Culture Club: Colour By Numbers (Virgin/Epic)

BOY GEORGE may be pop music's best argument against judgment on the basis of looks alone, but Culture Club's music makes a pretty strong case for reviewing on the merits of sound alone. It isn't that Colour By Numbers has nothing going for it aside from good hooks, great singing and pretty melodies; nor is it the case that the album really needs anything else. Rather, it's that the songs are nearly impossible to pin down beyond their musical charms and a message that can usually be gleaned from the title.