U Can Never B2 Straight

Last updated

U Can Never B2 Straight
U Can Never B 2 Straight.jpg
Studio album by
Boy George
Released2002
Recorded1991–2002
Genre
Length67:39
Label Virgin
Producer
Boy George chronology
The Unrecoupable One Man Bandit
(1999)		U Can Never B2 Straight
(2002)		 Ordinary Alien
(2010)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg[ citation needed ]

U Can Never B2 Straight is an album by English singer and songwriter Boy George, released in 2002 by Virgin Records. It includes acoustic songs from George's then-new London play Taboo , new and previously unreleased songs, as well as selected songs taken from his albums Cheapness and Beauty (1995) and The Martyr Mantras (1990), the latter from when George was part of the band Jesus Loves You.

Contents

Album overview

The album includes 16 songs (8 previously unreleased), each dedicated to someone in particular or in general. Three songs are dedicated to George's ex-boyfriend Michael Dunne ("If I Could Fly", "Losing Control" and "The Deal"), whereas "Unfinished Business" is for Kirk Brandon (who took George to court for this song, but lost).

The hidden track "Out of Fashion" was taken out as a single in remixed form as a collaboration with dance duo Hi-Gate; a version of the song is also featured on the Taboo musical soundtrack. Another track which was released as video-only was the opener "Ich Bin Kunst", a song dealing with the late performance artist Leigh Bowery, a great friend of George's, whose character he took on in his musical. George would re-record the song again as Bowery in a more campy and rock-style arrangement for the 2004 Broadway cast recording of the musical.

U Can Never B2 Straight contains all the acoustic ballads originally on George's 1995 album Cheapness and Beauty, including the single "Il Adore", as well as "Same Thing in Reverse" (a different version from the dance remix which reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Dance Chart). "Same Thing in Reverse" is dedicated in the booklet credits to 'Eminem and all scared, pretty heterosexuals'... The song "Julian", a new song, is also featured on the EP Straight, a CD which was included with George's 2005 autobiography of the same name.

The album also contains the following three tracks: "She Was Never He", taken from the 1999 fan-requested compilation The Unrecoupable One Man Bandit ; "Fat Cat", originally on Culture Club's 1999 reunion album Don't Mind If I Do , and the popular Krishna-inspired "Bow Down Mister", which gave George one of his last UK chart successes after splitting from Culture Club.

Critical reception

AllMusic gave the album 4.5 stars out of 5. It also got four stars from Q magazine.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)OriginLength
1."Ich Bin Kunst"
2002; song from the musical Taboo 2:38
2."St. Christopher"
  • Boy George
  • Frost
2002; new song3:46
3."She Was Never He"
1996; previously unreleased mixed version3:33
4."Cheapness & Beauty"
  • Boy George
  • Themis
1995; acoustic version taken from the "Il Adore" single3:47
5."Fat Cat"
  • Boy George
  • Emily Themis
1999; acoustic version3:24
6."If I Could Fly"
  • Boy George
  • Themis
1995; from Cheapness and Beauty 4:08
7."Unfinished Business"
  • Boy George
  • Themis
1995; from Cheapness and Beauty3:36
8."Julian"
  • Boy George
  • Frost
2002; new song3:39
9."Wrong"
  • Boy George
  • Frost
2002; new song originally from Taboo4:07
10."Letter to a School Friend"
  • Boy George
  • Themis
1996; previously unreleased3:49
11."The Deal"
  • Boy George
  • Themis
2002; old live favourite, performed circa 1991–934:41
12."Losing Control"
  • Boy George
  • Themis
1992–2002; previously unreleased version adapted from a 1992 Jesus Loves You country demo3:15
13."Same Thing in Reverse"
  • Boy George
  • Themis
1995; from Cheapness and Beauty3:35
14."Il Adore"
  • Boy George
  • Themis
1995; from Cheapness and Beauty6:14
15."Bow Down Mister"
  • Boy George
1991; from Jesus Loves You's The Martyr Mantras 6:30

Note

Personnel

The personnel and dedications as stated in the liner notes for U Can Never B2 Straight. [2]


"Ich Bin Kunst"

dedicated to Leigh Bowery, Nicola and Christine Bateman


"St. Christopher"

dedicated to Chris Manning

  • Boy George – co-production
  • Kevan Frost – backing vocals, acoustic guitar & brass arrangements; mix at Frosty Bros. Studio (Kev's flat); co-production
  • Ben Castle – saxophone & brass arrangements
  • Raul D'Olivera – trumpet
  • Mike Innes – trombone
  • Sharlene Hector – backing vocals


"She Was Never He"

dedicated to Natasha and Jody

  • Boy George – co-production
  • John Themis – guitars, backing vocals, co-production; mix at Mayfair Studios
  • Kevan Frost – backing vocals
  • Alan Branch – engineer


"Cheapness & Beauty"

dedicated to all tattooed car thieves – dedicated to Jon Moss

  • Jessica Corcoran – production
  • John Themis – guitars, backing vocals, strip & remix
  • Zee Asha – backing vocals
  • Alan Branch – engineer


"Fat Cat"

dedicated to all sexually confused straight boys?

  • John Themis – guitars, production; mix at home
  • Emily Themis, Katherine Themis – backing vocals


"If I Could Fly"

dedicated to Michael Dunne

  • Jessica Corcoran – production
  • John Themis – guitars & string arrangements; mix at Abbey Road Studios
  • Nick Ingman – string arrangements
  • London Chamber Orchestra – strings


"Unfinished Business"

dedicated to Kirk Brandon


"Julian"

dedicated to Julian

  • Boy George – co-production
  • Kevan Frost – acoustic guitar, backing vocals and co-production; mix at Frosty Bros. Studio (Kev's flat)


"Wrong"

dedicated to Luke and all dreamers

  • Boy George – co-production
  • Kevan Frost – acoustic guitar, bass guitar, backing vocals and co-production; mix at Frosty Bros. Studio (Kev's flat)
  • Pete Adams – piano & Hammond
  • Liz Chi – Chinese violin "edu" solo
  • Joel Pott, Sharlene Hector, John Gibbons – backing vocals


"Letter to a School Friend"

dedicated to Miss Carter and Michael Crome

  • John Themis – guitars, production; mix at Mayfair Studios
  • Zee Asha, Linda Duggan, Mary Pearse – backing vocals
  • Richie Stevens – drums
  • Winston Blisset – bass
  • Peter Adams – keyboards
  • Alan Branch – engineer


"The Deal"

dedicated to Michael Dunne

  • Boy George – co-production
  • Kevan Frost – acoustic guitar, keyboards, backing vocals and co-production; mix at Frosty Bros. Studio (Kev's flat)
  • Liz Chi – violins & violin solo
  • Sarah Chi – violins
  • Sharlene Hector, John Gibbons – backing vocals


"Losing Control"

dedicated to Michael Dunne

  • John Themis – guitars, keyboards, bass, backing vocals, production & mix
  • Sugar Hajishakalli – bouzouki
  • Andy Kyriacou – drums
  • Jimmy "Mixologist" Sarikas – engineer


"Same Thing in Reverse"

dedicated to Eminem and all scared, pretty heterosexuals

  • John Themis – guitars, backing vocals
  • Zee Asha – backing vocals
  • Jessica Corcoran – production & mix


"Il Adore"

dedicated to Stevie Hughes and all the lost boys

  • Jessica Corcoran – production
  • John Themis – guitars, string arrangements; mix at Abbey Road Studios
  • Nick Ingram – string arrangements
  • London Chamber Orchestra – strings
  • Christopher Warren Green – violin solo


"Bow Down Mister"

dedicated to Lord Krishna and John Richardson & family

  • Bruce Forest – production
  • Soho Krishna Temple, London Gospel Choir & Basil – special thanks

References

  1. ↑ "U Can Never Be 2 Straight – Boy George – Songs, Reviews, Credits – AllMusic" . Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  2. ↑ U Can Never B2 Straight (liner notes). Boy George. Virgin. 2002.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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