My speakers are acting up and I can't actually hear it, what's it like?

Annika said:

what's it like?

Sounds like early 1990s U2 to me.

Oh well

Annika said:

Oh well

You don't like U2?

MickyDolenz said:

Annika said:

Oh well

You don't like U2?

No, although to be fair it's mostly because Bono is the most obnoxious person ever to exist. Maybe I'll like it better with the second most obnoxious person on vocals.

No seriously it's probably decent, I guess I was just hoping for something besides 'what someone else did 25 years ago'. Or at least that they went properly back to Bowie or something, which is what they've been saying they did.

Dammit I need new speakers.

Annika said:

vocals.

George's voice sounds weird and low, must have smoked a lot. I guess I haven't heard him much since the 1990s.

Love Culture Club, but I don't like the song. As people said, it sounds like U2 to me. I have nothing against U2 really but to me their sound doesn't fit Culture Club. I guess I like cooler more indie type of rock, I don't like this type of stadium MOR rock. It's not cool to me. Also hate the vocals.

Terrible choice for a single. Sorry, but this reunion is just a fail to me.

What does this mean - a new Culture Club CD?

I like the song, although it doesn't sound like classic Culture Club. By that, I mean there is no reggae-infused percussion or strong female background singer. George's voice sounds fine - just as he's sounded the last 20 years, which is not the same as the first ten when CC hit the scene. This new single does sound kinda like U2, heavy with guitars and drums. Should be interesting to see what unfolds!

^^ Yeah there's a new album recorded and slated for release early next year, after the tour. They did a small gig in Heaven last month and did a bunch of new songs, it's quite an eclectic mix. The whole thing is on YT if you're interested.

FormerlyKnownAs said:

female background singer.

Is Helen still in show business?

MickyDolenz said:

FormerlyKnownAs said:

female background singer.

Is Helen still in show business?

The last I heard, Helen Terry works behind-the-scenes in TV production, I think for the BBC.

You know who it actually sounds more like than the U2, the Verve. The producer who did it, Youth worked with the Verve. That's the problem with some of these big name producers they have a sound that they impose on everyone regardless of whether it fits them.

I listened to it a few more times, and it grew on me somewhat. I think it's quite a good song, but not a good CC song because it is so different from their other music. I would probably like it more if it was by a brand new artist I never heard of.

Culture Club was one of the best soul groups of '83-'84. I really hope the new album has more of an R&B sound.

I'm not that crazy about this song I think they should have came up with a fun dance track for their comeback single."More Than Silence" would have worked well for someone else,but it just doesn't feel like a 'Culture Club song' to me.

.

You know, I'm finally beginning to come to terms with Boy George's voice change. I'm right now listening to Culture Club's performance of 'Hurt Me' in Edinburgh earlier this year, and George doesn't sound bad at all. Sure he doesn't hit the high notes, but there are lead singers his age who aren't able to do what he does there. So I'm wishing CC all the best in getting their new music out there and any upcoming tours. I'll be looking out for it.

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SoulAlive said:

I'm not that crazy about this song I think they should have came up with a fun dance track for their comeback single."More Than Silence" would have worked well for someone else,but it just doesn't feel like a 'Culture Club song' to me.

But Culture Club has never really been a dance act like Madonna, so I"m not sure if they could do a fun dance track and have it be them either. They are a band that plays instruments so in a way I guess the rock thing makes sense.

They were on the View today and performed the song. It actually works quite well live. I like it a lot more now. Jon seemed to be having fun playing the rock drums on it.

The back catalogue is pretty diverse so maybe it's hard for them to figure out exactly what a "Culture Club" song should sound like. Everyone was telling them they were sick of the reggae, so they decided to try something different I guess.

oh gosh. I wish I could support this comeback but nothing about this sounds like Culture Club to me.

It looks like Culture Club but doesn't sound like it.

Cinny said:

It looks like Culture Club but doesn't sound like it.

But if they did something that sounded like their older music, people would say they have no new fresh ideas and why are they repeating themselves. Older artists can't win. If they do something different people don't like it, but if they do the same thing they did in the past, people say they are out of ideas. These comebacks are hard because people are so wedded to the past that they grew up with. It's hard for them to do the same sound they used to because George's voice is so different now. He tried to sing Karma the old way on Strictly Come Dancing and it was awful. This performance is actually a million times better than that.

[Edited 11/6/14 17:12pm]

Glindathegood said:

Cinny said:

It looks like Culture Club but doesn't sound like it.

But if they did something that sounded like their older music, people would say they have no new fresh ideas and why are they repeating themselves. Older artists can't win. If they do something different people don't like it, but if they do the same thing they did in the past, people say they are out of ideas. These comebacks are hard because people are so wedded to the past that they grew up with. It's hard for them to do the same sound they used to because George's voice is so different now. He tried to sing Karma the old way on Strictly Come Dancing and it was awful. This performance is actually a million times better than that.

Culture Club is usually more soulful, synthy, funky, fun or sensual. This just sounds like normal cock-rock. It's like if Style Council reunited to make records that sounded like solo Paul Weller.

Cinny said:

Glindathegood said:

Culture Club is usually more soulful, synthy, funky, fun or sensual. This just sounds like normal cock-rock. It's like if Style Council reunited to make records that sounded like solo Paul Weller.

What's "cock rock"? Only straight guys are allowed to do rock? I'm a woman and I enjoy rock. Jon and Roy seem to enjoy playing rock. I think they wanted to do something like this. There are supposed to be more funky songs on the album. I think they just wanted to do a rock track. They thought no matter how good it is it's not going to be a hit and played on the radio anyway, so why not do a rock track that we always wanted to do. I think it's hard on musicians that they have to always please fans who demand they do the same thing over and over, and they can't just do something they want to do.

Hokay, so I finally have working speakers again, and maybe it's because of the low expectations set by this thread (thanks guys!), but I'm really liking this song. I mean yes, it's stadium rock, but it's Culture Club's version of stadium rock. I don't hear U2 in it at all, and not just because Boy George sounds nothing like Bono. It's much lighter for one thing, and it's vulnerable in the lyrics/vocals without the music becoming too dark or maudlin, so you find yourself grooving along even while really feeling for the singer. That balance to me has always been the essence of CC, regardless of what other flavours they are throwing around. They do it so effortlessly, where so many other artists (including solo BG) struggle and often fail.

It is a little more generic in the flavour than I would have expected from CC, but it's a track that might (might!) actually be able to get a little adult contemporary airplay (at least over here in the UK) to maybe net them a few more casual followers, whereas if they'd gone for something really out of left field for a first single, they probably would have been immediately relegated to their existing fanbase.

So in sum, I like it, yay Culture Club!

Annika said:

Hokay, so I finally have working speakers again, and maybe it's because of the low expectations set by this thread (thanks guys!), but I'm really liking this song. I mean yes, it's stadium rock, but it's Culture Club's version of stadium rock. I don't hear U2 in it at all, and not just because Boy George sounds nothing like Bono. It's much lighter for one thing, and it's vulnerable in the lyrics/vocals without the music becoming too dark or maudlin, so you find yourself grooving along even while really feeling for the singer. That balance to me has always been the essence of CC, regardless of what other flavours they are throwing around. They do it so effortlessly, where so many other artists (including solo BG) struggle and often fail.

It is a little more generic in the flavour than I would have expected from CC, but it's a track that might (might!) actually be able to get a little adult contemporary airplay (at least over here in the UK) to maybe net them a few more casual followers, whereas if they'd gone for something really out of left field for a first single, they probably would have been immediately relegated to their existing fanbase.

So in sum, I like it, yay Culture Club!

Totally agree with everything you said! I didn't like it at first but I really like it now. It takes a little getting used to because it's different than what you expected. But I think that's a good thing. Also, it's easy to be influenced by what other people are saying especially online about a single. A lot of fans were telling them that they were sick of reggae. So I think they went out of way to pick a single that wasn't reggae. I actually think this is a much better single choice than a very predictable reggae based song. It kind of sets the new CC apart from George's last solo album which had a lot of the reggae stuff.

I never expected reggae. Culture Club was blue-eyed soul to my ears.

I think with Culture Club there's not really one sound that I associate with them. They always had a lot of diverse influences and it's four of them who really have different tastes and backgrounds in music.

I think with some artists it's very obvious what their main genre is and what I associate with them. With Madonna you think dance music, with Tori Amos you think piano based ballads.

So maybe that's one of their main problems in deciding what direction to go with their albums, in that it's not obvious what the Culture Club sound should be.

From the other clips that they posted and what they did at their concert, the whole album definitely isn't going to be like More than Silence. They had two funky songs, a country influenced one, a piano ballad and two reggae songs. In fact, More than Silence will probably be the only rock influenced track.

Glindathegood said:

I think with Culture Club there's not really one sound that I associate with them. They always had a lot of diverse influences and it's four of them who really have different tastes and backgrounds in music.

I think with some artists it's very obvious what their main genre is and what I associate with them. With Madonna you think dance music, with Tori Amos you think piano based ballads.

So maybe that's one of their main problems in deciding what direction to go with their albums, in that it's not obvious what the Culture Club sound should be.

From the other clips that they posted and what they did at their concert, the whole album definitely isn't going to be like More than Silence. They had two funky songs, a country influenced one, a piano ballad and two reggae songs. In fact, More than Silence will probably be the only rock influenced track.

Good point.. they probably made a diverse album. I won't give up yet!