At Worst. The Best of

19 smash hits from the gender-bending Boy and crew. Also herein: Do You Really Want to Hurt Me; Karma Chameleon; Time (Clock of the Heart); Miss Me Blind; I'll Tumble 4 Ya; Church of the Poison Mind , and more. The '80s live!

At best, Boy George and his band Culture Club were a dizzy mix of camp, drag, dub, disco, reggae, and new wave. The androgynous George rhumba-ed his way through hits like "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" and crooned with white boy soul through their reggae classic "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" as well as the Delta-inspired "Karma Chameleon." At worst, the band had trouble finding direction and the proper vehicles for his smooth voice, producing clunkers like "Church of the Poison Mind." "Move Away" and "Miss Me Blind"--which actually took its chorus from a Japanese whiskey commercial--were Culture Club at their most brilliant. The band knew it wasn't making fine art and rose to the task of crafting flawless pop gems. George's later work didn't have the sense of fun and abandon as his stint with Culture Club, but his remake of "The Crying Game" again demonstrated those soulful pipes. Also worthy of note from his later career is the Krishna-inspired club hit "Bow Dow Mister." --Steve Gdula