Boy George Albums (13)
'Boy George's Taboo'
Release Date 4/29/2003
Tracks 21
Label First Night
See Album Tracklist and Review
'U Can Never Be 2 Straight'
Release Date 8/20/2002
Tracks 16
Label EMI
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What The Critics Say
Boy George has worn two hats during his career. On one hand, he is a DJ, mixing dance hits in a non-stop orgy of dance music. Obviously, his other hat is that of a pop/rock singer, which is the basis for the songs on this collection. Some of these songs are old, classic Boy George solo outings from his brilliant Cheapness & Beauty CD and era (such as "Cheapness & Beauty," "If I Could Fly," and the incredibly moving and brilliant "Il Adore"), as well as his band Jesus Loves You (the song "Bow Down Mister"). Other songs are from his London play Taboo ("Ich Bin Kunst," "St. Christopher," and "Wrong"). The songs are pop-driven, guitar-oriented little stories. The songs are very melodic, with stirring string and brass arrangements. He is actually able to carve his own style of music, which is miles away from Culture Club. The older songs are remixed, but retain their original style and quality, and together the songs all fit. The CD is a concept of sorts, basically an apparent autobiography of an artist coming to terms with his sexuality and how it fits in with his music. ~ Aaron Badgley, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Unlike some of Boy George's previous mix albums, his first mix for Moonshine, A Night Out, veers far from well-known anthems in favor of more obscure, personally chosen tracks. As surprising as it may seem for North America's dominant mass-market dance label to give the singer-turned-DJ so much freedom, Moonshine made the right call. A Night Out is one of Boy George's more engaging mixes, despite lacking the popular tracks of his past mixes for Ministry of Sound -- or perhaps it's more engaging because of this. Whatever the reason, it's engaging, for sure. Boy George throws down mostly obscure progressive house tracks, many of which feature a bit of vocals. Rather than let the tracks play out for five-plus minutes, he quickly brings in others. Most tracks get no more than four minutes or so before being mixed, and these mixes are impressively smooth despite their quickness. The set gets off to a great start, hitting a particularly impressive run when Saeed & Palash's remix of Peter Bailey's "U Need It" eclipses Christian Smith and John Selway's "Yess." Granted, these are sure-fire production duos -- two of the best progressive house had to offer in 2002 and surely the two most recognizable names on this album -- but, regardless, it's a great seven minutes and it sets the tone for the remainder of the set. The grand finale, the seven-plus-minute "6AM Mix" of "Stolen the Sun," momentarily takes the set into numbing trance territory for a concluding sense of bliss. The sweeping moment works so well because Boy George stays away from trance for most of the album, sticking almost exclusively with progressive house. More than anything, this perfect timing and grasp of tension and release showcases how much Boy George continues to evolve as a DJ, from a one-time novelty to a professional talent. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
'Lucky for Some'
Release Date 11/6/2001
Tracks 20
Label J-Bird Records
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What The Critics Say
This compilation from Boy George's label, More Protein's 11-year history is a seamless collection of dance music that comes across at times winningly catchy and elsewhere a bit too derivative. Things start confidently with "Aquarius" by Freddy & Herman with a hypnotic melody interwoven with beautiful vocals, but ends a bit weakly with "Freedom" by the Armchair Resistance and Amanda Ghost, though the song contains the creative addition of lyrics from the classic "Motherless Child." In between there's "Doors to Manuel" by RAG (most of the band names are various guises for Boy George with various artists), featuring a great Dragnet-type melody, and "See Through" by CD:UK, a highly remixed version of the 1999 Culture Club song "See Thru" which highlights Boy George's warm blue-eyed soul vocals coming through in a distorted fashion with a perfect diva-esque groove. There's also the rocking dance track "Liberation" by Lippy Lou, where she insists, "Come out of the closet boy," and "A Kind of Loving" by FrostyBoy featuring Eve Gallagher with staccato beats and dramatic layered vocals completing this dancefloor mover. "Let Love Come Down" ("Tomislav Remix") by Colein features universal lyrics, a driving melody, and vocals that seem to float. On the classic "Generations of Love" ("Timewriter Remix") by Jesus Loves You, the mix is not the most innovative but is definitely high energy. Originally quite a controversial song, "Everything Starts With an E" ("Shuffle Remix") by Ezee Possee, has not aged well, though it is considered a classic to many. The rest of this collection also contains some great moments, but there are also a few songs, such as "Zing" by Yo2Go, that are a bit too dance clichéd. The first 10,000 copies of Lucky for Some came with a bonus CD of a cappella tracks for those feeling the need to make their own mixes of some of the featured songs as well as a couple of others. The CD booklet also includes Boy George's story of his foray into label land and is infused with his usual wit and humor. This collection for the most part contains classic grooves and is a great introduction to the More Protein label. ~ Simon Cantlon, All Music Guide
'Galaxy Mix'
Release Date 10/18/1999
Tracks 39
Label Ministry of Sound
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Boy George seemed set up by the success of "The Crying Game" to restore his commercial standing, and he certainly made a splash, releasing not only this new album but also his autobiography, Take It Like A Man. The shock here was not so much in the explicitly gay lyrics--he'd sung similar things before--as in the musical style. Previously, George had made music for the dance crowd, but Cheapness And Beauty led off with a screaming guitar rock version of Iggy Pop's "Funtime" (also the album's music video). The next four songs were all hard rockers, too, and although thereafter the album showed greater diversity--"If I Could Fly" was a melodic ballad, "Same Thing In Reverse" a folkie tune with a prominent fiddle--most people only heard the guitar rock, which turned off George's dancefloor constituency and failed to attract a rock listenership. It seemed a shame: If the record company had released "If I Could Fly" as the first single, then followed it with one of the more uptempo, but still pop tracks from the second side, the album might have had a chance. But Virgin wasn't about to work this record; George was dropped by the label shortly after its release. And so, a career that had seemed on the upswing took another dip. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The Martyr Mantras is a collection of dance singles, presented in various remixes, that feature Boy George, along with several other vocalists, though the real star is the groove. This is deep house music, which is to say that the beat moves in a fast shuffle, surrounded by a prominent bass pulse. Now and then, George emerges from the tracks, notably on the near-ballad "I Specialize in Love," and on those occasions his usual virtues as a singer -- an aching, vulnerable tenor voice with a good rhythmic sense and clear articulation -- come to the fore. The oddest track is "Bow Down Mister," a celebration of Hinduism complete with chants of "Hare Krishna" and an ululating Indian singer. Elsewhere, the music is largely anonymous, if danceable. [In the U.K., The Martyr Mantras was credited to the group Jesus Loves You.] ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Boy George teamed up with Lamont Dozier to write many of the songs on his debut album, much of which has a harder dance pop edge than his work with Culture Club. But it's still that bouncy, vulnerable voice, notably on the reggae-tinged hit "Everything I Own," that remains his trademark. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
