Retro Review: The Cult – Electric

By Walter Price

For a couple years starting in 1987 it would have been a very rare event if I didn’t have a cassette copy of The Cult’s third album Electric in my car or a friend’s mother’s ride for party inducing greatness. Although the criticisms from old school rockophiles had the same complaints back then that many a metal connoisseur still have today. I loved, loved the album. I didn’t and don’t have a care that there are obvious rock hero sounds ‘plagiarisms’. Allegedly.

Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy’s decision to ditch Love producer Steve Brown for a white New York hip-hop producer/ college student would not only change The Cult’s future but Rick Rubin’s as well. They, as well as Rubin, wanted to move away from the post-punk/new wave sounds that made them famous-ish and wanted to melt some faces. Old bluesy rock style. Some say this is were the ‘trouble’ started.

Electric has had the band accused of Led Zeppelin, Blue Cheer, Cream, AC/DC and, yes, Shazam, everyone is right. Rubin wanted the boys to take the raw elements of the greats and transform the band into a rock powerhouse.

So much of punk, hip-hop and the Eighties New York underground dance scene rejected the whole rock-star thing. When we came back around to Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and Black Sabbath, it was a revelation. – Rick Rubin (Rolling Stone)

For all that people found irritating with The Cult in the late 80’s, they now praise the hordes of throwback bands of today. Rival Sons, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Temperance Movement…throw a stone and you’ll hit a band that The Cult (and Rick Rubin) paved the way for.

All and all people have their opinions, if there was such a thing as reviewing the experiences one has with an album over the years The Cult’s Electric would get a resounding A+ from myself and perhaps the early naysayers.