1989 rolls around and The Cult featuring Ian Astbury, Billy Duffy, and Jamie Stewart along with Bob Rock at the control center unleashed one of the best sounding hard rock albums that in 2021 still sounds supreme!
Crazy to think Sonic Temple is 32 years old. Where does the time fly?
Once again this past Christmas I was gifted with “Sonic Temple” on vinyl which is spread out nicely over two double records that even has some bonus material on them.
This album kicks serious ass from the get go. Opener “Sun King” kicks the party off and the sound is massive. Cheers to Bob Rock and Mike Fraser for dialling it in sonically on this album.
“Fire Woman” has that great opening Duffy street rock riff and the song lifts off from there. Astbury was in his element here as I can still visual him in the video for this track digging his heals in at becoming that Arena Rock Guy which he dug for a time I’m sure before not too long after he kinda didn’t dig it.
Maybe I’m wrong here but either way the song still sounds good today on local crap radio.
“Sonic Temple” fuses some huge Zep like rock on tracks like “Soul Asylum” while others like “New York City” is one of those hard driving balls out rock tracks that will smack you you around like if Iggy Pop was doing the smacking! (See what I did there?). Mickey Curry from Bryan Adams band handled the drums on this record and keeps The Cult on track.
“Sweet Soul Sister” with that cool driving bass line courtesy of Jamie Stewart is another bonafide hit. How about that chorus and guitar solo from Billy Duffy.
With it being 1989 sure there would be a ballad included which is “Edie (Ciao Baby)”. For all the sap power ballads that we’re racing up the charts back than “Edie” was a different kind of tune one in which I like and maybe that is because of WolfChilds vocals or the fact that tune ramps up.
The rest of this album is killer. It’s all a brilliantly written heavy rock record and what better way than to end the sonic assault than all us of hoping on the “Medicine Train”!
ShotGun!
Thats the great thing about Duffy/Astbury and Stewart back than as they didn’t follow the cheese rock formula. Instead they forged their own path sonically and this album delivers that in spades.
Check out Mike Lebrain on Youtube as a few weeks back we chatted with Mike Fraser who told us some great stories about working with these guy’s in the studio.
Great review Deke. I have been listening to Love, Electric and Sonic Temple list crazy over the last few months thanks to the fact March will have a 12″ single from The Cult almost every week (at least 4 in a row). I love all three, but there is something special about this one. I don’t think I appreciated them as much as I do now.
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Thanks Pal. They are a band I have followed hard core since 1987. But those three that you mentioned are a pretty good launch to a career wouldn’t you say? I still need to get Love on vinyl. Been slowly getting there stuff on record.
Hopefully they put out something this year as there last few have been very good as well.
Just a great band.
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They are incredible. Way better than I remember. Duffy is a freaking beast on guitar. Very underrated that he is never mentioned on the guitar great list, but damn he is amazing.
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Very true. I call him the ‘King of Street Rock Riffs’
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That fits!!
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Have you seen them live John?
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No, I never got the pleasure.
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If they come around your part do go.
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Now I will…hell if any band comes around my parts right now, I will go 🙂
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Ha… True
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You don’t have their first album, Dreamline?
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*Dreamtime.
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On CD yes but not vinyl.
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I was talkin’ to Mr. Snowman since he’s only listening to albums 2-4 by his own account.
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No, missing that one. I haven’t found it on vinyl.
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Loved this write up. He is a one that Wolfchild. I went nuts for this record when it came out. I still think Fire Woman is NME of the most perfect heavy rock singles of al time. I’m so in love with that acoustic take on Ciao Baby too. What a beautiful repress edition you have there
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It’s a great looking vinyl set. Such a killer release. Big loud rock at its finest. Not a dud track on ST!
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Man I love that album. I’ve got my OG vinyl and all the singles still from 89’. I love The Cult sooo much
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Nice. I don’t know if you saw the stream interview we did with Fraser he had one great story about the Cult
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I never did. I’d like to though.
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Huge impact album for me. Got it for my 17th birthday. My first Cult. And Mikey Fraser sure did dial it in with Bob Rock. The sound was criticised later on as too big and hollow, but they made a record that was 100% suited to its times if not slightly ahead.
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Still sounds brilliant today. What a great job from the songs down to the art to the sounds that Bob and Fraze brought
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Excellent piece, Deke, a reminder I need to spin this again. It will forever be an oversiiiiight to me that Soldier Blue was not included on the Pure Cult hits set. A crying shame.
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That’s a great track but what a headache that must have been for whoever put that comp together
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Absolutely! I never envy the folks that gotta put those together. Man, shoulda been a 2CD at least.
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Sarca seeecret: I had a little crush on Ian Astbury…that hair!
Further, I had Fire Woman on cassette single back in the day. I think I erased it, playing it so often! lol
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Kev is Wolfchild! 😆
Good old cassette singles lol. Wonder who it was that came up with that idea as tapes were on there way out by the late 80s
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I was also going to add: how iconic that album cover was!
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Great call Sarah. A total iconic pose from Duffy while WolfChild is howling for you in the background.
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Always liked Mickey Curry’s work with BA, glad to read his contributions worked well here also.
And speaking of good work, The LeBrain Train discussing Medicine Train, all aboard x 2!
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Curry is a phenomenal talent on the kit. Lots of great drumming on this album
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Great write up, man. Like you say, this album is excellent… definitely one that puts a band right out there on the map. Electric just edges it for me, though… I guess cause that was the impact album for me.
The Cult are helluva consistent, eh?
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They are very consistent J. Almost no two Cult albums sound alike as they keep shaking up the Sonic Landscape of their music. One of the best bands out there.
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these guys have a special signature sound. always loved the guitar on their songs. might have to put this one on play soon! Great post.
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Thanks Pal. I would say do that sooner than later. lol
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Great album.
Duffy brings the riffs.
I’m pretty sure this album did good business in Australia. It was heavily advertised as “if you like AC/DC you will like The Cult”.
But The Cult had Astbury on vocals.
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Duffy did bring the riffs as he did on Electric as he has done on everything. Guys a genius.
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I like Edie off of this album…that is about the only one I know…I know songs by them like She Sells Sanctuary but I don’t know albums.
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Check this one out Max. It is chock full of bombastic rock! The one before ST ‘Electric’ is a blast of AC/DC rock.
Such a killer band. Edie is the quietest track off the album. lol
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The reason I know that one is I like Edie Sedgewick and saw the movie she made about herself…I will check it out Deke
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Check it out Max and report back with your findings.
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I sure will…I will have some time! We are getting 2-5 inches of snow per the weather channel…for Nashville that is “buy all the bread and eggs” you can weather. I still have to work but no drive time! I will check it out!
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2-5 inches haha..sometimes we get that in a hour. lol
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Lol… for here… all milk, sugar, and bread are gone… they are not equipped…
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Wow. But if it’s something your not used to I could see panic coming in. Before Xmas we got 32 inches of snow over two days and it was business as usual. Bread and eggs were still stocked lol
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Wow!!! I would love that much snow!!!! The most I’ve ever seen here is 8 inches…and that was in the 70s. People here are foolish…the worse is an ice storm…that is when it gets serious…no driving and no electricity.
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Next time we get a dump of snow I will send it to you.
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Back to the point where you have to watch me…because I get WAY off track…I’ll check the album out on youtube.
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All good dude
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good review on last of a trilogy of fine albums from those honorary Canadians (seemed like with Asbury once living in Canada and all the recording they did there they were more Canuck than some of the acts which qualified for “Cancon”) ..’Love’ ‘Electric’ then this one.
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Thanks Dave. That is indeed a fine 3 -pack of Cult records right there that’s for sure. Ian has never hidden from his Hamilton roots which I always respected him for.
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I think they did a brilliant job on the vinyl repress of this LP. I bought my copy last year. Electric just gets the nod from me over this one though.
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That’s cool Joe. Your right they did a spot on job on this album.
Did you get the Electric deluxe that came out with the second album that was scrapped.
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No, just my old battered copy. Was it worth it? I’m always very wary about demos etc – there’s usually a reason why stuff wasn’t released at the time.
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Its neat to have actually it was a full recorded version of the album that they canned and recorded Electric.
Peace Dog sounds totally different. But it’s cool to have that battered copy for sure.
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All we have is Pure Cult here. We’ll get those albums one of these days.
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Let’s get at it Fella!
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Good stuff deKE even if I didnt like them your take would make me listen to them. Up this week for a listen. Thanks.
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Thanks for the kind words CB!
This is such and still a great album.
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Yes sir.
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