Waking Up With the House on Fire [Original recording reissued]

Culture Club | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 29, 1992)
• Original Release Date: 1984
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued
• Label: Virgin Records Us
• ASIN: B00000DR6D
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #385,819 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Dangerous Man

2. The War Song

3. Unfortunate Thing

4. Crime Time

5. Mistake No. 3

6. The Dive

7. The Medal Song

8. Don't Talk About It

9. Mannequin

10. Hello, Goodbye

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Emotional And Entertaining, September 22, 2000

By 

"mourningrose" (East Lansing, Michigan USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Waking Up With the House on Fire (Audio CD)

I have never been able to rank my Culture Club c.d.s consistently, for my mood often defines my favorite of the day. I can say, however, that this is one of the ones I replay most often. With the exception of Mistake No. Three, the musical tempo on this album is excitingly upbeat. Having grown up in America, the only song I was familiar with before I bought the c.d. earlier this year was The War Song. I soon fell in love with The Dive, The Medal Song, Don't Talk About It, Mannequin and Hello Goodbye as well, not only for their fantastic beats, but for the autobiographical and emotional clarity with which they depict George's tumultuous affair withthe drummer John Moss, the conflicting feelings within their closeted relationship and the stresses of fame that were, by this time, tearing him apart. On a lighter note, Dangerous Man, The War Song and Unfortunate Thing always make me tap my feet and snap my fingers. The whole c.d. is a delight to sing along with and, despite some of its more serious lyrics, it always manages to pick up my spirits. In short, I think it's a must-buy for any faithful Culture Club fan, as well as a good choice for those seeking greater familiarity with the group for the first time. There's something in it for everyone.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A deeper album, May 23, 2000

By 

"feeler" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Waking Up With the House on Fire (Audio CD)

Back when it first came out in 84 I didn't think it was that great. Sure I liked the war song and all having grown up in Europe but listening to the rest of the album I wasn't that impressed, though Hello Goodbye was interesting. Flash forward to the present. Having just bought it on CD I listened to the whole thing again and before long I was singing and dancing to every song on the disk. Though not as mainstream as their second album, "Colour by numbers" it still brims with melody meaningful lyrics and rhythm. By the third album the band was very popular and the stress of fame was taking a toll on the band members especially the Boy. "Don't talk about it" describes how overwhelming everything is in fame and how one seeks out to find a true friend among the heards of fans. Songs like "the dive" "The metal song" and "Maniquin" tell of George's troubled relationship with drummer Jon. "The War song" was a crafted comercial success coming on the heels of Frankie Goes to Hollywood "Two Tribes" At any rate the whole album is about loving, being loved, fame and it's trappings and the overall struggle of life. Let me go out on a limb here and say that to get the true meanings of the songs you have to be gay or very intuitive. This is not to say that the album can not be fully enjoyed by the average fan. I have to say though that even though I regard Colours the best that CC produced after listening to Waking it comes in at a very close second. I still have to listen to their new release.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Highly overlooked 80's pop with some hidden classics, February 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Waking Up With the House on Fire (Audio CD)

Culture Club's third album, like all the other reviewers have noted, was very underrated when first released. This is a shame as it has some great music on it, particularly for Culture Club fans. Best tracks are "The Dive", "Unfortunate Thing", "Mannequin" and "Mistake No. 3". Both "The Medal Song" and "The War Song" are quite silly but they're still a lot of fun in the context of the album. Despite the atrocious cover artwork and the obviously rushed lyrics, this is still a great place to rediscover all that was great about the 80's. Also recommended is CC's new release "Don't Mind If I Do".