Last week, Sony/Legacy announced a deluxe reissue of George Michael’s second solo album, 1990’s Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1. Coincidentally, when that announcement was made, the Blerd Radio team was putting the finishing touches on a podcast episode devoted to that particular album.
So join me (Mike Joseph) and my partners Michael Parr and Doctor Z for a deep-dive exploration into the decidedly introspective follow-up to the mega selling Faith.
While not as commercially successful-or anywhere near as pop friendly-as its predecessor, Listen Without Prejudice has become a classic. It boasted the #1 smash “Praying For Time” and the Top 10 smash “Freedom”, a song that has become iconic thanks to its stylish video and universal message. With these songs, George shrugged off his pretty boy pop star image, and aimed to be taken seriously as a songwriter and vocalist. By refusing to appear in his own videos or do interviews, George incurred the wrath of his record label and set the stage for a years-long court battle that remains a tentpole event in the fight for artists’ rights.
We also discuss Listen Without Prejudice‘s debt to ’60s pop and ’70s soul, George’s coming out and how it may have affected the promotion and lyrical content of the album, the Cover To Cover tour George embarked on in early 1991, and much more.
You can listen to the podcast in the player below. You may also listen via stream, or you can download it to your device directly. You can also subscribe to the Blerd Radio family of podcasts on iTunes.