356) The Cult - Love

If Billy Duffy had never achieved success and was living in Manchester working in a crap job in Finance, like me, he would be able to sit in any pub anywhere and tell everyone he suggested to his mate Johnny Marr that he should search out a guy called Steven Morrissey who was in a band with him called The Nosebleeds, that would be enough to give Billy a footnote in musical history.

However, Billy could luckily play the guitar and met Ian Astbury forming Death Cult and finally settling on The Cult. Despite no hits debut Dreamtime had done okay but to be honest they were not a band on my radar.

We were at my mate’s house, his big brother who truly hated us was playing this fantastic record which I asked the name of. The response of “fuck off” made me unsure if that was the band or the song. Thankfully, he went out, and my mate went to his room and brought through several records. The label said The Cult She Sells Sanctuary, I sometimes wonder if he was telling me to fuck off.

Sanctuary is forty years old (how did that happen?) and from Billy’s intro to those magnificent thumping drums (the video is Big Country’s Mark Brzezicki but although he drummed on most of the album it was the late Nigel Preston who played on Sanctuary). Forty years later it’s still as exciting to me the riff, the drums and Astbury wailing over the top, magical.

Two other singles were released from this record. Rain is just a notch below Sanctuary but has a top riff throughout and a solid solo from Billy, and Revolution we have a ballad from the band, it’s one of those songs that you are never going to be blown away by but is strangely addictive.

Love is clearly the album where Billy Duffy has decided to become a guitar hero and make his playing as foot stomping as is possible.Straight out of the tracks is Nirvana Billy slashes around with solid drums (Brzezicki on this one) and unleash a mighty guitar solo with Ian wailing over the top.Big Neon Glitter starts like Up on the Catwalk by Simple Minds it’s just not as good, it’s fine but I’m not a big fan of the chorus.The title track builds and builds and at over five minutes long does not overstay its welcome whereas maybe Brother Wolf, Sister Moon could do with pruning a couple of minutes.

Phoenix opens with a guitar solo and doesn’t really stop, plus let’s not forget bassist Jamie Stewart who holds up his end whether working with Preston or Brzezicki and the guitars weave between the drums on Hollow Man. We end with Black Angel which builds slowly each verse adding a layer.

This is a record where The Cult clearly decided what they wanted to be a rock band and all these years later Love was the start of an ascendancy.

8/10

GIVE IT A STREAM: She Sells Sanctuary