Review Summary: Gotta have some faith in the sound, it's the one good thing that I've got.
The record industry, to the shock of no one, has always had a history of being greatly difficult to work in. It’s not to say just
anybody could waltz right in and make a name for themselves, but even with the industry being rife with talent, not all those who worked in the business could attain success that foresaw great riches, widespread fame and all that came with a hit record. At the time of his departure from Wham!, George Michael had several hit records under his belt and with it, several opportunities to seek whatever avenue that could potentially add to his rather impressive repertoire. To expel any ideas that his material was simply teenybopper fare, Michael viewed going solo as his way of finally being taken seriously as a
true artist and not some poseur who was only in it for the money. His debut,
Faith is welcomed with rave reviews and success that equaled, if not, surpassed that of anything Wham! had ever done. Yet, this is where executive meddling and industry nonsense took grasp upon Michael’s work and internal pressure to put out a
Faith, Volume Two came to be. Michael first and foremost, wanted none of this and sought to evolve – and so he did, maturing as an artist that wanted to make adult music and keep his integrity in the process.
This is where his second effort,
Listen Without Prejudice comes into place. A far cry from the 80s sax goodness of
”Careless Whisper”, the works presented to the world in September of 1990 came as a shock to those fervently awaiting material that made his past works smash hits around the world. Whereas
Faith took pleasure in amping up Michael’s sex appeal while creating catchy pop music,
Prejudice concerned itself with the ills of the world and what we could do as its inhabitants to change it for the better. Leave it to the lead single,
”Praying for Time” to set a tone that would rest cozily all throughout
Prejudice’s forty-eight minute duration – somber balladry that pleaded to those who listened to make a difference, to not repeat the mistakes made by others, including the narrator himself; a message of hope that offered a glimpse into a future that would be harmonious and free; and the trials we all endure within our lives.
While songs like the feel-good anthem to be
”Freedom!”, the cool beat of
”Soul Free”, the cheery
”Heal the Pain” and the optimism of
”Waiting for the Day” serve to brighten up an otherwise strikingly forlorn piece of work, the parallels between these songs and their more desolate counterparts really make
Prejudice what it is. Whereas the one-two punch of
”Praying for Time” and
”Freedom!” display Michael’s wish to change the ways of the world
and also wishing to break away from a part he no longer wanted to play, the bitter chill of his cover of Stevie Wonder’s
”They Won’t Go When I Go” creeps into the room and instantly sets in a feeling of despair that doesn’t exactly stick around but often lingers in material such as the war tale
”Mother’s Pride” and the jazz pop deep cut
”Cowboys and Angels”. Just when all hope is lost it seems, the reprise of
”Waiting for the Day” is a bid of longing that doesn’t make any exact promises but tells its audience to never give up hope, even in the darkest depths of despair –
“There's a way back for every man, so here I am.”
