Boy George: Sold (Virgin)

AFTER INITIATING one of the most successful publicity juggernauts of the decade, Boy George had a hard time adjusting to the consequences of fame. The bitter Waking Up with the House on Fire, Culture Club's third album, was followed by the disastrous From Luxury to Heartache and by news of George's heroin addiction. But in the crackling tide track that starts his first solo album, George declares, "I'm not a factory about to be shut down." And indeed, as evidence of his recovery, Sold is as convincing as a clean urine sample.