Boy George - Unrecoupable One Man Bandit, Vol. 1

10 previously unreleased solo recordings the Culture Club leader cut between 1996-98. Previously only available as a fanclub release, the tracks lean more towards the pop/ rock of the Culture Club in the '80s than the dance records he was making at the time. 1999 release. Album Description

boy oh boy

I first heard "G.I. Josephine" live here in Atlanta Ga. when George was on tour promoting his Cheapness and Beauty CD. The song is about gays in the military and george said he wrote it on the bus while touring about the time the big "don't ask don't tell "...was going on.. it was funny and of course in your face..I picked up this album because of that song and the fact that Im sure I'd find more on this that I liked. There are 2 songs that I always skip to when I put this cd in the player...A track called "IN MAYA" and another called "Broken Spirit".

If you are a avid Boy George fan then you dont want to miss keepin these great songs from your collection....too bad they'll never get released commercially-- they remind me of songs I'd be listening to for years to come. 2 Classics..check this out! November 19, 2001

A Special Treat for George fans

Although Boy George was most famous in the early 80's, he really reached his creative zenith in the mid 90's. "Unrecoupable One Man Bandit" is a collection of some of the many unreleased songs that this prolific songwriting genius worked on in the post-Crying Game era of his career, before his eventual reunion with Culture Club.

Longtime Boy George fans are probably aware of his habit of performing new songs in his solo concerts. 10 of these songs finally make it to our CD players on this wonderful album. It's a special treat to hear a song for the first time when you're in a stadium full of other fans, but for several years, it was frustrating for fans to know that George had not released these songs... until now.

"In Maya" stands out. It's a beautiful acoustic semi-alternative rock ballad (think Duncan Shiek, Eagle Eye Cherry, etc.) that could have been a great radio airplay comeback single had the production been polished just a bit more. In fact, most of the songs here on "Unrecoupable" are left raw, in their demo form, and this helps recapture the magic of Boy George's solo concerts. If you saw his 1995 Cheapness and Beauty tour, you will remember the hard rockers "Who Killed Rock and Roll" and George's version of Bowie's "Suffragette City," the two tracks that close out the "Unrecoupable" album. "She Was Never He" is a haunting acoustic ballad. "Mister Strange" and "Number One" are fun, upbeat tracks composed of equal parts folk and pop, with George's very witty lyrics.

For anyone who missed out on Boy George's solo career, and is only familiar with his work in Culture Club, "Unrecoupable One Man Bandit" is a great listen, great fun, and a great way to see just how far Boy George has come as a songwriter -- he truly is one of the most prolific and underrated rock 'n'roll songwriters. February 6, 2001

The best o' George

I honestly have to say that I think this is THE best solo album George has put out. It's strong throughout. I agree that GI Josephine is outstanding as are many others. Love the cover of Suffregette City. So glad I got it. February 2, 2001

Love you Georgie!

As soon as i got this CD I put it on and never took it off! It is one of the few CD's which I own that I can listen from beginning to end without pressing "skip" on my player. The songs are so moving, so listener friendly and really touching. The first Track G.I Josephine is irresistible and I find myself singing along everytime it comes on. "No," 1 is great as well as "Vanity case," and "He was never she;" Man all the songs are great; like I stated before from beginning to end. Now I can't wait to get the new Culture Club album! December 22, 1999

One Star for One Song

This album should be called "Unrecoverable Career" seeing's how (in my opinion) he's had one decent album in his solo career (Martyr Mantras). Not to say he hasn't had his moments. There's always at least one song from each of his efforts that I find amazing. In this case, there isn't any thing "amazing", but pretty good: the song "Broken Spirit" is a decent track, but doesn't make this worth buying.

The album, consisting of previously unreleased outtakes, now released "for the true fans" as he says, is mostly the guitar/glam rock/folk hybrid seen in his last full album, Cheapness and Beauty. His vocals have continued to degenerate to a narrow range with a bit of a rasp. He can't hit the notes he did in his pre-drug days.

The lyrics are mostly cheesy, especially on "GIJosephine" and "She Was Never He", which are in the vain of the band Pansy Division.

If you are interested in finding out if Boy George is up to anything good, skip this and save up for the new Culture Club album, Don't Mind If I Do. December 16, 1999

More reviews at Amazon.com ...