A short review of George Michael’s Listen Without Prejudice album by Edna Gundersen distributed by Gannett News Service. The review was published in The Journal News in White Plains, New York on 13 Sep 1990.
Supple melodies, mellifluous vocals and raw emotion redeem George Michael’s self-involvement on “Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1” (Columbia), one of 1990’s best albums.
Rather than issuing radio-ripe “Faith” retreads, Michael opted for melancholy ballads and low-simmer introspective pop laced with intricacies.
Arranged and skillfully produced by Michael, who wrote nine of 10 songs, “Prejudice” is a daring leap from “Faith’s”s catchy but obvious paeans to sex. It examines the complexities of romantic ties (and disentanglements) and the savvy career moves that reaped profits and heartache.
The highlight is “Cowboys and Angels,” a lushly orchestrated jazz ballad with the rich melody of a classic.
Michael breaks from self-scrutiny in a moving “Mother’s Pride,” about a war hero’s widow torn between pride and loss as her son goes to war.
The breathless “Praying for Time” is the weak link, and the swollen chorus on Stevie Wonder’s high-and-mighty “They Won’t Go When I Go” adds an overwrought element to otherwise spartan beauty.
But overall, “Listen Without Prejudice” establishes Michael as an artist without boundaries.
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