Culture Club: Culture : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

This four-cd set of singles, album cuts, demos and rarities presents Culture Club's history in musical chunks. First is the almost edgy post-punk band - demos such as "Put It Down" reveal early Culture Club to be a drum-dominated imitation Bow Wow Wow. Second is Boy George the familiar pop icon, represented by "Do You Really Want 2 Hurt Me." Then there's the serious, self-lacerating songwriter of "Sweet Toxic Love" and the raging glam rocker paying tribute to Ziggy/ Bowie on "Suffragette City" and "Starman." But George the soul crooner has the last word on a superb fourth disc of reggae and chill-out mixes of Culture Club songs. Culture Club downplays the contributions of the other three band members -- imagine calling a box set The Beatles and then filling it predominantly with Paul McCartney. But even as the set distorts history, it preserves the culture.

BARRY WALTERS
(From RS 916 – February 20, 2003)