Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1

Not quite my taste but I respect it. 3.5

It's a bit uneven. There are plenty of songs that are actually very good - 4 star material. Songs that sound fresh and unique and really stand up 30 years later. Then there are songs that you can just feel the 80s dripping off of them, Like Soul Free. Overall, I'd say it's a solid 3 stars. I can recognize the quality without wanting to ever hear it again.

6/10…soft pop / mellow / easy listening

A decent and melodic pop album. 7.8/10

George came through with a solid project with this one. I don’t think I’ve heard an entire project of his before and it was solid. You could hear him trying to usher in a different sound for the new decade and for the most part, I think he did a good job.

The singles were pretty good, but songs got pretty bad toward the end. Cheesy early 90s music, but George can sing

My mom is a fan of George Michael. I found this album enjoyable, though it didn’t particularly stand out for me

3,5 arrondi en dessous, ça m'a pas marqué plus que ça

It was...fine. Freedom! 90 is a certifiable banger, but nothing else rises to that level. 'Waiting for That Day' really just made me want to listen to The Rolling Stones.

Good album. Nice easy listening. Michael has a great voice and very distinguishable. No stand out song

I prefer funny, poppy, making-videos-to-troll-the-LAPD George Michael to this version that’s trying a bit too hard to be a serious artist. He can’t totally suppress those pop instincts though, so Freedom 90 is a banger.

Interesting with some good themes but overall doesn’t hit me

Unfortunately this is no Careless Whisper. I did like Soul Free though

3.5 really

There is some interesting sounds on here. There were pieces that sounded very Disney. There were songs on here that reminded me of father John Misty. The talent is there but it never climbs out of decent into the quite good.

There is one huge hit in here in “Freedom ‘90” but outside of that the crossover appeal is low I think. No doubt he’s a talented singer and songwriter but the tortured lover/artist theme is way too prevalent here for me to really enjoy it. These are well written and interesting songs even if I don’t particularly want to listen to it all repeatedly. “Something to Save” has a nice chord progression, especially toward the end. “Praying for Time” has a great message and good lyrical content. The ending of the album got fairly monotonous but it was still listenable.

Limp Bizkit didn't cover anything on this album. I have not listened to George Michael before and only know the songs Freedom and Faith. I was not expecting a weird gospel/musical feel to the songs. It's interesting but not my bag. oh my bag.

I don't know if it's because being sick has zombified me, but while this was a solid album, nothing about it really lit me up. I think his sound is just so quintessential now that it's become normal to me. Round of applause anyway king

# 423 : They've done a pretty decent job, it’s a good album, it’s enjoyable and fun overall, but drags out a bit. It's ok, but not 5 star material. Honourable mention : Freedom! '90

Freedom is good. Cowboys And Angels is a bedroom smoker, though it feels maybe a little too soft to convey a real emotional depth about sorrow. In general, this feels too saccharine, too flabby, and just not my speed.

One of the great vocalists of all time. This was good but likely wont be back so its a 3 for me.

Cool, but kinda… soppy? I dunno, some of it was great, though.

Без предубеждения послушать не смог. Но есть отличные номера.

Not a bad album, but it's another instance of how one fucking phenomenal song does not a good album make. This album has Freedom! '90 on it, which is a certified banger, but the rest of the album is fine, but nothing to write home about. Favourite songs: Freedom! '90, Soul Free, Heal the World, They Won't Go When I Go Least favourite songs: Praying for Time 3/5

Always was disappointed that George never became the new frontman of Queen. Solo stuff is still pretty good though. 3.5 stars

The comfy voice from the big hits, in a more comfortable setting. The reverb and mix of the 80s is still there.

Was expecting more along the lines of Faith, but I guess it's not too bad. Nothing about it though says it's a "must listen." 2.5 stars.

Mostly this is a pretty bland album. Freedom 90 is great, of course, and I quite enjoyed the jazzy Cowboys and Angels but, for everything else, I was just waiting for it to be over.

6/10

A very preachy album that George Michael manages to pull off. Openers Praying for Time and Freedom '90 are life-affirming classics that carry a lot of the album, along with the epic Cowboys and Angels. Ended up feeling like a bore near the end but it didn't detract too much from the strongest songs. If I had to choose, Faith is generally a better album for introducing solo George Michael, with the rest being for anyone who wants to dig deeper.

There’s no doubting that George was A Talent, but this isn’t any more than pleasant background music for me. Which is fine. Did I mention he used to go to the school near mine?

If Faith was his "I'm straight, honest, look at me being a ladies man", this album is definitely George showing his soulful side, and boy did I ever not realise how blatant Freedom was as a coming out song. I really liked the stripped back production on most of these, but it did fade into the background after a few tracks.

At first I was pleasantly surprised how much I was enjoying this album. However, as the album went on I started to get a bit bored with it. Still I think it's worth a listen. Some interesting messages in here, and "Freedom" is a classic. I might give it a relisten sometime soon to see if the rest of the album grows on me but for now it's a 3* for me.

An enjoyable listen. I can’t not dance to Freedom! ‘90 That said, I felt like each individual song was ~a minute too long. I prefer pop music when it is snappier and more structured.

3.5/5

J’ai un peu Listen Without Notice, ma bad mon Mike

Freedom is good, but I didn’t care for the rest

It was alright.

I'm writing this a few days after listening to it, and the only song I can remember is Freedom, so the rest can't have been anything memorable.

Huh, knew nothing about this - bit cheesy on the nose but whatever the boys got pop sensibilities and it works well on the more acoustic arrangements. Same guy who came up with that sax riff from days of yore in his head as a teenager right?

Better than I expected.

this is good. very good. could i write poetry to this? n

George obviously has an amazing voice, but there's far too many ballads on here. 3 stars mostly from Freedom.

Favorite Track: Freedom! '90

I did indeed listen without prejudice. The quintessential 90s album, a lot calmer than I expected. A pleasant surprise

I mean, I guess it's fine?

pretty much as good as this could have been imo. Not as good as some of the Wham stuff but still interesting. Drawback is the boring-ish instrumentals generally. Favourite songs: Praying for time, cowboys and angels, waiting for that day. Overall around 6/10

кажется было интереснее (менее 80е) чем предыдущий альбом, но опять кроме фридома ничего не отложилось(

pop rock sympa

I’ve had cause to listen to Last Christmas quite a lot recently, and it struck me that the song is all chorus. I don’t know enough about Wham’s other songs to say the same for them, but it struck me that Faith is the same, all chorus. That’s what I think Listen Without Prejudice means, because for the most part these songs aren’t traditionally structured at all when George Michael was typically a Pop artist. But the problem is that about half of these songs are quite pretty, and half are quite boring and as such all adds up to being pretty boring

Sounds like every solo 80s album I can imagine.

Unoffensive and safe.

I don't get the appeal. It's just kind of boring.

Freedom 90 is a perfect pop song though

Freedom is the best song on here. A little slow and gospel-y.

Average

A lovely display of an 80s legend.

I enjoyed this more than I expected to (not that I really knew what to expect - probably a more generic pop sound). Not super consistent, but I enjoyed it overall. Favorite: Cowboys and Angels 3.5?

A little better than Faith IMHO. It was a bit more serious and acoustic, with less froth (apart from the very frothy Freedom, which is undeniably a good pop song). Anyway, yeah, above average pop from GM.

freedom '90 is good and george michael is cool, just needs more

Enjoyable.

A middling poprock album. I'll give George props for mixing up the styles, though his vocals came off very airy and weak sometimes. Didn't overstay it's welcome but wasn't the best while it was on. 3/5.

Starts strong but falls off quickly, it’s still good though

Of course Gearge Michael appeared in my playlists at the time. However, his music was always a little too sweet and too pop for me. So I didn't have particularly high expectations when I was presented with this album as part of this project. But I found the first track surprisingly good. It also sounded familiar to me. I remembered Freedom '90 very well and I liked it again after a long time. This album and George Michael will not be in my daily stream. But it was nice to listen to this album. 3/5

Great vocals but wayyyy too over produced and gets dull a lot. 6.0/10

This was a surprisingly great listen! The record flowed very well and there was a wide variety of songwriting. If George Michael set out to make a batch of more mature, more polished songs then I'd say he did it!

This one is OK. Faith was more fun

The first time I heard “freedom!” Was on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which means that I can’t take it seriously. Like at all

The first part, with the lovely Freedom!'90, is fun to listen. In the last part, the momentum gets lost.

mmm normal

Its vibey. Catchy stuff but I dont think im gonna revisit. Its just okay

ts sorta borring

I give him credit for trying to "reinvent" himself, but he should have gone back to the Faith formula. This one has some interesting moments (especially lyrically), but lacks the variety and energy of his solo debut. Highlights: "Freedom! '90" (mainstream version of the prevailing English dance sound at the time. Cool piano stabs. Interesting lyrics about his rise to fame, is he subtly coming out in the chorus?), "Something to Save" (strummy guitar pop with strings. I could picture Coldplay doing something like this) Notable: "Praying for Time" (not sure about opening with a dramatic slow jam), "Cowboys and Angels" (was he trying to get on a James Bond soundtrack with this torch song?) "Waiting for that Day" (interpolates "You Can't Always Get What You Want" into the end), "Heal the Pain" (I could picture Michael Buble covering this song)

Good on ya, George.

Fun early 90's pop album. It is a little too much for me to ever listen to this whole album again though.

This was an interesting album. I'm not sure if interesting is good (but am open to it growing on me). The lyrics, for the most part, are pretty good. Michael's voice is good. It's certainly an ambitious project. The musical compositions are more of a mixed bag. This album tends to yo-yo between traditional, mostly acoustic, pop songs and melodramatic, overwrought tracks that are part Broadway and part lounge music. The latter songs tend to be overly long (though most of the songs could be cut down) and unfold in meandering narratives with no real chorus or hook. "Cowboys and Angels" is probably my least favorite track — it's way too long and has a cheesy, dated sound as if he was attempting to write a Bond song. "Waiting for that Day" seems to needlessly go out of its way to sample "Can't Always Get What You Want" by the Rolling Stones, and while it's a decent song, it probably could've been better with an original melody that doesn't make it sound as derivative. "Soul Free" is a really cheesy sounding new-age song that's somewhere between Madonna, Ace of Base, and John Tesh. The best songs are here are the acoustic guitar ones: "Freedom," "Something to Save," "Heal the Pain," "Waiting (Reprise)" 3/5

cowboys and angels baaaaaya iyi

I did listen with prejudice given that I had Faith the other day and it was garbage. Having said that this wasn't as bad, you can hear lots of moments where this influenced the genre in the future.

First George Micheal album I’ve ever listened. Gotta say I liked it

Freedom and couple of other good’uns think it’s worthy of a 3 to average out Craig’s 2

Freedom 90 makes announcing to the world that you’re gay sound like a real blast. That’s a hard act to follow and the rest of the album doesn’t seem to really try. As a piece of art, the album itself is almost hindered by how infectious and upbeat freedom 90 is, because the listener can’t help but wonder where this energy is for the remaining fairly sedate 9 songs. Still, 3 stars for one of the best pop songs of the decade.

This took me a few listens to respect it and I truly sit between not liking this and finding it really interesting/cool Waiting for That Day was a cool track. Loved the ode to the rolling stones Heal the pain was great. Sounds like a paul mccartney track from the early Beatles days They wont to when I go was really neat. Dark, haunting, showed Michaels vocal control

This album is super gay and I’ll be honest I kinda dig it. Freedom 90 is deliciously gay. They won’t go when I go is really nice - has kinda an elegiac showtune vibe that I really enjoyed. Album drags a little and is slow later on but didn’t hate it

Never the biggest fan of George. Some decent tracks on this. Bit too slow for me.

this is like a 3. a perfect 3. like just super in the middle, a 3.

Decent, but not great.

3+

A few of the songs on this album are enjoyable, but for the most part, I don't feel any type of way about this one. I can acknowledge that it's objectively good, but not really my thing. A lot of these albums sound the same to me...

als ekki galið. 3,5.

George, what a voice. Amazing control and musicianship. I was prepared to be blasted with sounds from the 90’s with this album, but wasn’t really. There’s jazz, some raggae beats, and the croonery stuff that all give this a timeless feel. I like the upbeat, tambourine-heavy songs better than slow melancholy songs, but I think this album holds up. 3.6

To get the full effect of what this album was trying to accomplish, I suspect one should be familiar with GM’s previous record and public persona. Unfortunately I don’t know it, so to me this was sort of self-indulgent and corny. He’s got a great voice and writes great songs – “Freedom” is undeniably awesome and "Soul Free" was decent – but this album didn’t hit with me. Still it's a bold choice when he was at his height, so kudos to him. 3.2 (“Heal the Pain” sounds like a vibe bite of Queen’s “Who Needs You”.)

George Michael had an amazing voice reminiscent of Freddy Mercury at times. Freedom is a banger.

2.7

pretty fun

His cover of Stevie Wonder was great but a couple times he sounded like he belonged in a boy band which are not the best bands

Less pop sounding than I was expecting. Quite enjoyed it

I’m so out of my wheelhouse with this one. Freedom is fine but it feels like it never ends. So like, the regular pop ballads kinda blend together and don’t feel great. I dunno I’m just gonna rate this 3 stars. It didn’t really stick with me but it didn’t really repel me.

Ait litt kjedelig

I'd never heard the full album. But I've heard half of the songs as radio staples. It's not surprising that the album was released in 1990. Half of the songs have the smooth groove of 1980s Sade. The other half of the album looks slightly forward to the hip-hop influenced pop of the 1990s. (You've heard that drum machine on thousands of songs since the 1980s.) But on the whole, Listen Without Prejudice doesn't sound particularly fresh or interesting. Faith is a far more vital album.

Decent 80’s pop, but sounded a bit dated for 1990. I ended up listening with prejudice.

A good bum, I liked Praying For Time, They Won't Go When I Go, Waiting For That Day and Mother's Pride.

zum Glück kein "Last... "

I liked this album much more than Faith. Less horny and just the right amount of 80's production. Freedom is a real banger of a tune, I've always loved when the gospel choir comes in for the chorus. Not a record I would choose to replay often, but from time to time, sure!

I enjoyed Freedom! '90 quite a bit. Nice juxtaposition into They Won't Go When I Go. Echo effect lends an eerie gospel vibe, that I really like. Mostly had this in the background and enjoyed the breadth of styles. Heard everything from jazz (Cowboys and Angels) to some dub with other pop-things in between. An unexpectedly enjoyable album for the most part, but I got a little tired of it by its conclusion. Not enough highlights to go 4, so 3 it is.

I've heard of George Michael, but never really listened to him. His voice has a hint of michael jackson to me. Like the jazz flute in Soul Free. That was probably my favorite song on the album. Probably wouldn't listen again but wouldn't mind hear a couple songs off the album. 2.5 stars

Some sweet sweet singing with easy flowing music behind it. Some of the songs were kind of nothing burgers, but I still enjoyed every song. Freedom! is an absolute jam and almost made me bust out into full song at my office. This is on the higher side of a 3

Not bad

"Freedom 90" is a great song. The rest of this album was like listening to a long washed up chanteur perform dinner theatre. Fine, but also kind of boring and stale. Sadly I don't think solo George Michael ever topped "Faith" in terms of albums, but he did have a few solid singles on the later albums.

Yeah, fair. I was unable to listen to George Michael without prejudice growing up (I simply found him annoying as a kid and still in the phase of turning my nose up at most pop), and I took my time developing my appreciation both of soul music, and of his evidently beautiful soul. But now that's behind me, and I'm happy to realise the lad was clearly very very good. Praying For Time is lyrically great. Freedom 90 is excellent, if a little overlong. The Stevie Wonder cover is really decent. I didn't realise he'd done one besides As. Cowboys and Angels is a very pleasant Sade-esque coffee shop jazz number. Second half of the record is less great. Heal the Pain is probably the highlight, but the cheesy production and general cheesiness of Soul Free is the obvious lowlight. Plainly a beautiful voice. That's indisputable. He's evidently grown as a lyricist here and songwriter however. Will I listen to it again, probably not. Is it a generally pretty good album? Yes

He sounds great. Just not my style of music.

Freedom is incredible and essential. The rest just doesn’t register

This challenge has opened me up to artists I’d never consider, and George Michael is one of them. Another album came up earlier and I loved it! Something about his voice is so relaxing, yet can get you pumped with the right music too. This album gave off a church choir feel, so it wasn’t my jam, but I still somehow managed to listen to it on repeat because of his voice. Good stuff! Listen again: yes Purchase for my collection: maybe Favourite Song: Freedom (so cliche)

Best track by far Heal the Pain

Ruhiges Album mit einigen sinnvollen Songs und dem bekanntesten Stück „Freedom‘90“. Das Album löst ebenso wie Freedom kau Emotionen aus. Kein weiter Adobe hat irgendeinen Wiederekennungswert. Auch ohne Vorurteile ist dieses Album bestenfalls gewöhnlich.

Wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I don't typically like George Michael, and I was surprised by his range and the variety on this one. More somber/serious than I was expecting. 3/5

Eeehhhhh it's like if you took all the catchiness out of pop and replaced it with sad, mediocre balladry. 5/10

Freedom 90 is a good one, but the rest is a clear step down from Faith.

3+

Starts off super strong, but then regresses to just a very good album

The first half of the album had so much ear candy that it was hard not to jam out. It was classic George Michael using melodies and chord progressions that get stuck in your head like RFK Jr.’s brain worm. But, the back half of the album kinda drops off and blends together. Early into the album I was leaning four, but I’ll settle on a three.

3.5/5

He has such a peculiar voice, gentle and young, mixed with 80’s synth sounds, makes this time capsule of pop. He also sings effortlessly which is cool. 3.3

I’m not very familiar with George Michael’s repertoire but I know the hits. The start of the album was enjoyable. I really did enjoy Freedom! a lot more than I have before and stand out. Overall very listenable, but not something I’d likely return to.

I mean probably objectively well written music I just found it all a bit cringe. I did not enjoy the ballady ones at all.. was just getting through it towards the end

George Michael is clearly a great song writer and some of his songs like Freedom 90 and Faith are ultimate bangers but this album was a little cheesy for my liking. But I definitely appreciated it.

ANOTHER 3.5! George Michael is a king of ballads, they don’t always hit but they are never bad. Voice is on point, as usual. His sophomore album is more or less what I thought it would be given the popular songs of his I’ve heard, but I really LOVE soul free- such a banger of a song! Unfortunately, this one looses points for its dated sound and the fact that it kind of sounds like a compilation album of sorts. Given the album title, I expected it to play more into a theme; but it really didn’t.

This is kind of a melancholy album for George. After the immense pop popularity of Faith, I guess he decided to do something vastly different. Freedom '90 and Soul Free are the closest you get to pop radio on this album. And that's not necessarily a critique.

3.5

George Michael has a great voice, but this album is only okay. After listening, I have no desire to return to this album. None of the songs really impressed me and the lyrics are serviceable. The ending was nice, though. Only three tracks had good music backing up lyrics. Those are the standouts: They Won’t Go When I Go, Cowboys and Angels, and Soul Free.

Don’t really care for this style but didn’t hate it. Freedom is a pretty good song so 2.5.

Freedom ‘00 is a 5 star song and 6 star video. Nothing else on here really left its mark.

George Michael manages to put one mega hit on an album of mostly good and a few meh songs. Only thing is, a good song from George Michael is an excellent song from about 90% of the bands on this list. 3.5/5

Super voice soothing etc.

A pretty album and a nice listen but not something that I'm going to come back to very often.

Not bad but too many boring songs to get to 4 stars. Didn’t need a 7+ min song.

Solid early 90s pop album

On this album George Michael strayed too far from what made him successful on FAITH, which is a shame because while I don't believe this album belongs on this list, I do firmly believe that FAITH does. It is clear that with his collaboration with Aretha Franklin in January 1987 really affected how he went about writing and arranging his second album. LISTEN WITHOUT PREJUDICE VOL. 1 is a very different album, but of the 10 tracks included only 2 of them remotely approached the dance genre that his fanbase had grown accustomed. The rest are version of adult oriented rock. He probably should have gone with a more even split to keep his FAITH fanbase appeased. The album presented comes off a bit more like Roger Whittaker, rather than George Michael, particularly compared to the kineticism of FAITH. I love me some Roger Whittaker, but that was not George Michael's core fanbase. After the iconic coming out track "Freedom '90" I enjoyed the Lennon-esque "Praying For Time", and the bossa nova laced "Heal the Pain".

good solid album. george michael did def his thing but it had me not surprised in any given moment

Pretty good. Didn’t connect in particular with anything on the album but I think a younger me would have loved this.

I feel obligated to compare this to George Michael's first album, "Faith", due to it already having appearing on this list for me. "Faith" felt like the more "fun" album due to the mix of upbeat genres throughout. This feels more soft and emotional. One of the review snippets from the Wikipedia article describes a good portion of this album as "cocktail music", which is a bit unfair but kind of fitting honestly. I think "Cowboys and Angels" is a pretty fitting match of that aforementioned sound. George Michael has range for sure but when I think of him, I hear Wham!/his early solo stuff over this and any future work.

It was a nice album

I don't have feelings either way on this. It's nice, but I don't think I'll come back to it or really listen to it again. George Michael (especially solo) isn't my favorite, but I understand its popularity.

George moves away from his Wham and pop persona.

Aaah…George Michael…(I went to the same scout troop as him, I believe) Much missed - lovely album.

Greeted today's random generator album with a "meh" Soon found myself singing and dancing with a "whahey" Made for a good day

Probably not his best album.

Cowboys and Angels is so beautiful. I enjoyed it but will admit I didn't find most of it particularly memorable. I might try and revisit it

Freedom is good. Nothing else particularly remarkable.

Praying for time was powerful opening….. Album made me realize the depth and transformation George Michael went through.

This wasn’t what I expected, and I don’t mean that in a bad or good way. Other than “Freedom! ‘90” it was just a lot less “pop” than I’m used to from George Michael, and definitely more chill. I had it on while working and had to listen multiple times because it just kept fading into the background. However, it was at least very pleasant to listen to, unlike some of the albums on this list.

Mellow George

Freedom is really great, and the rest of the songs are okay enough to earn a three. There is a lot of musicianship here but its not very exciting

Decent pop.

Its really good, but the currently mental season i have its not what a want. I feel probably in the future would like to listen to this album. Besides, in some songs i can breakdown that theres a like tune from Jeff Buckley

I appreciate what Michael did here. It’s clear he’s trying to take back his public and musical persona/definition from the record company’s marketing machine. He makes it clear in Freedom, and I love the authenticity shown here. This track is a 5/5 for me. Otherwise, the album is full of songs that show he’s not just a brainless pop star marionette, and for that he earns my respect. Also want to note Michael’s credits in this album: vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion, horn arrangements. He’s making HIS album, and that is noteworthy. However, in his need to gain that respect as an artist, I think he perhaps overcorrects. The Stevie Wonder cover “They Won’t Go” is an egregious, misguided decision, especially since it’s fairly note-for-note. “Mothers Pride” is quite heavy-handed. Ultimately, while I respect his work here, and his quest to reclaim his identity and his career, most of the songs here are quite average.

I had never really listened to George Michael, but am marginally familiar with Wham! so I kind of knew what to expect. this album was pretty pleasant. not something I ordinarily go for, but was nice enough to have on as I went about my business. it didn't resonate with me fully but i enjoyed the sound of it.

Some really great stuff on this one, but ultimately as a whole it’s a bit forgettable.

freedom is a banger, but the rest was mid

Freedom is five stars

A serious pop album. Not terrible I suppose, but not much fun apart from Freedom and maybe one other.

Not bad, not wrong, badong. No, it's half and half. I know how well liked this artist is and there are a few good songs here. I can agree that this should be on the 1001 albums list. His voice doesn't do it for me, though.

This was a strong album, even if it’s not my genre. Very good singing voice, very smooth, powerful at times. Lyrics were mostly pretty good. A thoroughly emotional vibe throughout. The music as a whole was very… smooth? I don’t have a better word for it. 3.5, very close to a 4

Freedom 90 is worth it alone. Good album overall. 3/5

Pleasant enough and definitively George Michael, but a bit tame and indistinct for any album I would purposely reach for in my collection.

Clever album title! It certainly made me listen with an open mind. The first few tracks were really impressive, and did indeed raise George Michael in my estimation as an all-round singer/songwriter/producer of substance. The middle of the album was much less uninspiring - there are some pretty ordinary nothing-y sort of songs there.

This is a pop record — nothing more, nothing less. Very unprovocative, quit dull but not bad in any particular way.

What a coincidence! Yesterday, 60 Songs That Explain the '90's covered "Freedom! '90," and today, I get this album. I'm relatively familiar with some of George Michael's work, but the aforementioned "Freedom! '90" is the only song on this album that I knew going into it. I find the late eighties and early nineties to be such an interesting time for pop music, because so many thing were changing: rap and hip hop were gaining a wider audience, hair metal was waning, and grunge was starting to emerge from Seattle. If you take a random sample of the Billboard Top 40 from this era, you can see all of this happening, and you can hear all of this change impacting popular music. What makes this album so interesting to me, is that it doesn’t seem to be influenced by all of this change. To me, George Michael exists outside of all of that during this time. He’s wrestling with his past, present, and future, and this album is his expression of that moment in his life; it’s almost like this album exists in a vacuum of its own creation. I found the overall listening experience for this album to be pretty enjoyable. George Michael knows how to write some great pop music, and he sure as hell knows how to sing it, putting the right pitch and power in all the right places. Whether there’s a lot going on instrumentally, like on “Freedom! ’90,” or the sound is a bit more stripped down, like on “Something To Save,” George Michael can sing it all, letting his vocals command the sound. As great as the vocals are, the storytelling and introspective lyrics are fantastic too. Personally, I prefer George Michael’s music when it’s up-tempo and fun, so “Freedom! ‘90” is the high point of this album for me, but the album never really goes back to that type of sound again. However, I still think this is a solid pop album, and I appreciate the message of this album and what it meant for George Michael’s life and career.

Four years out of Wham!, one solo album behind him, and a pop-world ancient at twenty-seven years old, George Michael turned his attention to making a “serious” record in 1990. The title of this sophomore record, part shrewd marketing and part slightly desperate, betrays how eager he was to be seen as an industry heavyweight… and if you shut out the noise, you can almost believe it. First and foremost, Michael’s voice is absolutely astounding here. From the opener to the final track, he croons and swoons and honeymoons his way through, soaring and softly sighing in equal measure. A cover of Stevie Wonder’s sparse “They Won’t Go When I Go” is an audacious thing for a white man to attempt- particularly in a faithful arrangement leaving nothing to hide behind- but he pulls it off. This cover aside, the rest is self-penned… and it's decent. "Waiting for that Day" and its reprise are highlights, even if (or perhaps because) they're transparently lifting the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want". "Cowboys and Angels" is overly brooding but admirably ambitious, "Mother's Pride" is a genuinely moving anti-war musing, and a welcome change (if a little out of place) is “Freedom ‘90”: the mainstream's embrace of the rave generation. While the vocals are great and the songs are fine, the album is slightly tarnished by- to my ears- poor production. Listen closely to the opening “Praying for Time” for an example: there's very little depth with everything at a mid-treble, soaked in reverb, very harsh sibilance on the vocal. The weight of ballads here does sink the album into treacle after a while too, with the mid-tempo snoozers "Heal the Pain" and "Soul Free" not doing enough to drag it back out. "Listen without Prejudice Vol. 1" ultimately suggests that to achieve a prestige hit, an artist needs to slow down and go introspective, faintly pandering to any critics who may have looked down on the lightweight, happy-go-lucky (and often brilliant) pop George Michael made his name with. Perhaps that’s how it felt for Michael at the time, and I credit him for taking another approach here and showcasing his versatility. However, even though this album marks a significant moment for Michael, in the grand scheme of all popular music it doesn’t play as an especially bold, landmark or risk-taking work. Pleasant and accomplished, yes: but not a revelation.

George Michael was a fantastic singer and a great sonwriter; but his 90s output dipped a little in quality. The opener, Praying for Time, is an instant classic, but as a whole, the album can't keep what this first song promises. It doesn't help that the mix is uneven in many songs - there are plenty of heights, high mids and bass, but the low mids are missing in many songs, giving them an icy quality. 3/5

I've never been a fan of the hit off this album, Freedom 90, as it feels a bit too predictable and overall cheesy in a way that only a song from this era can be, and I personally hate that sound. However, the rest of the album was an improvement over George Michael's debut, as the inclusion of a lot more real instruments and tracks not all fighting to be a stereotypical pop tune was refreshing and felt more earnest. That being said, something about this album still rubs me the wrong way. It may be Michael's over-singing, or it just feeling like a lot of tracks are still trapped in a time that did not age the best sonically, but I just cannot get into this, despite my best efforts. It gives off the same vibes as artists like Christina Aguilera, oddly enough, where it feels like the whole thing is compensating for something, but I've no clue as to what this is. This album didn't do anything to make me a George Michael fan, but I at least understood it a bit more this time around. Perhaps it was destiny, as I have been watching a lot of Arrested Development, so my album listens seem to be subtly influenced by it. That or its all coincidence... yeah, its probably that.

Fine. Freedom! '90 is the obvious star, and everything else sort of falls flat

ok album

Freedom was the only track I knew, and probably the best song off the album. Everything else was quite a departure from anything else I'd heard from George Michael or Wham, slow mostly acoustic, pianos, and orchestral accompaniment. It wasn't bad

I HATE electric piano and synthesized instruments, and they are ALL over this album. There is some good (if not overly melodramatic) songwriting here, but the production and cheap musicianship overshadow the most of it, so much so that I can't give this any better than a "good" rating.

Surprisingly vulnerable album, but not his best.

5/10

Freedom 90 is one of my all time favorite songs, hands down. And i love George Michael's beautiful voice. But the rest of the album just doesn't soak to me. 3/5 mostly due to Freedom 90, it's video, and all it's meant to me.

3/5 Fun sounds but not enough

Oh yea this guy, he is very faithy a feels really high on himself. But he crafts a good vibe with his songs

Good music to cook to, especially good music for you and your partner to cook *together* to. A lil date at home for you & yours

Found 2 good songs, liked it.

This album is a bit uneven and seems to work best on the pop/hit type material and less so on the numbers that seemed more designed to show off and stretch his vocal talents. It's got some bops and it's a decent listen.

It's George Michael. Of course it's good. Not my fav though.

“Listen Without Prejudice” more like listen without enjoyment. Tediously mundane. This would make a great soundtrack for a nap.

Have never listened to George Michael beyond the usual hits. It's ok, nothing special

The fast songs are good. The slow songs are bad.

He obviously has talent, but I find the album rather boring. It's what I think of when I think about what might have appealed to the masses in that era. I don't hate it, it's perfectly pleasant, but I guess that's its weakness as well.

Some really strong individual tracks, but as an album it doesn't feel coherent.

No Careless Whisper, no likey.

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would

Bangers

Album 233 of 1001 George Michael - Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 Rating : 3 / 5 Good album. Nothing to complain about yet nothing totally standing out except song Freedom, which was pretty popular.

wel lekker maar niet zijn beste

Pretty good, didn’t know george michael was nice like that

Some catchy pieces, didn't fall in love with any one song in particular. Giving Queen vibes

Such an incredible voice from an incredible artist. Not my favorite album overall, but it has some great songs on it. Freedom (obviously), Something to Save, Waiting for that day, soul free (this one actually ended up being a new favorite for me), and waiting reprise were all really good. Some of the slower songs just didn't resonate with me as much. Still a good album.

Singing on this album is great, good messages in the lyrics. Overall, the slowness of every song on the album is the thing that makes it not my thing. Freedom, Praying for Time, Waiting for That Day are all good tracks on here. Not an album I would just throw on, but good listen! 3/5.

He has a great voice, leaning towards soul but very poppy

I mean, he's certainly good. George Michael isnt my cup of tea. 6/10

Great voice. Catchy, clever tunes.

first listen decent

I liked it, especially "They Won't Go When I Go".

Praying For Time is swaddled in the cavernous production of Ocean Rain-era Echo and the Bunnymen. Freedom 90 has the bright, kicky piano of the Happy Mondays. Neither possess the heft or wallop of their templates, because Michael is too smooth an operator to fully lean in. Under the different masks he wears on this album Michael remains a master of sleek pop. Indeed, the best stuff here comes in that guise - Cowboys and Angels and Soul Free the standouts (alongside Freedom 90 - lightweight perhaps, but a great little track all the same). It's a shame that some of this sounds so dated thanks to production choices - the synth flute on Soul Free was questionable, but the synth pan pipes on Mother's Pride sent me into the demon realm. Still, credit to Michael for trying to create an album weightier than many would have expected, even if it is fighting for a true identity. The more I learn of George Michael, the more I sense he was a man of intelligence and conscience. Let's not forget, he was a damn fine singer and created a clutch of pop hits that are absolutely ironclad.

Man, this one starts off really well and just can’t maintain it. At the same time, it seems pretty clear that George had no intentions of doing so in the first place. This thing reeks of “I made a huge hit so I’m gonna do whatever the hell I want to now.” This is maybe most evident on a song like “Cowboys and Angels.” I would love to the see the record exec who had to sit with George and listen to this for the first time and diplomatically say, “So you’re *sure* you want this smooth jazz David Lynch soundtrack song on the follow up to Faith?” I’m here for it though. That song, the opener, and “They won’t go when I go” are all darn good songs on their own (I think? Or maybe just “good.”) But they exist on album that was probably never going to meet pop expectations in the first place and only exacerbate the feeling that the only focus to this record was to not make Faith again. Mission accomplished?

Pretty good variety and catchy tunes for a genre I don't listen to often.

Solid album but wont revisit often

3/5

Good, George knows how to write catchy hooks. Like the stripped back stuff

Competent, fine, although Freedom is a 5 star song. I wouldn’t mind if I went grocery shopping and that song played on a constant loop in the store. A couple months ago I watched that Wham documentary on Netflix. It was decent, but I’m a sucker for music documentaries.

It was nice but not my style

Some songs I liked, some not for me. Favorite track: Cowboys and Angels

I don't know if it was a lack of sleep and driving to work in the rain, but I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Fairly dark with sparse instrumentation and some Beatles influences. A bit too much pop for my taste, but I was surprised by the amount of interesting turns a few songs made showing more ambitious territory and texture.

Freedom 90 is far and away the best track on this album. The rest is meh.

“Freedom! ‘90” is one of my absolute favorite songs. It’s an instant mood booster. I first got into it around 5 years ago when my mother-in-law demanded it I play over and over again at a family Christmas party. I’ve since fallen in love with it on my own but I’ll probably always associate it with her too. The rest of this album is pretty good. It’s heavy on slow ones. The songs are earnest and heartfelt though not many connected with me aside from “Freedom!”

George Michael had a great voice and I think that gets forgotten about sometimes. It's very evocative and naturally is dripping with sexuality that borders on corney/cringey but to be fair the cringe is kind of a byproduct of his era. Speaking of era, I think this album is kind of a hangover from the 1980's. It was released in 1990, 3 years after "Faith", so it was almost definitely created inside of the 1980's. The sound is like an 80's record that wants to evolve but just isn't ahead of it's time enough to start the exploration into 1990's pop. "Cowboys and Angels" is good example of this, where it feels like something that is really trying to be different and new, but it comes up sounding like a Sade track. There's a lot of good moments on this record. On "Freedom! '90", there's chord progressions and ideas that were undoubtedly taken and used by bands after this release. I hear specifically a lot of "Maroon 5" in that track. I also like "Heal the Pain" and all of the acoustic instruments. Lovely album cover. Super interesting idea. It looks like a fun summer day at a beach or some kind of huge pool event, but I also get "The Shining" vibes from it (the photo of the hotel at the very end of the movie!). Solid 3/5, not really enough huge memorable hits in my opinion for it to be higher. Very listenable though!

B Praying for Time 5 Freedom! '90 4 They Won't Go When I Go 4 Something to Save 3 Cowboys and Angels 3 Waiting for That Day 2 Mothers Pride 4 Heal the Pain 3 Soul Free 3 Waiting (Reprise) 2 Jorge Miguel, you absolute stud. You made the entire Bluth family proud with this one.

George Michael has a great voice, and there are some good songs, but the album as a while is a bit too ballad heavy for me, and is maybe a bit to "smooth".

Reminiscent of Elton John. Love songs and uplifting messages with catchy rhythms.

Only song I knew was Freedom 90. This album was more mellow than I hoped.it would be. 3/5

3/5

I never really appreciated just how rich and wonderful George’s voice was. Freedom is an all time great single and the rest was perfectly enjoyable. I can see why the label were less than thrilled but Michael’s voice suits these darker ballads rather wonderfully

Good album which could have been great. Michael was better when hes pushing his vocal repertoire and delving into risque songs, not the MOR mush which occupies most of his albums. An opportunity missed here..good but could have been outstanding.

A lot of excellent pop songs held back by a track list that us generally all over the place. I listened without prejudice at least!

FREEEDOOOOMMMMM!! The sound of this album is what I associate with George Michael. The moody sounds of the late 80s/early 90s synth ballad styling really brings out, in my opinion, the best of George Michael. Whilst sales and reception of this album weren't the greatest, I believe this album still holds up over 30 years later. Best: Freedom! '90 Worst: Cowboys and Angels 3.5 Stars

As I was starting this album up my husband asked “who’ve you got today?” And I replied, “I think you’ll be able to guess. If not by the first track then definitely by the second.” Partway through the first track he said, “I know who it is but I’m blanking on the name.” I wasn’t giving any clues. Then he said “it’s Beverly Hills Bathroom right?” And then we both laughed and laughed forever because yes, that’s exactly who it is. But I digress. Overall, it’s a very bland album aside from Freedom 90, the supernova massive banger that we all know whether we’re fans of Mr. Beverly Hills Bathroom or not. I fucking love that song. But one banger doesn’t make the rest of this tripe engaging or listenable.

Freedom! '90 was great but the rest didn't really live up to that song. The rest was full of good vocals and instrumentals but really wasn't for me. Still enjoyable though.

I wanted more from this album. I love George Michael’s voice, and while that definitely stood out I wasn’t loving the album as a whole. It was a little boring. A few really good songs but most were just meh.

Fine

Stiekem gewoon lekker.

De Engelse Gerard Joling!! Dacht eerst echt jezus wat een vreselijk album, maar na even er over gelezen te hebben snap ik het album wat beter aangezien het uitkwam te midden van de hiv/aids pandemie. De teksten vallen zo veel beter op z’n plek en het raakt me ook wel!

Ik heb het advies van de titel opgevolgd, en om eerlijk te zijn vond ik het prima. Freedom is het hoogtepunten, op een album met toch een paar dieptepunten. Ik kende alleen dus freedom en mothers pride, verder was het nieuw voor me. Prima 3 sterren, niet bijzonder maar ook zeker niet slecht

I expected better

I remembered this as being better than it now is! Maybe it's not aged that well.

Couldn't really get into this one. Freedom! '90 is a pretty good track.

Cool and different sound to Faith. Gotta give it up.

I have a weird relationship with Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1. I was not a fan fo Wham!. George Michael has put out a lot of work that I'm not interested in, but I own this album. I was introduced to this album by a friend who was learning how to play "Waiting for That Day" on the guitar. The album caught enough of my attention that I ended up buying a used copy of the CD. There are some tracks that I could skip ("Cowboys and Angels", "Mother's Pride"), but overall the album is good. I ended up making an EP of sorts of my favorite tracks from the album ("Freedom! '90", "Waiting for That Day", "Heal the Pain", "Waiting" (Reprise)). The stories told in the lyrics are about relationships at the narrowest level, but as a whole these tracks talk about hopes in life, the fear of having missed out even though you've been given so much of what you thought you had wanted, and trying to find a way to still move forward. The mood caught my attention for it's cleverness with the lyrics and backing music. You can hear in each of those tracks George Michael asking what happens when you hope to get this thing that you are sure that you want, and then are burdened with having that thing that you thought you wanted. It's no surprise that a snippet of the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" makes an appearance on one of the tracks.

George Michael's voice is lovely but after awhile the songs just sound the same.

Cool layered vocals over easy pop/soft rock. I liked the acoustic guitar

George sure did have a set of pipes on him that’s for sure. RIP George. Definition of easy listening. Couple of really nice tracks. Favourite is lThey Won’t go when I go”

Second George Michael records in 3 days - still lots of the same gravity and charm, but I feel this one follows a bit behind Faith in the overall canon. Despite looking for other standout tracks here, I thought the hit was the only song that really brought things to another level, or was really particularly interesting. The more acoustic approach to a lot of the songs didn't resonate with me as much here as the heat and coherence of the previous album. I will say, one of my favourite album artworks we've had so far. Not a bad album, but as a change in direction as a follow up to the last album I'm not sure it's a step up. Two and a half. Fave Track: Freedom! '90

Pretty good. I'd give it 3 1/2. Rounding down because it doesn't belong in quite the same company as most 4 star albums. But still pretty good.

paljon covereita... ihan hyviä kaikki mutta ei tota mielummin kuuntelen aina toisen version siitä kyseisestä biisistä sitten. mutta albumina kokonaisuudessaan aika hyvä! hyvät pippalot aikaansaanaan.. eih ehkä sovi kuntoilu muusiksi mutta onneksi olin siivoilumassa ja toimii siivoulumuusikiksi... freedom!90 poppi humputus jamputus... parhaana biisinä...

His voice is just amazing. I saw him live when I was a lot younger, not knowing any of his music, and it was just so impressive. That really shows through on this album, but there's something about it which stops it being truly great. Maybe it's because it's musically a bit too safe, maybe it's because some of the lyrics are a bit too on the nose? Probably a bit of both. The opening of the album (Praying For Time / Freedom / They Won't Go When I Go) made me think we might get something really special, but it tails away a bit after that. 3/5.

This album feels like a greatest hits. Every song composition was different. Freedom! ‘90 is a quintessential pop song and no other song on the album sounds like it. You’ve got ballads, acoustics, noir jazz, country, bongos, and island sounds.

Struggled to review this one , it’s not my type of music but I appreciate his voice and the strong ballads . Sitting between a 2 and a 3 so I’m rating higher

Halfway in- soothing, enjoyable. Dunno why, i usually dont like these kind of songs. Not my style. 3 stars for me, but objectively maybe even 4.

Not my style but enjoyed it Musically is nice

Wel beter dan ik dacht eigenlijk. Goed geschreven nummers en goede stem. Beetje zagerig bij de rustigere nummers soms.

It was a nice acoustic, fresh sounding album, but at times a little too ballad-y for me. Definitely different from his Faith album. I completely forgot how good "Freedom 90" is

Alright. Goes by quickly. Don't have much to say, but he does sing really well. + Freedom + Cowboys & Angels

reconheci uma música, um hino, mas de resto achei o álbum apenas ok. gostei muito da voz dele, muito boa.

Not a George Michael fan, but the first three songs are decent.

Bit samey and of it’s time but felt the emotional pull in the songs. RIP GM

You couldn't get away from Freedom on MTV back when this song was released. Great song. Great video. It still breaks my heart that his sexuality was the butt of so many jokes back then. I'm happy his music did so well, I wish he could have lived out loud for longer.

i have no strong feelings one way or the other

Solid

Decent 3/5

M'étant débarrassée de tous mes préjugés et biais en amont de cette écoute, je suis désormais libre 🤠

Als erstes: dieses Couvert!!! Lieb's. Allerdings...ich find's auch wieder etwas repetitiv. Einmal war's richtig gut und der vibe ist auch immer noch geil, aber ich kann keine vier Sterne mehr geben.

A album with some funky songs. Is a vibe. Favourite song: Cowboys and Angels (have you heard the sax???)

Excelente voz para canciones pop y con alternancia de sentimientos. Icono gay, sus canciones reflejan normalmente optimismo y alegría

Not my favorite, but not bad.

Score: 65 Album art: 60 This album is about as musically interesting as my balls. That being said, the lyrics are good, the singing is good. The lyricism does a lot of the heavy lifting here. The instrumentation is good though, although sometimes the pan flutes and stock drumkit beats come off as silly. It's surprisingly very dark for what is essentially elevated elevator music. Fav songs: They won't go when I go Least Fav: Soul free. The mixing is awful on this track compared to rest of the album.

Chillige Musik, so habe ich mir George Michael auch vorgestellt. Auch cooles Cover, allerdings würde ich dem Album insgesamt eine 3/5 geben, da ich auch hier keinen richtigen Ohrwurm habe (außer vielleicht Freedom! '90)

This album is pretty ok!

He sings really well and with passion, but somehow, even through the songs are written emotionally in their tone, they feel stale. The songs themselves felt as well like they were missing something, as they drag on. Perhaps a unique bridge, guitar solo, change in dynamics, something!

Nothing life changing. A very catchy and grandiose performance. I really liked the second half of the album

More substance to this than I thought there would be

Pretty solid all the way through. Better than I expected.

2.5/5

Good, but at the same time nothing special. Flew by me and I thought most of the songs were quite similar Best song: Freedom! 90 Worst song: -

Solid britisk pop, en rigtig moodbooster, masser af kor og catchy hooks

obviously that one is really good, but the rest just aren’t my style

Not really my thing, but more enjoyable than I expected. Maybe I really did listen without prejudice...

This was fine. It's not really my type of music, but I had no problem listening to it.

Why so many echo effects on the vocals? Some great songs here, but too many ruined by production. Better live than studio because live it let George's voice shine and it's too manipulated on the album.

Qué gran canción es Freedom 90. Igualmente tiene otras canciones destacables y la diferencia en enfoque y madurez versus Faith es notable.

George Michael is pretty great. This album seems to be limited to some basic music. He's more about pushing a message than creating an innovative sound. Feels a bit like gospel music. It's fine, but not his best work.

Freedom ‘90

George was an icon, deeply missed in the world of pop music. On this album he matured quite a bit and the songs reflect that. Very good crafted pop songs with beautiful melodies and great vocals. Bonus, the Stevie Wonder's They Won't Go When I Go cover is gold! Key tracks: Praying For Time, Freedom! '90, Something To Save, Cowboys And Angels, Waiting For That Day, Heal The Pain. 7 out of 10

Not my usual jam, but decent

Sort of exist as a way to funnel Freedom ‘90 outside of that track not too much of this comes out as relevant. Still George Michael’s voice is so damn good.

Freedom is an absolute banger and deserves all the praise. I'm not too keen on ballads in minor keys though and found alot of the rest fairly boring

This was fine. I was surprised when I hurt “They Won’t Go When I Go” since I was just listening to the song earlier today. Favorite song: “Freedom! ‘90”.

He always tried too hard and here it's obvious from the Beatlesesque opneing notes that he wants to be taken oh so seriously. One's simply not persuaded. There is a synthetic and contrived quality – again, too effortful – on nearly every song. "Freedom! '90" (an oddly puncuated title) is Primal Scream Light Lite, the palest sort of distant imitation and not flattering to anyone. Even on cuts one is inclined to like (e.g., "Waiting for that Day," with it's classic '90s programmed drummy shuffle), there's a whiff of diffidence and derivativeness to the repositionining, which feels entirely inspired by commercial considerations. The whole thing's just sort of tepid, despite its core competence. Still, nobody had a better voice, which comes through strongest on the quieter cuts (the lush and jazzy [but oddly titled] "Cowboys and Angels," say). But he's no Marvin Gaye and doesn't feel committed to the material, and the hodge-podge of styles shows less his versatility than desperate hit-seeking, a pathetic reaching after relevance. And speaking of titles, one feels a little insulted by the imprecation to hear it unbiasedly; on the one hand, yes, of course, always, but on the other, WTF? Does GM lack such faith in his material that it merits such a defensive caveat? Does he think it's not fun or poppy or danceable enough? Too high-minded? And Volume 1? As if he'll remind us again? Wow, thanks for that. One can't take him as seriously as he's always seemed to want to be taken. To get that, he might've simply have lightened up and just, you know, sang. By trying to be more than, say, Hall and Oates, he fell far short for his troubles.

Some very solid tracks, but parts of the album are uninspiring. 3/5

Not as good as Faith, but this is still a solid album from a great talent who was taken before his time.

George Michael was able to make some great pop music in the late 80s and early 90s. This album is pretty consistent throughout and has a couple of good tracks. Wouldn’t revisit most of it but if I heard it again I wouldn’t dislike it. 6.0/10

Cool

Sounded good, but not my vibe. 80s ballads don't hit it for me.

bomb

I was surprised that I liked this at all. It was much more enjoyable and had more depth than I expected.

I listened to this back-to-back with Faith and I prefer this album to George's debut. They Won't Go When I Go was particularly nice.

Three and a half. Freedom is my jam. And I liked the rest of this more than I thought I would.

Other than freedom, it doesn’t really hit any particularly spectacular notes for me. It’s good, but I’d say that’s about it. Some great lyrics in there from a strong man but just pretty average overall album.

i don't dislike it, but not doing much for me. It's fine for background music

I mean, it wasn’t bad, but other than Freedom I’m not sure what was so special about this album.

nothing special tbh

I am listening with and without prejudice and not really enjoying it. meh 3/5

The mix/master lacks a bit of oomph which is distracting. Im not totally sure what George Michaels was going for with this album. It’s never bad, but it feels a bit all over the place.