Was extremely excited to hear Brian’s latest chasing tone song choice last week, as it was featuring one of my favourite bands from the 80’s, and one that I consider to be HUGELY underrated… The Cult.

The Cult signified a massive moment for me growing up, as they introduced me to the concept of taking a song, a small but perfectly formed one, and exploding it into a huge extended remix – or what us people of a certain age call “A 12” remix”. From what I can remember, they didn’t record anything different, just took the composite parts of the original and cut them all together and mixed them up to make what I can only imagine be the perfect version of the song to hear live! I remember the thing that really grabbed me was the different textures of the guitars, tones, riffs, and hooks that went in to make a 4-minute hit and be able to bring it out to a 6-minute epic. Anyway, enough of that, here it is…

So, this was all about 1985 or so, when I was deep into Iron Maiden and all that stuff, so it was a departure for me to concentrate on a three chord band who were all about the hooks. In 1987 they followed up the massively successful “Love” album (that featured ‘Rain’ and “She Sells Sanctuary”) with “Electric” that took them one stage further, more hits on both sides of the Atlantic and them fairly well cemented into history. On this album was the track “Love Removal Machine” that was a pretty decent smash the dashboard, roof down, foot down type of track… and it’s this one that Brian gives the full breakdown treatment to. It was classic Cult of this era: open, riff-laden and more hooks than a tackle shop. Although for me, on a personal Love remains the pinnacle of the Cult’s output (you know, it’s that time and place thing), “Electric” is by far a better album in terms of hits and just great rock and roll songs. 

So, Billy’s gear on this. What do we know? Although Billy is well known for using a Gretsch (and now has a signature with them that is based on a ’75 Baldwin era White Falcon) this album was ultimately revolving around Les Paul’s, in the words of Billy himself it was “…purity and method were the keys to this recording… so it all boiled down to the right amp and cab with correct mike(s) and the Les Paul… no pedals used at all on the session apart from a wah were obvious on certain tracks…” which to me makes sense as the low ends are WAY too tight to be a hollow body, it’s tighter and more under control. 

The album was produced by Rick Ruben (this was the first album he had recorded with a full band in a studio) after the band was not feeling the ‘first draft’ of the album (due to be called ‘Peace’) with the producer of the Love album, Steve Brown. Rick agreed to remix the album providing they could re-record “Love Removal Machine”. Rick stripped Billy back and made Ian more aggressive vocally. At the time, in the studio, Rick was listening to a lot of AC/DC, in particular “Back In Black”, so there is an element of guitar driven rock and roll to it, hence the reduction in the signature swirly stuff that we all fell in love with on “Love”.

What do I hear in this track? Well, we already know that Billy loved his Marshalls, and this just screams a Marshall that is clipping beautifully. Pushed hard by a Les Paul and not a trace of effects, so no tubescreamer’s or anything else (although I think that solo tone has something happening). Really puts me in mind of the players that came before, and some of Billy’s heroes in particular Malcolm Young, Mick Ronson, and Paul Kossoff. There is a lot of room in the tone, so not only is it close mic’ed but some serious room mic happening. The whole thing with the Electric album compared to Love was that it was more rock and roll, more of that classic 70’s thing happening… Which, for me, is why it’s never going to be quite as classic as Love was… I mean, listen to the intro of “She Sells Sanctuary”… JC120 with the inbuilt stereo chorus, flanger, phaser, two delays, compression, and reverb… just amazing and most certainly groundbreaking. In fact, if you are not really that familiar with The Cult, start with Electric and then once you’ve digested it all, hit up Love and then marvel at 1985 in all its glory!