Reviews (page 2 of 8)
Nice to listen to but it didn’t particularly stand out to me. Freedom! ’90 is a classic and there were some other songs I enjoyed. It was nice to have on in the background, I just don’t feel particularly drawn to come back to it. Fav song: Freedom! ‘90 Least fav: Heal the Pain
I definitely listened to this with prejudice. He's got an incredible voice but I think it's the context that made me find the music so moving. Hearing a closeted gay man sing "There ain't no room for the hopeless sinner" just years after section 28 was passed and in the midst of the AIDs epidemic is heartbreaking. Maybe I'm putting more into it than he meant but I found it very emotional nonetheless. Favourite song: Freedom! (or the cover of They Won't Go When I Go) Least: Soul Free
Very poppy stuff, not my thing. Maybe I'm too prejudiced. 3/5
Litt for balladetung.
Veldig nedpå og til tider inderlig, nesten kjedelig. Fint å ha på, ikke noe mer.
good album
Decent album with one great song.
fuck this faggot
Good stuff, basic late 80’s, early 90’s pop. I wonder what George Micheal Bluth thinks about this album….
No está mal, la única que conocia era Freedom
Pues las primeras dos son joyas máximas pero luego es un estilo como balada muy formal musicalizada muy clásico…
Brilliant
Another middle of the road album made better by the presence of Freedom! '90 but that song is such a standout that it makes the rest of the album seem boring by comparison.
As the title implies, most of these are the kind of Meaningful Songs that were so popular in the 80s - how badly we've been treating the planet, how badly we've been treating each other, what assholes the rich are. Those songs are interestingly arranged and don't sound like a typical George Michael number, though they're more than a little pretentious in their solemn, repetitive self-importance. Then we have "Freedom! 90" and "Soul Free", which are exactly the kinds of polished pop singles that made George Michael famous in the first place. They don't really fit in with the rest of the album, but they're solid pop tunes.
A bit ballad-y for me but Freedom is a stone cold banger.
Pretty good
Freedom ‘90 slaps. The rest of the album is a solid showcase of Michael’s talents.
Det e jo ganske av sin tid, på så mange vis, men æ likte det likevel. Pophistorie e fine greier.
Awful...
Freedom 90 is an anomaly on this album. 8 sad slow boring songs, one cheesy disco lite song, and then Freedom 90.
I've been really struggling with this project for the last bit, and looking through it's because I haven't had anything new I really liked for the entire month of August. For some reason, this album really spoke to me. It is just britpop, but how solemn and quiet it is drew me in. Favorite Songs: Freedom! '90, They Won't Go When I Go, Cowboys and Angels
erittäin hyvä albumi
"Freedom! '90" is the obvious classic on this album, but there are a lot of good songs and interesting choices. The jazz inspired "Cowboys and Angels" comes to mind. George Michael was a hell of a pop craftsman with an ear for melody and a gorgeous voice.
hmmm not to big on it Will I listen to again: 2%
Sweet music by a sweet man. The clear highlight from my perspective being “Freedom,” which did a lot to help me, put myself back together once upon a time after break up that – don’t get me wrong, I’m not claiming any more high ground here – had a lot to do with who did and didn’t belong to whom and what that belonging meant. Even if you miss somebody, even if you wish you’ve turned out different, freedom is freeing, who knew? but there’s a further silly wrinkle on this too, because after George Michael died I posted kind of without thinking “he’s free now,” referring to the song, of course, but I’ve spent the last 10 years or whatever it’s been worrying that people saw that and either think I’m the kind of person who posts he’s free now when celebrities die or, God forbid, that I thought he was some kind of tortured soul full of shame about his sexuality or his run in with the law in that bathroom incident, when it seems very clear that he was a relatively cheerful and blessed dude, who is just looking for some hot cottage aging, as which of us can truly say we would not, and shame don’t even come into it. George Michael is, I guess, still free, from the thoughtless and maybe misinterpreted social media remarks of people like me, and we’re still free to enjoy his songs, and everybody’s free to feel good, and to write rambling anecdotes about his work on the Internet that really have very little to do with the actual music you’re writing about, and now this review is free to be over.
Just not a fan of this slow music.
it's fine i guess. a couple beautiful songs and the rest isnt too offensive
I was previously familiar with George Michael but not really this album. This is a pop album. Nothing particularly stood out to me, although there was a nod to Rolling Stones You Can't Always Get What You Want that was interesting. He has a nice voice, but this isn't really a type of music that would normally listen to so I doubt I would come back to this.
Lots of prejudice here, unfortunately. Pop extravagance throws me off. Freedom is a great great song yes, the others struggle mightily to keep up. Probably worse for me they can't even get close.
Do you remember the edits of ‘Mother’s Pride’ that were played on the radio in 1991 using Gulf war news sound bites? I just listened to one on YouTube and even though the quality of the recording was crap. It was still very affecting.
George Michael is a real talent as a singer, though his inclination to sing in an earnest whisper for most of this album is not my favorite. Also, I don't love the material. Freedom! '90 is a great song (though curiously lower energy than I remember it) — the rest of the album was a bit in the doldrums for me.
I really wanted to like this more. It's fine. A bit tepid. But considering what a banger Freedom! 90 is, I was really hoping for more cuts in that vein.
Gotta give the guy props. His talent as a singer and songwriter shines through here, even if he was a bit self-important.
Form is temporary. Class in permanent
As the titles suggests, this is a serious and mature album from a pop star. The lyrics on many of these songs address real world issues, though not always effectively. "Mothers Pride" is a pretty typical example - it hits all the emotional beats about a dead soldier but ends up feeling a bit cliche. The music is mostly subdued in order to fit the themes, which leads to songs like the opener that don't go anywhere and bland ballads like "They Won't Go When I Go." There are a few good songs here: "Freedom 90" has a terrific groove and is very catchy, and "Soul Free" is loose and sounds like the 90s British underground. Even lesser versions of that sound like "Waiting for That Day" (unnecessary Stones interpolation aside) are nice. But almost everything else is too buttoned up, and it results in an album that isn't very fun or insightful
It's a good album very 90's. No saves or favorites on this one I like the 80's George Michael more.
I guess it would be nice if i could listen to this album actually i did. it was quite nice but no one touched my body while listening to it
Overall: 6/10 While this album has a bunch of corniness that hasn't aged well, it also shows off the immensely beautiful voice of George Michael, and I enjoyed it a lot more than I enjoyed Faith. I can see why so many people love this album, and while I don't consider it worthy of this list, I still think it's a good idea to check it out anyways. Fav Song: Freedom '90
Incredible record, George's maturation. Imagine doing a Stevie Wonder cover that even Stevie thought was better than his original?
Luisteren zonder vooroordelen is verdomd lastig als je George Michael al eens een 1 hebt gegeven. M'n eerste 1 op deze site was dat. Ik heb een beetje moeite met de geile manier van zingen die hij regelmatig gebruikt. En dat is niet omdat Sjors een ontzettende mooie kerel is die me laat twijfelen aan m'n geaardheid of iets degelijks, ik had er bij onder andere TLC ook last van. Ik hou gewoon niet van dat geilige gedoe. Aan de ene kant speelt (of is) hij graag de geile man (track 1, 5). Aan de andere kant wil hij een soort vroom kerkgeluid hebben wat van braaf koortje naar gospel gaat. Ik weet gewoon niet zo heel goed wat ik hier mee moet. Ik weet ook niet goed wie de doelgroep precies is. Ik vind het maar ingewikkeld. Maar eerlijk is eerlijk: Ik vind de gospel-achtige shit op dit album beter te pruimen dan dat ultieme, hijgerige jaren '80 gedoe van het Faith album. Hij lijkt z'n hormonen ook wat meer in z'n broek te houden en dan blijkt dat hij geen onaardige zanger is. Ook is er wat meer afwisseling. Al met al is het uiteindelijk nog steeds geen album wat ik vaker aan zal zetten, mede door de te hijgerige tracks, mede doordat het gewoon niet echt mijn muziek is. Het zit een beetje tussen een 2 en een 3 in voor mij. Ik zal een 3 doen omdat het me enigszins meevalt.
George Michael has completely moved on from the rebellious teen of his Wham days, even leaving behind the popier elements of his Faith debut. The most up-tempo and stand out track is Freedom '90, which bears a closer comparison to Aretha Franklin's Think than it's Wham namesake. The only other notable attempt at a poppy track is Soul Free, probably the weakest track on the album. For the rest of the songs, we're treated to a quieter, stripped back George Michael, bit of soul or swing here and there, and it's more about the voice than the attitude. Half of the tracks charted well, out of the rest of them Something To Save and Mother's Pride are both heartfelt for their different reasons. There weren't many better pop singers in the 80s, maybe Freddie Mercury, and this album showcases his voice better than his previous album. A low 4 stars.
Some of the songs reminded me of Mika. Had fun
I dismissed this as pop fluff without a listen when it came out in 1990, despite both really liking the two big hits - “Freedom ‘90” and “Praying for Time” with their slick MTV videos with supermodels - and feeling challenged by the album title. No, I remained prejudiced. I quite like this. It helps that I’ve seen and enjoyed the two big Wham! documentaries that came out in the last couple years, and at midlife am feeling quite nostalgic for the years of my youth. But it’s fact that George has quite a great voice, and is a greater artist than poppy Wham! hinted at. Still, his ambition outstrips execution on this album. Much of it is surprising and interesting while not quite impressing me as a major artistic statement. I’m at a high 3/low 4, though my desire to hear it again pushes it to a 4.
This was quite good. I love the singing and I enjoy the production from the time. Fav song was probably heal the pain for its XTC sound
Praying for time - 2 Freedom! '90 - 3 They won't go when i go - 2 Something to save - 2 Cowboys and angels - 2 Waiting for that day - 2 Motger's pride - 2 Heal the pain - 2 Soul free - 2 Waiting (reprise) - 3
Horrible
This is #day729 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… it had slipped my mind that there was another GM record on the list. As many have pointed out before, it's a different beast from Faith, which I rated a 5 back in the day. But it's a good kind of different. Perfect for a rainy Friday listen like today. When that sax pierced through "Cowboys and Angels," my heart melted. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day730.
Praying for Time, Cowboys and Angels. Pretty good. 6.8/10.
What a joy it is to be able to hear George's voice on this raise the roof record. Gone too soon, sir.
Lots of really good songs on this album. George really upping the quality and maturity for this record. Incredible singing for sure and a great cover of a Stevie Wonder song as well.
I listened without prejudice but also without much enjoyment.
01) Praying for Time - 10,0 02) Freedom! '90 - 10,0 03) They Won't Go When I Go - 8,0 04) Something to Save - 8,0 05) Cowboys and Angels - 10,0 06) Waiting for That Day - 10,0 07) Mother's Pride - 7,5 08) Heal the Pain - 10,0 09) Soul Free - 9,0 10) Waiting - 8,0 TOTAL: 9,05 Current ranking: 78/992
I didnt enjoy this as much as I thought I would. Freedom is of course a banger, but most of the other songs had a breathy/whiney style and sounded alike. Not bad, but no real standouts. Overall- 2.5 to 3 range
I do kinda wonder what happened to Vol 2. Was this shelved? Never intended? Who knows. This album graced us with Freedom! ‘90, which is a strong contender for greatest pop song of this era. Layered, catchy, reflective, the song is a little bit of everything. It is a rare pop song that can clock in over 6 minutes and still feel exactly as long as it is intended to be. But it's flanked by less poppy tracks, most notably the haunting They Won't Go When I Go. Really, I think the amount of downtempo, piano-ballad adjacent work on this album is the biggest surprise, though it probably shouldn't be given some of Michaels’ other mega-hits. Overall, the album is relatively solid, and the vocals cannot be denied, but it never really reaches the highs of the first 15 minutes again. Which is a bummer, but so it goes. Probably a shred under ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ½
It's not just that Michael's vocals are drenched in reverb/echo, it's that his often air/whispery delivery accentuates the way reverb is use on these songs. "Freedom 90" has to be one of the most 90’s songs I’ve ever heard, which leads to the main pitfall I hear on this record: the leap George Michael took to make this thing sound ‘current’ (for it’s time) ends up hurting him. “Soul Free” is a good example, it’s just a lightweight track with a very 90’s drum pattern that doesn’t really pack a punch. I think I prefer some of the more sweeping, dramatic arrangements of his earlier solo work. “They Won’t Go When I Go” has a little of that drama, but not enough to carry an album. 2/5
George Michael is so good. It’s great to listen to his albums end to end despite knowing most of the hits.
I listened without prejudice but I wasn't floored by this release. Many songs drag out without good reason to do so. The lyrics are mostly George Michael telling me that he wants to tell me something.
3★/5 [08.01.2026] 09.23.2026
Ok
What a bore omg
I can honestly say that I have never listened to an entire GM album before. This is so far beyond Wham! or even Faith. George shows his serious side. I liked this way more than I ever expected to.
Decent album, but maybe not my style
🎤🕺🏻🌈🕊️🎵
Freedom 90 and Soul Free have a fun Baggy infused upbeat feel and irreprible, if extremely smooth, energy to them. The rest is extremely boring ballads for radiostations that play in places where music has to be on but can't upset anyone.
7/24/26. Awesome album! I’ve always been familiar with George Michael, but this album is near pop perfection and great production on each track. Would listen to again and again.
Not sure why I liked this one so much
old navy shopping music it is just boring imo. A 2 for me.
i have no prejudice one way or the other
Faith – the more well-known George Michael record – was hilarious but underwhelming. But Listen Without Prejudice? I'll certainly try to. And good thing I did; it's quite a bit better. Every song is at least slightly good. Intense, emotional opener in Praying for Time. Kind of feels like it goes all in on high frequencies (in the synths, percussion, whisper-echoed vocals) and so it lacks the punchiness that it could have if there had been more focus on lower frequencies. Where's the bass, the low piano, the low synth, the bass drum? You don't really take these instruments for granted until they're absent. (Regardless, still a good song.) Though it pales in comparison to Freedom! '90, which is just pure unadulterated piano groove. Sort of the spiritual son of Sympathy for the Devil, minus the woo-woos. A great peppy performance by Michael and a sort of bombardment of musical elements (à la MJ). Again the music sort of lacks any kind of low frequency, but everything else about the music distracts you from that. Damn excellent stuff. They Won't Go When I Go – a straightforward piano ballad that is pretty unremarkable apart from the fantastic backing vocals that swell towards the end. The song gets a pass, if barely. Something to Save definitely smells like the Smiths, especially that melody and vocal delivery. But Cowboys and Angels is really where the songs pick back up in quality. That piano intro... so good. Again very Smiths-esque in its overall delivery. But what I think makes this song really shine is the loud, prominent bass part. Listen Without Prejudice demonstrates clearly that, after four consecutive tracks without bass, audiences get a little stir-crazy. The drumming in Waiting for That Day anticipates a similar beat on one of my favourite songs, Citizen Erased (Muse). This one's much lighter and peppier, though. The outro with "you can't always get what you want" is extremely cheesy but the song still shines. We have a fun, though clichéd, choice of chord progression (I-II-IV-I) in Heal the Pain. It doesn't really change at all throughout the song, which is an unfortunate reality once you notice it. Fun, positive, group-singing mood though. Soul Free takes some time to get going, but when it hits, it hits hard. All those wind/brass instruments fighting each other in the last couple minutes is just excellent, and a fitting climax to the album. 4/5 Key tracks: Freedom! '90, Cowboys and Angels, Soul Free
"Listen Without Prejudice", aaah, l'ironie ! Bon, alors, j'ai vraiment essayer d'écouter ça avec l'esprit ouvert, parce que le premier album de George Michael de la liste (et l'unique autre, j'espère), ça a été clairement l'une des pires purges parmi les 233 albums que j'ai eu à écouter jusque-là. Donc j'ai abordé celui-ci en me disant d'essayer d'avoir l'esprit le plus neutre possible et d'aborder cet album comme si je ne connaissais pas encore George Michael. Ma conclusion, c'est que je déteste vraiment George Michael. C'est sirupeux, c'est kitsch, c'est mielleux, j'en peux plus. J'ai l'impression d'écouter la moyenne de tous les trucs mièvres qui pouvaient sortir à l'époque, tant c'est à la fois daté, prévisible et sans âme. Alors je vais pas mettre 1 comme au premier (enfin, je suppose, j'hésite encore, parce que les pires titres sont à la fin et me font douter de mon jugement), parce que même si j'ai soufflé tout du long, il y avait quelques passages sympathiques, qui avaient souvent la particularité de : - ne pas avoir de claviers, - ne pas avoir George Michael qui chante. Je comprends pas pourquoi quelqu'un voudrait écouter ça, tellement ça me semble sans intérêt.
Freedom! '90 puts a floor on how low I can rate this. The album isn't a masterpiece but it hits what it needs to and has a charm. Go on, give it a listen.
He has a strong voice, but aside from Freedom 90 the compositions don't do anything for me. They Won't Go When I Go has at least a more stripped down sound and let's his voice carry it. Overall I don't think this was a necessary inclusion. His album Faith is enough.
I like George a lot but would argue he has better albums than this
"Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1" by George Michael is an okay album for me. This album is disappointing compared to his debut album "Faith". This album has a melodic voice from George Michael. I only found few tracks that are good "Praying for Time", "Freedom '90", and "Cowboys and Angels". There are mostly filler songs and I found weaker in second half of the album like " They Won't Go When I Go", "Something to Save", "Mothers Pride" and other few. Overall not so great album from George Michael.
ANOTHER GEORGE MICHAEL ALBUM! Michael’s sophomore effort comes from a decidedly different place than anything he has attempted so far. Where his previous album, Faith, was largely a continuation of his work with Wham, a perfectly fine, and at times incredibly iconic and high-quality work with obvious mainstream intentions, this is something much different. Michael approaches his art with a vision of something seemingly greater than that: where Faith purposefully arrived with a polished sound that catered to seemingly as many people as it could, this album takes greater risks: songs about social issues, songs dealing in personal life and struggles, and also songs with greater musical variety, such as the use of alternative dance-derived drums on “Freedom! ‘90,” one of the album’s two main standouts, a driving, soulful anthem to letting go judgment and living authentically, pertaining in no small part to Michael’s identity as a gay man (something that, while not necessarily known to the public, is evident in retrospect). The other standout is the jazzy, waltzy, seven-minute “Cowboys and Angels,” an emotional powerhouse that largely achieves that effect through the beautiful use of instrumentation throughout it, and Michael’s reserved yet pained vocals and lyrics. I really really enjoyed this album all the way through, and I’m super glad to have listened to it today. 8.9/10
Freedom! 90 is the Solar Power of the early 90s, in a good way and a bad way.
Okayy
George Michael, for me, was always a "one-hit wonder" until I started listening to his albums. It's not the kind of thing I usually listen to, but now I understand why people like him, and for a good reason: he's very good! 3 stars
I’ve have such a fondness for George. Moves away a bit from the pure pop stylings into something more confessional. He’s trying something different here and trying to say something though I’m not quite sure he got there. Prince vibes. Rest easy, George.
Really not for me sigh
Just not my vibe really. Clichey 80/90s pop but doesn't stand up to the Cindy Lauper album I had a few albums back. Can we also talk about the mixing? Where the hell is the bass and why is the treble cranked up to 11? Faves: Freedom, Waiting for that Day
Similar review as for Faith: it's not always my thing, but he's really good, and I listened to it twice with pleasure.
Amazon Music has this as a "Top 100 All-Time Album." I was ready to give it every benefit of the doubt, as I didn't know it outside of "Freedom." Unfortunately, a day later, I can't remember anything new besides some solid piano work.
Other than “Freedom”, this album was pretty soft and forgettable
Yeah. Quite good.
I don’t know if it’s because this album brings me back to my youth but I found it excellent, both musically and lyrically.
i really do love Freedom. the rest tho......
It was alright. Decent British pop. Don’t care much for George Michael but I didn’t hate it.
It’s disappointing when the single(s) is the best track by far.
This was better than I was expecting, stand out track was Feedom, I think I would have preferred Faith though.
Starts out so strong, does not (cannot?) maintain the level of intensity.
2.5
Ik had hier meteen best wel veel zin in eigenlijk. Freedom is een knaller. En ik had een beetje hoop op een stukje Careless Whisper ofzoiets. Maar dat lijkt wel ijdele hoop. Eigenlijk merk ik dat de andere nummers me ook totaal niet pakken. Vocaal klinkt het allemaal goed, maar ik had iets meer schaamteloze pop verwacht en eigenlijk ook wel gehoopt. Het tempo ligt eigenlijk vrij laag als ik eerlijk ben. Sure het is wel mooi, en vocaal is George Michael gewoon fantastisch, maar ik ben zelf gewoon iets minder fan van de ballads. Moet wel toegeven dat de saxofoon solo op Cowboys and Angels me dan wel weer pakt, maar bijna elk nummer met een saxofoon word er beter van, iets wat meneer Michael ook gedemonstreerd heeft op Careless Whisper. Tsja, het is een prima album, zang is echt goed maar ik vind het muzikaal of sonisch gewoon een beetje saai. Veel ballads, naar mijn mening te veel en dat haalt gewoon gigantisch het tempo uit het album. Ach, ik heb me verder niet verveeld en het was opzich een leuk album om te luisteren, maar ik zie mezelf dit niet vaak aanzetten als ik in de mood ben voor wat FREEEDOOOOOOOM. FAVO: FREEEEEEDOOOOOOOOM, Cowboys and Angels
Meh
Soft and melodic with some good horns. I prefer this ro Faith as it feels more introspective and less “I like to fuck” Regardless, great listenabiity
There's a good energy on this disc, catchy here and there, but it's pop, way pop. Decent pop, though.
5
I couldn't wait for it to be over.
Sounds highly corny but he’s got a great voice. Can’t listen to Freedom without thinking of Always Sunny and laughing which kind of ruins the song for me. 2
🎵 one of these things is not like the others 🎵 Freedom! '90 is such a banger that it showcases how not-banger the rest of the songs are, which makes me sad.
1. time - 1 2. freedom - 2 3. go - 1 4. zave - 1 5. angelz - 2 6. day - 1 7. pride - 1 8. heal - 1 9. zoul - 1 10. uuaiting - 1
Wasn't even familiar with any singles from this album, but it was a good listen throughout. Impeccable Sunday morning vibes. Really liked 'Heal The Pain', 'Soul Free', and the Rolling Stones interpolation. Overall the album sounds like a cross between Pet Shop Boys and New Order, which I mean as a high compliment.
Man, I really loved this! George Michael was such a gift to the world. Each song felt distinct, and his voice is just incredible.
Solid but It does have some weak points but overall a great experience
It is safe to say that while this wasn't what I was predominantly listening to when it came out, I could not help but be aware of it, or at least the singles. Some of it certainly seems a little schlocky, but put in the context of both the HIV epidemic and George Michael's efforts to navigate the insane level of fame he had quickly achieved it reads more as weariness and concern. Also, the man could sing.
Two songs worth listening to - Freedom is a monster earning the 3. The rest is sap.
Not gonna lie, liked it more than I thought I would 3.5
Freedom is great, vibe is okay all the way through but no other songs grabbed me like freedom. GM voice is fantastic though, he really was a talented singer songwriter
I Listened Without Prejudice. Despite his faith, George seemed to be feeling a lot of pain, assigning a lot of blame, and noting that we’re all the same. I can see how the album has appeal for some, George has a very pure voice, but the album comes across as a bit whimpy, and the lyrics / rhymes a bit weak. The album makes the 1001 Must Hear List because of Robert’s affection for Brits and songs about mothers loosing their sons to war. It’s all very tragic. (2.2*s) Got him a little reggae vibe to change it up with Soul Free. He did not let me down, just better in small doses.
"Freedom! 90" puts this album on the list because the rest is pretty skippable. Not sure if the title has anything to do with Michael's sexuality but I went in with no bias, expecting a lot of upbeat pop. Instead, you get deep ballads that show a different side of the artist and his talents. I never heard anything but the top 3 hits from George and although the slow songs aren't as good purely for the type, he can sing and write. 1.55 stars for this record and I have faith that another GM album is making the list .
I'm relatively unfamiliar with George Michael other than a couple of hits and awareness of a somewhat troubled past. Wasn't sure what to expect from a George Michael entry, especially one with the title Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1. A couple songs in on the heels of Freedom '90 in I was gearing up for something to maintain the energy and hit some any kind of impact . Unfortunately the album really winds down and devolves to sappy 80's (90's?) pop ballads. The majority of songs sound really similar and stick to the same structure. It was difficult for me to even differentiate between them so I found myself slogging through the next 30+ minutes. The album does improve a bit near the end with Soul Free, but by then I was already waiting for it to be over. I wanted to like this more than I did but if this is what George Michael has to offer I'll stick to the few radio hits and shelve the rest of his collection. 1.61 stars
A little too repetitive but this album takes me back to much simpler times
There’s always money in the banana stand.
I enjoyed most of the tracks. A couple were kind of boring but kept myself occupied by looking for Waldo in the cover art (3rd row from the back, 17 over btw).
I sympathise with the George Micheal persona and I acknowledge his cultural (meaning: pop culture), social and even political importance. In addition, I enjoy playing (and systematically losing) the whamageddon game each December. However, I find this record really really boring (with the exception of Freedom, ça va sans dire...)
The lyrics are a bit too superficial for my taste, even after I consider how they're a product of their time and think of the lyrical "ambiguity" George Michael had to straddle before he came out. Fantastic instrumentation though.
very nice
Album #137, George Michael, Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 ⭐⭐⭐ It says Listen Without Prejudice, and that’s exactly what I did. And you know what? I liked it. It wasn’t bad. George Michael probably isn’t my bag, but then again, I’d never really given him a proper chance. Outside of a few of the big Wham! hits and a couple of his biggest solo singles, I’d never actually listened to one of his albums. So who’s being prejudiced now? It’s a really solid singer-songwriter album. Everything is very tastefully done. The strings are used really well, there’s a lovely acoustic guitar based sound running through a lot of it, and the whole thing has a fairly understated feel. At first I was worried it was going to be a bit too self-righteous or holier-than-thou, especially with the opening track, Praying for Time. It reminded me a little of Peter Gabriel’s album So, from this list. That whole “save the world, let’s all get together and sing Kumbaya” shite usually doesn’t do much for me. But George Michael is a much better songwriter than I’d given him credit for. In fact, I didn’t really realise he wrote his own material to this extent, so it was a pleasant surprise to discover that these are his lyrics. I actually think the lyrics are the strongest part of the album. Opening an album with “These are the days of the open hand” is a great first line, and there are a lot of thoughtful moments throughout. Are some of the songs a bit melodramatic and schmaltzy? Yeah, a little. Cowboys and Angels feels overlong and slightly overwrought. Heal the Pain is decent enough, but it edges towards the kind of self-righteousness I was worried about. The rest of the album is very solid though. And then you’ve got Freedom! ’90, which is just an absolute belter. What a chorus. It reminds me of a less drugged out Happy Mondays song, at least musically. So yeah, this one surprised me. I was really happy with it. It’s not quite a four-star album for me personally, although I could absolutely see why someone would give it four or even five stars. It’s a really good record. But I’m going to stick with the subjective score, and for me it’s a three.
Freedom 90 is obviously a brilliant track, and I enjoyed most of the album. I thought some of the songs were a bit too long, and I wanted more of it to be a bit more upbeat. Overall enjoyable though.
Su mejor disco fue el anterior, Faith, un imprescindible. Este se publicó después de una lapso de tiempo demasiado grande para las expectativas que generó. Fue un fracaso en su momento y aunque el tiempo ha sido benévolo con él, no debería estar en el listado, los hay mejores, aunque este me ha sorprendido al volver a escucharlo. Es muy bueno y completo. Aún mayor fue la espera para el siguiente álbum , pero su momento habñia psado y aún debía esperar más para su regeneración pública (escñandalos etc, que hasta que no actuó genialmente en el Carlpool Karaoke de James Corden no tuvo remedio para el bueno de George). El siguiente álbum, Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 2 (supuestamente programado para junio de 1991 [ 8 ] ), fue descartado por razones que solo conocen Michael y su compañía discográfica. Tres de las canciones destinadas a ese álbum aparecen en el recopilatorio benéfico de 1992, Red Hot + Dance. Waiting for That Day tiene como coautores a Jagger y Richards por problemas en la letra. "They Won't Go When I Go" es una versión de su ídolo Stevie Wonder. "Cowboys and Angels" o Heal the pain adolecen un poco de lo mismo que todo el disco, un poco aburridas, elegantes y muy bien ejecutadas pero no son Faith (ni lo pretenten). Las mejores canciones son "Freedom! '90", un clásico con un vídeo imprescindible. "Praying for Time" un tema de apertura solemne. "Soul Free" es un temazo. Waiting for That Day
Some poignant moments here
6.5 / 10
Really solid collection of great vocal tracks. Love George for his earnest and heartfelt camp even though I grew up on punk. The older I get the more I just respect his vocal prowess.
I miss him
me gustó muchisimo más de lo que esperaba, que buena voz tiene este tipo 9/10
Not a particularly memorable album aside from Freedom! 90. George Michael has a nice voice, but in fairness to other albums, he’s really breathy in his singing sometimes and that’s a no from me. I might consider giving this another listen. Maybe it gets better on repeat listens, but I doubt it. Probably better to grab the one good song for a playlist and keep moving on.
Perfect.
I'm more of a Faith guy
George Michael and I have so much in common that I really felt like I “got” this album when I was sixteen. We were both earnest, emotional, deeply heartbroken men, devilishly handsome, a little kinky, and we both had secrets. Not the same secrets mind you but kindred by the burning desire to be shed of them nonetheless. This album “meant” something to me, and I’ll admit to shedding a tear or two then and now. Particularly the plaintive albeit kinda dated title track. I know it’s exactly a piece of art but as a specimen of the state of pop music in 1990 it stood up for me. I dock it one shy of a perfect score primarily for one reason. I listened to a version, the only version available, that was purportedly “remastered”. Someone failed that assignment with disastrous consequences. The recording had ZERO ASS!!! There’s no umph or power or just plain low end to give it some punch and body of modern listening environments. The high end is pushed up to just a decibel below shrill and there is an inexplicably sibilant amount of reverb and delay on the lead vocal in every freaking song. It’s obnoxious. Wake me up for the re-remaster.
I was sure ready to strongly dislike this, but it turned out not to be half bad. Good songs, great production, great vocals.
There’s two really brilliant tracks on this, and just a bunch of ballads on here. Don’t get me wrong, their good, but compared to faith this is a step down as a whole project
Honestly, I absolutely adore George Michael and his music, including his work on the album Faith and Wham! This isn't at the same level; maybe it's because most of the songs are ballads that aren't my forte, and the ones I enjoy from him are the more fun and energetic ones. Although it's still an amazing album, especially those first two tracks, which are some of his best and Cowboys and Angels, which is an incredibly enjoyable slow jazz track that matched the environment I was in perfectly. Incredible album, but not to your impeccable standard.
Ugh… this was painful. It took me three tries to finally get through. 80s is bad enough but schmaltzy 80s is a whole new level of bad.
Great cover art, wonderful photo. However, apart from Freedom 90, all these songs passed me without making the slightest impression. Cheesy, dull easy-listening pop where I found myself counting down the minutes until it ended, although the final track Waiting was actually great lyrically and the minimal instrumentation was perfect.
“Freedom” is a great, A+ pop track. Other than that though there’s not a single moment on this I remember.
It's okay.
Fun sound. Not bad.
3 stars
I think this did get a bit samey by the end, but damn, George Michael has got a set of pipes. I especially enjoyed the songs that were just him and a piano - gorgeous songwriting. Solid 7/10!
Ehhhhhhhh George Michael does not do it for me. Other than Freedom90 being memorable, the only thing I remember thinking during this was waiting for it to be over
In my mind this is exactly what the 90s sound like, all while avoiding sounding generic. It's not exactly an album I'd reach for, but I enjoyed it quite a bit! Standouts: Freedom!'90 • Cowboys and Angels • Heal the Pain • Soul Free
I don't think I "get" George Michael. He has an amazing voice but I feel like he doesn't always use it to its full potential. The first four or five songs were great but the air was seriously let out of this album in a big way in the second half.
Not good to me
It’s slick and smooth as you’d expect from George Michael. It’s a bit more introspective than I anticipated. Rather good and while a lot of songs are rather Faith-esque there’s a lot more that’s more akin to the Tears for Fears route at times. Good solid stuff.
Czil ig
Way better than expected
Gibts bei amazon nicht
Nice. That's it.
i did!
Fantastic album!!! RIP George
I preferred his first album, Faith, to this one by quite a bit. While the acoustic showings let him demonstrate his vocal range, and I liked the lyricism of this one, it just wasn’t as fun or enjoyable to listen no. Nothing as exciting as the first album.
freedom is a banger cause pitch perfect put it on the map, said what I said
Good singing and songwriting, but mostly a snooze for me. Respect George Michael trying to show a more ‘serious’ side, and he does it well. It just doesn’t strike me all that much.
Where is Vol. 41
ily mikeyyyy great album cowboys and angels might be top 10 songs of all time maybe even top 5 so so peakkkkk
Less poppy than his previous work. Beautiful voice and music.
Y'know, I always found Wham a little "meh" for me - but some of George Michael's solo work is actually not bad. His voice is really good to be fair, and there are some great songs here (Praying For Time, Cowboys and Angels) and also "They Won't Go When I Go" which I found out after the fact that it's a cover - I'll have to go check out the original. I felt the album lost a bit of traction for me by the end - it felt a bit like repeating the same subject matter a lot. And though his vocals are great there was a hell of a lot of reverb - probably too much at times. A solid interesting listen nonetheless.
Far more predisposed to enjoying this than something like Culture Club’s Colour By Numbers. George Michael/Wham! >>>>> Boy George/Culture Club. I don’t make rules I just know how I feel about it. I also know who keeps getting weird jukebox musicals made from his body of work (Last Christmas, Eli Stone), work that I never realized was comparatively lean and mean compared to his contemporaries. Only five solo albums, three Wham! albums. That was all! This album is nice! I do love Praying for Time, Freedom 90, Cowboys and Angels and Soul Free. Most of it leaves my ears the instant they end but his singing is so nice I immediately want to forgive him that. An okay album buoyed by a lovely voice. There are worse things!
🏳️🌈Came during pride month in my last albums of this journey. Some cool concidences like this during this crazy ride. Freedom is a banger on here. Thats about it I think.🏳️🌈
Freedom is a great pop song. The rest of this album is forgettable at best. Too many cheesy songs that don’t hold up.
Wow ok I didn’t expect to CRY first thing in the morning. Such a beautiful voice.. Cowboys and Angels was my favorite track. Just ethereal. I listened to it on repeat literally all day and it even inspired me to do a creative photoshoot with visuals that reflect the sound of the song. Also I find the album cover super special. I assume it’s an image of an audience at one of George Michael’s concerts or something and that’s so beautiful that he chose them to be on his album cover 🥹
Fantastiskt! George Michaels röst är en av världens bästa. Det är så vackert och så mycket smärta stundtals. Praying for time är underbar och Freedom 90 är catchy och bra. Mothers pride är fin. Ett bra album med en i mitt tycke underskattad artist.
Not sure the hype. A few good songs but meh overall. Very 80s early 90s
Not a bad album despite not really being my thing.
It’s not my style of pop. He’s a good singer and musician, and some of the songs are ok, but for the most part I feel like this falls into the “90’s adult contemporary” category which is just not my jam.
I felt this album from the bottom to the top! Great lyrics, perfect songs, and technically a masterpiece.
Surprisingly into this one. I've always found his signing a bit overdramatic and the whisper voice doesn't do it for me but I really liked his Stevie Wonder cover
The album was really solid actually.
A good pop album with still relevant messages. This album comes hard out of the gate with Praying for Time and Freedom! 90. These are the ones we know by heart. The following tracks are heartfelt and somewhat haunting. Mother's Pride is another one that is well written and lingers with you, vocals felt more like Freddy Mercury than George, gorgeous.
Eh
This feels like the background music of the universe. Ever-permeating its pleasant good tunes into everyone's memories.
I’ve been a fan from the very beginning and, to be honest, I love everything George Michael does, so I’m giving this album 5 stars…
Shortly after George Michael passed i watched a documentary on him that really focused on this album. I got the impression that i’d probably be very into it, and i am a HUGE fan of Faith, his previous record. I just never got around to listening to this?? It’s such a shame that a lot of people nowadays just associate George Michael with the songs he’s made which have become memefied (Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go and Careless Whisper, although those 2 are pretty much pop perfection) Anyway, fucking great.
Oh it's the George Michael "deep" album. I remember this one! Listening to it again is a nice little nostalgic trip. As I'm not a George Michael fan I probably won't revisit it but it was a nice listen. It's got some lyrics that still hold true today, and that is depressing within itself. The music is nice and poppy, my wife said its still danceable but it could be our age showing. Honestly I'd like to get someone in their 20's to listen and get their opinion. I'm not sure how well it held up, but as I said I'm not a fan of his stuff over all. Seriously it's a solid album for its age.
I remember his music to be more interesting, but this bored me. Freedom! '90 is a good song but the rest I didn't really care about. And I did listen without prejudice.
Quite operatic, and musical with epic bold production and decent instrumentation. It didn't sound TOO 80's, you know. But it still had lots of 80's production cheese. Lyrically and vocally I think George Michael is a standout for sure. His end product always bothered me because it always felt forced because of the pretty boy pop star attitude.
George Michael's second record is a weird bid for repectability, eschewing the jumpy rhythms of his previous group Wham! and embracing a "grown up" mid-tempo sound that alternates between melodramatic synths, regal strings and folky acoustic guitars. Missing from these new trappings however, is a little thing called "fun" that made his previous tunes so appealing. Michael wants to be taken seriously, so he tries just a *little* too hard to give his songs some gravitas. The result is gloomy, cloud-covered affair where precious little sunshine gets through. Only the Madchester-inspired beat of "Freedom '90" manages to break the pattern, but on its own it's not enough to counterbalance the self-consciously grim atmosphere on this album.
Tja wel lekker ofzo. Maar laat me over het algemeen niet koud of warm. Erg mid
Never been much of a fan, but I enjoyed this more than expected. Still, I won’t need to hear it again, and I give it three stars.
Good album. Not great.
As far as I’m concerned this album is alright but Faith is much better…hope it’s on the list
Meget nice og smukt album. Ved at lytte til dette album har jeg fået øjnene op for styrken i George Michaels stemme. På nogle tidpunkter minder den mig om Freddie Mercury, men på en måde mere delikat. Albummet har meget samme vibe hele vejen igennem, men har et par højdepunkter. Standouts: They Don't Go When I Go (Virkelig smuk og man kan sagtens høre Stevie Wonders arbejde på nummeret), Mother's pride (bare hjerteskærende), Waiting (vildt smuk)
Passable. George Michael's voice is quite pleasant to listen to and the songs were okay. Probably bordering on three stars, but it dragged just a little here and there, so downgrading this to two.
schön. bissi rockig aber dann sehr baladenlastig und ruhig. mothers pride gefällt mir am besten aber all in all sind die anderen jetz auch nit schlecht aber mir a nit volle positiv in erinnerung geblieben
Decent album but not really my taste.
Praying for Time 2.7 Freedom! 90 3 They Won't Go When I Go 2.9 Something to Save 2.6 Cowboys and Angels 2.6 Waiting for That Day 3 Mother's Pride 2.7 Heal the Pain 2.4 Soul Free 2.7 Waiting (Reprise) 2.5 Score: 2.71
I listened with a small amount of prejudice, I suppose. Front loaded, this got boring quickly I'm sorry to say. It's quite uptight and world weary.
"Freedom 90" is the big track, but my favorites flank it: "Praying for Time" and "They Won't Go When I Go" - those melodies are amazing. The rest of the album is OK, but the start is so strong that it pushes it to a 4.
Not bad, just not nearly as fun as Faith. The early part of the album shows promise, but the second half loses definite steam.
While 'Freedom' remains an absolute classic, I can respect the big swings George Michael was taking with this album - even if the rest of it struggles to hold a flame to that track. The Stevie Wonder cover is respectable, which is saying something given it's Stevie Wonder. The Stones interpolation is a little less successful through simply sounding a bit dated - as do several other tracks. But overall, even when the pan flutes or late 80s/early 90s flourishes don't entirely land, I respect that George is going for it, and usually trying to say something as well.
I listened without prejudice. It was nice but kind of boring.
First off, you really have to respect the sheer balls it took for George Michael to follow up the massive, image driven success of Faith with an album cover that doesn't even feature his face. It was a huge, defiant statement to ignore the pop idol persona and take him seriously as a songwriter. But as for the music itself, it ends up feeling like a bit of a mixed bag. It heavily relies on one undeniably hot track, "Freedom! '90", surrounded by a lot of slow, somber filler. Granted, some of that "filler" is actually quite beautiful, and the acoustic, mature vibe really works when you're in the right mood. But as a complete, front-to-back listen, it gets a bit too bogged down in its own serious intensity to be an absolute classic.
I kinda get it, and culturally important. But the music really doesn’t do it for me. All a bit cheesy.
Prejudice-free assessment: 1 over the top ballad but I kind of liked it 2 bop 3 boring ballad 4 boring ballad 5 ballad but marginally more interesting 6 this was ok 7 boring ballad 8 dishwater 9 music from the Streets of Rage beach level 10 pointless reprise
plutot cool, j'écouterai pas ça tous les jours clairement
Was fine
No private session used for Spotify. George Michael when he was dominate was tiresome as he was everywhere, so I don't really listen to him now that I have a choice. "Freedom!'90" is a classic, if this song doesn't give you moving, go see your doctor to get your vitals checked. Covering Wonder's "They Won't Go When I Go" is bold, but clearly Michael was up for that challenge.
It’s pretty impressive actually. Wasn’t expecting this. Really well crafted ballads.
i listened with prejudice.
Good album. Good vocals. Good lyrics. The instrumentation is very nice.
Boring
Did as I was told, but ended up being kinda bored. The album is by no means bad, it's just too long and slow.
Seems like a lot of reviewers weren't fans of this one. I'm no 80s baby, and have no nostalgia for George Michael apart from "Last Christmas", but I greatly appreciated hearing this deeply personal side of his singing. Standout tracks for me were probably "Mothers Pride" (just beautiful) and "Cowboys and Angels" which -- and this will probably resonate with no one else on this site -- strangely felt akin to the warm, nostalgic sound of the LEGO Island (1997) soundtrack. IYKYK! Also I feel the need to point out that I felt like Leo pointing at the TV screen when I heard the Funky Drummer sample on "Waiting for That Day".
one good song, the rest was blah
Love this album, we listen to it often, my husband rated it 5stars, I think its a 4.5 . What a talent George Michael was.
The opening track, Praying for Time, was a considerably more enjoyable listen than I remember it being, and Freedom is a harmless enough pop song, but a whole album of this stuff just starts to feel a bit… vanilla. There’s a warm, rich production sound, but seemingly no tunes. As an 80s/90s indie pop kid, it was my duty to be sniffy about people like George Michael but you get a lot more forgiving and open minded as you get older. He actually seems like a good guy who led a troubled life and I hear his music differently these days, but this one just doesn’t click with me.
Well, I think I listened to this without prejudice as instructed, though I must confess I didn't listen to it all. The dog food advert that came on before the album on YouTube was more interesting.
Boy that was a slog to get through. Is the musicality and songwriting bad? No, but it suffers from the ultimate sin of music and entertainment: being boring. Here I will list the good parts of Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, and don't worry, I was not prejudiced coming into this blindly as I could be: Freedom! '90: Best song on the album. Unconventional pop that works is great! Further proof Sturgeon's Law applies to even the best known pop figures with their own "must hear or die" albums. Cowboys and Angels: While my complaints on this album is that for a pop artist, everything is too slow and stripped down. The jazzy atmosphere of Cowboys and Angels works and I wish it could've been the whole album. Then again that smooth jazz shit was done back in the 80s and we needed to LOOK FORWARD in 1990. And uhh Soul Free I think was good. I don't want to hear it again to check though. I can tell this music just isn't for me. I don't think I really hate it hate it to give it a 1, and I don't feel disappointed either. If you're a pop artist and your direction is to get slower and more acoustic/piano involved, it's just not what I'd want from a pop artist. Things should be upbeat, it doesn't need to have pop optimism (boy I really do not like Wham....) but it has to be entertaining. This is simply not that. Good advancements in songwriting from a guy that wanted to prove more than being a pop star? Yes I think he achieves that, but that doesn't make the album any better.
favs: waiting for that day soul free rating 1/5
Good funky music nice and soulful
Solid album Standout songs: Freedom! '90 Heal the Pain
very 90s, very "we are the world"
Beetje traag album en niet zo uniek ofzo.
Good Pop swinging between sweet and soulful
I tried what the title suggests, but I found the songs mostly boring and forgettable. Freedom! `90 is a banger and stands out from all this filler material.
Freedom is an all time great song for me. The rest of the album also feels surprisingly fresh and varied.
Huh. Oh, hey. Yeah, I'm awake. I think. What track is it? Oh. That's it? Yeah. Sorry, I guess I haven't had enough caffeine today to make this one work. Oh, I just don't appreciate the wonderful vocals? Or get the slow ballads? Yeah, guilty I guess. Mind if I go listen Weezer's Blue Album? Because that didn't make the list. No? Good. Maybe after that I'll listen to Judas Priest's Painkiller. That didn't make the list. Neither did Massive Attack's Mezzanine. Maybe some Bad Religion, I mean one of the most influential punk bands ever didn't land a single album here. Or even In an Aeroplane Over the Sea. Anything other than this. See, when you wake me up from my George Michael slumber I get grouchy.
Me gustó mucho. No sé cómo describir su voz, pero me llega mucho. La producción es muy buena
So we have this guy with a really amazing voice and an obvious talent to write good lyrics and melodies, who can produce real bangers like Faith and Freedom and even has an affinity to a little experimentation incorporating different genres like jazz, soul and some more exotic styles. And what does he do with that? 90% are the same slow ballads about relationship and breakup, just like everyone else on the radio. A real shame, because I feel this could have been much better.
Historic
לא כזה אהבתי, היום כמה שירים טובים אבל קצת היה לי בנאלי
התאהבתי, פרידום שיר מרגש עד לכדי דמעות, אני מרגישה כמו נערה בשנות ה-80 המאוחרות שנמשכת להומו הזה
Very nice album
It does feel like a cohesive project but just not my style. I just don’t care for slow ballads no matter the artist so he really didn’t have a chance to win me over. I’ve enjoyed his first album and other singles I’ve heard with a bit more speed. Also enjoy the album cover here. Freedom is the big one and it’s good but I think Heal the Pain is my favorite. Rating: 2.4
10/05/2026 I feel a little disappointed with Georgey boy here, I expected more from this album. Shame. Spotify listeners: 21 million
Yeah, I mean it’s really just a pretty boring and slow album riding the coat tails of one good song. But, when that one song takes up more than 15% of the runtime, it’s going to help the overall rating.
Going into this, I was honestly afraid that it was gonna end up kind of boring, but George Michael really won me over here. I'm not gonna say this is the most interesting album on the list; but it's well performed, well written and detailed, and most importantly, it seems to have a genuinely, convincingly kind heart. Even if it comes across as a little cheesy sometimes, there is hope and empathy across these songs, and it is felt strongly and appreciated. While doing some research on this album, I found a take that framed Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1 in regards to The AIDS epidemic, and it has honestly stuck with me, and strengthened my extant feelings about the tone and themes here. I would also like to say that George Michael is singing his ass off on this entire thing, and he *knows* it. If he didn't, he wouldn't have tried to pull off a Stevie Wonder cover. This cover is honestly what cemented this album for me. It is a *bold* move to cover They Won't Go When I Go. It is a well loved deep(ish) cut, and also one of Wonder's most emotionally heavy songs, in my opinion ever. There was little to gain in covering something this completely untouchable, which makes me think that George Michael really felt that *this* Stevie Wonder song had to be on this album, which I respect. And honestly, even though it's a pretty straightforward cover, he really pulls it off. Even if I can't fully love Listen Without Prejudice as a piece of music, it is clearly a labor of love, made with a kindness that shines through in earnest. And on some level, I am truly moved.
Pop that’s sprawling, surprisingly ambitious, often indulgent, and trying hard to impart serious social commentary. I did think that was sometimes cool, but I’m also sitting here listening to some of the lyrics in 2026 and can’t help thinking “Just you fucking wait, man.” (Especially when he’s lamenting the evils of the rich.) He’s got a great set of pipes. I hear a lot of Freddie Mercury in his voice, especially how he delivers his big vocal moments (“Freedom! ‘90” is a good example). The way the harmonies are layered remind me of Queen’s production as well, perhaps more gospel-influenced here. It’s funny to read critics at the time talking about how sparse this sounds. Maybe compared to his other releases - this still sounds pretty lush and stacked to me.
A little to slow for me but ok I guess if you in the mood.
Eh. I assume Faith is on the list which is the George Michael album you need if you need one. I always appreciated him more as a public figure, esp the way he navigated the aftermath of his arrest, than I resonated with him as an artist. The piano ballads feel unfinished while the anthems seem overbaked. "Freedom" is infectious in both a good and bad way.
Outside of his work with Wham and the earlier singles, I had only heard the single “Freedom! ’90” from this album — a banger that featured on many house party dance floors in college. This is a surprisingly soulful, ambitious album. Michael ups the ante by incorporating some forward-looking sounds borrowed from other genres, like the Funky Drummer backbeat on the aforementioned track (which also appears on “Waiting for That Day”), some jazz stylings and a heavy Stevie Wonder influence on the gorgeous “They Won’t Go When I Go.” A few uneven tracks, but this is pretty strong.
Better than I expected it would be...I followed the title instruction literally!
Solid album with a couple standouts. Feeling generous so will put it on the 4 side of a 3.5.
Good voice. Seems to be a top bloke. Liked Wham alot. Not too into the solo stuff but well produced and a decent listen. If youre in the mood.
3.3
As pop goes, it's ok. He had a decent voice and he tried with the lyrics but it just can't rid itself of superficiality and bland is the word that I can't can't shake off while listening to each track. For the blowdried sharply manicured sunglasses crew, this might feature but otherwise I can't see myself ever returning to any of these tracks.
This album has many of the same issues as Faith, such as songs that are too long, but the difference is that Faith has so many good songs you can kind of excuse the issues. Not that this album is bad, but aside from the standouts “Praying For Time,” “Freedom! ‘90,” and “Waiting For That Day,” the rest is bland and forgettable. Probably only needed one George Michael album on this list, and it definitely didn’t need to be this one.
The album clearly has one very popular standout track, and at first, I thought that's all this album was going to offer. Pleasantly, I listened to find out this is a solid album. Favorite Track: "Freedom '90".
This challenge has taught me I like George Michael way more than I expected to.
5/10
I'm not a big fan of this album, but I did listen to it without prejudice I do understand that it was revolutionary during a time when house music was booming. "Freedom! '90" is the highlight of "Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1". As for the rest of the tracks, they're fine, but they could be more exciting. Advice for musicians: Don't add "Vol 1" to your album title, unless you're 100% sure you'll make a second volume. 3 stars for "Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1".
So I tried to listen without prejudice (and googling). My interest remained for the first two songs, but after that my concentration started to wander and the this became background music. A rather boring album that didn't really evoke any emotions.
George Michael is one of those rare cases where the artist's solo music is better than the music they created when they were part of a group (and I say this as someone who enjoys the occasional Wham! song). I'm a fan of this album.
i loved it from the energy of george michael to his dramatic tracks i also very enjoyed how the song are written, the harmonies
Pretty good
3.5 rounded up
Was unfamiliar with most of this, and liked it a lot. Plus, an excellent surround sound mix on Apple Music.
Besides Freedom! 90, this was mostly forgettable.
Definitely one of George Michael's best work alongside Faith. It's more acoustic and incorporates more piano than his other works. Great album from a great artist! Definitely a must-have!
I really enjoyed this album. George is wildly talented and this one shows it. Good mix of pop anthems and softer songs.
- Stop whispering "Plan B" like it's some sort of super covert CIA operation... Plan B is a dance routine. IT'S A GOD DAMN DANCE ROUTINE! - ... and it's gonna rock! Freedom!!
George Michael, WHAT AN ARTIST! I had not realised some of these songs were his.
OK! Fui pesquisando e simplesmente vendo que era mesmo, o cara do “Careless Whisper” e o mesmo cara que fez Wham! !!!!! Não imaginava que pudesse fazer músicas tão boas E com letras sérias, já vou avisando que curti metade do álbum por simplesmente a essência que ele quis trazer, que era tirar seu rosto da mídia, mostrar sua potência vocal e provar que tinha muito mais além de músicas animadas e rosto bonito, e tinha mesmo. Resumindo MUITO porque vale a pena ir pesquisar sobre a história do disco, ele lutou muito com a gravadora (Sony) tanto que perdeu uma briga judicial e ficou um tempinho sem lançar música por isso, onde os mesmos não aceitavam algumas de suas opiniões do que queria, mas o álbum foi um sucesso, teve vários Hit Clips, além de uma música em inspiração ao McCartney. Bem, enxotei demais pra falar minhas músicas preferidas que foram “Praying For Time”, “Freedom! ‘90”, “They Won’t Go When I Go”, “Waiting for That Day” e finalmente, “Soul Free”. Em Listen Without Prejudice conheci um novo cantor, um cantor totalmente diferente do que conhecia e que, dessa forma, grudou na minha memória. Com músicas de qualidade e voz de arrepiar, George Michael me mostrou a capacidade de se reinventar mesmo quando todo mundo dúvida e nega, e que no fim, vale a pena.
Nah
pretty funky and forgettable fav song: Freedom
I'm not a george michael fan but there are a couple of good songs on here
Epitome of a 3star album, but the title and atmosphere give this album a lofty social goal that it never lives up to.
I rememeber buying this at the time as it was such a
[16/10] Really wanted to enjoy this more than I did bc I have a lot of respect for George Michael as a bloke. There's some excellent brickwork here and obviously Freedom! '90 is the best song ever made but a full album of this production is a bit much for me personally :/ Waiting is a very good closing track. Beautiful.
4/10
Like it 3/5
Boring
Album #128 George Michael: Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 I’ve enjoyed a George Michael/Wham hit or two in my time, but I never thought of him as being an album artist. It seems like on this one, he is trying to adapt his sound to the Sophisti-pop movement of the 80s, presumably in an attempt to be taken more seriously as a songwriter, and not just be seen as a vocalist. But from pretty early on, I could tell that the lyrics of this wouldn’t resonate with me, mostly just coming off as what a teenager posting quotes to Facebook would think is deep and enlightening. Even the name of the album evokes a cringeworthy reaction from me. However, George Michael is still one of the great vocalists of all time, so he is able to keep most of the songs listenable, and sometimes enjoyable. I would say that, though this is just a weak attempt at jumping on the success of bands like Prefab Sprout, and doing so quite late, it still manages to be quite endearing and a good listen. It probably was a bigger deal at the time when George Michael was such a prevalent figure, and this album represented him trying to be seen as a more mature and serious artist. But for those of us removed from the context, the album isn’t really noteworthy at all. Best Songs: Heal The Pain, Freedom! 90, Waiting (Reprise) Worst Song: Something to Save Score out of 10: 6.5
The last time I listened to this whole album I swear I liked it more. I love Freedom, Something To Save, Cowboys and Angels, and Heal The Pain. Beyond that, it really does sound dated and the songs are meh. Praying for Time was meant to sound "contemporary" but it seems so silly leading off the album with that when Freedom is so strong. Anyway I still love his voice but probably the greatest hits can suffice.
Some nice songs, but it’s dated as hell and VERY cheesy
Was ok in places
Incredible album
In general a good yet unremarkable pop album. It is pleasant to listen to but doesn't really stand out much. Of course George Michael has an excellent voice, though it could be showcased more throughout. A bit too safe for my liking. 3/5
Vastly better than I was expecting an advance from the dance pop of "Faith" this is a largely acoustic George Michael delving into more sophisticated songwriting. There are some really strong tracking on here: "Praying for Time", "Freedom 90", "Something To Save", and "Heal The Pain" are standouts. But ultimately its a little too mainstream pop and ballad intensive for my taste.
this was very different than the first george michael album i got…. i was hoping for another dancey album…. this one was quite sad. still good, but very sad :(
Maybe someday I'll revisit this with stronger feelings, but for now the most immediate thought is how baffling it is that Mother's Pride is followed by Heal the Pain. It feels like such an insane tone switch, and going from one of the best songs on the album to perhaps the weakest and most generic just highlights the weakness of the latter. Nevertheless, this is a very strong album with some very powerful songs. Perhaps just a little bit of work on the sequencing. Favorites: Freedom '90, They Won't Go When I Go, Mother's Pride
More consistently good than Faith, I would say!
I climbed up a staircase and looked out on the desert under the bright Arizona Sun; my vision was fuzzynfor a moment, but it became incredibly clear as the chorus of Freedom! '90 started to play. I had been hoping that another George Michael appearance on this list would prove to be the peerless album I had been hoping Faith would be, and I believe I got that album here in Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1. Where Faith sounded like Michael proving himself as a solo artist, he sounds more sure of himself on this album. It winds up sounding grander in scale and scope than Faith, managing to sing universal sentiments of hope and love without sounding corny in the ways that such songs can often sound. Despite this shift, the album is still just as catchy, with all the production continuing to be incredibly crisp and clean. Where the upbeat poppy tracks have always been standouts for Michael, the ballads on this album are particularly beautiful, with his intricate and nuanced vocal performances being incredibly captivating the entire time. Highlights: Praying For Time, Freedom! '90, They Won't Go When I Go, Something to Save, Cowboys and Angels, Waiting for That Day, Mothers Pride, Heal the Pain, Waiting (Reprise)
Epic
Remember that time George went through a jazzy phase and ended up dangerously close to becoming a lounge singer? I didn’t either.
This was not bad.
I remember when this came out, late 80s we played it nonstop on the bus when we did wknd trips on the month abroad. Love GM, Cowboys and Angels, They won't go .. Freedom.. fantastic tracks defining his sought after independence and that now define him
This man’s voice alone makes it must listen to music. All time great vocalist. This is a very diverse album. No song sounds the same. Soul Free is great. Freedom moves the heart and the feet.
A box of chocolates. It requires biting into and discarding several to find the few that are absolute favorites.
Except for Freedom it's probably best to wait for Volume 2 and hope for the best.
Freedom is enough to elevate this one to a 3. The rest was very highly polished a lovely sounding, but mostly forgettable - at least with only a couple listens.
Great pop album with a lot of depth. Only a couple "hits," but the songs are all high quality, and it just shows what pop music can really be, when it is approached with integrity.
Pretty good
Para nada mi estilo de música, George Michael fue un gran cantante. Pero nunca he comido conectado con su música. Habría que ver la traducción de las letras para ver si conecto
3 de 5 Disco calmado y tranquilo, con buenos arreglos y que presenta a George Michael como un compositor y artista serio. A destacar: Track 1 - Praying for Time Track 2 - Freedom! Track 4 - Something to Save Track 6 - Waiting for That Day Track 8 - Heal the Pain
su voz MY GOD. Aunque dudo que lo escuche de nuevo
Tracks I liked: they won't go where I go.
Tatsächlich deutlich besser als befürchtet. Sehr abwechslungsreich, sehr stimmungsvoll. Aber ich höre halt auch immer Wham! raus und das stört mich... Mir fällt zudem auf, dass seine Stimme der von Freddy Mercury gar nicht so unähnlich ist.
Bei den ersten Versuchen vor ein paar Jahren habe ich das Album aussortiert und fand nur einzelne Songs gut. Jetzt hab ich es gefeiert.
I tried getting through this but I couldn’t. I like Freedom ‘90 but that’s about it. I think the problem is that the ballads were just not well written in my opinion. He sings well enough. The songs weren’t good and too much production on his voice I think.
Just no.
I like the sound of the organs, and the grandness of many of the songs
Actual Rating: 3.5/5
It's fine.
I was hoping that more of this would be more fun, upbeat stuff along the lines of Freedom 90 and Faith, but this album was pretty mid-tempo ballad heavy, which I found to be kind of a drag.
It’s GEORGE what am I not gonna give it five stars catch yourself on
A banger or two on here. Pretty eclectic album — less poppy than I expected, and more jazzy from time to time.
Praying for Time - 3.5/5 Freedom! '90 - 4/5 They Won't Go When I Go - 4.5/5 Something to Save - 3/5 Cowboys and Angels - 4/5 Waiting for That Day - 3.5/5 Mothers Pride - 4/5 Heal the Pain - 4/5 Soul Free - 3/5 Waiting (Reprise) - 3/5
Pleasant mix of jazz and pop. Kinda like some Phantom of the Opera type sh*t. Most of the songs felt ballady in that jazzy way, save for FREEDOM! '90 and HEAL THE PAIN... oh and what felt initially felt like Bandana Brett doing, EvErY rOsE hAs It'S tHoRn
I listened with a little prejudice and even still it was a great listen