jillybean said:

OMG, I could not agree more! Heal the Pain is one of my favorite songs ever!! (I may even like it more than my favorite Prince song ) They are both amazing albums...it's tough to choose, but I have to go with LWP by a hair because I love all of the songs on that album except one. I really like Faith, but don't love the songs in the same way.

both albums are absolutely superb. but i prefer faith. Hand to mouth , Father Figure, one More try and Hard day are some really great tracks

Listen Without Prejudice...hands down...true classic on any level, not just in terms of GM's music...one of the few in my collection, with the exception of P, that gets played over and over...it's also the example I use when friends don't realize the quality music George is capable of...I play this for 'em and they recognize...

TRON said:

Another vote for "Waiting for that Day" as the best GM song ever. I like the Faith album best, but "Waiting..." is his best track.

And if these wounds
They are self-inflicted
I don't really know
How my poor heart could have protected me
But if I have to carry this pain
If you will not share the blame
I deserve to see your face again

Two very different.. its really which album of songs do you prefer.

these two albums are different on a number of reasons.
Maturity.. and Cause..


Listen without had a cause.. a purpose.. and the songs reflect that.

His playfulness lies within Faith..


its a progression, and I'm not sure I would have had those two any different.

I appreciate both for what they are... and now after everything he's been through.. its very understandable at this point in time.. especially since Patience brought him to a close..

Ellie said:

I like both of George's first 2 solo albums. But Faith is the best of those 2!

Ellie said:

But the video version of Monkey is way better than the album version.

LWP is a tremendous album, a brave statement record that actually works. It was commercial suicide and Georgie knew it but he did it anyway and I admire him for it.

Faith is one of the greatest pop records of the 80's...absolutely programmed to be large. There are a billion hooks on this record and it sold to everybody. He got a little controversy going with "I Want Your Sex", became the love object of 8 million teenage girls with songs like "Father Figure" and "One More Try", and, most impressive of all, got the R and B audience to buy him as a soul singer, albeit an extremely lightweight one. And the boy made MTV work for him large, making great expensive looking videos that got played over and over. Faith was calculated, planned, plotted...and it worked. Spectacularly.

LWP1 was so much the opposite of Faith it might as well have been done by a different artist. It is a beautiful acoustic record made for people who love beautiful acoustic records. It is masses be damned. And damn if he doesn't pull it off. He drives the teenage girls and fly by night fans away and just sings very nicely written lyrics. The album is haunting to me. The echo-y"Soemthing to Save" just sends chills up my spine and transplants me back to the beginning of every serious relationship I was ever in. "Waiting for that Day" perks me up...the beginning guitar that blends into the "Funky Drummer" beat is brilliant. "Heal the Pain" is just downright ethereal. "They Won's Go When I Go" has the man very bravely attempting "They Won't Go When I Go" and damn if he doesn't make it work (it's beautifully sung). And "Freedom 90"...well it is simply one of the greatest "F---You" records of all time.

Other artists have done this, the deep personal record after the earth shattering hit, and it seldom works. Most of the time, the artist comes off as whiny or pretentious and their career never recovers. Well George never really recovered either but LWP1 was worth it. It cemented him as an artist and I wish he could have followed it up with material just as strong but he never has. And I don't think he has it in him to do so. It's lightning in a bottle and later attempts seem less genuine and more contrived.

All this being said, "Son of Albert" is better than both records.

TRON said:

One of his best.

You are far,
When I could have been your star,
You listened to people,
Who scared you to death, and from my heart,
Strange that you were strong enough,
To even make a start,
But you’ll never find
Peace of mind,
Til you listen to your heart,

People,
You can never change the way they feel,
Better let them do just what they will,
For they will,
If you let them,
Steal your heart from you,
People,
Will always make a lover feel a fool,
But you knew I loved you,
We could have shown them all,
We should have seen love through,

Fooled me with the tears in your eyes,
Covered me with kisses and lies,
So goodbye,
But please don’t take my heart,

You are far,
I’m never gonna be your star,
I’ll pick up the pieces
And mend my heart,
Maybe I’ll be strong enough,
I don’t know where to start,
But I’ll never find
Peace of mind,
While I listen to my heart,

People,
You can never change the way they feel,
Better let them do just what they will,
For they will,
If you let them,
Steal your heart,

And people,
Will always make a lover feel a fool,
But you knew I loved you,
We could have shown them all,

But remember this,
Every other kiss,
That you ever give
Long as we both live
When you need the hand of another man,
One you really can surrender with,
I will wait for you,
Like I always do,
There’s something there,
That can’t compare with any other,

You are far,
When I could have been your star,
You listened to people,
Who scared you to death, and from my heart,
Strange that I was wrong enough,
To think you’d love me too.
I guess you were kissing a fool,
You must have been kissing a fool.

How appropriate...


This is the song that 'told me' he was not straight... my sis and I peered over these lyrics.

Yes, I LOVED "Kissing A Fool"

i will NOT choose one George Michæl album over another. i just won't. i can't! so i pick both!

HamsterHuey said:

I think Jesus To A Child on Older.. was something special

it had that feeling no other song i've ever heard has.. just a moment, almost like a feeling thats above and beyond music.. he nailed it with that one..

Can't even fuck with LWP. I consider it the flipside to Faith. Anybody that don't feel "They Won't Go", is someone I don't wanna know.