Hey You Pure Raw Wild Honey Child. (Electric - The Cult)

Member Name: sam1942

Product:	Electric - The Cult
Date:	14/02/06 (507 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It was the Cult's rawest moment.

Disadvantages: There are a couple of tracks that let it down.

From the darkest, gothic depths of West Yorshire (?), springing from the hills, came a band who started out as just another indie/gothic band but ended a career taking the U.S by raging storm. The Cult, like many other bands throughout history went through subsequent changes in both name and style. Once named Southern Death Cult and then Death Cult (I think as soon as they dropped the word 'death', the only way was up) had by the late eighties ditched West Yorkshire for the sunny, glam heights of America, where, eventually all good rock bands/stars go.... It was the previous year, tasting the U.S for the first time in a studio, that the finally named The Cult recorded their best album, both creatively and personally. It reached number four in the album chart and stayed there and refused to move for twenty seven weeks. Not many bands have that credit to their names.

Released in 1987, and, for no reason why it shouldn't, appears in Robert Dimery's recently published work, '1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.' At eleven tracks completing the rather short album, it is The Cult's dirtiest, no holes barred, expressive, grunge before grunge was invented, finest moment in their recording history. It captured the band working together with fine guitar riffs brought to our ears by the amazing Billy Duffy, tamborines and drums by the energetic Les Warner. The listener can almost smell the sweat drenched studio. It included some of the bands best work, including three of their biggest hits.

It also marked a turning point in their career. Primarily, it taught the world that the Brits could certainly do hard rock just as could as the Americans. We had been used to the gothic sounds of the superbly darkened 'She Sells Sanctuary', but all of a sudden, thanks to U.S rock producer, Rick Rubin, we were introduced to a side of The Cult that brought to them a wider, headbanging audience across the seas but also offered them a sturdy place among the finest rock bands of the 20th century.

We open with the blustering 'Wild Flower'. First released as a double single on the 22nd of August 1987 and then again on the 29th of the same month, surprisingly only reaching number twenty four in the British charts. (All their releases were on the Beggars Banquet label, most famous for Billy Idol releases). The first we hear of this track is Duffy's simple riff which had students across the nation air guitaring before the media recognised it. Ian Astbury's (he with the dead cat on his head) vocals are menacing and sultry. Warner supplies a real hard rock drum beat. This contributed with Astbury's vocals and tambourine create a classic rock 'Thin Lizzy' sound that is perfect for a first track of an album that drove fast away from their famous gothic roots and put them sturdily along side Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and other heros. The same riff continues throughout the track and is nicely finished by a long guitar note completely the live sound beautifully. Astbury's lyrics are basic, typical rock, 'wild flower, i love you every hour...' pretty standard stuff and leaves very little to the imagination. Its historic head banging stuff that goth fans of old Cult approved of. The times were a changin' and so was the music scene. Indie bands were struggling and the desire to make fast money and fame was, for some, all too overwhelming. The Cult needed to make this rock album and step away from the indie scene before they stepped away into the night quietly....

The albums wastes no time in introducing track two, 'Peace Dog'. Its a play on definate Led Zeppelin. Astbury almost does a perfect impression of Jimmy Page. The Cult had recognised the importance of the progressive rock era and had embraced it throughout this album. Its incredible but this is a track, that if the listener didn't know it was The Cult, it could have been a dozen other bands. There is chanting towards the end by other members of the band which is followed by a classic style where vocals take over from instruments as they take a few second break. An infamous link used by many rock bands to end a song with the last lyric left dragged out over a grand drum and guitar finale. Astbury's last line, 'drop your love on me' is done in Page style and this take on hard rock suits this band so sure that they were practically born to do it...

To start the description of the next track has been something I've had to ponder about, 'Lil' Devil' should really be heard and this part of my review left blank. Again, we hear a smart, short but incredibly catchy guitar riff from Duffy, then launched into a rock theme of 'living in a shack in a one horse town, trying to get to heaven 'fore the sun goes down' its a rock beat with thunderous bass from guitarist Jamie Stewart. Both Duffy and Stewart play one after the other in the break. Its a piece of art work rather than a rock track, and the listener wonders if this could ever be topped by the band again. 'She came one with an alligator smile, dynamite lover scorpion child, ' and we can see Mark Lamarr passing it over to the rock dude who no one has ever heard of from a band who haven't had a hit in twenty years. Its a fabulous lyric. It screams rock and roll. Released in May 1987, its position was the greatest so far at number eleven, and took seven weeks before dropping out. From there on in, it was this release that finally sold the album to the other millions whow hadn't already bought it. It was because of the exceptional track on the album, we come to realise that with such great penmanship as 'she came on with a cyclone kiss', the lyrics are just as memorable as the music.

With 'Plastic fantastic lobster telephone', being just one of the lines in the fourth track on this album, we smile a knowing smile and anticipate a blasting introduction of 'Aphrodisiac Jacket' (Where can I buy me one of those??) We are greeted with a slightly durgy drone that spells something far from an optimistic theme. Astbury screams a 'ow!' as if someone has trod of his foot entering the studio. This track has no memorable tune to it and sounds rather like The Alarm having a warm up then a second thought of nah, we won't release that one..
The tempo changes at the bridge and the track takes on a distored stance. The lead guitar by Duffy never fails to impress but even on this track sounds slightly out. Its almost a reach back into their indie days, but now the time is 1987, and since The Cult were old pros at indie, somehow, it seems even dated by their standards and the listener gets the feeling that they feel uncomfortable with the track.

We hear, on a primary plane Stewarts bass accompanied by the wonderous drums of Les Warner as the intro starts in 'Electric Ocean'. It would appear that these fellas are just as well masters at the short sharp guitar riff as the likes of Sisters of Mercy. A bridge contains a frantic Warner and Duffy on double time, just as someone has given them the nod to go wild for just thrity seconds. Its gives us a very quick taste which prepares us for the fast and furious sixth track 'Bad Fun'

No, not a gothic transformation of a boppy all boy band, but a rather quick paced rock/indie song which is the mark of half way through the album. It denotes a stream train at full throttle. Our Duffy has smoke pouring from his fingers as he flits across the strings and continues his electric pace throughout the track. Astbury just about has a voice left with a dramatic close form the energetic Warner, its time for a interlude and a quiet lie down.

'King Contrary Man' should not allow the listener too much time to figure out the title...(...so surely it should mean that the man is not a king, or is he just not a man?.......sigh!) We again hear a wonderful riff from Duffy comprising of just a handful of notes and enough to compliment Warners drums. Astbury has a mouthful of lyrics to get through which you wonder if his lips can cope. He is trying his best to relay a conversation with the devil only to be rescued by a nicely executed moment for Duffy to take centre stage (the listener gets the feel ing throught the whole album that we are front of house, jumping unquestionably along with a hundred other sweaty head bangers in only three square metres. These tracks are so short in length and by the time you have a chance to get the feel of the song, we plunged straight into the next. This album really gives the listener no chance to come up for air.

'Love Removal Machine' whatever that actually means can be remembered for a line 'baby baby baby baby up up in the sky!!!' A line that again was copied and joined in with a student parties when all that was on offer was a collection of gothic albums, all scratched and a half empty bottle of Newcastle Brown. This track fills our ears with lots of tambourines and intermittened clapping, then picks up the pace towards the end for a complete brain arranging head banging session to the repeated lyrics of 'look out here she comes.' Pinched from somewhere or someone is a classic ending where Astbury is allowed to stretch his vocal cords to the very limit with an over excersised 'yeahhhhhhh!'

As the tongue in cheek addition to this extrordinary and ground beaking album from a humble born Yorkshire quartet, we are subjected to an unsual version of 'Born To Be Wild' It has to be said, its not good. It comes across as alittle too much trying to keep your eye on the bouncing ball on a tv screen in a smokey pub late at night near closing time. Nothing beats the original they even manage to kill the guitar riff on a high note at the end. Missable.

'Outlaw' is full of all the working of 'Wild Flower' but at a slightly quicker pace. The tune is just alittle out to be a dead ringer but its still a good recording of the band flexing their talents to play hard rock. Duffy is the front runner in this track and in all the tracks, he simply gives his best performance. In every track they are a band working hard together, but I feel there is a quality missing in this track that is actually very much there in the others.

'Memphis Hip Shake' takes on the style of a Jimi Hendrix number which is diverse useage of drum beat timing. It echos on a different plane the quite remarkable and very percise 'out' beat of something as distance as Holly's 'Not Fade Away'. Astburys voice is almost lost apart from the ocassional rolling of his r's and his wonderful expressive use when voicing particular words. Its a good rock record that, yes is not a brilliant standard, but still has a place on this album.

The actual recording that I have on this album is on audio cassette. it has proven to me over the years that with even the event of CDs and now even downloading from the internet, that an album such as this can still survive in amongst a music collection on tape! Its not a brilliant album but its has still left its mark in music history. What is does represent, however, is a universal discovery of new style to a ordinary band, with it were not for the releasing of this album, could have quite easily drifted into obscurity.

As it is, even if they never make another album ('Beyond Good And Evil' was their most recent album, released in summer 2001), they will, undoubtedly be always remembered for 'Electric.'



©sam1942
First published on Ciao 6 Jan 2006

Summary: It was the leap from gothic to rock for this band.