Culture Club Album: “The 12" Collection Plus”

Description :

Producers: Arif Mardin, Steve Levine, Lew Hahn, Tony Swain. <p>Engineers include: Richard Lengyer, Glen Skinner. <p>The PLUS is that nearly half of these 15 songs are remixes of solo Boy George tracks. Some of the mixes are a bit unimaginative--the extended version of Culture Club's last single, 1986's "Move Away," merely elongates what's not really that great a song to begin with--but many are excellent. The dub version of "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me," previously available only on a Japanese EP, is a lost treasure, a bass-heavy reworking of a remarkable song made even more exciting by an unexpected and impressive toast by Jamaican dub wizard Papa Weasel. The other comparative rarities, a rubbery, echoey version of the 1983 b-side "Mystery Boy" and simple version of "Love Is Love" from the ELECTRIC DREAMS soundtrack, are equally delightful. Most of the rest is of most interest to dance mavens and collectors of ephemera, but as ephemera goes, it ain't bad.

Great mixes of some of their best hits. The bigger benefit though is the mixes of the lesser known and b-side songs. If you even liked them a little, this is worth adding to your CD collection. The 80s were all about feel good music. The sound of dance music really changed then and Culture Club's sound embodied heart and soul (wiggling hips and snap-happy feet) the sound of that time, BUT the songs still hold up today. They embodied the 80s temperament but were distinct enough (and maintained some classic rock elements/sound) that like so many other 80s bands they don't sound so outdated when you listen to them nearly two decades later.... has it really been that long?

Then I suggest you move on to their 1999 reunion album "Don't Mind If I Do" - every song is fantastic lyrically and musically.

What I'd love even more is a disc of modern remixes of Boy George, Culture Club, This Way Up and the other groups that Boy George mixes. His DJ Mix cds are fantastic. I think he could totally reinvent all of their songs if he were in remixing them for a new DJ Mix cd.

Fine mixes! Great beats! Only problem: no Karma Chameleon and Time.

I own this and love, but...as a true CC fan, no CD collection is complete with the 12" 10-minute remix of SEXUALITY from the Luxury to Heartache album - produced by the late ARIF MARDIN and sounding like latter day SCRITTI POLITTI, "Sexuality" was the overlooked B-side to their 1987 "comeback" single MOVE AWAY - too bad, it's one of CC's BEST dance tracks ever, complete with sexy, open-minded lyrics, a playful vocal delivery from the Boy, and killer 80s-funk/soul grooves - amazing it's NOT on this CD as the cover of the CD is actually a reproduction of the MOVE AWAY 12" which included the elusive 10-minute remix of Sexuality as a bonus - oh well, maybe someday??!!