Usually a song with the lyric “baby, baby, baby, baby, baby I fell from the sky” is not going to be my type of song but when Love Removal Machine was played on Radio 1 with a great big riff and thumping drums, I thought I would like a bit of that. Rick Rubin produces, and everything is turned up to eleven and Ian Astbury howls over the top. Its mindless rock and its great.
The Cult previously a well-known goth band were now a full-on rock band. Electric debuted at number four and I was one of the people who bought it that first week. The Cult had already scrapped a recorded album so the teaming up with Rubin ensured they achieved the sound they were looking for.
Wildflower opens the album and to be honest sets the template. Lil’ Devil is nearly as good as Love Removal Machine plastered with guitar as lead guitarist Billy Duffy has listened to every hard rock riff ever recorded and adjusted them slightly to lay them all over this record. Previously quiffs and ponytails he was now a long-haired tattooed rock guitarist.
This is not an album of contrasting styles, but Peace Dog, Electric Ocean, King Contrary Man and Memphis Hip Shake all have their moments. They lose marks for the truly awful cover of Steppenwolf’s Born To Be Wild, surely, anything from the unreleased Manor Sessions that did not see light of day until 2000 would have been preferable.
If you want a no nonsense listen of a band reinventing themselves this maybe is for you.
7/10
GIVE IT A STREAM: Love Removal Machine