Spotlight: Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 (George Michael)

My recent acquistion of Twenty Five caused me to break out my copy of Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1, his 1990 album. This was, as I recall, the first Michael album I ever purchased. It had been a while since I'd listened to it, so this was a bit of a rediscovery for me as far as just how great it is. I've fallen in love with "Heal the Pain" all over again, but that's just one of the love-worthy tracks on the album. Also included are the major hits "Praying for Time" and "Freedom," both of which the general public seem to remember fondly. Then there's "Waiting for That Day," the song which should have been way bigger than it was. There're also the haunting "They Won't Go When I Go" and the great "Something to Save," the latter of which probably could have been a single in its own right. "They Won't Go When I Go" is a remake of a Stevie Wonder track from his 1974 album Fulfillingness' First Finale. I must admit to being unfamiliar with the Wonder version, but I love Michael's version, and it works very well in the context of the album. "Cowboys and Angels" was a single in the UK that inexplicably underperformed, but it's a cool track in its own right. "Mothers Pride" is a beautiful track and ended up garnering unsolicited airplay as many looked to it as musical comfort during wartime. The closing tracks, "Soul Free" and "Waiting (reprise)," leave one (or me, at least) with the feeling that one hasn't just heard a great album, but that one has just been taken on a sentimental journey. The exact sentiment isn't the same each time, but the album never fails to evoke strong feeling, which I believe is one of its greatest strengths. It may not be as fondly remembered as the megasmash Faith, but Listen Without Prejudice is an album which, if ever I endeavored to make a list of "essential albums," would definitely be included.

Tracks:
1. Praying for Time
2. Freedom
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)