Hailing from the early-1980s Gothic post-punk scene, British rock monolith THE CULT hit a jackpot with their sophomore album “Love,” released on October 18th, 1985. Not only did the album thrust the band into the limelight, but it also gave us one of the most iconic 1980s arena-rock riffs ever, courtesy of guitarist Billy Duffy. This album classic was generally praised as a perfect ten for its diverse, yet cohesive, perfectly flowing mix of psychedelia, Gothic rock, and New Wave. This album was greatly influenced by the love for vintage rock icons, such as THE DOORS, LED ZEPPELIN, and Jimi Hendrix. Lead singer Ian Astbury would later even front the new incarnation of THE DOORS, named THE DOORS OF THE 21st CENTURY, which included original members, guitarist Robby Krieger and keyboardist Ray Manzarek. In a way, “Love” could be viewed as an updated version of the late-1960s flower-power music; while the album featured big riffers that foreshadowed THE CULT‘s later hard-rock leanings, it was the overall psychedelic atmosphere that set this particular endeavor apart at the time. This album proved quite a significant shift from their early sound, which had been prominently more post-punk, making this affair a transitional album of sorts – a bridge between their New Wave roots and the hard rock to come.
This album was produced by Steve Brown, who was primarily known for his work with WHAM! at the time, quite an intriguing choice, to say the least, and the legend has it that the band was initially rather irritated and amused by this. THE CULT had been rooting for Steve Lillywhite, an emerging New Wave and post-punk producer, known at the time for his work with U2, XTC, and THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS. Something in this seemingly disparate pairing clicked, though – and a good thing that it did, too, because they got off to a rather fine start with the lead single, “She Sells Sanctuary,” the majestic riffer I hinted at in the intro paragraph. Even if you’d never heard of the band, I’m pretty sure that you could not avoid hearing this rock anthem on the radio back in the day. On the same note, even if you have never heard another song from this band to this day, this banger is likely to have imprinted that iconic riff on your subconscious at some point.
The name of the game is laid out in the open right off the bat. The album opener, “Nirvana,” introduces us to the band’s new, more rock-oriented sound. There are, in fact, a good few big riffers to boot – “Big Neon Glitter” and “Phoenix.” Then, at some point, “Brother Wolf, Sister Moon” throws in a good pinch of Native Indian mythos in a somewhat Jim Morrison-esque fashion. One of the singles, “Rain,” could be interpreted either as a homage to the traditional Hopi rain dance or as an account of hedonistic sexual congress; take your pick. It works either way. With such a big theme as love being the album title, it’s no surprise that the songs touch on themes of matching caliber – life, death, sex, and spirituality. The song, “Hollow Man,” could even refer to the T.S. Eliot poem, which deals with spiritual emptiness and despair. Eliot used the phrase, “hollow men,” to symbolize the post-WWI emotional desolation, whereas THE CULT‘s take on the matter might have been inspired by the similar sentiment of the Thatcher-era Britain. The third single, “Revolution,” tones down the noisy rock’n’roll flair by virtue of being a tranquil power-ballad affair, and it is one of the two outliers in the selection, in this respect. The other one, “Black Angel,” closes the album with the air of a slow-burning fever dream.
With a producer who knew how to make a hit album and a band that knew how to write songs, it should have been a no-brainer that “Love” was going to become a huge success. However, I doubt that anyone had it in their bingo cards that this endeavor would become nothing less than the epitome of 1980s alternative rock. This album cemented THE CULT as a definitive rock icon, and it remains one of the most seminal rock endeavors of the 1980s. While there is a good pinch of the usual sex and drugs and rock’n’roll, “Love” is also about the pure joy of love (hence the title, I reckon), about finding sanctuary, and about finding light in the darkness. This is a Classic album with a capital C.
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- Nirvana
- Big Neon Glitter
- Love
- Brother Wolf, Sister Moon
- Rain
- Phoenix
- Hollow Man
- Revolution
- She Sells Sanctuary
- Black Angel
Lineup
Ian Astbury – vocals
Billy Duffy – guitars
Jamie Stewart – bass
Mark Brzezicki – drums (except on “She Sells Sanctuary”)
Nigel Preston – drums on “She Sells Sanctuary”
with
The Soultanas – background vocals on tracks 5, 6, and 8
Label
Beggars Banquet (UK), Sire (US)
Links
https://thecult.us/DC/index.html
