Cheapness and Beauty

Cheapness and Beauty
Studio album by Boy George
Released	1995
Recorded	Sarm Hook End Studios, 1993-95
Genre	Punk/rock, country
Length	50:20
Label	Virgin Records
Producer	Jessica Corcoran, John Themis (5, 6 & 13)
Professional reviews
The reviews parameter has been deprecated. Please move reviews into the “Reception” section of the article. See Moving reviews into article space. Q allmusic
Boy George chronology
The Martyr Mantras (with Jesus Loves You) (1990) Cheapness and Beauty (1995) The Unrecoupable One Man Bandit (1999)

Cheapness and Beauty is an album by Boy George, released in 1995. It peaked at number 44 on the UK Albums Chart.

Overview

The album opens with a cover version of Iggy Pop's "Funtime", which was released as a single and reached #45 in the UK Singles Chart. Another single was the ballad "Il Adore" (later featured on the soundtrack album Taboo) which peaked at #50, and "Same Thing in Reverse", which reached #56 in the UK and #28 on the Billboard Dance Charts in the US.

Having scored his biggest solo success in the US and Canada with the theme song of the movie The Crying Game in 1992, George decided to move away from an electronic sound and record some rock-oriented tracks with a glam-rock edge. One of the reasons he cited for this move was revisiting his teenage years while writing his autobiography, Take It Like a Man, which was released around the same time as the album.^[1] The album also marked the first time in which George didn't hide his gay sexuality in the lyrics.

This was George's last original studio album on Virgin.

Track listing

All tracks composed by George O'Dowd (Boy George) and John Themis; except where indicated

1. "Funtime" - 3:05 (Iggy Pop, David Bowie)
2. "Satan's Butterfly Ball" - 3:03
3. "Sad" - 3:52
4. "God Don't Hold a Grudge" - 2:49
5. "Genocide Peroxide" - 3:44
6. "If I Could Fly" - 4:04
7. "Same Thing in Reverse" - 3:33
8. "Cheapness and Beauty" - 3:59
9. "Evil Is So Civilised" - 3:32
10. "Your Love Is What I Am" - 4:12
11. "Blindman" - 4:42
12. "Unfinished Business" - 3:33
13. "Il Adore" - 6:12

Musicians/Staff/Production

• Boy George: lead vocals
• John Themis: guitar, vocals & musical director
• Winston Blisset: bass
• Tansay Ibrahim: drums
• Mike Timothy: keyboards
• Lady Zee, Linda Duggan: other vocals
• Stefan Frank: percussion
• Luis Jardim: ethnic percussion on 11
• Hossam Ramzy: mandolin
• Martin Bell: extra drums
• Uli Webber: cover picture
• Jessica Corcoran: production
• John Themis: production on 5, 6 & 13

Notes

1. ^ Boy George with Spencer Bright (1995), Take It Like A Man, London, Sidgwick & Jackson

External links

• Review at Allmusic