Here's a recent treat for fans of British rockers The Cult: the band recently reissued their breakthrough album, 1987's Electric, pairing it with a little-heard early version of the album.
The Cult burst onto the scene in England with debut LP Love and the Top 20 hit "She Sells Sanctuary" two years prior. When it came time for the follow-up, the band reconvened with Love producer Steve Brown at Oxfordshire's Manor Studios for a new LP, Peace, in 1986. But the band was dissatisfied with what they'd recorded after two months, and decided to proceed with a markedly different producer: Rick Rubin, co-founder of rap label Def Jam and unabashed rock and metal fan (he'd joined Run-D.M.C. with Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry for a cover of "Walk This Way," kickstarting/restarting their careers, and signed thrash metal legends Slayer to his label the year before with the iconic Reign in Blood).
Rubin re-recorded the Peace tracks with a much harder edge than even the post-rock production of Love would afford, but the results were well-received by fans old and new. Singles "Love Removal Machine" and "Lil' Devil" were Top 20 U.K. hits, as well as the band's first placement on a U.S. chart (Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart). But the band never really forgot about the Peace sessions, releasing some of the tracks as B-sides to singles from Electric and, in 2000, releasing the full album in its intended sequence in the long-deleted box set Rare Cult.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6PgftKbQnQ]
Now, Beggars Archive brings both records together for the first time in one set, on both CD and double-vinyl. Amazon indicates they're available as of last Tuesday, July 16, though the band's official site indicates a release date of July 29 and 30 on each side of the Atlantic. But they are indeed yours to order, as always after the jump with the full track breakdown!
Electric Peace (Beggars Archive, 2013)
2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Disc 1: Electric (released as Beggars Banquet BEGA 80 (U.K.), 1987)
- Wild Flower
- Peace Dog
- Lil' Devil
- Aphrodisiac Jacket
- Electric Ocean
- Bad Fun
- King Contrary Man
- Love Removal Machine
- Born to Be Wild
- Outlaw
- Memphis Hip Shake
Disc 2: Peace (first released in full on Rare Cult box set - Beggars Banquet RCBOX 1 CD (U.K.), 2000)
- Love Removal Machine
- Wild Flower
- Peace Dog
- Aphrodisiac Jacket
- Electric Ocean
- Bad Fun
- Conquistador
- Zap City
- Love Trooper
- Outlaw
- Groove Co.
Tracks 1-2, 5-6 and 10 from The Manor Sessions EP - Beggars Banquet BBP 1 CD (U.K.), 1988
Tracks 7 and 11 from "Love Removal Machine" double 7" single - Beggars Banquet BEG 182D (U.K.), 1987
Track 8 was the B-side to "Lil' Devil" - Beggars Banquet BEG 188 (U.K.), 1987
Track 9 was the B-side to "Wild Flower" - Beggars Banquet BEG 195 (U.K.), 1987
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This is a godsend for serious Cult fans who weren't lucky enough to land the "Rare Cult" box. Thankfully, I managed to score one when it was released, but if I hadn't, I'd be one of the first in line for this baby!!! Wonder if they're gonna do anything to the mastering. I thought the "Peace" tracks on the box were well done, as was the BB remaster of "Electric."
The liner notes don't make any mention of new mastering, and there aren't even any new liner notes to speak of. It's a very straight-forward repacking, but good that it exists.
Dreamtime was their debut guys, not love
Been waiting for Peace to be released for years (didn't get the box set). Got to say its well worth the wait and took me back to my youth in an instant
I have to disagree with the notion that the Rick Rubin produced Electric was "well received." When it came out myself, all my friends and the college radio station where I worked were all very disappointed with The Cult's "new direction." We abandoned them immediately. I remember seeing the video for "Love Removal Machine" and thinking it had to be a joke.