The second British wave of rock music was quite different than the one that happened in the 1960s, but no less entertaining. While the 1980s didn't have the Rolling Stones and Beatles, music fans got Duran Duran and Culture Club, among many others, instead. Good music is good music, though.
As for Boy George and Culture Club, the United States wasn't completely ready for them. Long before the term transgender was bandied about or even accepted (if it even is still accepted by most), Boy George made sure front and center that he was what he was, and he was proud of it.
Good for him. Not only was he trying to find his non-musical personal best, but he was also bringing the world the greatness of his sound. His band's songs remain iconic, and his image right along with them.
Boy George and Culture Club re-drop one of the band's best songs
One of Culture Club's best tracks was never released in America, though. Instead of "Victims," the US got "Miss Me Blind" instead. The latter song is a gem and worthy of many listens, but it pales in comparison to the brilliance and unashamed glory that is "Victims."
As part of a recent international attempt by the band to reintroduce its catalog to the global masses, the original version of "Victims" was recently dropped on YouTube. If you haven't heard it (and, to be sure, longtime fans certainly have), then prepare yourself.
The track is all kinds of glam and balladry, the kind that still won't find purchase on modern radio, but not because the track isn't epic (it definitely is), but it didn't and doesn't fit the mold of what is politically correct. It's far too shimmering, and much too much about the relationship that Boy George had at the time with Culture Club drummer Jon Moss. Shocking in the 1980s, only in America.
As for the song, which was worthy of reaching the top 5 in the United States, just as it did in the UK, Ireland, and Australia, it's a piano-driven drama with pristine vocals from Boy George. His voice is always one of the best and most underrated instruments of pop music.
Even if the piano weren't involved and it was just Boy George singing, the song would still be highly impactful. The listener will be pulled along with the waves of emotions, a talent only the greatest vocalists can pull off.
It does help that the drums kick in halfway through, and the backing vocals reach a level that augments all the track has to offer. Make no mistake, though: The song belongs to Boy George, and it's glorious.
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