The third time was definitely not the charm for the style-centric
Culture Club. After a pair of successful long-players, the quartet -- led by the sexually ambiguous
"Boy" George O'Dowd (vocals) and also featuring the instrumental talents of
Jon Moss (percussion),
Roy Hay (guitar/keyboard/sitar), and
Michael Craig (bass) -- was indeed poised for another Top Ten smash. Alas, overexposure in the media, the ever-changing tides and trends of
pop music, and, quite frankly, a less than laudable collection of songs resulted in
Waking Up with the House on Fire (1984) receiving a less than enthusiastic response. This was in no way aided by the irony-laden yet undeniable banality of the emphasis track (read: single),
"The War Song," with the opening chorus of "War war is stupid/And people are stupid...." Although they try, neither
"Unfortunate Thing" nor
"Don't Talk About It" is able to recapture the vivacious vibe and effervescently danceable melodies that earmarked their previous works. Two of the more interesting cuts are the vintage
R&B "Crime Time" and the upbeat and soulful
"Mannequin," blending
Beach Boys-esque vocal harmonies with a distinctly Carolina beach and shag flavor. [The 2003 CD reissue hosts four bonuses consisting of the single-only
"La Cancion de Guerra," "Love Is Love," "The Dream," and
"Don't Go Down That Street." The accompanying 12-page liner booklet, with lyrics as well as reproductions of 7" and 12" picture sleeves and photos from the highly stylistic cover art, may well be the most appealing element of the title.] ~ Lindsay Planer
