Boy George
Cheapness and Beauty (Virgin, 1995)
All that
by Tony Esposito Since the early success of Culture Club in 1982, Boy George never stopped being in the medias' spotlights. His colorful personality and his great talent made him a monstre sacré in the same tradition than The Beatles, Bowie, Presley, Stones, Jackson or more recently Madonna. During the 5 years of Culture Club's fame, George O'Dowd had it all. But stars can fall fast. Solo albums did not sell as much, drug was a current commodity and the gossips newspapers had the painted doll as a main attraction. But after going through all that, George went back to work and did the title song for the movie The Crying Game. Add a "Best of" album and his career was back on track. With Cheapness and Beauty, forth Boy George's solo album, released at the same time than his autobiography Take It Like A Man, he sets the records straight (!), looks back at what was, what could have been and take on new directions. Forget the fragile transvestite from the Do You Really Want To Hurt Me era, it's a rocker grown on T-Rex and Iggy Pop coming to get you, even covering Funtime of said Iggy. Continue your discovery with songs like Satans Butterfly Ball or Genocide Peroxyde. Back to the sadness and the drama we liked so much to cry about on Victims or To Be Reborn with the very-violin If I Could Fly. And this time, the gay man speaks. Even if it was not a secret, rarely did Boy George mention his sexual orientation (except for the political No Clause 28). With this new album, he tells us about his relationships (If I Could Fly and Your Love Is What I Am), his failures (Unfinished Business), helps young gays (Same Thing In Reverse), denounces narrow-mindness and homophobia (God Don't Hold A Grudge) and cries on the cruelty of AIDS (Il Adore). Whole, wild, virulent, disturbing, magnificient.
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