LISTEN WITHOUT PREJUDICE VOL.1 CLASSIC ALBUM THE PLAYERS RELEASED 3 September 1990 CLASSIC LABEL Epic PRODUCED BY George Michael ENGINEER Chris Porter ALBUM RECORDED AT Sarm West and Metropolis Studios, London PERSONNEL George Michael – vocals, keyboards, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, drums, percussion, backing vocals, LISTEN horn arrangements; Danny Cummings – drums, percussion; Ian Thomas – drums, percussion; Tony Patler – keyboards; Deon Estus – bass guitar, backing vocals; Phil WITHOUT Palmer – acoustic guitar, electric guitar; Chris Cameron – keyboards, piano, horn and string arrangements; Emily Burridge – cello; Alfia PREJUDICE Nakipbekova – cello; Andy Hamilton – saxophone; Pete Gleadall – VO L .1 sequencer, programming Lennon and McCartney. For REINVENTING THE IDEA OF ‘DIFFICULT SECOND the duration of the writing Channelling The Beatles, and recording sessions, The soul and funk to forge ALBUM SYNDROME’, GEORGE’S FOLLOW-UP TO FAITH a new, mature sound: Beatles’ progressive Revolver George Michael in 1990 BROUGHT UNEASY LISTENING TO THE MASSES and the sophisticated studio STEVE HARNELL perfectionism of Abbey Road were constant touchstones. If fans of Michael had any he signs were there, one of the most recognisable but unhappiness and mental Recorded at Sarm West and doubts that he was stretching of course, right from pop icons on the planet, and anguish, then Listen Without Metropolis Studios in London, out into a more adult direction the Wham! days. lambasted as a black music Prejudice Vol. 1 would see the record – like Faith – would then they vanished with After all, what was interloper. His two wins at the him set out an agenda for his be entirely self-produced by the startlingly mature initial T Careless Whisper if American Music Awards were own future, defiantly on his the songwriter. offering from the album, it wasn’t a plea to be taken controversial and unpopular own terms. This was a kind In the Freedom Praying For Time, his first seriously away from the in some sections of the black of musical digging-in of heels documentary, George release in almost two years bachelor-centric fun of the music community. If George that had rarely, if ever, been explains: “Suddenly, I couldn’t and the opening gambit of band mothership? felt that his hit-making powers pulled off before by an artist get anywhere near black the masterwork to follow. Listen Without Prejudice had often brought him nothing of his stature. radio and that was really Universally admired, it was a Vol. 1 – a provocative title the reason why the record remarkably incisive plea for that also hinted of further was called Listen Without social equality. James Hunter material already in the works Prejudice. It was me saying of Rolling Stone magazine – was a concerted attempt ‘here’s an album that has bits described the song as “a by George Michael to free TRACKLISTING of gospel, R&B, some very distraught look at the world’s himself of the shackles of pop SIDE A SIDE B white stuff. It was just trying astounding woundedness. superstardom. Introspective, Praying For Time Waiting For That Day to say ‘let me be [all] of these Michael offers the healing at times mournful, mature, this things without having to be passage of time as the Freedom! ‘90 Mother’s Pride was a powerful and ambitious one or the other.’” only balm for physical and collection from a serious- They Won’t Go When I Go Heal The Pain George’s ever-present soul emotional hunger, poverty, minded singer-songwriter at Something To Save Soul Free inspirations can still be heard hypocrisy and hatred.” the peak of his powers. Cowboys And Angels Waiting (Reprise) on the LP, but new influences Praying For Time was Michael felt under siege are also added to the mix, George’s determined effort to – a prisoner of his fame as in particular the songcraft of write something with the © Mick Hutson/Redferns 54 55 CLASSIC ALBUM LISTEN WITHOUT PREJUDICE VOL.1 Famous faces, burning symbols… but no George. “I’m going to kind of disappear,” he told Q at the time of Freedom! ‘90 KEY TRACKS PRAYING FOR TIME The stately album opener and lead single is a huge statement of intent from Michael. A deliberate attempt to write a generational anthem to stand shoulder-to- shoulder with John Lennon’s Imagine, this is one of George’s finest compositions. An incisive analysis of our relationship with the idea of charity and social injustice, Praying For Time announced his full-scale reinvention as a mature songwriter who wanted to ditch his pop star past. WAITING FOR THAT DAY Based on the ubiquitous Funky Drummer sample of the early Nineties, this introspective break-up ballad also incorporates elements of The Rolling Stones’ You Can’t Always Get What You Want. With just drums and a strummed acoustic guitar for backing, the stripped-back mid-tempo track puts the emphasis on George’s pained soulful vocals. They didn’t appreciate it in the States – it was the first of George’s singles to miss the Top 10. FREEDOM! ’90 A rare upbeat moment on the album as an instantly memorable piano hook kicks off some of George’s wittiest couplets. As with Waiting For That Day, it’s driven by a sample of James Brown’s Funky Drummer. It’s a mission statement for new-era George – wilier, knowing, wry and prepared not to take any nonsense from his record company paymasters. A superb reworked version that included snatches of Soul II Soul’s Back To Life (However Do You Want Me) featured on the B-side. HEAL THE PAIN After the Lennon homage of Praying For Time comes this nod to the melodic heart-on-the-sleeve balladry of McCartney. The acoustic-led number makes for a pleasing counterpoint to the stark Mother’s Pride in the album’s closing stages. George eventually went on to re-record Heal The Pain with McCartney in 2005 for his Twenty Five compilation of the following year; it’s also included on the 2017 expanded version of Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1. anthemic and philosophical boys on MTV/ But today the to appear in this video’, then I end of the day, we come in the trash. But Listen… isn’t If Listen.. can seem like qualities of John Lennon’s “If you’re going to say ‘I’m not going to appear way I play the game has got would say that’s a fairly good alone in this world and we without its awareness of chart the sound of a tortured artist Imagine; he pulled it off with to change, oh yeah/ Now I’m consolation prize. The burning will die alone. It’s what we trends. Waiting For That struggling to find hope in a aplomb, far exceeding the in the video’, I’d say it’s a fairly good consolation gonna get myself happy.” jacket, the exploding guitar, do in between that’s going to Day jumped on the Funky hopeless universe, then the overly simplistic spirituality prize. The burning jacket, the exploding guitar… Its video – even without the exploding jukebox… it determine how and what we’ll Drummer sample bandwagon balm of the Paul McCartney of the former Beatle’s most it was me saying ‘I’m sick of all this, I really can’t George – still managed to was me just saying ‘I’m sick be remembered as, and what even if it turned the ebullience homage Heal The Pain takes famous solo single. become iconic. Helmed by of all this, I really can’t cope we can think about in spirit. of the original rhythm into some of the weight off the If George’s record company cope with it’” GEORGE MICHAEL Fight Club director David with it.’” It was great to hear [George] something more downbeat. album’s heavy shoulders. The thought his new direction Fincher, it featured the world’s George’s rapid maturation sing this song.” Equally, Mother’s Pride was reggae-tinged Soul Free lets would be a difficult sell, the five most famous supermodels into one of the most Something To Save, an downcast and maudlin. in some sunshine at the tail conflict between artist and preserve his own sanity piano lead line, Freedom! of the era – Naomi Campbell, impressive white soul vocalists acoustic string-laden ballad The track gained significant end of the record, too, only label was further compounded after the mentally exhausting ’90 was packed with some Cindy Crawford, Linda of his generation is best seen was equally affecting; a plea airplay in the US during the for the tender acoustic ballad by news that the singer would promotional merry-go-round of George’s smartest lyrics Evangelista, Christy Turlington in the virtuoso cover of Stevie for a relationship in trouble. first Gulf War in 1991, with Waiting (Reprise) to anchor us not appear in any of the that had surrounded the as he moved away from his and Tatjana Patitz. Wonder’s mournful gospel At seven minutes plus, the radio stations mixing tributes to harsh reality once again. videos for his new singles. whole Faith campaign. former life as a pop pin-up. In George was unrepentant ballad They Won’t Go When jazzy shuffle ofCowboys And from callers to their fallen A landmark record in In the record company’s Carefully sequenced, the just one verse he sums up his about choosing to remain I Go, which even manages to Angels proved that George relatives with Michael’s song Michael’s back catalogue, eyes, this was prima donna jolting opener is followed Wham!, Faith and new eras: absent from the screen, surpass the original.