Product Description

From its odd, defensive title to the announcement that noneof the album's videos would include the photogenic singer/songwriter, George Michael's second solo album consciously repositioned the ex-Wham! frontman as a mature artist rather than a teenybopper idol. Indeed, the video for "Freedom '90",which shares only its title with Wham's 1984 hit, features the ritual burning of Michael's trademark leather jacket.
Career intent aside, LISTEN WITHOUT PREJUDICE is an excellent adult-pop album opening with the tender "Praying For Time" and continuing through nine more excellent, well-sung, andmelodic examples of smooth commercial pop, the highlight being the angry "They Won't Go When I Go". Although a more dance-oriented LISTEN WITHOUT PREJUDICE, VOLUME TWO was due forrelease shortly after the first volume, it was never issued. This projected follow-up may be yet another casualty of the protracted legal battle between George Michael and Sony Music that derailed the singer's career for over half a decade.

Track Listing

1. Praying For Time
2. Freedom! '90
3. They Won't Go When I Go
4. Something To Save
5. Cowboys And Angels
6. Waiting For That Day
7. Mothers Pride
8. Heal The Pain
9. Soul Free
10. Waiting (Reprise)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2315 in Music
• Released on: 1990-09-03
• Number of discs: 1

From Amazon.com
George Michael's second post-Wham! outing, Listen Without Prejudice could not have been more appropriately titled. Following on the booty-shakin' heels of Faith, Listen found Michael being more serious than sassy. "Freedom 90" had a strong groove, a catchy melody, and of course, the sex-bomb video. The contemplative tone of the album is best illustrated by the other hit that it spawned, "Praying for Time." Michael's voice was as strong as ever, and he did indeed take several risks on the CD. "They Won't Go When I Go," (not a Michael composition) was almost cryptic, and "Cowboys and Angels" was a lament of a different kind. --Steve Gdula

Customer Reviews

classic older should of been vol 2 fantastic album!!
fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! buy it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! older and this one are both fantastic and the cover of stevie wonders you wont go when i go is fantastic stevie wonder need i say anymore what a singer and songwriter!! buy this and older fantastic albums!!

Listen with Appreciation
In 1990, George Michael had released his second album entitled, LISTEN WITHOUT PREJUDICE VOLUME 1. This album is not what FAITH turned out to be, for this album, still taking up George's sound of Pop/R&B, sheds George of his FAITH skin. This is a great album that DOES cover the concept of what is going on the world.

PRAYING FOR TIME
The first single from the album. This song is beyond amazing. It is definitely one of the best songs on this album. It seems to focus on the way we all struggle to survive in the world of today. I think he's trying to point out that making money these days is not all hunky dory. If listen closely to just the music, it'll sound like something John Lennon would compose.

FREEDOM 90
The second single from the album. No, this is not a re-recorded rendition of the classic hit he had with WHAM! The hit he had with WHAM! was an dance type love song, while this song is just about George throwing away his "Faith" days and shedding new skin. The music video that went along with this single is definitely my favorite George Michael music video. George does not appear in the video, but five sexy supermodels do appear. Those five models are: "Linda Evangelista", the beautiful, innocent-looking short-haired blonde, wearing only the turtleneck sweater, "Naomi Campbell", the foxy African-American Brit, who dances around, wearing a bikini and headphones, "Christy Turlington", the doe-eyed brunette who walks straight down the living room hall, wrapped around in a bed sheet, "Cindy Crawford", the sexy brunette, who relaxes, while taking a bath, & "Tatjana Patitz", the seductive German Blonde, who stands up against a wall, smoking a cigarette.

THEY WON'T GO WHEN I GO
This song was originally recorded back in 1974 by Stevie Wonder. I have never heard Stevie Wonder's version and I do not care to hear it because I do not like Stevie Wonder or his pathetic music. But when I heard George's rendition, I immediately flipped over it. He sings it so smooth and he sings it with heart.

SOMETHING TO SAVE
The acoustic guitar really brings out the sound of this song's music. Not a bad song.

COWBOYS AND ANGELS
The fifth & final single from the album. This is an amazing song that seems to focus on two different people who have seemed to found each other and seemed to have found love for each other. Definitely a beautiful song.

Medley: WAITING FOR THAT DAY/YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT
The third single from the album. Usually, medlies are performed live in concert and live promotional performances, but George decided to record a studio medley. This song was more impressive than I had expected. "Waiting For That Day" is also about George shedding his skin from his "Faith" album and coming into another era. Definitely a great song(s).

MOTHERS PRIDE
The best of the bunch - appropriate at a time when the first Gulf War had just started.

HEAL THE PAIN
The fourth single from the album. I cannot go without listening to this song. This one is absolutely amazing. The acoustic guitar is incredible. The harmonies are amazing. George's voice is, as usual, outstanding. Definitely a song not to miss.

SOUL FREE
Not bad.

WAITING (Reprise)
This song brings this album to an end and is a reprise of the "Waiting For That Day/You Can't Always Get What You Want" medley. This version is even better, especially in sounding more mellow and more subtle, with George's voice sound very smooth and soothing. A song no fan should skip.

Before I got this album, I was expecting only two or three songs to be worth listening to, since I considered FAITH to be George's best album. But after listening to the entire album, I was shocked to hear how incredible this album was.

George doing what George does best
If like me you have kind of always floated around the outskirts of GM then I would recommend this album as a stern follow up to Faith.

Yes Faith is pop but the melodies are strong and you really need that in your mind when you take on this album.
Firstly this album is GREAT - it is full of different layerings of songs and melodies that just stick in your head all day.

It took me a while to get this album but actually the maturity in just 3 yrs is fabulous. You should also discount the chart placings - the low charting singles was because George was sabotaging his own career in a way - not appearing in videos, having no text on his singles or having text and no pic.

Anyway his artistic views kind of covered the value of the songs and speaking of the songs:

1) PRAYING FOR TIME 5/5 what a cracker of a song - the tip of the iceberg really - if you get this song you will get the album. It is a crashing ballad about opening our eyes to the world. UK #8 - 1st single (B-Side: If You Were My Woman).

2) FREEDOM 5/5 THE song that got me into this album - it was the only song I considered from this album as being worthy for a long time before the rest grew on me. About reflecting on the Wham days. UK #28 - 3rd single.

3)THEY WON'T GO WHEN I GO 4/5 A broody ballad his voice is faultless on this - I love his rendition of this classic, he really shows that he can apply his voice to anything. I just marked it down because it is not a GM composition.

4)SOMETHING TO SAVE 5/5 A cheeky little track in my opinion - acoustic guitar driven pop very upbeat and well just nice (love his high voice around 2:40 over the strings). Seems to deal with not communicating in a relationship. B-Side to Cowboys & Angels UK #45 - 5th Single.

6)COWBOYS & ANGELS 5/5 WOW what a strumpy, swinging piece of jazz this is. Carries itself so well. It is a grower you just need to keep putting it on because it has its melody. I can't describe it is genius at 7mins. UK #45 - 5th Single.

7)WAITING FOR THAT DAY 5/5 Oh yeah THAT song - the song of the album most say and yes it is a clever song by not having much about it but a hook of a line in "My memory serves me far too well". The line "and if these wounds are self inflicted" always sticks in my head. I think this is spliting up and trying to find another woman but having the memory there all the time - not able to move on. UK #23 - 2nd Single (B-side: Fantasy (found on the Best of....such a great song!)).

8)MOTHERS PRIDE 5/5 A soft and tense piano ballad. I feel the emotion in this one. Stark with a panpipe that shouldn't work but does. All about sending a boy off to war....very poignant. Could get boring but its on 4mins which is its saving grace. B-Side to Freedom UK #28 - 3rd Single.

9)HEAL THE PAIN 5/5 Great great great - he gets it spot on here. Clever pop and I really appreciate it - the hook here for me is "how can I help you, please let me try to" the lyrics fit the melody so well. This guy is a genius with this song. UK #31 - 4th Single.

10)SOUL FREE 5/5 The oddest track for me. That piano sounds dated here and very early 90's but it works and the song is strong - great vocal range expressed here. It seems this song does signal the arrival of Too Funky. B-Side to Heal The Pain - UK #31 - 4th Single.

11)WAITING (REPRISE) 5/5 This track is needed - it provides great closure after Soul Free tails off a bit. Follows on with the melody of Waiting for that Day a bit. I think it is George asking for people to look again at him. B-Side to Praying For Time - UK #8 - 1st Single.

Knowing that there was a plan for LWP Vol.2 of more dancey songs planned for the following June (91) makes Freedom and Soul Free seem out of place - but thank god they got on here because the album needs them. I would have liked "Fantasy" on here and "They Won't Go When I Go" off cause its a non GM track.

BUT this is one of the most complete continuously good George albums and LOOK 9 out of 11 of the tracks appeared on the CD singles from this album showing just how strong it was (plus I guess George didn't want old Faith tracks or live performances appearing except Father Figure/Kissing A Fool (the most mature of Faith) on WFTD).

Final words
Get this album - put it on and wonder what GM must have gone through between 1987-1990 - the man has had so much struggle and vented it delightfully through an amazing album

I WISH he had never wrangled with Sony this album would have been HUGE!!