Colour By Numbers

POV: you're at a family function and your aunt is trying to pull you onto the dance floor as Karma Chameleon starts playing. The 45-year old function DJ flicks through his CD wallet looking for George Michael. Yer da is shuffling awkwardly near the buffet. 3 stars.

How revolutionary was Boy George as the leader of the biggest group in the world? Gender non-conformity is still mocked and misunderstood today...to think this was 40 years ago. Wish I had the same appreciation for this album but it's basically 2-3 good songs and a bunch of filler.

I have listened to this album twice now and I just don't get the generally positive reviews. The album actually makes me almost angry, that's how much I disliked it. This is the epitome of what was wrong in the 80's (even though there also was a lot of great music). It sniffed New Wave but doesn't seem to get it, saw soul from a distance, uses filler sounds like a trumpet or harmonica to make the music sound smarter than it is. Ugh.

That sure was sappy. I don't even like the big hit Karma Chameleon although I can't stop humming the chorus. They should have been in the TV commercial jingle business. One positive comment is that Boy George ventured in new territory by dressing so feminine. Doing this in 1983 was a big deal and could have had a bad ending. I know in the prior decade the New York Dolls et al were gender bending trailblazers in another way by dressing in drag but I still view Boy G as a pioneer since he was trying to get (and succeeded at getting) mainstream audiences to buy his records and go to his concerts. I'll give him +1 for pulling it off but the music really does suck.

One banger doesn’t make a good album.

Why did I have to listen to this?

A fine example of 80s pop. I'm not sure what makes it an "unmissable" album, though

For the nostalgia it evokes For the classic Pop songs For Boy George’s silken voice For the breezy, uplifting tunes For the mournful, heartbreaking lyrics For the drama and emotion and Helen Terry‘s soulful tones For the impassioned sax and harmonica For the hours dancing round my kitchen For the ability to put this on repeat and it still packs a punch For all this and more I thank you.

A great single followed by some deeply average dreck.

With all due respect to Boy George, an incredibly brave individual who did incredible work in normalizing queerness in a time notoriously unfriendly to the concept, this album is basically unlistenable.

Wonderful, imaginative, catchy, sunny record which brings happiness and joy at every listen

This album is like, I forced an AI to listen to 1000 hours of 80's pop hits. The beats and synths are good, but the melodies and harmonies just feel aimless and trite. As if they were trying to make the hooks easy to remember, while not realizing that that's not what makes them catchy.

An album that should not wear well. But yet it escapes from an era of albums that have not: Rio and True for two. It has many of the tropes of early 80s Britpop: sax breaks check, featured female backing singers check, Motown backbeats check, dry as dust production check, gated drums check. And yet it effortlessly rises above all of tis to sound as brilliant today as bursting out of top of the Pops in 1982. Reasons why? George is a better singer than many others, and the songwriting is pretty foolproof. It delivers the four monster hit singles, but much more it’s got unstoppable momentum. Not until track eight – eight! - Mister Man, does the momentum slow from effervescent to album track. Even then, only for a moment are we down before Stormkeeper gets us back on track and Victims gives it the big closing number. Rounding up from 4.8 because yes.

Even the hit isn't good, I'm not coming back to this one anytime soon.

I didn't appreciate this album much when it was released, but I sure do now. Fantastic album that has said the test of time.

I enjoyed this so much! Black Money and That’s The Way are my favourite tracks.

Classic 80s! Boy George rocks!

Easy listening 80s music that goes hard

18 year old me had limited interest in Culture Club, I was a Northern Soul, punk, post punk, alternative, indie kid. Older me can now appreciate this album. Not only is it a great pop album, it's a fucking good soul album. 'Poison Mind' has definite Northern Soul vibes. The backing singers are superb, and George has a cracking voice.

love them

All the 80s hits <3

Love this album so much! I used to steal it from my mom's collection all the time so I could listen to it in my room.

This has been a favourite since the day it came out. Glad for an excuse to listen to it :)

So I'm enjoying the first few songs, then on comes That's The Way, where Helen Terry flexes her vocal muscles. This then leads into The Church of the Poisoned Mind, where the band rips into this bouncy, irresistible tune where Helen once again soars. Those two songs are worth the price of admission. This is a perfectly designed album, with a natural flow that is perfectly signed off by Victims, a song that deserves greater recognition for it's clever mix of big ballad and minor key sadness.

It still slaps, and there isn't one skippable song. That's right, the album tracks are just as good as the singles - and there were a ton of singles released from this gem. In the interest of full disclosure, 13 year old me wore the shit out of this record, which might play into my continued appreciation for it. Interesting how "Church Of The Poisoned Mind" has become more of a legacy song for Culture Club over "Karma Chamelon". The secret weapon is backup singer Helen Terry, whose voice perfectly complements Boy George's blue-eyed soul. The epitome of a great pop album. Anyone who disagrees secretly has a problem with androgynous people.

New wave all the way, this album rules

Breezy hits

Old friend. Flaws and all. Still fun and evocative.

Groaned at this, and thought it would be dated, but I admit it's a great pop album. Hasn't dated at all.

Karma Chameleon is a certified jam. Second half is better than the first. Standout tracks: Church of the Poison Mind, Mister Man, Victims, Melting Pot.

A couple of good songs (Karma Chameleon not being one). Some obvious filler. Not dreadfully bad considering they were a bunch of clubbers who thought they'd have a go at creating a band. And credit to George for being so ahead of his time (though not musically). But somebody please shoot the backing singer.

Karma Kameleon is super catchy. The rest of the album is just ok.

Not bad but pretty similar throughout Standout songs: Its a Miracle Thats the Way Stormkeeper

Normal 80s pop. There were some fun elements in this album but overall, it got boring after a while. I mostly just really like Karma Chameleon.

Making us listen to the whole album just for that one hit is just cruel.

Not my jam, never was. I’ll give it a two because I love his back up singer. She’s great!

Putting any cultural impact aside, this is an incredibly schmaltzy and of-its-time record.

Surprised by how much of this gave a George Michael feel - soulful backing singers with peppy 80s vibes. But despite the talent of those backing singers, this mostly feels like a photocopy of a photocopy of a photocopy of other things that are much better.

Can't do it.. I've been trying to listen to every album all the way through, but I couldn't get past the first song on this. Not for me. Putting Time Out of Mind back on as an antidote.

This started out strong and, over the course of the album, quickly worked its way down to a single star rating. Every song is bloated with single lines repeated over and over and OVER. The synths are the worst sort of blip-bloop garbage. And the vocal mis-match between Boy George and Helen Terry is downright painful. The album is cheesy and painful to listen to but it was still flirting with a 2-star review until that second star collapsed under the weight of just SO MANY lame saxophone solos. One I might have forgiven. But practically every song is bogged down by an out of place and completely unnecessary saxophone interlude. Truly terrible. I hope I never have to listen to this garbage again.

Noooooo. I am too sober for this 🙈. Not my type of music

master piece

Class

Yeah...

I liked it

This has everything a good pop album should have: catchy hooks, actual music (as opposed to noise), clear, well-executed vocals, variety between songs, reasonable track lengths. I really can't find fault with this - especially in juxtaposition to many of the other albums on this list. In fact, I'd probably have given this a 4, but the other garbage I've had to listen to recently compels me to give this a 5 as a point of comparison.

Album 723 of 1001 Culture Club - Colour By Numbers (1983) Rating : 4 / 5 Great mix of upbeat pop and emotional ballads. Some great hooks. Full of hits. Helen Terry's backing vocals are a highlight throughout.

Sure this is a little sappy at times, but it's also got some danceable tunes. I personally love this album and own the CD. Culture Club live is fantastic, and I'll always love Boy George. 4.5 stars.

Karma Chameleon is a hit. Perfect album!

Amazing. I've never listened to this album, but I always liked Culture Club when I heard them on MTV. I was a kid in the 80s, but used to watch videos with my older sister (when she'd let me). Good times, and I'm glad I listened to this now that I'm older.

Fuck yes! I remember when this hit the States. We went mad for this band and Boy George’s style. Pretty much everyone over a certain age can sing Karma Chameleon. This is perfect pop music. Classic structure, hooks, harmonies, great arrangements. Not too harsh. Just fun and soulful music for the masses. The roots are squarely in the Motown style. The 80s brought the nostalgia wave with Blue Eyed Soul. Everyone wanted to be Smokey Robinson. Is there any Smokey Robinson on this list?

When I first heard Karma Chameleon, I wasn’t thinking this was gonna be an enjoyable experience for me. By the end of Victims, I fell in love. George’s voice is stellar and the instruments are fantastic. Landmark album

Oh, sue me, I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5. I just really enjoyed that, what can I say? I feel firmly established in saying that synthpop will simply win me over every time if it’s done well, and this is done pretty damn well. Obviously, Karma Chameleon is like, the super duper all-timer hit here, forever established in the 80s musical canon, but like… almost all of the other tracks here are pretty good. There’s not a bad one, just a few that felt either a little long, or a little repetitive, or a little half-baked; a number of tracks lyrically suffer from the “first minute is the whole track” syndrome that really bites at a lot of 80s synthpop. With that said, as long as the instrumentals and the general vocals can overcome that, to evoke some sort of bigger, grandiose feeling that just feels dance-y and fun, it’s enough for me. This album does it in spades; when the lyrics falter, or things get a little stale, a sax solo is always there to save it and bring the mood right back up. Either that, or just some super catchy vocal melody – the layering on the background vocals throughout this album is a real highlight to me. I’d also be entirely remiss to not point out that Boy George sounds strikingly and scarily like George Michael. I now have a lot more appreciation for Culture Club than I had going into this. Karma Chameleon (and by extension, Do You Really Want To Hurt Me) felt like maybe a one or two-hit wonder sort of thing, but what’s here is *good.* It’s a fast 38 minutes, it’s catchy as hell, it’s tightly produced, and looking at the chart data, no wonder the only thing stopping this album from going to #1 was Thriller. That’s just some damn good synthpop to my ears – I can see how it’d be jarring to some people, and maybe if I were in a grumpier mood, the faltering moments would drag this thing down more for me. Right now, though, I don’t really care. I liked it a lot, and it’s very easy for me to bump it up to a 5.

Damals als Culture Club in den Charts waren, kaufte ich mir bewusst kein Album von ihnen. Ich war überzeugt, dass diese Band nur Hits , aber keine guten Alben liefern kann. Der Hype um Boy George war mir zu groß und oberflächlich. Nun habe ich mir das Album dreimal angehört und muss mich bei Culture Club entschuldigen: Jazz, Gospel, Pop, bisschen soulig, da ist mächtig was geboten. Und die Mundharmonika ist einfach gigantisch. Das war bestimmt nicht das letzte Album von Culture Club.

My early 80s cultural awakening was authored by E.T., Mary Lou Retton, Mr. T, and Boy George. I cannot be objective with my unadulterated love for this album, but I can be rational enough to observe that Helen Terry deserved some sort of Grammy for her work on this disc. Those pipes are phenomenal. New Wave 4 Life!

I'd call them experimental punk. I didn't know about them, they are not great musician, but they know how to twist your mind.

Smart, sophisticated pop for heartsick yuppies. I fucking love it.

This album never gets old to me.

Classic 80s

Love Culture Club and Boy George one of my 80s favorites!

Ok

I really enjoyed this album. He has the sweetest voice!

9/10 godDAMN, this is my shit

I heard this many times back in the day, but haven’t revisited this album since the 80s. Culture Club and Boy George were a huge influence on 80s pop music and while I appreciated their hit songs my young, rural-raised self did not appreciate or even understand the androgynous style of Boy George. But I think I they still played an important, if under appreciated at the time, role in my evolution to become a more understanding and tolerant person. Back to the music - this album is packed with monster 80s hits. But this time I appreciated the entire album more than back in the 80s. There are some tender songs on here and Boy George’s update of the crooner vocal delivery serve these songs well. This trip back to the 80s has made me realize how much my ability to appreciate this music and the band has evolved!

Class!

Very repetitive, but that was the norm for the time.

fun

I enjoyed this album the further I got into it. I didn't think I enjoyed Karma Chameleon, but it's been stuck in my head the past few days.. 4/5

In a surprise to absolutely no one, I rate an 80's pop album highly. Not top of class, but really fun and listenable. 4 stars.

Stands the test of time really well. Karma Chameleon is of course a classic, but the other singles still sound great - It’s A Miracle, Church Of The Poison Mind, and the sublime Victims. There’s a slight lull in the middle of Side B, but otherwise this is banger after banger. 4.5 stars

I don't remember the last time I heard this out my kind of always put in the back of my mind it's a decent 3½★ album. But honestly listening to it this time, I personally think side one is downright excellent and going into" Church of the Poison Mind" this is looking like a solid 4★. Pretty much after that it just kind of lies there. "Miss Me Blind" is my least favorite of the singles though it's not bad. "Mister Man" I thought was just an awful song. "Victims" is a good closer but it didn't really bring anything more to the table better than what it did on the first side. Truly along with the singles, I really enjoyed "Black Money" and "That's the Way (I'm Only Trying to Help You)". I think they were magnificent songs. The latter actually has the most impassionate performance by Boy George on this album. I'm going to give it a high 3½ only because the second side really didn't live up to the first (7.9) ★★★½

80's Pop. Enjoyable listen. Not sure it would be required listening though.

Iconic 80s dancing

great album. enjoyed the whole thing. good music and lyrics that come after the music industry itself

A breath of very fresh air, and I'm sure these guys were perceived very interestingly by their peers and listeners.

so fun! i recognize the lead singer from somewhere and i just CANNOT tell. so many different genres fused together! i definitely recognized “karma chameleon” but some other songs also felt familiar. very vibey, very groovy. 4/5.

If all you know of Culture Club is Karma Chameleon, prepare to be surprised. Despite its upbeat subject matter, Boy George sounds oddly subdued on the title track and lead single. It’s mostly peak 80s with prominent synths, flanged fretless bass and gated snare. Stylistically it’s mostly mainstream blue eyed soul. What rescues it from being just that is the deep tracks. That’s The Way is a disturbing song lyrically but beautifully arranged, and greatly aided by Helen Terry’s astonishingly powerful voice. Black Money is another good track. Boy George is at his most interesting when he’s writing something other than love songs, though of course that’s what paid the bills. Victims is probably the standout example of his ability to write striking songs and is one of my favourite singles of the 80s. Fun jibe: the album cover is laugh out loud funny. Boy George looks like a sulky teenager who’s just been told they can’t go out ‘looking like that,’ and is about slam the door behind her. I presume he’s meant to look deep and thoughtful or maybe smouldering. If so, they missed by a country mile. Hilarious and impossible not to see once you’ve seen it.

I hated this when it first came out. It sounds to my young self like bland sugar pop. Recently I found it on vinyl for $2nand my opinion is changed. Boy George is an amazing singer and the entire album pings from one track to the next. Still not a fan of Karma chameleon though

p good

Little baby George Michael! I like this vibe

Sound of the 80’s. Good band, good music. Plus, had their own style. Was a nice change.

First listen, very good album.

01) Karma Chameleon - 10,0 02) It's a Miracle - 9,0 03) Black Money - 7,5 04) Changing Every Day - 7,0 05) That's the Way (I'm Only Trying to Help You) - 6,5 06) Church of the Poison Mind - 8,5 07) Miss Me Blind - 7,5 08) Mister Man - 7,0 09) Stormkeeper - 7,0 10) Victims - 7,0 TOTAL: 7,70 (77/100) Current ranking: 210/506

This album is the first instance of “Blue-Eyed Soul” feels like it belongs in even the same discussion as the likes of Stevie Wonder or Michael Jackson. Karma Chameleon is, of course, a classic, but the rest of the album is pretty solid as well. Favorite Track: Karma Chameleon

3.5 stars rounded up. "Karma Chameleon" is the standout track. The rest is fun soft rock.

Pretty typical vibe for the era. Liked the rest of it more than Karma Chameleon though, weirdly. A bit fun and happy sounding.

One of the best albums of the New Wave era. Blends blue-eyed soul with dance beats. Never really paid attention to the background vocals but the female singer is great. This band probably deserves more recognition. The album tails off a little by the end but still a very strong effort.

This album was much more Motown and Prince influnced than I expected, and that made it a really fun listen. “Karma Chameleon” and “Black Money” were both super catchy and “Miss Me Blind” was absolute banger. George Michael must have been a big fan of this album.

I grew up with pop like that. I thought it was the style of the time. If I heard that too, then it was a sin of my youth. When I listened to it again, I was surprised. I knew many of the tracks on the album and didn't just like them for nostalgic reasons. I certainly won't listen to Culure Club more often, but it was interesting again. 4/5

Don't think I ever listened to them beyond Karma Chameleon and DYRWTHM. Very decent album, reminds me of George Michael.

Favoriten: Karma Chameleon Its A Miracle Colour By Numbers

Maybe not the best album out of the 1001 but still thoroughly enjoyed the throwback to 80s.

I have heard about Culture Club but don't have any of their albums. So this is new-to-me and I like it.

Not taste in Music but big cultural impact.

Classic 80s. I would give it a 3.5 if I was able to.

This is a very fun record. I enjoyed all the songs, especially Karma Chameleon, That's The Way, Church Of The Poison Mind, and Miss Me Blind.

Strong vocals, songwriting, upbeat. pop culture.

A pleasant surprise. Boy George has a more soulful voice than I had anticipated, and the range of material kept me interested. Sure, this does feel lightweight, but perhaps that's down to the frictionless, airtight production. It's needed, as George's voice would otherwise run the risk of getting lost in the mix. 'Karma Chameleon' is the biggie and it's easy to understand why - it's bouncy and features an irresistible chorus hook. There are gems elsewhere though - side two especially, with the trifecta of the strutting 'Miss Me Blind', 'Mister Man' and 'Stormkeeper'. A bit of a treat, this.

Not the best album ever recorded, fun, counter culture (no pun intended) and enjoyable back day and still is.

Okay, this is fun! I’m giggling at how low its global score is. I feel like this website tends to favor the moody/artsy albums. But this is fun. Even the album art tells you to strap in for some 80s shenanigans. Love it.