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.

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

Why did I have to listen to this?

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Classic 80s! Boy George rocks!

Breezy hits

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

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

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.

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

All the 80s hits <3

New wave all the way, this album rules

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

Ok

fun

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

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.

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.

9/10 godDAMN, this is my shit

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

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!

Classic 80s

Class!

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

Good and varied pop album.

It was oh so shocking! Gender fluid! Not that we called it that then. Or at least the circles in which I found myself didn’t. And Boy George certainly garnered a lot of attention. And controversy. What people tended to forget was just how damned bloody good this band is. The slightly reggae approach, not quite ska, closer to the police than the specials, really was tight. Superb playing. And the songs. Sure, karma chameleon. But I preferred it’s a miracle as a single. But neither are anything less than great. George’s voice is really underrated. That reedy tenor but with a bit of heft sounded different to everyone else. At the time, most British singers had brassier baritones - think George Michael or the guy from Spandau ballet, or the guy from the Thompson Twins. Or Howard Jones. All great voices. Paul young another exception. But George coquettishly coos and sighs and holds the melody exactly where it belongs. George Michael was a master of that as well. I don’t care what you think. 5/5. At least.

Erg leuk album. Zeker voor die tijd. Karma Chameleon doet het nog altijd goed op elk feestje. Tevens een extra ster voor Boy George. Wat een stijlicoon! Love it!

Favourite tracks: karma chameleon; black money; church of the poison mind; miss me blind

Brilliant early 80s pop, great vocals. Slightly boring tail-end, but magnificent dance pop in the first half. More pop than New Romantic, ska or wine bar.

4.0

This album is a great mix of New Wave and pop. I was truly expecting to dislike this album but it was catchy enough to keep my attention. The music is firmly within the pop traditions and oscillates between how much new wave is thrown in. There are moments that are pure power pop and moments where the post punk/new wave influence is apparent. Some of the arrangements on this album predict the rise of boy/girl bands in the 90s and really contextualized for me where that music came from.

3.5

hurch of the Poison Mind" Released: 1 April 1983 (UK) 22 October 1983 (US) "Karma Chameleon" Released: 6 September 1983 (UK), 3 December 1983 (US) "Victims" Released: November 1983 (UK) "Miss Me Blind" Released: 14 February 1984 (US) "It's a Miracle" Released: April 1984 (UK), 12 May 1984 (US)

Smooth, sophisticated, stylish and surprisingly substantive. Has held up really well, in other words. It's easy to see how CC was always going to be easy to misread and underestimate, given Boy George's controversial (and oxygen-hogging) celebrity. But what a voice he had. It's interesting that none of their tip-top tracks ("Time," [note to editors: this not a "slow dance tune for teens" but rather one of the best pure pop songs of the last several decades – timelessly lovely, rich and bittersweet] "Do You Really" and "Mistake #3") are on this record, which works in their absence, primarily thanks to having such an upbeat tempo and a smile on its face. A more-than-moderate delight to come back across this so many years hence.

Its funny not recognising the song or band, but the first riff of the first song is so iconic. Rest of the album is diverse, all great in their own way especially for '83 - 4/5

Very creative. Fun to listen to .

Fun

Never heard this full album, only Karma Chameleon. Pretty good 80s sound.

Les années 80 regorgent de gros débiles et ceux-là m'ont bien régalé je dois dire.

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Karma chameleon, Miss me blind

Colour by Numbers is the second album by the British new wave group Culture Club, released in October 1983. Preceded by the hit single "Karma Chameleon", which reached number one in several countries, the album reached number one in the UK and has sold 10 million copies worldwide

Pop music was king in the 80s. This was one of the cream of the crop, a New Romantic masterpiece. Unavoidable in it’s time. While definitely of it’s time, its themes (at times heavy despite the infectious sound of it all.) A rare band that not only seemed driven by the front man, but allowed the back up singers and instrumentalists shine. Really love the slick Motown update of Church of the Poison Mind.

"Karma Chameleon" was a staple of my childhood thanks to my father, so I have a lot of nostalgia for that. The album as a whole is pretty good as well. favs: It's A Miracle, Karma Chameleon, Church of the Poison Mind, Miss Me Blind least fav: Victims

Having recently found out Boy George was the frontman of Culture Club it seemed quite a coincidence that this album would pop up but I was intrigued nonetheless. Going into this I wasn’t sure what type of style this album was all I know was the opening track ‘Karma Chameleon’ which is quite a nice pop sounding track with an incredibly catchy chorus. However I gotta say this album had me hooked, the energy on here was nothing less than vibrant and focused. The record length is a bit long so I was worried for this type of sound what it would sound like towards the end and it does drop a little bit but for the most part it holds it’s own. One of my favourites is ‘Miss Me Blind’ which is an incredibly funky track that I can’t help but bop along to. I got the same feeling from ‘Mystery Boy’ which gave some dance electronic vibes that was just as groovy. I was surprised the amount of social commentary on this album, I really did just expect some fun pop/disco sounding tracks but tracks such as ‘Melting Pot’ talking about how great of all races could live together and get along was not something I was expecting from this band but I gladly accept it as it adds a good amount of depth. Overall I do have to say I quite enjoyed this album, it almost feels like a bit of a guilty pleasure album I must say as it’s not the type of music I’m usually into but nevertheless a good handful of songs on here hit well for me.

Classic POP. Excellent. 4/5. Standouts: Victims. That's the Way. Karma Chameleon. Church of the Poison Mind, Miss Me Blind. It's A Miracle...

This album is better than the total listens given on Spotify. "Its A Miracle" is the best song on the album, IMHO. "Miss Me Blind" is also great. 7/10.

This is extremely 80s but I kinda dig it. Karma Chameleon is very mall-core to me but in a nostalgic way. 7/10

Really great album. It was a classic from the day it was released. 4.5

Something I know and like

ну местами норм попчик, и это я не про хитяру Карма хамелеон. В общем то слушатебельно и аранжировки ничо

Very nice pop, lovly voice

Put this on and immediately felt happier

I’ve been quite excited to listen to today’s album. Karma Chameleon was on rotation for a very long time when I used to curate my own playlists as a teen. The only other Culture Club song I know isn’t on this album (Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?). I’m excited to hear an album by them in full. Songs I already knew: Karma Chameleon Favourites: Karma Chameleon, Church Of The Poison Mind, Miss Me Blind What is there to dislike about an album where the themes throughout centre on equality, and everybody being a valuable person regardless of what colour they tend to be? There are plenty of songs that had me dancing, and plenty of slower songs that were frankly lovely - both in the themes and the instrumentation. It’s nice to have an album that just makes me feel positive and happy. And obviously, Boy George was way ahead of the time with expressing his androgyny and not conforming to gender norms, and you’ve got to love that.

more than a single, fun!

Ok, I enjoyed this top to bottom. Despite the obvious flaws like thin voice, dated production and cheesyness, it makes up for a lot with lots of hooks, earnest effort, compositional creativity, and some je ne sais quoi I can only call charisma. Sam Smith is awesome, but I hope it’s safe to say it helps to have blue-eyed soul like this to stand on and move ever forward.

Newsflash: music that came out a long time ago that was popular at that time is always going to sound dated, it's a dumb criticism. The hits from this album belong on any list of the best singles of the 1980s. The Church of the Poison Mind rocks and I defy you to find a catchier earworm than Karma Chameleon. There's some filler but a couple of the deep tracks, Victims and That's The Way - I'm Only Trying To Help really showcase Boy George's incredible voice.

Much deeper and more interesting than I expected, pretty great version of that 80s sound.

Poppy 80s Rock at its best

When Karma Chameleon hit the eardrums, I suspected that the rest of the album will hit the same lane: poppy, accessible, carefree. And it is that, but it can also reach areas that you wouldn't expect Culture Club to talk about. Maybe I'm dumb, maybe I'm ill informed about this band, maybe I should do more research. But this album is great. Culture Club can be more than expected. Favorites: Karma Chameleon, Black Money, Changing Every Day, That's the Way - I'm Only Trying to Help You, Church of the Poison Mind, Miss Me Blind, Stormkeeper, Victims, Colour by Numbers, Romance Revisited.

My boyfriend had a Twitter fight with boy George anyway this album is pretty good

I wish the river boat from the Karma Chameleon video was real. The album is more R&B/soul than I realized at the time. Real piano, instead of just synthesizers. Also appreciated the horns and backing vocals.

This is great album. I've never listened to it end to end but surprisingly recognized a number of the songs. This is a fun band to listen to and Boy George has very distinctive voice. I'd more likely purchase a "best of..." album by the Culture Club than individual albums but I enjoyed listening to this one. It didn't knock it out the park to get a five from me but this is a strong four star album.

Gran disco de pop. Conocía el hit del disco pero me sorprendió mucho todas las otras canciones.

Better than I expected. Worth a listen.

Pas terminé, mais bien!

80s in a box.

Confessions of an MTV junkie: I remember when MTV launched with "Video Killed the Radio Star." I was hooked. Every single day after school MTV was a big part of my routine. I wasn't a huge Culture Club fan when Colour By Numbers came out but the repeated play on MTV combined with my fascination with Boy George got these ear worms deeply embedded in my mind. As I matured and realized it's OK to love pop, I listened to a lot more Culture Club. What a joy to listen start to finish because I forgot that so many of the hits came from this album. I'm a big Sam Smith fan and watched him perform at the White House celebration of same-sex marriage law yesterday and it hit what a huge cultural influence Boy George has been to gender non-conforming/trans/queer people in the music industry. Duh! Department of obvious.

Hmm. This may be an interesting experience. Karma Chameleon is a time-honoured classic, but while the rest of the album is good, I can't ever imagine a situation where I'd play it again.

80s

me ENCANTÓ fue divertidísimo aaa. 8.5/10

Pretty good should probs listen again haha

An album that only could’ve come into existence in the early 80s. Everything about how the band decided to present themselves is so peculiar. From Boy Georges look to the album art to the utterly perplexing music videos it just gets weirder and weirder. That being said, pretty good album. High points are Black Money, Church of the Poison Mind, and of course the ever-popular Karma Chameleon.

Quite pop-ish, not my usual choice, but better now than when it first came out, improved with age.