Reviews (page 6 of 8)
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
Nice pleasant AM album. Great voice from Mr. Mike along with a nice variety of smooth instruments. We have been on a stretch of so many mid albums that this is a nice breath of fresh air.
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
Absolutely going to listen to this with extreme prejudice don't tell me what to do "George Michael." Kinda ashamed to admit how much I enjoyed Freedom!90 there. The rest was a tough listen and most was trash. I enjoyed the lounge bass in Cowboys and Angels but not the song itself. Low 2.
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.
Yuck
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.
Just not good. One song. The rest is just terribly not for me
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
i think i am realizing that i'm not a huge George Michael fan. Freedom is the standout on this album, obviously. Soul Free I actually really enjoyed as well, but otherwise I didn't get much from this album. i think i'm just not a huge fan of his ballads, where there tend to be a lot of in his solo career. overall, give me the hits and ill leave the rest.
spots of really good stuff failing to breakthrough a miasma of general boringness
As popular as he was, he was still underrated for his talent. This album is brilliant.
There's hits here. George Michael really found his sound on this album. That sound is subdued pop. 7/10 Bonus points because freedom absolutely slaps
I have always felt like this was an underrated album. Happy to come across it here
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
Lovely
George era un absoluto genio.
I really hate that I hate this, because I love Wham! and I love Faith, and I love other late-era George Micheal songs. But this just sounds like an Abilities Flex™️ album, where the original praise was based on praising Michael for elevating himself above Wham!’s ✨inferior pop discography✨ (because ew, god forbid we praise queercentric music for teeny boppers 🤮🤮), and modern retrospective reviews project the HIV/AIDS pandemic onto material that doesn’t seem to be about that, at least not in my interpretation, and sometimes that projection reads strange, to say the least (because black music is about struggle and the gays community was struggling?? Like…not a one for one here…). On face value, this sounds to me like a pop star trying to do sophisti-pop. And listen, I like a lot of sophisti-pop, but Michael sounds late to the game, and the result sounds insincere — almost like a cash grab. Is his technical ability outstanding? Yes, and sometimes, that’s just enough to win me over. But for most of this record, I am bored out of my mind.
Fun fact - I had a friend who was in the video clip for one of the big singles from this album……album still sux though
Freedom 90 is a good one, but the rest is a clear step down from Faith.
3+
Yawn.
Starts off super strong, but then regresses to just a very good album
The Usher “most underrated vocalist of his generation and when you hear them you’re like damn why isn’t this guy considered one of the top vocalists in the game right now” award goes to George Michael. I really forgot how dope his voice is. I could do without some of the breathy and cheesy vocals he does but when he belts it, damn he is on (I would strongly recommend listening to some of the live recordings of don’t let the sun go down on me. His pitch and tone are phenomenal). This album really appealed to the chorus nerd in me. Very unique arrangements and intriguing harmonies. Not all of them work but I liked most of them. Freedom has just been used in so many movies I feel like so I’m kinda over it but it is a good catchy song in its own right. Also my dad always jammed to waiting for that day and I do love The Rolling Stones sample(?) at the end of that.
I feel like I like George Michael but I just wasn’t vibing to this album. Feels like contemporary Christian music. Too bland and meh.
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.
Who can listen to "Freedom! '90" and not sing along at the top of your lungs Freedom, Freedom, Freedom!!!? Outside of that song, the first half of the album didn't really do much for me. The second half on the other hand I really enjoyed. This was going to be a 3 for me until I heard the rendition of "You Can't Always Get What You Want" at the end of "Waiting for That Day". That bumped it to a 4.
The album decided to jump off a cliff as soon as it peaked. My favourite songs are "Praying for Time" and "Freedom! '90".
3.5/5
cool
Loved this album, and was not expecting to!
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.
I think this is as grand as it is meant to be. Also in the Apple Music top 100 and I can tell these are power ballads and they are so so so iconic. What an intro. The guitar is so incredible I love it so much. I am actually listening to it again and I am gonna leave the library after. I will let you know :p There is so much soul and heart in these lyrics they really feel so timeless and the music does not even feel that dated. Songs love to repeat lyrics over and over to end songs. WOW okay I think this is a 8 easy maybe 9 on a good day but every song on here rocks. some of the slower piano stuff works and it has tragedy to it but George Micheal when he is singing about sadness and really pushing himself feels amazing Favs: Heal the Pain Waiting for that Day Praying for time soul free is dated tho
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.
This project has taught me that I really loved George Michael as a child.
Freedom 90 is one of the greatest songs of all time.
3.5
Peak 90s George Michael, one of England's most renowned singer-songwriters. Freedom! '90 is the most iconic of the album, but there are other great songs in its midst. For instance, the opening song, Praying for Time, sets the album to a great start.
man, what a cool dude. ‘freedom’ really great vibes from there.
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.
I might actually listen to this again later. George Michael's voice is really groovy, his delivery is compelling, the production is nice. "Freedom" is an absolutely stellar track. Not my favourite album of all time and the second part of the album is maybe a bit weaker than the first, but I definitely see a time and place for this record for sure. 3.8/5
I wasn't super crazy about the first George Michael album on this list, something about the production made it sound like cheesy versions of prince songs. However, this album is a lot better, it seems a lot more developed and mature. A lot of really good songs on this album too. Freedom is easily a 5/5. I was debating whether to give this a 5, but I think the last couple songs are just ok, so it's closer to a 4. It might grow to a 5 on future listens though.
Was not a fan of this, it feels like this music was made for pharmaceutical infomercials
Don’t really care for this style but didn’t hate it. Freedom is a pretty good song so 2.5.
Something weird was happening with the production on this album -- specifically the mixing: the vocals felt like they were consistently drowned out by the instruments; listen to "Freedom! '90" in headphones, and you might hear it. That's not even why I didn't like the album very much. The songs felt like they were supposed to be powerful or have energy, but that didn't really come through for me. It was kind of a boring listen.
Freedom ‘00 is a 5 star song and 6 star video. Nothing else on here really left its mark.
No está mal, tiene Freedom!90 pero tampoco lo veo imprescindible hoy en día.
Ah well wasn’t this breeze of fresh air after having a bit of a tough time going trough this challenge. By far the most positively surprising discovery. Ofc I've known about George Michael before and listened to a lot of Wham back in the days. I don't know why but I just never was invested to look what else was there on his solo discography. I got ”Faith” a couple weeks back and was then pleasantly surprised by it. I really liked it and now this album just blew me away. George has one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard, I never made the comparison but his voice reminds me a lot of Freddies. Beautiful piece of work and the album cover is brilliant. I’m happy to discover this.
Reminded me of a michael jackson knockoff
Under-rated. Love this album.
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.
George Michael is quality.
Not bad but too many boring songs to get to 4 stars. Didn’t need a 7+ min song.
What a voice, we all new about that! Besides very few known songs of this album it's a 4.5/5. Watching \"Freedom\" video brought me back in the 80's where all those models were making us dreaming....
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".
4.5/5
good solid album. george michael did def his thing but it had me not surprised in any given moment
Nothing special.. but then again, never a big fan of George Michael. Some catchy hits, but that is it for me. Also the case here.
Incredible album. Such a talented singer songwriter.
Amazing. Easy 5/5.
Very fun
How in the world does this have an average over 3?
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
#162. There's that song Freedom, and then there's a bunch of boring adult alternative nonsense following it. 2/5: pretty bad Song added to playlist: Freedom! '90 I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
Probably not his best album.
Nice. Another great album! George Michael is an artist that I've always just kind of known as "The Careless Whisper Guy" and not much else. I knew he was famous, but I hadn't heard much of his stuff. I didn't even know he was in Wham! Anyways, this album is really good. I wasn't sold on his singing at first, but it grew on me and I appreciate it. The sound is quite nice. It's a solid pleasant sound that I can't really pinpoint a genre for. The closest I'd call it is R&B, but that doesn't really paint the whole picture. The writing is also very good. There's substance to these lyrics, and every song has a purpose, leading to the album not feeling samey. Overall, this is a good album, but not quite in the top echelon for me. 4/5.
Great musik
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
First off, for et fuckings albumbilde. Og second off. Embrace the cheeze. Fy faen det her er jo gospel gull, det er pop deluxe, er så jævlig her for det. Utrolig mye bra låter, men altså ikke helt mesterverk.
Increíble
Freedom is good. Nothing else particularly remarkable.
"Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1" by George Michael is a testament to his artistry and maturity as a musician. Released in 1990, the album showcases Michael's introspective songwriting and soulful vocals. Tracks like "Freedom! '90" and "Praying for Time" are highlights, with their poignant lyrics and powerful melodies. Michael's decision to not appear on the album cover or in most of the music videos was a bold statement against the commercialism of the music industry. While some critics felt the album lacked the pop hooks of his previous work, many praised its depth and sincerity. "Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1" remains a timeless classic that solidifies George Michael's place as one of the greatest artists of his generation.
Amazing pop album, really under-the-radar compared to other great pop albums from the late 80s/early 90s.
Alright
Praying for time was powerful opening….. Album made me realize the depth and transformation George Michael went through.
a generally good listen, torn between high 3 and low 4. freedom definitely the standout but other good stuff too so i lean more towards 4
Great tunes. Great voice. The sound of an era, maybe even two. Cool balance of some different styles. Just a great listen.
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.
I went into this thinking it could be a very fun album, this is the guy from Wham! So boring and underwhelming. This is another one where I’m not sure why it’s on the list. I could understand “Faith” but this album seemed so average and I don’t think had any impact on the music world. Maybe I’m missing something.
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
This is one I needed context for and repeat listenings to fully "get." It's an amazing record. You can literally here George Michael throwing it all away here. Just as much as you can here him influencing every one from Primal Scream in the next year to Lorde some 30 years later.
Because I was born in 1991, George Michael will always sound to me like being a 1 year old baby. It sounds like being dragged around Macy's or Michelle's by my mom as I'm probably bawling endlessly, strapped into the shopping cart, probably in need of a nap. So to "Listen Without Prejudice" to this music... I laughed! It will be hard! I still have prejudice. I still found it kind of lame and empty, and the music weirdly lifeless and not very fun. I hear more Stevie in his delivery than the last George Michael, which was kind of surprising to me! This one is absolutely more touching and in the feelings than our last George Michael, and I respect that artistically he's broadening out. I just don't really care for his vision! Also these tracks are just drenched in that bright digital 80's reverb. Sounds like the producers just figured out what reverb is. Makes everything sound super washed and kind of brittle and inaccessible. So. Somehow too cheesy to be taken seriously, but too self-serious to be having any fun. I just don't like it. It might actually be good, but I still do not like it. My apologies to George Michael! 2/5
Best George Michael album I've heard... Great play of vocal and music
Decent pop.
This was a departure from the earlier dance oriented pop and George Michael can certainly sing and make music. He has some good lyrics but the overall presentation of the songs fails for me. Freedom, for instance is constructed like an anthemic dance song and falls into a string of phrases that don't stick together into any coherent whole. Lyrically, he seems unable to just tell a simple story and instead makes general pronouncements and tries to imbue them with feeling. His singing style is interesting but never comes across as natural but rather always as a kind of display/costume. There is no real sense that any of these songs are personal.
fabulous Freedom 90, the rest is best when sounding looser and groovier -
I gave this a first listen while I was out running and I was absolutely not the vibe. I was leaning towards a 3 at the time but figured I’d give it the benefit of a more contextually appropriate relisten, and I appreciated it a lot more this evening. The first two songs are both incredible and a perfect way to open up a record, and the instrumentals are quite sparse thereon out, relying mainly on acoustic guitars, the occasional thin synth pad, and layers of majestic and vocals. The songs are generally quite long but don’t outstay their welcome - the hypnotic swung waltz Cowboys and Angels for example does not feel 7 minutes. The album loses steam a bit towards the end, and Soul Free in particular sounds quite dated (it also reminds me a bit of Peter Andre which is frankly upsetting) so it doesn’t quite stick the landing for me but is a great experience on the whole
Freedom is echt een topnummer, de rest is dikke bagger.
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
Listening to George Michael makes me feel dirty. He's either whispering or yelling at me the whole time and I'm never really sure what he's talking about. It may not all be innuendo, but it definitely sounds like it. Objectively thought, he does have a good voice.
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.
Teared up during Mothers pride.
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.
Just a good record. Nothing standing out. Just a groove.
Is this supposed to be a quadruple album? Is George Michael always so melancholy? Should’ve listened on a rainy day.
So much better than I remembered!
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
Bonico.
Yawn.
Freedom 90 is worth it alone. Good album overall. 3/5
Heerlijk, wat een sfeer en stem blijft het toch. Favoriet: Cowboys and Angels
It's really not for me. It's well put together and Michael's performance is solid throughout, but it just doesn't do anything for me. I've never really been one for that kind of soft pop.
Pleasant enough and definitively George Michael, but a bit tame and indistinct for any album I would purposely reach for in my collection.
The first half or so is a breathtakingly beautiful album, very personal too. But the runtime is a bit too long and would have benifited from some dead weight cutting
This album surprises, sometimes George Michael over-sings but otherwise it was pretty inspired
Ugh, the whiny 80s British albums have got to stop. Freedom is a classic but I'm just bored listening to this album. It just makes me feel like I'm listening to a much worse Michael Jackson. 4/10 (2/5)
Pretty fun, George Michael has a pretty specific sound but he does it well.
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.
Ya know what, I didn't hate this. Being a 20-something from the UK my entire experience of George Michael has been plagued by old women badgering the DJ to 'pop on a bit of George!' at events I'd much rather not be at, and it's always the same couple of songs. This album was totally different from what I expected - I didn't love it per-se but it's certainly changed my position on what I think of GM as a songwriter and artist.
Guys in current pop just don't send it like they used to. George Michael fully commits, you can feel the passion in the voice. More somber than Faith. Never knew that Freedom song was by him, but I sure knew it from some commercial I can't remember. Favorite track: They Won't Go When I Go
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.
А мне понравилось, кстати. Очень спокойно, душевно. Я у него, конечно же, слышал careless whisper, но тут весь альбом в таком же романтически-лирическом духе. Я считаю, что это четверочка смело. Кайфово.
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 was one of those insufferable guys that says they like all types of music. One thing this list (and album) did for me was show that that is absolutely not true. I do not like music like this at all and there are lots like it on this list. 2.2 per track.
The slightly dated piano, europoppy vibes, not my favourite. However, the majority of the album held up completely, with only the Stevie Wonder track and Soul Free turning me off. Fav Tracks: Freedom 90', Waiting for The Day, Heal the Pain
Easy listening, very nice
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.
Before I even start…..I see a “they won’t go when I go” cover……GEORGE……tread lightly my friend……this could be bad. lmao this cover is shameful. If this was the original version i would be amazed, but dude is role playing as steveland and hes not as good. Ok... honestly, it wasn't all that bad. Its not my genre really, but there were good songs on it. If it was the only cd in the car I wouldn't be that upset. Its interesting getting this right after U2. This probably had more fun up beat hits like Freedom, but I think if I was alive back then I would for sure buy the U2 album before this one. Ill give this one a 2 because I cant give everything a 3, but this is a loving 2, it is competing aagainst the best after all.
Based on Wikipedia, I was ready for a dour album full of ballads and a slog to get through, but that's anything but the case. It displays an impressive range of songwriting from George Michael, and I don't think there is really a bad song on the album. There are some surprising sounds and textures, with some jazzier numbers popping up. It is definitely less fun than Faith, but still contains one of the best 90s club tracks in "Freedom '90"
Enjoyed this, realized I have never listened to any George Michael beyond his couple of top hits.
Fine. Freedom! '90 is the obvious star, and everything else sort of falls flat
If Last Christmas was an hour long...
ok album
He has a good voice but this doesn't really do much for me. Freedom is a good song
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.
I only listened to like half of this but i was really liking what i was hearing. Very theatrical and moody, but also upbeat at times. Will have to continue with the rest.
I want to talk to you guys a little bit about dancing, okay? Now back in the 50s and the 60s and the 70s, people used to dance all the time. That’s how they solved their problems! THROUGH DANCE! Then all of a sudden we stopped dancing, you know! Grunge came in, people dressed in plaid and oversized jeans. Then later on kids wore trenchcoats and shot each other in school and that’s not cool. But guess what?! Guess what’s going on in high school now. Kids are dancing again! They’re doing organized, choreographed dance to solve their problems. They also give each other blowjobs.
George Michael moves away from the upbeat pop sound of his previous work in this introspective, at times somber, demonstration of the thoughtful artistic depth behind and beyond his mega-stardom.
Decent production and great singing, but most songs just fall flat here. Freedom! 90 was the best song by a lot here.
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
This is clearly a top-drawer pop album, the quality of the sogn writing is indisputible - the clarity and precision, the performance by GM, its solid. Just not to my taste. Even 'Freedom '90', that I was anticipating to enjoy, fell flat and I found the piano to sound so 'MIDI', the whole album - for me - suffered from a rather synthetic sound, that is, the instrumentation all sounded so processed and pristine. GM has a geat pop voice, I've heard him in so many contexts and thought "wow, this guy has got it' - just not htis album for me.
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
Langweilig, zu viele Balladen. Mehr "Soul Free" hätte mir besser gefallen.
pretty good album, better than i expected. 3.5/5
Found 2 good songs, liked it.
Entering his adult contemporary phase, Michael ups the vocal difficulty and thematics.
Yeah, this is an album that has existed and I could have listened to it at any point in the 33 years that it has existed. George Michael is hardly a secret. I just don't think it has all that much to offer. It's telling that the most well known song on the album is nothing like the rest of it. He's not a ballad writer.
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.
Good album
“Listen Without Prejudice” more like listen without enjoyment. Tediously mundane. This would make a great soundtrack for a nap.
No. 58/1001 Praying for Time 4/5 Freedom 90' 5/5 They Won't Go When I Go 4/5 Something to Save 5/5 Cobowys and Angels 4/5 Waiting for that Day 5/5 Mothers Pride 5/5 Heal the Pain 5/5 Soul Free 4/5 Waiting (Reprise) NR Average: 4,56 Wow, I'm super surprised about this. Incredible voice and songwriting. Influences ranging from gospel to funk to to rock. Had multiple relistens today and it got better every time. Pop Perfection. This is now my best rated album taking over from Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen (4,5)
Have never listened to George Michael beyond the usual hits. It's ok, nothing special
jamming to this while at work, sehr funky
a very good album, me gusta
Man knew how to write a pop song.
The fast songs are good. The slow songs are bad.
u gotta have faith!!
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
Great, soulful voice and Freedom 90 is a classic, but the rest of the album failed to draw me in.
Just not my thing
Not a fan.
Bangers
George Michael could really sing - an amazing voice. But "Listen Without Prejudice" sounds like an 80s pop star trying too hard to be relevant in an era that saw the rise of Grunge and Rap.
I have listened and this has not altered my prejudices.
Really nice album. It’s sorta soft rock, some really nice bass lines on it. I love love waiting for that day. Freedom is great, cowboys and angels is great. Just an easy to listen album. Strong 3 to a light 4.
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
I can't help but like wham and George's big hits, club Tropicana, careless whisper etc. A bit like Duran Duran, the style is ridiculous but the songs are good enough to make it work. When the songs aren't good enough, you end up with the overproduced schmaltzy dross of this album. Can't recall any redeeming qualities, the preachy theme annoyed me and stopped it from being remotely funny for being so bad. Avoid.
On the dreary and monotonous side. He does have a decent enough voice though. I prefer Freedom! '90 to Freedom, but only marginally, and only the radio edit. I think Wham! are better, but still not quite my thing. Think Ridgeley's influence helped knock the self-indulgent nonsense on the head.
Why does George Michael sound so far away in nearly every song. I wish I was far enough away so I didn't have to hear this. Highlights: Freedom
Was fully expecting not to enjoy this, to be fair it was completely different to what I was expecting. However, what it was, was still terrible Just not really my thing. He has got a decent voice though I guess, but this all felt quite serious and preachy Would never choose to listen to any of this
FREEDOM, FREEDOM (George baby please come back I miss you)
Did he really think that making "socially conscious lyrics" would make listeners take him more seriously? This pop album telling you to "listen without prejudice" did not age well. Today there is no volume 2 released, and George Michael is chiefly remembered for a sax-driven song used for fucking. So I guess that answers my first question. Wait, what was that? "Freedom '90"? That song has zero hooks imo, and his voice grates the bland beat of it.
Unfair to George Michael, but this album gave me a massive headache. Even at its best, though, still not great
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.
Freedom 90! Is a bop.
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.
I genuinely believe this is one of the most perfect albums ever made. At a minimum, the opening trio of 'Praying for Time', 'Freedom! '90', and the haunting cover of 'They Won't Go When I Go', have to be heard to be believed. It is also tied for me to childhood memories of all-out voice-belting family sing alongs, which is saying a lot given how dysfunctional we were. While I'm no George Michael biographer, I always felt like this album was a response to dysfunction. The man had been repressing his sexual identity while his musical career and international fame continuously grew, built (at least in part) on him being a hetero sex symbol. He is then outed in the most humiliating way possible and forced to confront it all, all at once, on CNN for Christ's sake. The album's name, it seems to me at least, is practically a plea to give him a chance. While the dysfunction in my own life was of a different sort, this perception has given me a personal connection to this album that has only grown and deepened over the years. I can hear echos of truths I don't want to live with in these songs, and the hopes of the possibilities that come with living life after I begin to put them behind me.
Freedom 90 is still great, but this album has far too many middling ballads for me to think it's great in totality. 2.5/5
He has a great voice, leaning towards soul but very poppy
This ain't it.
It's not unpleasant, it's just weird. An acoustic album by a giant 1980s pop iconic. Maybe it kind of hinted at the resurgence of acoustic guitars in 1990s music? It's not really worth another listen in my opinion. Eh.
A sensitive but listenable album. Good songwriting here, I didn’t know George Michael made this kind of music. I’ll be listening to more than the hits from now on.
I mean, he's certainly good. George Michael isnt my cup of tea. 6/10
Noe kult, men corny. Soul free og cowboys and angels høydepunktene
Really not a fan
Great voice. Catchy, clever tunes.
We lost him way too soon. Such an artist
first listen decent
I liked it, especially "They Won't Go When I Go".
Just watched the Wham! doc and for a band I always thought was a piffle, they have a pretty good story. And he wrote some pretty incredible pop songs, but this one feels like a step down from all that, like he's trying to fit into a sound that's already happening and it doesn't work. Freedom '90 has some juice to it, but other than that there's not a lot that sticks with me.
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?
This album really starts out pretty spectacularly and tails off mightily at the end for me. Overall, I would still say I enjoyed most of it. The songwriting in here is very, very good, and I like the transitions in feel over the course of the album. Favorite track: Waiting for that Day
Last 3 tracks sound like perfection
Pretty good variety and catchy tunes for a genre I don't listen to often.
Solid album but wont revisit often
I was a bit disappointed in this album relative to his debut album. It's still good, and Freedom 90 is a fucking banger with a great video (why yes, I am a heterosexual male, how did you know?), but it felt a bit dull, whereas I remember really liking his previous album 2/5
I’m sorry but this wasn’t for me
It's no wham. Takes itself too seriously
Wow, I haven't listened to this album in decades. They Won't go When I go is a beautiful song. It really highlights George Michaels range.
So far above his debut it's not even funny. Poignant, catchy, fun, and interesting in historical context. This does everything it can to fight it's way to a 5 for me, and who am I to deny it?
Somehow this had just the right amount of cheese to make it to a 4.
3/5
4/5
Some lovely songs and an amazing voice. What's not to like?
As great as a singer as George was, not even that voice can save this album from dull and uninspiring songs
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.
I loved this but I listened with (personal) prejudice, as I had completely forgotten but I’ve heard this before, it was in heavy rotation in my mom’s car growing up. Love this one! Also it takes massive balls to cover Stevie Wonder, and he nails it
George Michael’s resurgence since he passed away is well deserved, I think, not only because he’s obviously a very talented songwriter, musician, and performer, but because he wasn’t treated very fairly when he was alive. It’s a real shame, because the recent stories about him make him sound like a real decent guy. Thanks to this project, I listened to this album when I never would have before, and I liked it a lot.
Still pretty magnificent
I did as the title suggests and listened to a very decent piece of music, obviously personal and varied. enjoyed it a lot. 4
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!
Freedom! Is a classic song however the majority of the rest of the album was slow and kind of dull. Just not my speed or taste.
Classic George Michael, brilliant album and sounds fantastic on this. Really enjoyed listening to the full album, some great instrumentals throughout also.
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.
Solid 4, maybe 5, but Freedom is an absolute 5. Such a good voice.
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.
it wasnt terrible, but nothing that really captured my attention. pretty melodic a lot of components that didnt always work well together
Only song I knew was Freedom 90. This album was more mellow than I hoped.it would be. 3/5
Freedom 90 was one of my favourite songs growing up
Too smooth a pop for me to be able to truly enjoy. Besides, most of the tracks feel like not much more than fluffy fillers.
Lovely !
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
Love this album!
This made me much more interested in George Michael’s music. I enjoy the hits from Wham! and some of his other songs, but this is a beautiful collection. His voice is so rich and nuanced. As always a great performer.
Iconic
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!
I like this departure from super-slick pop though maybe it swings a bit too somber. Still very good.
The randomizer sure didn't wait long to give me the next George Michael album. "Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1" is the second solo studio album by English singer-songwriter George Michael. This album was a stark departure from his debut "Faith" being largely acoustic with a somber mood in both the lyrics and music. Produced by Michael himself, it is mostly ballads and folk-style songs. The album received mixed reviews upon its release and commercially was a disappointment to Michael. It did hit #1 in the UK and #2 in the US but did not do nearly as well as "Faith" which was the best selling selling album in 1998 in the US. Michael ended up suing Sony for not supporting him. A big majestic open for the first single "Praying for Time." Acoustic guitar. Orchestral background. A serious tone and Michael whispering about social ills and injustice. Not all the songs are somber, enter "Freedom!90." Uplifting. House dance music. Infectious. Swirling piano. A James Brown sample. We also got the gospel, soulful background vocals. The songs refers to past success with Wham! and takes a swipe at the music business. I knew I'd get another waltz today and that happens in "Cowboys and Angels." Piano and a classical intro. The beat has a bossa nova feel. The sax comes in and now it's jazzy. A love triangle as a girl likes Michael but Michael likes another guy. Michael samples both lyrics and the melody from the Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" in "Waiting for That Day." He's clinging to the stupid mistakes he's made. "Heal the Pain" is another optimistic song. Acoustic guitar and percussion, maybe congas. Layered vocals. Michael wanting to help someone. "Soul Free" brings the dance back. Multple percussion, jazzy piano and a flute sound. Falsetto vocals. The sex is great but the relationship sucks and he can't escape. This is another very good album by George Michael. It is mostly subdued and somber songs but there are some uplifting ones which are my favorite. There's a decent musical variety too...pop, jazz, waltz timed, R&B, soul, gospel and bossa nova. Also, he leaves little doubt of his talent with the production, song quality and powerful vocals. Different than "Faith" but definitely worth a listen.
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
Tästä eteenpäin taas Ariat käytössä.. oisko yli 3.00.. kiipuaminen.. HETI KUULEE DOLBY ATMOS PASKAN LAATU HYI SAATANA KU MIKSAA HOMO KAIUTIN KÄYTTÄJILLE VARMAAN PASKAA!!!,,apple music... spotify hyvä.. musiikista sen verran että kiintoisa lirittäjä artisti musiikki lirittänä
Very enjoyable! Lots of songs I hadn’t heard before by an artist I like!
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.
Most were ok and liked some, would maybe listen to some again. Weren’t any I disliked.
I listened without prejudice and found an average pop album.
I'm sure that making this might've been cathartic for George Michael, but for me it was just dreary to listen to.
I'm increasingly surprised by how much I enjoy this pop music. I was sick of it in the eighties, but it's not so bad now.
I found that I appreciate George Michael more as I get older. Freedom '90 always seemed to be there through my adolescent years. I hadn't listened to this album throughout before. After the first few tracks I thought it we were on to a winner, but then it started to flag into dreary ballad territory and I got bored. Shame really. 2.5
Well, the name was premonitory. I was expecting a collection of sexualized pop songs and got a good batch of sophisticated gospelly, jazzy, melancholic tunes. It is nice to drop prejudices.
I like George Michael's voice well enough but none of the songs really left an impression other than the Stevie Wonder cover
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.
make some cuts, get this down below 35 minutes, and you'll have a solid 2/5 album
A couple ones that I actually knew. Couldn’t get into most of the other songs
Fine
Good listening. Very groovy
'Freedom! 90' is an absolute classic, the rest of the album is a decent listen
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.
Not a George Michael fan but album was not bad
3.5
Couldn't really get into this one. Freedom! '90 is a pretty good track.
I enjoyed this WAY more than I expected to. Was expecting a solid 3, but actually it's comfortably a 4. I see people complaining it's somber and slow, which I guess is what appeals to me - if it was too poppy I'd be turned right off. Fave tracks - "Freedom '90" is a bop, naturally. "Waiting for That Day" is very pleasant, and his cover of Stevie Wonder's "They Won't Go When I Go" I found pretty arresting!
george michael is the loml
I love this album. It's one of the best albums ever released, in my view, definitely top 20. This is a rare example, from this otherwise hopeless list, of an album that everyone actually should hear before they die. George Michael was the great white hope of soul, a wonderful voice and brilliant songwriter. The story of his life and tragic death will make an amazing film, one day.
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.
Some sappy moments but overall really enjoyed, even some of the really emotional ballads were done nicely. In fact, there were plenty of songs aside from Freedom that I will return to. Sounds perfectly 80s and 90s, and yet also somewhat timeless. 4/5!