it pleasantly surprised. I was afraid it would consist of boring pop songs with a lack of depth and meaning, but it was quite the opposite. I felt like every song on the LP had thought and intention put into it. I suppose the fact that George produced and arranged every song helps with that. The general atmosphere of the album is one that I can appreciate. I'll certainly have to visit his discography again.

Loved it!

Nunca pensé que un disco que prácticamente contiene puras baladas me gustara tanto. Lo escuché sin prejuicio como dice y me encantó.

Super great album. So relaxing and so good. Just mesmerizing and makes me feel euphoric and calm.

Yndislegt albúm. Svo fáránlega góð túlkun á öllum lögum. Elsk <3

Beautiful album, beter dan i expected…

10/10

The video for a song, Freedom, shouldn't define an album. The song itself was brilliant, but the video with all the supermodels, and how they knew all the words to the song, took it over the top. The destruction of all the iconic items from the Faith video reinforced what this album was all about. It's such a change from his earlier release. Crazy.

Very impressed by this. Lyrically introspective, with some pieces of pop and wonderfully crafted ballads sung with deep emotion. Though Cowboys & Angels overstays its welcome, there are amazing nuggets all the way through from Praying for Time all the way to Waiting.

Geez this album slaps.

Ik ben echt groot fan van George Michael. Dit is wat mij betreft zijn magnum opus en staat bij mij zeer hoog in mijn lijst van beste albums. Dus zonder moeite 5 sterren.

I love this album, although I became most familiar with it years after its release. There are a couple of dance-tracks, but for the most part it is a serious album. The melodies really draw me in and make me want to listen over and over.

Listened to this over a couple breakups growing up. Good stuff.

Never heard the entire album. What a gorgeous piece of work. Loved "Praying for Time". Added without prejudice.