George Michael - Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1

Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 is the second solo studio album by the British singer-songwriter George Michael, originally released in September 1990 via Columbia Records in the US and Epic Records in the UK.

This album followed the massive commercial success of his debut solo album Faith (1987) which had topped the UK and US Albums charts and sold more than 20 million copies.

Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 was a much more serious and sombre album than Faith and arrived to mixed reviews from music critics and the record buying public, especially in the US.

For this writer, this album is by far my favourite of his solo releases. The album just works on all levels, from the running sequence of the songs to the more sparse and laid back arrangements on the slower numbers. His cover of Stevie Wonder’s “They Won’t Go When I Go” was an inspired choice and the album showcases his vocal abilities. He was one of the very best pop rock singers of all time.

The album title implied there might be a follow-up but unfortunately as sequel never emerged, maybe due to Michael’s subsequent feud with this US Sony label, whom he thought had not invested in promoting the album sufficiently.

The album cover without any titles harks back to some of the 1970s acts who relied on the visuals of the album to represent their art, rather than a flashy logo or photograph of the artist. This helped me approach the album with an open mind, and it is definitely less “poppy” or “commercial” than it’s predecessor.

Five singles were released from the album, helping to propel the album to the top of the UK Albums charts – “Praying For Time”, “Waiting For That Day”; “Freedom! 90”; “Heal The Pain”; and “Cowboys And Angels”.

This album is “The Captain’s” go-to George Michael album, it is so wonderful to have it reissued on vinyl again.

This album is a 2017 reissue on 180 gram black vinyl with a printed inner sleeve, pressed in Europe via Epic Records.