For the love of THE CULT
For the love of THE CULT
By: Cesareo Garasa, Bakotopia.com contributor
Description: Life in Lancaster...SEE THE CULT LIVE IN BAKO ON 12/6!
Topics: The Cult, Bakotopia, Bakersfield, Cesareo garasa, music, LIVE, 2007, december, blog, Preview
Posted by cesareo Wed Nov 28, 2007 15:02:46 PST
Viewed 2011 times
0 responses 1 comment Location: 3201 F St, Bakersfield, CA 93301
For the love of The Cult
Life in Lancaster...
(L to R: Ian Astbury & Billy Duffy of The Cult)
By Cesareo Garasa, Bakotopia.com contributor
For the uninitiated, The Cult represents a rare type of band whose pedigree is bombastic, mystical, psychedelic and generally on the verge of operatic.
(Southern Death Cult)
Starting out as Southern Death Cult, restarting as Death Cult until finally ending up as just The Cult, the band’s sound started out as a tribal, gothic punk band that was equal parts raw, groovy and shimmery. If you can imagine the sonic equivalent of AC/DC in a car smoking a joint with The Doors and U2 you can get the idea of where they were coming from.
The band discovered its foundation with “Dreamtime, ”their first complete album as The Cult. It’s an album filled with pumped-up anthem-like songs such as “Spiritwalker.” This led to the album “Love” and its perennial track “She Sells Sanctuary” that cemented their reputation as underground icons among fans that coveted alternative music in the mid ‘80s.
What separated both albums from the rest of the music scene at the time (1983-85) was Billy Duffy’s edge-like guitar tones with Jimmy Page riffs and Ian Astbury’s lyrical themes (and wardrobe) that lent itself to both the ‘60s as well as Native American shamanism.
What also set them apart was the coming of their third album “Electric.”
Instead of rehashing the same sound they invented, they went to producer Rick Rubin and unleashed the rock. That psychedelic edge I mentioned? Gone, but replaced by a more raw sound that emphasized pain - with ‘70s rock power. I mean, they covered “Born To Be Wild!” C’mon! I still can’t tell if they’re using a drum machine or just a crappy drummer on most of the album. (I heard they got rid of him by getting him a drum kit and telling him that he should learn how to use it.) Songs like “Wildflower” and “Love Removal Machine” guaranteed that they’d have at least one greatest hits release that wouldn’t suck.
Their next album, released right in the middle of the hair-band heyday (1988 for the young ones out there) was as if “Love” and “Electric” had met, had a kid and named it “Sonic Temple.” If you’re over 29, you’ve heard the song “Fire Woman.” Around this time they became a proven arena rock band and went through more drummers than Spinal Tap. Other albums followed, but none could even remotely bring them back to their previous zenith.
Everyone has many halcyons of musical enlightenment: various times where you get turned on to a band whose image and/or music changes the soundtrack of your life. “Love” was one of mine.
Whenever anyone mentions how much they can’t stand living here in Bakersfield, I tell them the same thing: It’s better than Lancaster.
Seriously, it’s a city about 30 miles north of L.A. (basically making it a suburb). Lancaster is a metropolitan ghost town that inspires inward dreams of escape or straight out rebellion - and all indoors. Drive southbound on the 14 freeway and you will observe a city where almost no one is outside (they’re probably all inside their homes with guns to their heads crying “Why Lord, why?!”) This is where I was raised for my first 13 years.
(Lancaster, Ca.)
It occurs to me that the reason nostalgia becomes more potent and powerful as we get older is because the small things that brought us joy (in my case toys, comic books, wonderful sunsets and beloved TV shows/music/movies) distracted us from the hell we went through growing up.
In 1986, before my 13th birthday, I heard “Love” and “Electric” (the latter had just been released) and it was all over.
The Cult will be playing here in Bakersfield, which I consider my adopted hometown, on Dec. 6 at the Golden State Mall (the old Montgomery Ward Plaza) in support of their new album “Born Into This” where they will bring the rock and more than likely play every song I mentioned.
I just want to hear their song “Nirvana” and be reminded of how a band can inspire a change of perspective, making it all tolerable - at least for a while.
SEE THE CULT LIVE!
-THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6TH, 2007
-GOLDEN STATE MALL, 3201 F st.
-5PM DOORS / $33.50 / ALL AGES
-WWW.TIMGARDEAPRESENTS.COM
*Originally printed in Bakotopia Magazine, Issue 16, 11-28-07
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Wed Nov 28, 2007 15:07:42 PST
Touche' Cesareo!!! Great article!!! Man, people don't know how thankful they should be for living in Bako and not the Caster..
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