Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1

I mean Freedom is a great pop song and Michael is a great singer but the songs and production are overall a bit flat sounding. It just lacks energy.

This guy really thought he was something didn't he? 3/10

One of those artists where I find the popularity UTTERLY AND TOTALLY baffling. I mean, if mediocre "white man sings soul" is your thing then great, you go for it, you'll probably not understand my appreciation for Rammstein either. tldr : there's nothing close to "Young Guns" here

I'd like an explanation for why George Michael's not breakout, not best album is on the list of 1001 albums we must hear before we die. He has a great voice and I'm trying to Listen Without Prejudice or at least to withhold negative judgement. And to be honest, there's still a part of me that lives inside my critical mind who was hit with Wham! at the right time to think fairly favorably of him. And yet, there is little here outside of some gently pro-self, empowerment messaging (e.g. Freedom! '90) that's remotely progressive — and to have that delivered in such a glossy pop package doesn't do enough for me to see what's the what here. It's a fine record for what it is but what it is is also kind of unremarkable.

I wasn’t too excited about this but I followed the instructions and listened without prejudice. How did he know he’d have to ask listeners to do this? There are a couple of good songs early on but it’s really not my thing, the slow songs are unbearable and the whole thing tailed off massively in the second half.

Freedom is good. The rest was a mixed bag.

He was never really my style during this time of my life when the album was released. It’s got a few tunes on it that I enjoyed.

It was fine. Mostly ballads. Too many ballads. Felt like I was listening to the music playing at the supermarket. But I liked Cowboys and Angels a lot.

I had only heard one song from this album, Freedom!'90, and it's catchy but over 6 minutes long. After listening to this and reading about it on Wikipedia, it's interesting. It sounds like Michael was trying to take a turn as a more serious artist and didn't want to promote or tour for this album, and then was mad that his label wasn't promoting it enough? Judging by the music, it just doesn't sound like there is anything that would have been a hit, and overall it's kind of somber and self-serious. I don't hate it, but there's nothing that I would go back to.

Not terrible but very forgettable

Didn't make it through but wasn't really enjoying the first half

2.3 2x

Well, this is it. My 500th album. I don't know what I was expecting, but I'm mildly disappointed by how underwhelming I found this. I am aware of how prolific George Michael is considered to be, so for this to be just standard ol' pop music with very little substance was quite the surprise.

Don't like it

I can't think of anything to say about this album. That's perhaps telling.

Meh. 2/5

It’s okay. He was definitely trying to make a new, more epic kind of pop record. I appreciate the big swing. But there was nothing as memorable here as the best tracks on the previous record.

Prod infecte. Musique qui donne le goût de gaspiller son argent en achetant des trucs inutiles dans un magasin où t'haïs la face de tout le monde et que tu finis par te demander "qu'est-ce que je fous ici, moi?" et que tranquillement tu transposes ce questionnement face à ta présence sur terre. Heal the Pain est un mélange éprouvant de Eight Days a Week et You Won't See Me des Beatles qui a provoqué en moi des douleurs profondes. J'suis pas heal pantoute.

George Michael is obviously talented enough to land on this list. But was this album?

I tried to follow the demand of the title of this collection. And listening without prejudice I found this to be… fine. There actually a few tracks that are good pop tunes (Freedom) but the rest are just… there. Listenable if your attention hasn’t drifted.

It’s not good. But it just faded into the background for me to the point I sort of forgot it was on at all.

Freedom! Not really my kind of music, and a lot of the same. 2.

There's some okay songs here but pretty boring and meh.

Meh this stuff is pretty fluffy

ik dacht even dat ik in een kerk stond... beviel me niks, dat gevoel

Kuuntelin ennakkoluuloisena - mutta vain hiukan. Artisti on niin lahjakas, että hänen mauttomuutensa tuntuu jollain tapaa luonnolliselta. Ja tosiaan, yksi kuuntelu meni ihan mukavasti. They Won't Go When I Go soi päässäni vieläkin. 2,5

Un po' troppo pop e slow per il mio gusto. Non è chiaramente il mio genere.

This sounds dated even for a record from 1990.

This was not good.

this album has made me prejudiced against george michael

I really wanted to like this one, but a lot of these songs dragged for me. There were a couple good ones, but the majority of this album just seemed like meh. Favorites were Freedom! ‘90 and Waiting For That Day.

Not my jam. Never was. The wife got worked up, but she’s not playing the game. 2 stars to hear her sing!

Welp. Glad that's over. Fantastic voice. Dumb songs.

I listened with prejudice.

I love a Rolling Stones sample Edit Apr 15 2026: 4 --> 2. I don't like this super pop stuff that much. I still do like a Rolling Stones sample / lyric usage

Boring, thin production, not enjoyable. Very bare and stripped back pop songs with so much reverb. Not good.

Not his finest work. Freedom!90 is a great song and there are a couple other decent tracks here but shit like Heal the Pain and Soul Free were just kind of cringy. Not the pivot anyone wanted after Faith.

Ok

Freedom 90 is a classic, the rest is filler.

2 stars

the classic singles are classic for a reason, but i don’t really need a full album, i’m sorry, just not my vibe 💔

Did absolutely nothing for me

Okayish

I get that he's a bit fo a prodigy, but at this point all i can hear from him in every single song is Last Christmas, and i think in mid january im not really in the mood for christmas, so this was a bit of a miss for me. im sure if i didnt have that connection in my head then i would have enjoyed this, but that connection is just a bit much for me...

One of the dualities of this list is that you get to love artists you didn't think you'd like, but then get disappointed by artists you'd be meaning to check out for years. George Michael's back catalog appears to be full of uninspiring samey music as side from the hits. That's not Sony's fault.

Βαρετο δυστυχως περα απο 2 3 κομματια που ειχαν καπως πιο ιδιαιτερη παραγωγη πχ φλαουτο και καποια catchy ρεφρεν.

Listening without prejudice is kind of a new one for me. When this album first came out, I never really put a whole lot of credit to George Michael. The album is actually is pretty good though. I agree that a lot of it for me, is passable. It’s very vocal jazz, which reminds me of the holidays. However, I respect that he really does take you to church on a few songs. Something to Save it is a very pretty song and he sings it beautifully. But, man Freedom: I forgot how good that song really is. I don’t think that I need this album, but I could probably definitely handle owning a best of George Michael.

It never ever crossed my mind to listen to a whole George Michael album. You gotta try everything once. I think this will be a one time only kind of thing (unless there is another George Michael album on 1001). Freedom is an all-time single but couldn't carry this whole album. Most of this was bland pop music that faded into the background. Heal the Pain did jump out to me and I enjoyed that one but the rest was just perfectly fine. I'll pass next time.

Knew one song on here. Feels like an album that you had to experience when it came out to fully understand. A little too slow for me. 2/5 Won’t listen again

i tried, george. i tried to listen without prejudice. but after the first couple tracks, everything just became the world's most boring ballad. i am sorry, boy george michael. favorites: freedom '90, soul free

Mehh

Freedom! is just so iconic but most of this album is too sentimental for my taste and... uh, boring.

Cheesy. Not terrible, but I can't say I particularly enjoyed it either. Solid 2.

Ehdin kuunnella huonosti, mutta ei vakuuttanut se kuultu.

Best Song: Freedom! '90. It doesn't even matter that this song has become so heavily commercialized. Something about the naïveté of pretty boy George Michael singing a faux-gospel track about freedom is just pure dumb fun. Worst Song: Waiting (Reprise). Might as well be "Every Rose Has Its Thorn". Saccharine suck. Overall: Exactly one megahit song intermixed with a bunch of dated ballads. Half the songs feel like they're written with the express intention of having the audience wave their lighters in the air and sway.

Oh, George Michael, so dreamy. It's alright, I guess, but probably wouldn't listen to it again.

Freedom is great but the rest bore me. High 2

Starts off really well, tails off at track three however. By track five I’m already wishing it was over.

Foretrækker Faith i alt dens horny glory, synes produktionen var lidt kedelig på den her

Some okay pop-songs. No prejudice!

Utter tripe …

Respect but will never listen to again

Not a fan. Found this one pretty boring and hollow

Meh, boring pop. Not BAD, just bland.

I can see why many people like this album, but it simply does not do anything for me. all the songs sound different and has a lot of emotion, that is great, but i dont like the dramatic and cheesy lyrics and sound

The most interesting thing about this album is that I learned that the song "Freedom" was done my George Michael. I had no idea, and it was just a "huh, that's mildly interesting" type of situation. And it says a lot that *that* lukewarm fact was the most engaging thing to come out of this album

It’s not my bag but Freedom 90 is still a banger. 2.5 really

He has a great voice. I just don't like his songs. Favorite original song: They Won't Go When I Go (originally by Stevie Wonder)

Hell of a voice but just a little too corny. Needs more Limp Bizkit covers.

There are a couple of good songs on here. I really like the Stones cover and Freedom. Some of the other ones are also good, but generally this is just not something I would choose to listen to. I get the feeling that George Michael’s style is so different from anything else

Jeg har det svært med for tykt hjerte smerte musik, også selvom det er en mand mister mand vinkel, så er det de samme følelser... Men der var alligevel et højde punkt, som dog stritter meget ud på albummet. Det passer faktisk bedre til Robbie Williams, men orginalen er nu også god. ( Freedom! '90 )

Brunch musik. Pænt og pænt kedeligt 🥱😴

🥱 adult contemporary

It was ok to listen too but not really what I expected. I guess I like wham more.

Gear: Fostex TH610 Artwork: 👙🩳⛱️🌞 🌊 Mix: 🆗 Musik: 🤩😳😟 Wertung: 👙👙/5

There was this one guy at school who really liked George Michael around the time of this exact album. And somebody later lent me the Ladies & Gentlemen compilation. None of it connect at all. George Michael has since grown into this somewhat odd figure in my head whom I sort of followed and who I have an appreciation of sorts for because... Well he had a huge influence on pop music, and the amount of hit singles he had with Wham! (and what incredibly hard to shake earworm each single is) is just astounding. So I felt well-prepared to do as the title implies - listen without prejudice (and don't you hate when there's a Vol 1 in the title and no Vol 2 ever happened?). And here's the long and short of it: Freedom! 90 is a great track. I skipped the rest of the first four songs. And then comes Cowboys and Angels, and the mood shifts quite a lot. The whole Symphonica stuff a few years before his death kind of makes sense. Songs like Cowboys & Angels or Mothers Pride shows his ambition. They also show where and how he saw himself. Problem is... I don't really have much time for the tons of symphonic albums pop stars did for a while. Also, he's just way too self-important. Then follows an incredibly sugary pop song, a song not quite as catchy as Freedom! 90, but with some funk nevertheless, plus a reprise - and that's it. So. Three decent tracks, a lot of ambition, but ultimately a really mixed bag for me.

I wanted to give this a fair shake, but it's just so whingeingly over-earnest and saccharine that I just can't take it seriously.

Enjoyed Freedom (obviously) and the 10 seconds of the stones. Not much else.

Fine

Hilarious that he has to ask for the listener not to be prejudiced. I tried but sorry George, your music is lame.

I don’t think this album quite shows the amazing vocalist that he can be (except in few rare moments), leading to an overall quite boring album. There are however some great themes and messages passed upon in some of the songs

meh.

Rating: 4.5/10 Incredibly boring, at least Freedom is fantastic.

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.

Just not good. One song. The rest is just terribly not for me

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

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

Yawn.

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 album decided to jump off a cliff as soon as it peaked. My favourite songs are "Praying for Time" and "Freedom! '90".

Was not a fan of this, it feels like this music was made for pharmaceutical infomercials

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.

No está mal, tiene Freedom!90 pero tampoco lo veo imprescindible hoy en día.

Reminded me of a michael jackson knockoff

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.

#162. There's that song Freedom, and then there's a bunch of boring adult alternative nonsense following it. 2/5: pretty bad

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.

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

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.

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.

Is this supposed to be a quadruple album? Is George Michael always so melancholy? Should’ve listened on a rainy day.

Yawn.

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.

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)

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.

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.

He has a good voice but this doesn't really do much for me. Freedom is a good song

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.

Decent production and great singing, but most songs just fall flat here. Freedom! 90 was the best song by a lot here.

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.

Great, soulful voice and Freedom 90 is a classic, but the rest of the album failed to draw me in.

Just not my thing

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.

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

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

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.

Noe kult, men corny. Soul free og cowboys and angels høydepunktene

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.

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

It's no wham. Takes itself too seriously

As great as a singer as George was, not even that voice can save this album from dull and uninspiring songs

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.

it wasnt terrible, but nothing that really captured my attention. pretty melodic a lot of components that didnt always work well together

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.

I listened without prejudice and found an average pop album.

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

I like George Michael's voice well enough but none of the songs really left an impression other than the Stevie Wonder cover

A couple ones that I actually knew. Couldn’t get into most of the other songs

Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 is the second solo album by English singer-songwriter George Michael. The critically acclaimed album achieved more commercial success in the UK than in the US, but was applauded for being acoustic and more personal than his previous pop album Faith. I agree with the mainstream that I prefer George Michael's previous album Faith over this one, but that's not to say this album is terrible. It provides easy-listening music or great background music that shouldn't put off or offend anyone.

Gen X/Boomer Muzak. Please don't make me listen to this again.

The acoustic numbers grew tiresome at best, grating at worst and the album just felt a bit bland overall. Still has its moments where it elevates you, but with a voice like his that should be a constant. Lacks the cohesiveness, power and charm of Faith. Fav track: Angels and Cowboys 2.5

Bit of second album syndrome here - more ambitious, more overwrought, less catchy. I don't think big statement ballads are necessarily Michael's strong suit and they really bog this album down. Some of these tracks have no business being as long as they are. Still some big hits, but a definite step back. Two and a half. Fave track: Freedom

Sjøl om eg elske george michael va kje detta nåken høydare

It was fine, but I don’t think I’d listen to it again.

This wasn't as solid as his prior album. A couple classics, but much slower, drawn out, odder instrumentation.

Is 5 star song enough to carry an entire album? These are the questions that keep me up at night.

There are a few decently successful attempts at some dynamic songwriting on this one, but for the most part Michael just parks it on one big riff/line and stays there for most of the track. Needs to be a bit more there to substantiate an LP, no matter how talented the vocalist.

not for me, but waiting (reprise) was nice

:)

Meh, not for me.

Aika perus pop sooloura balladi kamaa. Ei oikein napannut

He has a nice voice. Nothing is really popping for me.

Better than I anticipated...the fast and more upbeat songs resonated with me far more than the slow downs. Still not likely to be anything I would really listen to again. 2.5/5

Trist.

Fine. Nothing special, just fine. I have no strong feelings one way or the other, although I can probably say that I enjoyed this more than "Faith".

George Michael was a really cool, and talented dude. This album has a slower, more somber and mature sound. He has a beautiful voice that is used well. Overall, very easy listening... but sort of boring. I wish it had a little bit more, it's too clean, and most songs are uninspiring. Fave songs: Freedom! 90, Cowboys and Angels 2.5/5

Meh. Wouldn't pick it myself, but didn't dislike it.

Favoritas: -Freedom! '90 -Waiting for that day

I’ve always really liked Wham for their fun, upbeat silliness, and this was the first I’ve ever sat down and listened to an entire George Michael album. It had moments of pleasant fun, but I really fell off during the ballads in the second half.

Major tonal whiplash going from ZZ Top to George Michael. It was like going from a Wrangler’s ad to an Old Navy ad. That aside, this album was really cheesy, but I enjoyed a few of the songs. I don’t think he is better than The Beatles

Mardrömsproduktionen kväver vad som säkert kunde varit helt okej låtar. Bästa: Freedom! och They Wont Go When I Go Sämsta: Praying for Time (och hela mixen)

Pretty meh. A few too long songs and overall not very exciting

I hate to give this such a low rating as a fan of George, but unfortunately I just don’t like it. Its a snoozer. I really like the first 2 tracks and that’s about it. Surprised me bc Freedom is one of my favs. Goes downhill after a pretty bad Stevie cover. Not much reason to recommend this album other than the single.

Listened with a prejudice :(

i listened WITH prejudice

ugh no

Went down a rabbit hole exploring James Brown's Funky Drummer while listening to this album (it was sampled on Waiting for That Day). That's never a good sign, but I enjoyed some great James Brown, (Thank you George Michael). The album was fine. I do have some respect for the great George Michael (RIP), but after this album, couldn't exactly remember why.

I'm prejudiced against artist who name something "Vol. 1" without any intention of ever releasing a "Vol. 2." So while I didn't listen without prejudice, I did give George Michael a chance. And this was better and less weird than "Faith."

Looks v corny

too smooth too slippery

this feels like it should be a greatest hits record but just isnt. not sure what’s going on here, but i was disappointed

Nah, not for me thanks

Not really sure he achieved the "lyrical depth" he was hoping for with this batch of songs. The music isn't helping any: while moody, it's very vanilla and lacks any sort of impact or edge, though perhaps my impression is biased by time. Doesn't suck, but is just not all that interesting.

Vocal pop isn't my thing. I imagine this is similar to Barbra Streisand? The production on the remastered version sounds very crisp and expensive like a modern Christmas song. Freedom 90 is funny. It's one of those songs that plastic pop superstars eventually deliver as fan service to tell the adoring crowds that their new persona is finally the "real" person. There are some parallels between this album and the Taylor Swift albums on this list. There is some skillful songwriting on the record but the lyrics just do not offer me anything I can identify or empathize with. Final thought: Wouldn't an acoustic cover of Heal the Pain by Alice in Chains sound amazing?

Some songs are good but there are too many slow, long, meandering ones to hold my interest.

Really nothing special I barely noticed there was music on.

I don't know about this album. I mean.... it's really well-crafted pop. Definitely. There's something just *too smooth* about it for me - is it his voice? A lot of it might be his voice - which...he was a great singer. Definitely. But I really enjoy when he sorta aired it out, ya know? e.g. This guy should have joined Queen like 11 seconds after that Freddie Mercury tribute concert because he had the charisma and the voice to carry those tunes. For an example here, the big single "Freedom! '90" shows off some of that, but it's the more exaggerated breathy vocals (even on the same song) that just feel not just overproduced (which is a cliché to be sure) but overwrought. It's almost as if there's a theatrical insincerity to his vocals that I've never been able to get by. In listening both more critically and generously, I would love to have heard more of a live band type of feel to many of these songs - I feel like we'd have had more of an improv feel from his vocals even on the mellower ones. Can definitely see how this was a smash hit and how some would elevate this to great status - just not connecting with it on an emotional or deep level. 5/10 - 2 stars.

Okay at best

One or two decent tracks but the rest feels like it's trying to hard to be "grown up". Too many ballads.

Was never a George Michael fan and this album did nothing to change my mind.

Freedom is an all-time classic!! If that don't get your toes tapping...you may need to check your pulse..... Waiting for that Day, Mother's Pride were pretty good as well.... Actually this. whole album is better than I expected....

Not for me. Felt really corny.

I appreciate the music but it's not for me

First thing’s first, regardless if you like the music or not, you have to respect his vocals. George Michael has an awesome voice and sounds great. That being said…I personally did not enjoy this album. I’d applaud the quality but the only version available on Spotify was the 2017 Remastered one, so I couldn’t hear the “raw” version like I have with the other albums. The production was clean, but the occasional effects he would add on his voice (echo, chorus?) were annoying. If you like this type of music, I can see the appeal…I found it to be boring and predictable. Not crapping on GM’s talent, just not a huge fan.

Not George Micheal's Best.

Du pop inoffensif et oubliable

He has a beautiful voice, but the album wasn't anything special in my opinion.

Lame and corny. Not even the good version of 'Freedom'.

...

I was disappointed with this album. "Freedom! '90" might just be George Michael's best song, and "Praying for Time" is fine, but the rest of the album left me unmoved. Sorry, George.

Freedom '90 is one of my all-time favorites, but the rest of this album is a real chore. I appreciate George Michael's vocal talents, but I prefer his pop tunes over his gospel ones.

No.

Not my style

Freedom is an absolute banger. It's enjoyably 'not pop' outside of that - a man clearly trying to break out. The results are mixed, but I admire the drive to change up styles. It's hard to say much about an album that is pleasant but just drifts by insubstantially like this.

Some talent going on here but only one song I really liked. The rest were pretty forgettable. 2.5 stars

Very, very 80’s. I loved every second of listening to it

Too slow for me, not my style.

Wasn't looking forward to this one but actually probably better than I was expecting.

Olihan tässä pari ihan kivaa biisiä, mutta aika monta geneeristä poppisballadia, joista ei jäänyt mieleen mitään.

Ihan ok sileää poppista. Vähän uhkaa mennä tuplajuuston puolelle Cowboys and Angelsin saksofonit ja yleisesti muutaman mukiinmenevän biisin vastapainona on vähän liian geneerisiä ysärisettejä. 2.5/5, pyöristetään alaspäin.

Nah

there are so many arrested development jokes i want to make but truth is this is just a really bad album.

George Michael wasn't a bad singer by any means, but his music just isn't all that interesting to me. There's a few ok at best songs but nothing I really want to revisit. I feel like he would've been better off fronting a jangly indie type band. Like he needed his own Johnny Marr or something. Maybe I'm just crazy.

It's ok

Nope

Blaaah, ei lähtenyt tanssijalka vipattamaan eikä kyllä muutenkaan koskettanut(!) kyseinen levy.

Musta miksaus oli jotenki köpö - liian diskanttinen. Olis varmasti ollu 3*, jos ois miksaus ollu parempi

Meh

I did. I did listen without prejudice. Didn't dislike it. It's a decent pop album. Cowboys and Angels is a great song. Next.

Really polished, but it doesn't make me feel much. It almost sounds too nice? No tension, no conflict, no suspension. He's got so much talent but I think this doesn't show much of it off. {Prior rated}

I tried to listen without prejudice… But couldn’t vibe with this album. He does have a great voice, I’ll give him that.

I found it a tad boring

I don’t think I liked it but maybe I appreciate it. It has a serious and somber tone which is not what I associate with George Michael. Given that this came out in 1990, the background of the times heightens that seriousness—a closeted gay man in the midst of the AIDS/HIV epidemic. It isn’t enough for me to want to grab this album off a shelf. But I appreciate that it exists.

Boring george

Listened to "Faith" a lot as a kid. Love his voice. This album was just ok for me.

Meh

Jeff Goldblum's shiny diamond anus.

Dosadno meni osobno, but I get it.

Great melodies. Interesting chords.

"Listen Without Prejudice" Well, I just did. But apart from two songs, "Freedom! '90"--a soulful hit displaying as many catchy vocal hooks in a single track as ones found in Tame Impala's whole discography--and "Cowboy And Angels"--a lush synth-jazz cut about unrequited love with Bladerunner-like atmospherics--yes, apart from those two singles, this album can't hold your attention the way great albums do. Admittedly, its general sound holds out surprisingly well given the genre and era that spawned it: as a characteristically late 80s/early 90s production, the whole thing is relatively subtle at least. Yet apart from the two singles quoted up there, the rest--mostly comprised of ballads--doesn't have much to offer in terms of thrills or interesting emotions to go through. It's well-produced "elevator music". But it's elevator music nonetheless. [Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 979 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 9 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 6 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (as I think many others are more important): 6 (including this one) Albums I might not be able to judge (some might end up on my final list if they're culturally important): 1]

I received "Faith" early this month on this list and while it is "basic", I can get what makes it a classic by its influence on modern pop. This one here it's still "basic", but much more boring. I got the importance of it for George Michael's career and Freedom is an anthem impossible to dislike, however, it's impossible for me to like a whole album based on this only song.

Really polished, but it doesn't make me feel much. It almost sounds too nice? No tension, no conflict, no suspension. He's got so much talent but I think this doesn't show much of it off.

couple good songs

Duller than I expected - couple of hits, but the rest of it was a bit slow and with unexpectedly poor production

* Freedom saves this for being a dull album.

A couple of right catchy good tracks in here but felt a bit samey after a while.

If you need some quite background music to have a romantic dinner, maybe thats your choice. Ah whatever. I give it 2 stars.

Do not care for, didn't finish. Prefer Jeff Buckley.

Not for me

Did not care for the album.

2.25

Kind of an unusual album. Freedom ‘90 is completely unrelated to the rest of the songs here. Praying for Time is moving. They Won’t Go When I Go probably most interesting track. Waiting (Reprise) sounded a way too close to Every Rose Has Its Thorn. The rest of the album does little to nothing. Overall, album was not mixed all that well, at least what I listened to on Spotify.

I didn’t see a need to change it up after 1987’s “Faith.”

It was okay.

i groaned inwardly when i saw this come up. i can deal with freedom, but christ, that's about all. incredible voice, though.

Dem englischen Wikipedia-Artikel zu diesem Album ist zu entnehmen, dass George Michael bei der Produktion bemüht war, als Songschreiber ernster genommen zu werden. Was schwer fällt, da er kein besonders Guter ist. Das bekannte 'Freedom’ sticht etwas aus dem Material heraus, eine Entdeckung war für mich 'Heal the Pain'. Richtig geil ist das aber alles nicht.

Pop em demasia.

It's not bad. It didn't touch me too deeply.

I couldn’t listen without Prejudice. Sorry, George.

Not really my thing. Lyrics are kinda cringey and the instrumentation is very flat.

// Favs: – Score: Strong 2 to Light 3

I tried Listen Without Prejudice and it was quite boring with mediocre songs (unlike the Faith album)

meh

Better than expected but still pretty non descript. Don't get the fuss.

Cliché pop music. It's well made but I don't think this was something I had to listen to before I die

Saved Prior: Freedom! '90 Off Rip: Heal the Pain Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Great voice, one all-time bop, one pretty good song, and a bunch of fine but ultimately forgettable songs.

Ja ouvi falar dele mas a musica nao causou impressao nenhuma

Sommige nummers gaan nogal snel vervelen, de rest is redelijk middelmatig.

I had a lot of mixed feelings about this album. I didn't find it as musically interesting as Faith, but I didn't not enjoy listening to it. On the second run, there were a couple songs I could get into, mostly the faster placed ones. Overall it felt like Adult lite Gospel Jazz, and it has a very soul searching, confessional feel to it. It made me more interested in George Michael as a person, but there wasn't anything that really resonated with me or my experience. I admire that he tried to grow as an artist after Faith, which was a phenomenon having gone seven times platinum.

Juz sam tytul brzmial nieco podejanie, ale nie kojarzylem nazwiska, ale patrzac na okladke jakis murzyn, wiec bedzie grane jakies R&B, a tutaj szok i niedowierzanie, bo nie jest to jakas plotka muzykalna, ale jeden z najwiekszyc rekinow, a moze raczej wielorybow branzy, bo jeden z czlonkow duetu whamowego, czyli stworzycieli zmiowo swiatecznego hymnu czyli ostatkich swiat, czy obudz mnie zanim gogo, no i dodatkowo jest to bialy czlowiek, ktory widocznie zrobil odwrotnego jacksona, ruch chyba jak najbardziej na miejscu biorac pod uwage muzyke jaka tworzyli w duecie whamowym, po czym takim tylko w czarniejsze klimaty mozna pojsc, no i zostaje tajemnica tytulu, dlaczego bez uprzedzen, czyzby odciecie sie od whamowej spuscizny, rezygnacja z chwytliwych kaczowatych refrenowych songow, tak i nie, bo pierwsze dwa taki mowia nadal bedzie muzyka grana do zabawy z efekciarskimi efektami, jak napakowany freedomek, ktory pewnie okaze sie byc najlepiej sprzedanym kawalkiem artysty, bo chyba nawet na jukejowej olimpiadze byl grany, takie skojarzenie, ale juz trzeci trak zmienia nastroj plyty pojawia sie klawiszowa melodia i troche naturalniejsze podejscie do wokali, bo po dwoch pierwszych trakach ciezko ocenic umiejetnosci wokalne, bo czuc tak bardzo napakowane w nie efekty, ale w they wont go when i go pan george pokazuje sie z innej strony i otwiera "prawdziwa okladke" disku, bo reszta materialu jest raczej utrzymana w podobnym klimacie, jedynie pod koniec troche znowu dencowo i zabawowo, kawalek soul free, ale calosc pomiedzy tymi dwoma kawalkami zaliczylnym do bialego czy tam gumowego soula z nalecialosciami bluesowymi, a moze jakis kontemplentacyjny pop, a o czym mozna rozwazac w latach 90 chcac zrobic muzyke bez uprzedzen do sluchania, wiec oczywscie bieda na swiecie, a bieda na swiecie w swiecie gdzie slucha sie muzyke z plytek i kasetek, ewentualnie wynilek to oczywscie brak milosci, wolnej miosci, no i choroby weneryczne, do tego oczywiscie nierownosci, ale to przeciez oczywiscie, wiec o ile muzycznie calkiem spoko sie sluchalo, tak lirycznie katuszowany raczej odsluch, na plejaka dodam wspomiane podwojne drzwi do albumiku, czyli they wont go when i go, bo akurat lirycznie autoportretowy traczek jak to jest byc whamowym artystykiem, ktory nie moze juz tworzyc jak by chcial, bo ma nalepke, wiec robi cie myslec w niektorych momentach, cala plyta jest tak dobrze wyprodukowana, ze az czuje sie uczucie sztucznosci, ktore znika dopiero w wersji live z mtv odlaczonego, ktore jest zawarte w spotifajowej wersji i do ktorego tez zanurkowalem, ale kontent lircyzny nadal ten sam, niestety, bez uprzedzien sprobowalem i sadzem ze zrozumialem, ale jednak mnie nie przekonalo

I love Freedom ‘90 but I didn’t enjoy the rest of the album. I thought that it painted an HIV-affected picture, though.

- freedom! freedom! freedom! freedom! - first album on returning - i have to rate these on my personal enjoyment, so this one won't do too well - sounds dated to me, and too ballad-y every single song - ultimately there are some cool sounds on here but it's not something I'll likely return to

2/5. Stadium 90s pop rock is not my jam.

совершенно блеклый эстрадный поп. после “Praying for Time” поставить “Freedom! ‘90” очень странная идея. технических проблем тут нет, да и вокал Джорджа хоть и не блещет ни каплей экстравагантности, он профессионален и чист. что альбом делает в списке я, в целом, понимаю, но не знаю, засуну ли в свой.

was alright. a little different than i expected

It's fine. Not my thing, but I get why people like it.

1. time - 1 2. freedom - 2 3. go - 1 4. zave - 1 5. angelz - 2 6. day - 1 7. pride - 1 8. heal - 1 9. zoul - 1 10. uuaiting - 1

Ugh… this was painful. It took me three tries to finally get through. 80s is bad enough but schmaltzy 80s is a whole new level of bad.

Not good to me

It’s not my style of pop. He’s a good singer and musician, and some of the songs are ok, but for the most part I feel like this falls into the “90’s adult contemporary” category which is just not my jam.

Boring

Well, I think I listened to this without prejudice as instructed, though I must confess I didn't listen to it all. The dog food advert that came on before the album on YouTube was more interesting.

favs: waiting for that day soul free rating 1/5

Huh. Oh, hey. Yeah, I'm awake. I think. What track is it? Oh. That's it? Yeah. Sorry, I guess I haven't had enough caffeine today to make this one work. Oh, I just don't appreciate the wonderful vocals? Or get the slow ballads? Yeah, guilty I guess. Mind if I go listen Weezer's Blue Album? Because that didn't make the list. No? Good. Maybe after that I'll listen to Judas Priest's Painkiller. That didn't make the list. Neither did Massive Attack's Mezzanine. Maybe some Bad Religion, I mean one of the most influential punk bands ever didn't land a single album here. Or even In an Aeroplane Over the Sea. Anything other than this. See, when you wake me up from my George Michael slumber I get grouchy.

As pop goes, it's ok. He had a decent voice and he tried with the lyrics but it just can't rid itself of superficiality and bland is the word that I can't can't shake off while listening to each track. For the blowdried sharply manicured sunglasses crew, this might feature but otherwise I can't see myself ever returning to any of these tracks.

Nah

I rememeber buying this at the time as it was such a

Boring

Just no.

Listen without prejudice is exactly what I did. I still didn't like it. Wet, tedious, presumptuous bullshit in the main. I did get a laugh out of the fact that "Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 2" wasn't ever officially released because of contractual disputes with the record label.

I listened without prejudice, and the whisper singing filled me with prejudice. Someone told George he was seductive, they were wrong.

Did not enjoy

did not change my life in the slightest, even after removing all prejudices

Lord, help me with this one.

Sorry, still prejudiced

If Freedom! '90 is the best song on this record this might end up getting 1 star.

Came in without Prejudice, left with a fair amount

Slightly more interesting soft rock than Michael Bolton. But only slightly.

No

Not for me at all. Recording sounds awful with far too much reverb. Most of the songs here aren’t even good pop songs with the exception of Freedom. The rest is very difficult to get through and I honestly couldn’t wait for it to be over

Just no.

Artiste connu, pas apprécié à l'époque. Cet album ne présente rien d'original Aucun intérêt pour moi, en plus il est vraiment très ennuyeux. Il m'a paru long dès le second morceau ... Je ne suis pas allé au bout. =>1/5

After listening to this turd of an album, I listened to a punk playlist so I could cleanse myself from the stench of this turgid affair. Just awful.

Not really for me, but I also don't like 80's/90's pop, so that completely tracks.

I question the inclusion of the album. Im old enough to remember the George Micheal Wham! days, and the superstar solo stuff, but this record just isn't good, let alone great.

There's maybe one okay song on here. Trying to hard to be late stage Queen. Pass.

Awful in the 80s worse mow

Freedom's a banger, the rest is poo

No

Did not enjoy 1/10

I’d rather listen to this without ears

I don’t think I’ve ever listened to a George Michael album before.. and after this, I can confidently say I won’t be making that mistake again. Maybe it was my mood, or maybe it was the endless parade of beige ballads, but this felt less like an album and more like a test of endurance.

I liked Freedom. I wish more of the album was like it instead of soft ballads.

Never been a fan, some of the Wham! era stuff was ok, but that's as far as it goes. This was just mind numbingly boring. Can only give it a 1.

I think I deserve a medal for sitting through all of that torturous crooning.

Da bleibt einfach nichts hängen.

1.0 I couldn't get through anything except freedom

This was one of my least favourite listens since I stared. I presume some people like this, but there's a lot of ballads and not enough pop for a pop album. (23 known/42 new)

He references rock n roll like he is rock n roll but there's no rock and no roll anywhere here. Is he like MJ for white people if MJ wasn't black or white or MJ? Honestly never heard of this man. While listening, I kept thinking, what sort of white person in their prime during the 80s would I have to be in order to find this enjoyable. I only kinda liked Soul Free and that's it, everything else just mashed together in a plain arrangement of forgettable, half-pleasant sounds lacking any character, depth or artistic vision. Was this really on the radio? Which one of you white people made me listen to this shite before I die? 0 stars.

aburrido

shite

This is peak era for padding a record with one hit. Honestly this should just be a cassingle.

Nothing remarkable here at all.

I really had to get through this

Sadly, this was a case of Prejudice Without Listening. I don't buy into the theory that George was some kind of pop genius. Faith was fun pop record, but I find his work generally quite bland and over-polished. Especially the 'serious' stuff. So gave this a swerve.

Freedom is one of the better George Michael songs and Soul Free was alright too. What an absolute slog to get through the rest of it though. The songs are way too boring, way too long and completely uninteresting to me. More than any other album I was waiting for this to be over.

Sh*te