The Martyr Mantras

The Martyr Mantras contains many dance-orientated tracks, most of them with an electronic production. It is partly a collection of some of the songs that were released as one-off singles many months before ("No Clause 28" in 1988, "After the Love" in 1989, "Generations of Love" and "One On One" in 1990). The lead single was the Indian and house mash-up "Bow Down Mister" which reached the Top 30 in the UK Singles Chart.

George's songwriting credits are also on another alias, as "Angela Dust".

In a contemporaneous review in Keyboard, Jim Aikin described the album as "blue-eyed soul for the '90s". He added that "[George] updates his British R&B roots very effectively with hip-hop beats and techno tricks". Aikin also noted that, whatever the mood of any particular track, "you feel that George is sincere".[7] Dave Obee from Calgary Herald remarked that the former head of the Culture Club "has turned to house music, with all the computerized repetition a listener can stand. But that wonderfully pure voice rises above the rigid format, giving real life to each song." He highlighted George's "husky singing" on "Love's Gonna Let U Down", and his "stirring work" on "I Specialize in Loneliness".[1] Andrew Smith from Melody Maker wrote, "With the first two singles, the gorgeously melancholic "Generations of Love" and "One on One", George seemed to be demanding for the first time, to be taken seriously as an artist, and with great success. [...] If anyone ever doubted it, songs like the aforementioned singles, the gritty "Love's Gonna Let U Down" and lingering devastation of "I Specialize in Loneliness" establish beyond doubt that George O'Dowd still possesses one of the finest soul voices we've got."[3]

In an retrospective review for AllMusic, William Ruhlmann found the music to be "largely anonymous, if danceable", but singled out "Bow Down Mister" as an exception.[8]

The Martyr Mantras was not a strong seller, only reaching #60 on the UK Albums Chart. Although it did fare better in European countries, The Martyr Mantras failed to enter the US Billboard Top 200.[9]

1. "Generations of Love" (Oakenfold Mix) (Angela Dust, Caron Geary, Simon Rogers) - 7:12
2. "One on One" (Brydon L.P. Mix) (Dust, Mark Brydon) - 4:41
3. "Love's Gonna Let U Down" (Popcorn Mix) (Dust, Brydon) - 6:08
4. "After the Love" (Ten Glorious Years Mix) (Dust, Jon Moss) - 7:41
5. "I Specialise in Loneliness" (Dust, John Themis) - 6:24
6. "No Clause 28" (Pascal Gabriel Mix) (Boy George O'Dowd, Glenn Nightingale, Ian Maidman, Richie Stevens, Steve Fletcher) - 6:20
7. "Love Hurts" (L.P. Mix) (Dust, Bruce Forest, Richard Cottle) - 6:29
8. "Siempre Te Amare" (Dust) - 6:07
9. "Too Much Love" (Dust, Brydon) - 6:00
10. "Bow Down Mister" (Dust) - 6:32
11. "Generations of Love" (Seventies Mix) (CD only)

• Boy George – vocals
• Jonathan Quarmby, Richard Cottle – keyboards
• Colin Elliot – percussion
• Jagdeep Singh – tabla
• Simeon Lister – saxophone
• Beverley Skeete, Derek Green, The Govinda All Stars, Helen Terry, Jacqui McKoy, Jagdeep Singh, Juliet Roberts, London Community Gospel Choir, Sharon McKoy, Stefan Ashton Frank – vocals

Production

• Simon Rogers – producer (track 1 & 11)
• Mark Brydon – producer (tracks 2 & 3)
• Angela Dust – producer (tracks 4 & 9)
• Jon Moss – producer (track 4)
• John Themis – producer (track 5)
• Bobby Z – producer (track 6)
• Jeremy Healy – producer (track 6)
• Bruce Forest – producer (tracks 7 & 10)
• Zeo – producer (track 8)

• The Martyr Mantras at Discogs (list of releases)
• The Martyr Mantras at IMDb