Listen Without Prejudice

Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 is the second solo album from British pop star George Michael (on this album, it is spelled as George MichÃ¦l), released in September 1990. Following the massive worldwide commercial success of his first album Faith, this release found Michael awash in an identity crisis, with a sudden bid to quickly create a new image for himself as a serious-minded artist, while still generating sales.
Seemingly torn at first between his previous role as the camera-friendly media darling and his new role as abhorrer of all things visual, the album's title indicated his desire to be taken more seriously (although cameras were sometimes allowed into the recording studio, the results ending up on an MTV Rockumentary soon afterward). The album was deemed by many as a reverse-psychological tactic to generate renewed interest from an ever larger (and more adult) fan base, but ended up a commercial disappointment compared to Michael's time in Wham! and debut album Faith.
The album was Michael's final album of all-new material on Columbia Records until 2004's Patience. It was the album's disappointing sales in the U.S. that led to Michael's legal battles against Sony Music, in which he accused the corporation of not fully supporting him as an artist.