October 1983
Culture Club
Colour By Numbers
3 out of 5
Culture Club
Colour By Numbers
3 out of 5
Highlights:
Karma Chameleon
It’s a Miracle
Church of the Poison Mind
Miss Me Blind
Karma Chameleon
It’s a Miracle
Church of the Poison Mind
Miss Me Blind
Say what you want about this band, the songs are well constructed and infectious.
I didn’t love Kissing to Be Clever. I found it dull in places and unrewarding. The hits were the hits, to be sure and they were great and they conjured great memories (and some not so great) but I gave that record a 2.5.
This one…
Look, 83 had a certain sound that really blew up. The Spandau/Heyward/Wham white boy R&B with sanded edges. Music for people who longed for corner trash can stylings of Frankie Valli, et al.
Once you get past the singles (like Kissing) the album isn’t very inspired. The most cutting edge (read:sellable) aspect of it is Boy George’s presentation of himself. But that presentation will only attract so many appreciators for so long. What he really sounds like he wishes he was is George Michael. (If George M. had recorded “Church of the Poison Mind” it would sound almost exactly the same…maybe slightly better.) This George got there earlier but there’s no doubt they are cut from very similar cloth.
The lounge act stylings of “Changing Every Day” is what this band is really about: A bunch of white kids who wish they were old white guys playing in Vegas.
I didn’t love Kissing to Be Clever. I found it dull in places and unrewarding. The hits were the hits, to be sure and they were great and they conjured great memories (and some not so great) but I gave that record a 2.5.
This one…
Look, 83 had a certain sound that really blew up. The Spandau/Heyward/Wham white boy R&B with sanded edges. Music for people who longed for corner trash can stylings of Frankie Valli, et al.
Once you get past the singles (like Kissing) the album isn’t very inspired. The most cutting edge (read:sellable) aspect of it is Boy George’s presentation of himself. But that presentation will only attract so many appreciators for so long. What he really sounds like he wishes he was is George Michael. (If George M. had recorded “Church of the Poison Mind” it would sound almost exactly the same…maybe slightly better.) This George got there earlier but there’s no doubt they are cut from very similar cloth.
The lounge act stylings of “Changing Every Day” is what this band is really about: A bunch of white kids who wish they were old white guys playing in Vegas.
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