I would say that I can't fathom why so many people have given this rather spotty album such glowing 5-star reviews, but then again, a lot of people seem to have a tendency to judge things based on nostalgia and sentimentality from their childhood or teen years instead of looking at a product honestly, without the rose-colored glasses. I myself have great sentimentality for Eighties music, but this album doesn't make me feel nostalgic and sentimental at all. The album doesn't stand up all that well over time, unlike 'Colour by Numbers,' which I absolutely love. Too many of the songs on KTBC just strike me as unmemorable and not very distinct from one another. The songs on a truly classic album shouldn't be sounding so similar. There are even three songs in a row with incredibly similar titles, "White Boy," "Boy, Boy (I'm the Boy)," and "White Boys Can't Control It." (At least they were all in a row on the original release; I don't know why the CD reissue scrambled the order of all of the tracks!)
In my opinion, the only songs on this album that really stand up to multiple listens and have held up well over time are the three hits, "Time (Clock of the Heart)," "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?," and "I'll Tumble 4 Ya." The lattermost might be rather trite lyrically, but at least it's catchy, and is more distinct and memorable than most of the rest of the songs on this album. A couple of other songs aren't that bad, like "I'm Afraid of Me" and "White Boys Can't Control It," but overall they just don't make up what I would consider a timeless classic great album. Although if these tracks were played separately at an Eighties-themed dance party, instead of all in a row, they might not seem so similar and underdeveloped.
January 25, 2008 |  | Still holds up and sounds great after all these years... |  |
"Time (Clock Of The Heart)" was a heavenly musical marriage of Brit-Pop, Philly Soul and Adult Contemporary...and a truly definitive and undisputed classic slice of '80s Pop. This album and its huge hit singles defined the sound and style of 1980s music and set a prototype for bands that came afterward. If you (like me) were a 1980s kid then waste no time in getting this CD as this music will bring back many memories and take you back to a time when all was (compared to today) right with the world. Best of all, this remastered edition has GREAT sound quality plus several bonus cuts. Enjoy!
October 2, 2007| | | KISSES, KISSES AND A THOUSAND MORE KISSES!!!!!!!!! | |
Its a great album, and The Boy sounds really sweet.Its a must have for anyone that loves BOY GEORGE.
July 17, 2007| | | Some songs are really great | |
This album is one of my favourites.I think that Kissing To Be Clever is the best album by Culture Club.I got it from my grandma to my name day and I was surprised.
Do You Really Want To Hurt Me is my favourite song at this album.I think that this song is very good.It is melodical and peaceful.Murder Rap Trap feat.Captain Crucial is my second favourite song.The song sounds funny with voice of Captain Crucial.
Love Is Cold and Love Twist are also my favourite songs,because they are melodical and quite fast.The other songs are good too.You must own this album,if you're an old Culture Club fan.
December 21, 2005 | | A nearly perfect debut, sexy blue-eyed soul circa 1982! | |
Don't bother with the other reviewers who dismissed CC's brilliant debut album - along with COLOUR BY NUMBERS, it's their strongest, sexiest, and just plain addictive album ever! The writing, the production, the vocals, the groove, the design - they all really take me back to my early teen years circa 1982, a simpler, happier time when CC were charting a bold new world in pop music & beyond - once you hear WHITE BOY, I'M AFRAID OF ME, DO YOU REALLY?, TIME, and many more, you won't be able to get them out of you head...and trust me, they really get a party started right! BOY himself sounds naive, in love, and confident all at once - and who can forget the delicious shock of seeing him dominate early MTV with a string of cool videos that launched them around the globe? BONUS tracks here are a nice addition - hard to believe the first CD issue of this LP never even included TIME?! *I think it was recorded later as a stop/gap single, which explains its late inclusion. No matter, KISSING TO BE CLEVER is a bargain with stunning REMASTERED sound and BONUS cuts you won't find anywhere else - a must-have addition to any true CC fan's collection!
July 16, 2005More reviews at Amazon.com ...
(11 reviews)