Electric

Slightly heard of them, I expect some generic hard rock, but if there something unique in it I will see. I'm thinking of listening to albums twice, before I rate them, because first listen isn't fulfilling, but idk about that yet. (I didn't do that(future me)) First song, male vocalist I see. Already feel the hard rock pumping. It feels like the guitar is doing the same thing, I mean it's permanent wave. I like his emphasized vocal delivery. The production exists with that clinking sound when chorus(?) comes in. I see a woman in the cover, she better sing too. Also the cover is weirdly satisfying to look at. I want more lyrics. Second song, almost same vibe, but the drums are more superior. Higher vocals and longer too. He talked fast there, if he could keep that up almost to rap, would have been nice, but that's linkin park. Long outro. Ooh riffiing was too good in the background. That mumbling baby, though vocally high, was amazing, I think bridge. Dramatic finish off, and I was wrong about it being an outro fully at the end. Third song, seems catchy. The guitar is the best between the songs I've listened. The progression when the chorus starts is remarkable. Solo is just a without-vocal version of instrumentals, nevermind the riff came in. Too much lyrical repeating, at this point I can only like his voice. Fourth song, aphrodisiac, I've heard that word in another song today, dk which. As a lover of rock, I don't find this different from other songs in the genre, as in it doesn't give me something new or remotely catchy, nevertheless I would bang my head to this if it came up. I wonder if I should also see the visuals to this, seems funner. There's three videos, but I've missed two of them already basically. Well I'll watch em later. Fifth song, production is quite good I can everything clearly and in a very satisfying way. velvet underground let the girl sing in one of their albums once, I want the same here. Particularly the song isn't drastically different from other ones, if we forget the lyrics. Sixth song, energetic start. I don't find lyrics my style, idk what that means exactly, but there are some lyrics that I can sing and feel like a different or me character, this one's none, or I'm just not understanding them. Solo is soloing, kinda scratched my ears. The "ow"s are too good. Seventh song, another song about the devil, might be about something else symbolically. I do like that they don't feel restricted in that matter. Oh wow that solo ending BAM BAM BAAM, reaaaly enjoyed that. Added this to my playlist. 8th song, this is one of the most popular of the album. The classic start of the drummer. It ain't as good I thought it would be. Solo is amazing, but it doesn't stand out. 9th song, catchyy. His delivery is different here I like it more. The after chorus drum Bamming is lovely. What a long solo. Forgot to say before he's screaming a lot, and he's got the vocals for it in a hard rock way though. Nothing beats that 7th song pause-everything-Bam-the-drums moment yet. 10th song, energetic again. Rough vocal start. I don't know what more to say about these songs. They're good, however, they're too many of them already. I like the almost transitions in a way that the energy never stops. 11th song, I like the drums, the background ones. Loooong solo, and I'm kind of sick of it already. It's progressive in some parts, but the tempo stays the same, it's almost too annoying. I've heard no chorus or bridge that was mesmerising, nor the lyrics that I would want to repeat, they didn't let the girl sing. Howeveer I like hard rock and I can see the work, just not my everyday vibe I suppose. So I give this 3 stars for being too repetitive, but not boring.

The Cult shifts away from their gothic debut to selling out as another arena glam metal group derivative of the likes of AC/DC. They're trying to rock hard with loud flashy guitar solos and screaming vocals. They give it there all, especially with incredible guitar riffs and drumming, which I respect. However, the mixing is cluttered, especially compared to clearer glam metal contemporaries. It lacks originality and memorability, with no hits comparable to "She Sells Sanctuary" or "Fire Woman." Songs are repetitive in a desperate attempt to be remembered, but the melody is predictable and feels like it's following the flow of vocals. His vocals are cool but worked better in the gothic themes of Love. Besides my 3 favorites (which are just decent pop songs), I can't find anything to like about any of the deep cuts besides the sick guitar solos, which I wonder was intentional by Rick Rubin to match his work with Slayer. Favorites: Lil Devil, Bad Fun, Love Removal Machine

I enjoyed the drums and guitar! Dad rock rocks!

I thought it was bland arena rock, it seemed formulaic. Aphrodisiac jacket was good 3*

Half a star lost for the awful Born To Be Wild cover

Sounds like "No, Honey, we have Billy Idol at home" This album is the Billy Idol at home. Also, the album cover looks like a bootleg version. That being said, not bad 80s butt rock, if that's what you're into.

Just some old-fashioned straight guitar rock and roll. Sometimes dumb, mostly fun, always loud. There are some questionable lyrics here and there that have aged poorly, but these moments are few and far between enough to not detract heavily from the experience.

this was pretty cool, ngl.

competent, dare say workmanlike rock. Young boy sounds like a low rent danzig though. One of the songs, I think love removal machine has got the start me up, ie worst stones song riff. Still they are masters of the stop/start either exiting or entering noise with the boom/crack 16ths. And low rent danzig is still on the danzig spectrum.

Not bad. Reminds me of a more classic rock oriented Misfits. I don't love his voice but it's fast and energetic.

Average to be honest, I liked a few tracks but it was a bit samey.

Why does The Cult songs all sound so close to the same thing?

This album needs VU meters. Saying that - The Cult have precisely one song in their repertoire, and it isn't on this album. I actually went to see them live back in about 2010/2011 sort of time - and they were actually appalling. So far up themselves, they thought that it would be a good idea to have looped footage of various Vietnam war atrocities projected onto a screen behind them, as if some wash-up, past-middle-aged rockers from the 1980s had any relevance or influence over the idea war and peace. They reluctantly played their one song (She Sells Sanctuary, obviously) and the crowd showed considerably more appreciation for that than anything else they'd played the whole night. The band glowered angrily at the crowd, clearly upset that they're only known for one thing. Anyway - this album isn't terrible. It's pretty generic VU-meter power rock. Meh.

When the Cult first came out, they hewed more toward a post punk/gothic sensibility. But what became quite apparent by the time this album came out was that the band was able to straddle a musical line like few artists can. In addition to fitting quite easily in the college rock/proto-alternative scene, the band had solid rock chops. They were popular with metal fans and straight ahead rock fans. It's a assertive, lusty, riff-forward sound that seriously rocks. Lead singer Ian Astbury has the kind of natural charisma and swagger that you just don't see too much this side of Jim Morrison. The songs on this album are sexy, energetic and great fun to listen to, preferably at full blast out a car window. Lots to enjoy here, but "Love Removal Machine" is one of the great rock songs of that era. Fave Songs: Love Removal Machine, Wild Flower, Bad Fun, Peace Dog, Lil' Devil

Some of my greatest memories of my senior year of high school are set to this album. Along with Rain 1985 and Sonic Temple 1988 these are the bedrock of the Cult's sound and catalog. One of the greatest albums of the 80s!

Nothing spectacular, but still a solid hard rock record. Fun catchy riffs and decent vocals.

Standard run of the mill hard rock

A band aping AC/DC is always going to be less enjoyable than just listening to AC/DC — critics that make their comparison seemingly fail to recognize the force of nature that is Angus Young. I remember seeing The Cult at a festival show and thinking they were old and out of touch. Let's find out if they sound that way in their heyday. They don't feel particularly tight in the rhythm section — flubbed double-kicks in "Peace Dog" and "Aphrodisiac Jacket" — and the album winds up feeling 'loose' in none of the charming ways Zeppelin ever did. It doesn't come across as comparatively powerful-feeling in terms of the engineering and capture, either — guitars are over-bright, out of tune, and there are numerous drum takes that needed another take, have sloppy edits, or suffer from bad dynamics/compression. Back In Black was the supposed starting place for the guitar sounds of Electric - a comparison of their sonic similarities underscores the guitarists' old adage: "tone is in the fingers," because to my seasoned ears, they don't sound much alike. Listening to the intro of "Aphrodisiac Jacket," Angus and Malcom's guitars are much more mid-forward. Ian Astbury clearly grew up listening to Diamond Dave yowling his way through early Halen records, and this feels dated having been released nearly a decade after 1978's Van Halen I, with nowhere near the caliber of musicianship propelling it, and the comparison doesn't get rosier in either direction, either to Robert Plant's urgent wail on 1973's Zeppelin IV or alongside Guns 'N Roses' razor-sharp hedonism on Appetite For Destruction which also came out in 1987. Despite the above, "Bad Fun" and "Aphodisiac Jacket" have swagger to spare. An album, ONCE AGAIN, that feels selected as "essential" by an Englishman suffering from Nostalgia Fever. Should have stayed goth-rock if you ask me; they were heaps more compelling and forward-looking on 1985's sparkling "She Sells Sanctuary." Really didn't care much for this!

Generic and uninspired.

Enjoyed it

This feels like the dad version of that a-ha album where there’s one famous song and then the rest is just ok. I don’t really have anything negative to say about this but I already barely remember anything about it despite listening to it this morning.

1987 is still in the era of my fav music ever. The production quality is just awesome has the best sound of any era of music. Lil' Devil is a hit. Killer Guitar solo during Electric ocean. Definitely heard Bad FUn on the radio at some point. Pretty good but the verses sounds kinda generic. Chorus bops tho. Love Removal machine is a great hi energy good time jammer too.

not bad but also not my best listen

I'll add this to the pile of 80s rock albums I heard once and will never think about again. Thanks to this list, I finally understand all the people who find classic rock bland. These songs are indistinguishable from each other. Highlights: YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH

I wasn't ready to actually enjoy this? But ok. Reminded me a bit of Billy Idol while his voice also sounded a tiny bit like Glenn Danzig. Fun stuff!

Asks and answers the question “what if rock was boring?”

Always forget how much I enjoy the cult

Ok, mostly forgettable

In the course of doing this project, I've realized something important about '80s metal: it is the inverse of '80s movies ratings. If I go back and watch a movie from the '80s that is rated PG-13, I often find myself thinking, "man, there sure is a lot of language and innuendo in this for something rated PG-13!" Movie ratings back then were just not quite as strict as they are now. The opposite is true when it comes to MUSIC from the '80s. I listen to these '80s metal bands that were so controversial back in the day and think, "Man, these are really tame. I hear worse than this on the radio in the grocery store." The big, bad, scary metal is just... safe. Nothing to get fussed about. Anyway, this was... fine. Glammy hair metal isn't my jam but it's alright for what it is.

Weh

it is what it is

Consistently good, but maybe because the songs are so similar, they all blend in and I can't really tell them apart.

Typical rock band fair, it's OK, not something I would add to my listening plan. The cover of Born to be Wild is awful.

This is just the sexiest album.

Das Album davor ist besser

Pretty good although nothing too special. I probably won't listen to it again tho.

This is the story of how a second-rate gothic-rock, "postpunk" band became a *third-rate* hair-metal band. Which, obviously, is anything but an upgrade. Yes, of course, *Electric* sold a lot of unit shifters in 1987. But it only took three or four years for this hackneyed and heavy-handed album to become irremediably outdated. And thank goodness for that: it's good that general audiences did not linger in such bland and/or ridiculous territories for years on end, at least. Producer Rick Rubin has been a rather positive force for many acts of all stripes (from Beastie Boys to Johnny Cash). But here, one wishes he had abstained from taking part in such a wreck. Opener "Wild Flower" is still a *listenable* hard rock cut, admittedly. Yet everything after depends on your own personal mileage on "cornball, retro-moronic" stuff, to use the words of fanzine *Trouser Press*... Was about to give a quite benevolent 2/5 grade to this *thing*, if only because I didn't want to judge something *willingly* designed to be shallow and *mind-numbing-fun* (a-hem) in unneccesary harsh terms. But then I heard that cover of Steppenwolf's "Born To Be Wild"... Turns out that it's so BAD that its mere inclusion in the tracklisting took out a whole point from my initial grade for this LP. It's one thing to play corny or vulgar stuff in a somewhat competent fashion, just because it's supposedly "funny" or unpretentious to do so. But it's another thing to be insulting to large parts of your intended audience just by playing particularly unmusical arrangements, or pretending that your dumb groans and rattles could be considered as "singing" by anyone having a shred of good taste left in their soul. 1/5 for the purposes of this list of "essential albums". Which, quite frankly, translates to a 3/10 or 4/10 grade for more general purposes (5 *minus* 1 or 2). Next, please.... Number of albums left to review: 296 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 310 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 169 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many other records are more important to me): 228 (including this one)

Rockin album, not bad at all

Starts interesting, but feels mediocre and repetitive after a few songs.

Right ear...Left ear. Guitar front and center. Pretty straight forward rock 'n' roll capturing the guitar sounds and licks of other earlier bands. Solid voice for the style and enjoyable. Not the best of lyrics but good enough.

Really enjoyed this album.

What is this middling no-hit unwonder?

Blast from the past. Crunching hook-laden riffs. Inane lyrics. Fun ride!

The guitar riffs are solid but the vocals just sound like they're trying too hard to be ACDC. I feel like this could've been very good with a little more originality; I've heard this kind of music done better by several other bands. I listened to Love after this and I really feel like that's the one that should've made this list. 2.5 because it's unoriginal but at least enjoyable. Highlights: Lil' Devil, King Contrary Man, Love Removal Machine

today it was not up my allee. maybe another day it would be different

Pretty cool album, I dug the vibes! Recognized one song (if not two) but wasnt sure if they were the original songs or covers (I assume the former). Not sure Id really ever heard The Cult before so Im interested in checking them out more.

Never been a big fan.

Great album, one of the reasons I came here was for groups I knew I needed to listen to more of and never would get around to on my own. The Cult is great, added 3 or 4 songs, could've easily been doubled

Dudes rock

Ok, nothing special.

Pretty fun listen

If you asked Chat GPT to write a classic hard rock album, I’m pretty sure this is what it would spit out.

4.2 - Besides "Back in Black" I struggle to think of another album with a more cock-forward rock sound. It'd be a shameful self-parody if it weren't so goddamn spectacular. Ian Astbury's voice is a triumph, and William Duffy's guitar solos on "Bad Fun" and "Love Removal Machine" are breathtaking.

Brilliant. At last! A decent album in this otherwise mediocre and uninspiring list and one which I've not heard before. Imagine AC/DC jamming with the Rolling Stones...yeah, that's right. It rocks.

Wow! I was surprised by this album. I did not know who The Cult were before this list, but this is one helluva head-banging rock album. Very hard rock, 80s, glammy metal feel. I do not know why it is so low rated, but I highly recommend fellow metalheads to give this one a listen! Favorite Song(s): "Wild Flower", "Bad Fun", "Love Removal Medicine", "Aphrodisiac Jacket", "Lil Devil"

You Rock

Foda

3/5. The description I heard of the Cult picking up an AC/DC sound rings really true with this album.

Love it. Rockin'. Will be listening to them more

Yes!!@

Rating: 6/10

Si me gustó , no es mi estilo preferido pero está bien

No she sells sanctuary!? No hits? It was OK.

It's fun to be bad to the bone.

I really enjoyed this.

This is just rock. Kind of weird to hear almost in the context of the late 80s. Just plain old rock. Not bad.

A hard-rocking post-punk album with some elements of proto-desert sludge-rock and a 'power' backbeat reminiscent of AC/DC. Although the album's sound is not unique in the modern context, that is due to its imitators than any lack of ingenuity by The Cult. Overall, it's an accessible album that, while a hard-rock revival of sorts, sounds *fun* while it rocks. Arguably the weakest track on the album is "Born to be Wild" which seems toothless and sleepy in its slowed version -- an old wolf waiting to die.

Si en las escuelas hubiera una asignatura sobre el Hard Rock no tengo ninguna duda de que \"Electric\" sería el disco de texto, la Biblia. Simplemente perfecto.

Soft 4

This is some terribly generic hard rock. A few songs ripped, but most just ripped ass.

Rick Rubin, I can smell you.

Incredible lead in to the album with Wild Flower. In fact almost all the songs have a great intro. That's the power of guitar solos followed quickly by banging drums. "Hit those skins explode my brain".

This is great raw smokey-bar rock band swagger. High energy and old school rock band, with guitar solos and sneering vocals. Really enjoy this, though I'm deducting a star for how bad their Born to be Wild cover is.

2 stars

This kind of immediately fell into the background as I listened, filed under British proto-metal/heavy rock. After the fact, while reading the unusual song titles, I wondered if there was more going on lyrically that I failed to pay attention to.

It's ok. Kinda like a slightly goth Thin Lizzy.

Solid

This record sounds like hair metal but better. It was actually pretty enjoyable to me. This genre from this time period can often times come across as super cheesy to me but this record didn't feel as cheesy. I don’t think I’d ever revisit the album but it was easy to listen to. Born to be Wild is a classic but it’s a bit cheesy. Reminds me of my dad.

Quite generic rock

Inoffensive mtv-era 80s hard rock. Reminiscent of AC/DC with a tiny bit of Zepplin. Not particularly bad just a bit soulless. Seems like they were trying to keep up with the “metal mayhem” fad so they shifted their sound.

Fun driving rock n roll

Meh, I remembered this as being way better than it is. It all sounds the same, but they don’t have the skills to get away with it like say AC-DC. Immediately recognizable, but also kind of tiresome and repetitive. The songs all blend into one karanging power chord with Wolf Child yarling over the top.

Ugh, another 80s hard rock band. Just samey on every song. Not terrible, just incredibly boring and repetitive. The same song 11 times over. Even within a song the structure is so vanilla and uninteresting. 2*. Isn't Love removal machine straight out of the Rolling Stones? The born to be wild cover was mid at best. YOOOWWW

This album started off well with “Wild Flower” but it was pretty much downhill from there. You can definitely hear Rick Rubin’s influence (especially considering how much this sounds like his work with Danzig). Overall just kind of boring and not memorable.

Ok album but nothing special

A solid album but left me wanting a little more.

Not sure I’ve heard of them. Another “Hard Rock” album from 1987. Not sure what makes rock ‘hard’ - apparently driving melodies, few ballads, guitar solos, loud drumming, vocals near to shouting/screaming. Quite enjoying so far. Another low 4/5 - not adding to library but enjoy hard rock clearly.

I remember this band from the 80s when they were popular. Listening to this album, I have a similar response now to how I felt then: yes, they are very skilled musicians, but, to me, I'm just not that interested.

Sounds like Billy idol et al, from that period. Upbeat and unfiltered rock

Hard rock, met een uitstekend begin van het album (eerste twee nummers). Daarna wordt de gitaarmuziek toch wel veel van hetzelfde.

Ik sluit me aan bij Sander's commentaar: Met She sells sanctuary was er in ieder geval nog een reden om te blijven luisteren.

Waar is She Sells Sanctuary als je haar nodig hebt.

Ach ik ben in een goede bui en kon de energie die de Cult bracht wel waarderen.

this was a very bold move at the time, pre-grunge nobody was mixing punk & classic rock, it’s obviously a bit cringe in places but duffy is a rock god and astbury means every stupid word he says

3.5

Just not for me

Mix of classic and new age rock. Hint of inxs .

Decent, in every sense of the word.

2/11, 18%

This album is trash. Derivative, sell out trash. They were much better when they were goth...

After second o third song is kind of the same thing Bad Fun is very badass

Tykkäsin! Muutaman 2000-luvun bändin selkeä esikuva.

Ei puhutellut

Rather enjoyed. Great 80s rock. 4/5

Great AC/DC-like guitar riffs! Standouts: Wild Flower, Lil' Devil, Born to Be Wild, Love Removal Machine Others: Peace Dog, Aphrodisiac Jacket, Electric Ocean, Outlaw, 4/5

First thought was it sounded rather generic. But it won me over, would have loved to hear this stuff live.

A fun listen yet again. Might listen again, born to be wild is a banger.

I hear Guns n Roses, AC DC and Led Zepp tones in there. Was decent

6/10. I quite liked this one

Perhaps the most generic hard rock I've ever heard. 6/10

There’s something likable in the direct line of attack and power of the simple combo structure. “Fire Woman” rocks pure and strong with a compelling hook right out of the gate. But this too quickly gets into repetitive and doofy rock territory. One thinks of a slightly kinder and gentler AC/DC but with lyrics only moderately less sophomoric. No one will go mistaking these lines for the work of Yeats or Dylan. The verging into Thin Lizzy territory (see opening of “Love Removal Machine.”) is no good for anyone and the Steppenwolf cover is ill-advised on several levels, putting a fork into the record as far as one’s interest goes. Recognizing that Monsieur Rubin might call one a pussy for saying so, but Love, is a far better record (and not only because it featured several tunes that made it onto one’s personal late ‘80s mixtapes); it has more range and texture and – crucially – no Steppenwolf covers. In other words, it offers much more by being considerably less Rubin-esque.

3.1

Dumb butt rock...other older Cult much better. Couldn't wait for it to finish. 1.5/5

Very good. Doesn’t age that badly.

Some great 80s rock. TIL The Cult did a cover of Born to be Wild... Not huge on it. Good finish.

Fairly dull, and outdated for its time, hard rock. Every song captures the same vibe. Bad Fun was featured in THPS4, so there's at least a little nostalgia for me there.

Ach, toto som nepocul roky a pritom to bol celkom smak

A derivative of AC/DC, but with less annoying vocals and slightly smarter lyrics. There were times when I could see this as a natural stepping stone from hard rock/metal to grunge. Very possible that Alice In Chains and Soundgarden borrowed from this sound. The Born To Be Wild cover is bad, but overall this album is pretty decent. If anyone still knew who the Cult was, especially in the US, I could see the relevance of this at sporting events and testosterone fueled evenings.

2.5

3,5

They are very competent, this is a good band, but they feel like if Danzig's voice was boring, or Led Zeppelin was less charismatic. Born to be Wild is a rock standard, but I don't see myself listening to the rest of the album again.

Never got the fascination for these guys. Maybe it was the overplay of Fire Woman on FM radio. Killed them for me. Singers voice is quite annoying. Reminds me of Morrissey singing rock. Not quite as whiny. Equally annoying. Maybe a 2.5 here

3.5 would be a4 if I liked 80s Rick more

The late 80s hard rock is not for me. I get it, I just think it's boring and overplayed. Not interested in this stuff.

Definitely uncool and working in established tropes, but tbh flat out rocks hard

“Are you in here listening to d-tier butt rock” —craig 1.5/5

Never had listened to the Cult. Pretty standard 80s hard rock. I really liked the vocalist, reminded me of Danzig.

Very fun listen!

Not my thing at all. I try to reserve 1 star for stuff I truly hate. This one comes pretty close.

Court, solide, efficace

3/5. I did enjoy this album, and it's glam and hard rock vibes. Definitely trying to be multiple different bands but hey, it was fun to listen to. The songwriting, pretty basic, but they rocked out and the production was amazing. Felt fresh and new despite the 80's release date.

Heavy metal. It's ok.

All the songs sound the same but it's a good heavy beat.

Might have given there stars but "Born to be wild" annoys me soooo much. Boomer music.

Not particularly innovative but it rocks

Hard rock. Me ha gustado. Un 4.

I could handle these guys a little bit more than the other heavy bands in the day. They had a good song, Sanctuary. Too bad it's not on this album.

Holy ACDC!! But while the guitar riffs are very similar, I prefer Ian Astbury's voice, and the lyrics aren't as dumber down. 100,000 more Canadians bought this than Brits!

These guys are a Brit AC/DC if you will. This is slightly better than their hair band peers, but not by much. I was close to giving this a 2 but then I thought better of it.

Hard rock and I'm not sure why I don't hear more about The Cult now.

pretty good, for hairmetal, though there's not a lot of variety to the music.

Kid: “Mom, mom, can we get the new AC/DC album please?!" Mom: "We have AC/DC at home honey." AC/DC at home... This was pretty much disposable from start to finish. Completely derivative of any and every mainstream rock band of the 70s with a glossy hair metal production sound. Your dad probably loves it.

The Cult sold their gothic rock sanctuary for THIS?!

standard classic rock album

3.5. I haven't listened to much of their stuff before, and this was good fun

Mid tempo riff-rock, with some nifty guitar solos and a gruff sounding vocalist. It's all a tad to mainstream sounding for a band that named themselves "The Cult". Also I couldn't really hear much of the words but I'm pretty sure I haven't missed anything that important.

Didnt have the one song i know but still enjoyable rock and big hats

Cheesy & predictable, but somehow more fun than I had any right to expect

Soft rock bollocks

Not sure what to make of this. It kinda feels like an AI generated Queen tribute band.

Unbelievably dull rawk, which managed to bore me even as I ended up using it as background music. YAWN. I realise I have given Zep and AC/DC high scores before. The difference is 1) They do it with passion 2) They remembered to include tunes, not just constipated wailing and 3) They did it first.

Some songs sound like they have AC/DC style riffs. Pretty damn good. Had no clue I was going to like this! 3.5

I’m pretty sure I’ve heard this band every weekend at The Deer Park Tavern in Delaware. 2/5

Not for me

3.4

A poor man's Deep Purple really. I feel I outgrew this stuff by the time I hit 20; so it's not for me but I can understand why they'd be pretty good for heavy rock fans. Nothing against it, just not my taste.

This surprised me. My first thought was ok, let's get this over with.... But, surprisingly - I enjoyed it. I even liked their version of Born to be Wild. I do know the Cult, and I think I have heard one of their other albums, but I look forward to listening to this one again. Strong first listen. 3/5

Regular stuff

This was a fun album and it was easy to get into and enjoy. The singer has the typical 80’s rock and roll voice that compliments the music so well. I don’t think I would listen to this regularly, but I can appreciate some of the forefathers of hard rock and roll and their contributions to the genre.

This album felt like a rip off of AC/DC and Led Zeppelin. I get that in an age where hair metal rules supreme, that straight hard rock was against the grain, but this album added absolutely nothing new to the conversation.

First impression, this band seems like it's trying too hard. I am particularly annoyed by the "yow!" and "yay-ah!" sounds the lead singer likes to do, they sound phony the way he does them. Also the showy testosterone induced guitar solos, combined with the whole vibe of the album cover just support my feeling about it. There a fun-ness about this album that's appealing, but mostly it's just rubbing me the wrong way - too many rock n roll tropes.

If I wanted to listen to AC/DC, or some shit like that, I would, not this desperate reinvention.

It sure is a band.

Reminds me of Danzig. This is an above standard Hard-Rock album. However, it gets quite monotonous after about 3/4. 3.5/5

Seems like pretty standard 80's rock. Nothing really stood out to me.

Legal porém não muito

I recognize The Cult. It’s okay but no need to listen again.

Had a couple of classics on there.

How the fuck did this all-songs-sound-EXACTLY-the-same album make it onto the 1001 list? No way is this an essential listen. This band has one decent song, She Sells Sanctuary, and it's not even on this album. Fail, list makers.

Too many oh yeahs became an oh no

Love Removal Machine and Born to Be Wild was a solid 1-2 punch. Good album overall! Songs like Peace Dog & Outlaw felt a little repetitive.

punchy, sounded like a group of friends jamming out in the garage on a Saturday night! I liked this album a lot but could have left out the cover of Born to be Wild without missing anything in my opinion. 3.5*

very fun album! 3*

It's '80s rock in the same vein as Guns 'n' Roses, so if you're into that then you'll probably enjoy this. The sound reminded me a lot of Danzig, at times, which is odd as I haven't thought about them in many years. Something which I haven't seen other people talking about is the impressive production quality of the whole thing. The guitars sound massive and the drums are powerful, but that's perhaps not too surprising when you consider that Rick Rubin was at the helm.

Not their best. Try Ceremony or Sonic Temple

Classic, if fairly mainstream, rock. No surprise to find out Rick Rubin was involved. A few great songs, and possibly the worst cover version I have ever heard, but on the whole really good. Not five stars, but way too good for three!

This album has one good song (Love Removal Machine), a bunch of okay ones, and a truly terrible version of "Born To Be Wild." Skip this one and go for "Love" - The album that was released a year or two before this one.

Tof hardrock album. Niet erg speciaal of opvallend, maar heb er mij wel mee geamuseerd

Pretty standard popular 80s rock. You have the edgy band members with the I don’t care attitude jamming out. But in all that edginess, they still cover a song that’s a classic about being wild. That doesn’t seem wild to me. That’s why this album is good but nothing great. 6.4/10

Generic rock, there's no way this is in the top 1000 albums ever 2/5

Ох, спасительный альбом из тройки В начале думал что какой-то базовый рок из гаража бати (думал что надо прям пиво взять чтобы дослушать до конца) Но он меня вернул к времени когда хард рок решили мешать с тяжелеком и получали то ли motorhead то ли slayer. Короче, прям приятно и драйвово. Добавил пару песенок к себе

I fucking love this album! I'd really only know She Sells Sanctuary by The Cult and never got deeper into the catalogue. But damn, this was a real tour de force! It gives you non-stop rock and a snarling badass delivery of it to boot. Killer record, man. The Cult rules! I'll be listening to this one again and again, added to my regular rotation.

Trash

usually classic rock is offensively bland. This was just bland, so that is a plus. Shouldn't have read the review about the yeahs before listening, it was all i could hear!

Wasn't very interested in this album, it has some good energy and the vocals are not bad, but it doesn't have anything to make it more than a generic British rock album. Final thoughts: Eh. Generic. Genre: Hard rock, 1987. Rating: 3.1/5

Infumables. Volvemos al bodrio musical.

Hard rock

2 3

Love Removal Machine //

AC/DC style riff rock with Jim Morrison vocals. I like it. Electric Ocean reminds me of Alice in Chains and the Cult is likely an influence for them.

Listened Before? N These guys are great hard rockers. Similar to AC/DC in the US with a better vocalist. I enjoyed this album, and I wasn't familiar with any of the songs other than the big hit "Love Removal Machine". I will say, I do like the vocalist but his voice gets a bit old IMO. Also, the cover of Steppenwolf's "Born to be Wild" is horrible. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Love Removal Machine

Makes me want to wash my trans am

Not my cup of tea

Fine, but still just as dull and macho as it was when it never interested me the first time around

Hadn’t listened to much of the cult before, pleasantly surprised by this one, up their with the best hard rock albums I’ve heard.

Not for me but not as headache inducing as expected

Good alternative to the hair metal of the time

I'd say an average hard rock album. At some point I couldn't even distinguish when one song ended and another started.

THE cliche 80s rock. Time capsule record right here. This should he a soundtrack to a retro 80s movie.

Rubin communes with the gloriously dumb, to a production certainty that covers many other uncertain sins.

If you asked an AI audio model to generate a hard rock album from 1987 this is what it would give you

Generic 80s hair band stuff that I enjoyed until I got to their cover of Born to Be Wild, which is so laughably bad that it made me realize that I could have spent today listening to a better 80s hair band

This just a good old fashioned rock album. Great licks, fun song subjects, and high energy. It’s clear which bands influenced them and I think I could pick out a few bands they influenced. Tons of fun, but not so good it earns 5 stars.

I honestly think that going from a post punk band to a hard rock band feels a bit like they’re getting worse as a band in my opinion. I’m honestly not a big fan of the band or anything so this might be better than the post punk stuff but this is generic as fuck 3/5.

The Cult has such a classic bad boy/punk sound to them, really helped by Ian Astbury's almost growling vocals. He really shines throughout this album. Bad Fun is arguably the best track on this album, and it's shocking to me that it isn't their most listened to tracks from the album. I remember absolutely jamming to this track playing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater back in the day. Not every track is a hit here, and I can definitely appreciate the sentiments that this is somewhat generic. But it's also just too good to not love. This is the kind of album you jam all the way down the highway to (or skate to).

Seems like very standard ‘87 cock-rock to me. I assumed The Cult were more interesting than this?

It's funny, I know one album quite well by The Cult, but only one. I've never heard any of these before. You have to say the guitar is slammin' and just a great rock sound throughout alongside the driving drums. This is a hard partying, hard working band. But, it lacked the emotion of songs like "She Sells Sanctuary" for me. Were the ones I love better or just attached to memories. I can't say for sure.

Would love to hate this band for their inflated egos and late 80's bullshit and pullin 'all the fine honeys', but the fact is that this album is an underappreciated highlight in an gluttonous rock-saturated decade. Billy Duffy is an incredibly underrated guitarist and the blast from Ian Astbury's 'yeahh-aha-ahs' put them in a league of their own. Back in the day, these guys presented a cool factor that was super-douchey yet regrettably, enviable. Time has not been kind to these guys, victims of their own success, they're still touring but withered, fat and flat... truly in the form that you'd expect them to be.

I don't know what The Cult sounded like on their first two albums, but apparently their third album, "Electric," embraced a hard rock style that strayed from their gothic roots. It seems that producer Rick Rubin may be to thank for that. Rubin was incredibly influential in the evolution of hip hop in the early 80s before becoming a hard rock hitmaker, but "Electric" seems like a bit of a miss compared to his catalog. It has almost all of the hallmarks of 80s hard rock, but it's missing something that is hard to place. I think it lacks catchiness? Singer Ian Astbury has the vocal wails to fit the genre. The guitars and drums are fine, if unspectacular. But there are no bombastic choruses that get stuck in your head despite your best efforts. In fact, the catchiest song is "Born to be Wild," a cover of a Steppenwolf song written by Mars Bonfire that doesn't quite match the original. Steppenwolf gets no placement on the 1001, and I'm not sure The Cult needed to be either.

Rick Rubin worked his magic. This is a really good 80s hard rock album. Up until the last two tracks, I was ready to give it a 4. But those last two tracks made me reevaluate the album again…twice. And the more I listen, the more it sounds like AC/DC’s little brothers. It just sounds a bit derivative in the end.

Nice rock music that wasn’t too hard/heavy.

Enjoyed while driving. Really classic sounding hard rock to me. Nothing ended up getting saved though. 2.7

Great voice, great album

Normally I don't like it when every song on an album sounds the same, but this was awesome. Best song is "Love Removal Machine" but after hearing the whole album, I think that's because it was the first song of theirs I'd ever heard.

Apparently the engineers on this record sought to precisely replicate the guitar sounds from Back in Black, the drum sound from Highway to Hell and the voice sound from Led Zeppelin. To be fair, they nailed it and created a big slab of easy access classic rock. However, the songs are fine, but nothing more and the cover of Born To Be Wild is spectacularly horrendous. I saw The Cult at Reading 2001. I don't remember much about it, but I do hope I've not subconsciously plagiarised Aphrodisiac Jacket for the next Bumblecheek album. Rating: 2.5/5 Playlist track: Love Removal Machine Date listened: 31/08/23

Some songs are fun, but most are too slow to be good to rock out to, and that's really the only thing they have to offer.

I'm reaching the 700 albums listened to here and was missing this kind of Hardrock. Maybe it is my mood or the fact that I got too much country and electronic music and didn't get enough glam/hard rock yet, but the energy around this album is all I enjoyed when I discovered this kind of music. I'll surely listen to more of The cult, even knowing Wikipedia that this release is different from their previous albums. By the way, his producer's Wikipedia description of this album as a mix of AC/DC and Led Zepellin is quite accurate for reference. Nice job, mister Rick Rubin.

Wow, this does not hold up. Very generic rock.

Doubt i will ever give this one another spin, but as a one-off eighties-hard-rock amusement this one definitely rocks

Super bland and one-dimensional. I did not like it. I recognized one slightly catchy song, "born to be wild"... But I've honestly always hated the sound of that song.

Quality 80s rock that thankfully doesn’t sound too 80s. I don’t think I need to return to this one but it was fun Great album cover. Great guitar work 3

Pretty decent hard rock with some cool moments

Sött

I was all in on The Cult before Rick Rubin got involved, and I tend to favor their previous album over this one. That's mainly because of the "hits", or their legacy songs if you will. This album is more consistent overall (there's not a skippable track, I even enjoy the Steppenwolf cover). This was apparently back when Rubin actually brought something to the table, before his main role as a "producer" was to just sit back and say, "Sounds good" whenever he heard something he liked. It's still surprising The Cult never completely broke through in the states.

That was unexpectedly good. I was expecting dumb hard rock from late 80s and that’s exactly what I got only it somehow sounded really good. I wonder what made the difference and I think that it was this characteristic vocal tone. I read that they were doing more gothic stuff before making this record so that makes sense. It made the album stand out among all of the bands that sounded almost exactly the same. A nice dose of refreshing fun. Only the Born to be wild cover is reaaaally bad. 3.5/5

Awesome guitar riffs. Great heavy metal, but nothing original.

The singer does a halfway decent Jim Morrison impression. Otherwise nothing very interesting or impressive about this. Simplistic guitar riffs, basic rock rhythms, insipid lyrics. Meh. 2 stars.

Wow, was decent until Born to Be Wild. Oof.

Pure fun rock and roll. Fave tracks, Electric Ocean and Love Removal Machine.

I weirdly like this more than I probably should. Don't normally have any time for cock rock, but this doesn't put my hackles up. Maybe it's the splash of goth in the mix. That "Born to be Wild" cover isn't great though, eh? Fave tracks - "Wild Flower" is a fun opener, and "Love Removal Machine" was good too...

I only know She Sells Sanctuary, which is a banger, and not here. Straight ahead rock, pretty forgettable. The book said it had outstanding singles but I completely tuned out the first one so I disagree. Love Removal Machine sounds like about 3 different ACDC songs mixed with She Sells Sanctuary. Why the shite Steppenwolf cover? Pass.

Not good.

Great sound and enjoy the single but over a whole album it gets a little one paced and samey.

Buttrock with eyeliner!

the fuck kind of joke is this? make us listen to a full album of incredibly average local rock pub rock made for men in faded black van halen t shirts and stonewashed jeans on the proviso that you will get to hear she sells sanctuary to then not be sold any sanctuary at all. my emotions have been toyed with in a way that is unreasonable.

Not as good as anything by Dead Aggressive Wank. Especially Bloodfart.

I just don't get it. Like, whatever it is that I'm supposed to hear in this album that makes it significant, I just don't hear it. Also, their cover of Born to Be Wild is just the normal song, but not as good. 2/5

Excelente disco de rock con canciones muy bien elaboradas, con guitarreo trepidante y voz intensa. No baja el ritmo en ningún momento. Le faltaría algo de innovación, pero no es un elemento necesario

+1 for "Love Removal Machine" -1 for "Born to Be Wild" 3/5

The dial did not move much on this. I did not recognize and of the songs and I have no desire to revisit. It was only about 40 minutes which was a plus. I will round down.

Parece divididos

This was some weak stuff. Pale imitations of other artists.

Overall a decent album but can't understand why it's on the list

generic hard rock

Ooh this went down a treat! Really suited a long and surprisingly smooth motorway drive, up to Yorkshire funnily enough. Seems a lot of people don't like this one, but I thought it was just a good, fun, heavy, glam metal rush. Favourite: Bad Fun

Rock n roll bb

No.

Look man I fuckin love The Cult. They understood the assignment of "rock & roll" at a time when a lot of groups didn't. I'd be all about Sonic Temple being among the 1001, maybe even Love if I'm uncreative that day. But Electric? Cmon, this is just AC/DC for Bowie fans. The Cult at their least creative, least diverse. It's certainly not BAD music to have a bar fight to, but it just doesn't belong in this project.

Enjoyable, but it felt like a purposeful ripoff of so many things.

Gros rock pour le genre de band année 80 . Très bon, pas trop long, ac cogne et c'est parfait comme ca. 4.5

Innocuous enough but decidedly a 2. Just kinda like human wallpaper.

This sounds like a generic 80's rock album, trying to be the next ACDC. Electric starts off strong then falls flat early in and turns to average riffs and samey-songs, although I cannot deny some songs are pretty perfect. Astbury's vocals are nothing special and sound rather generic, this is a mountain of consistency. Favorites: Wild Flower / Peace Dog / Lil' Devil / Outlaw

Situat entre 'Love', on van sublimar i donar per acabada la seva etapa gótica, i 'Sonic Temple', que els va impulsar a la primera divisió de bandes de rock als 80, 'Electric' és més un meritori exercici de génere que una obra mestra del rock, com de vegades se l'ha volgut catalogar. Les seves virtuts són les pròpies de la banda: riffs potents, composicions originals i diferents, i la veu inigualable d'Astbury

Genres: Hard rock, blues rock, gothic rock, R&B, glam metal Formed: Bradford, England in 1983 Run time: 11 songs, 38 min, 52 sec The third album by the British rock band. Combining the distinct vocals of lead singer Ian Astbury with the instrumentals makes the group's music identifiable within a few bars of starting a song. The album is essentially about love, lust and embracing life to the full. Spotify: Least popular song: >800k Most popular song: almost 22M plays. Track 1, “Wild Flower” is said to be about love. It is actually describing lust and its effects. Track 2, “Peace Dog” is critical about war and its glorification and how peace is sometimes portrayed as a dirty word. Track 3, “Lil’ Devil” is about being drawn to a bad girl and the excitement and danger she might bring to the protagonist's life. Track 4, “Aphrodisiac Jacket” uses abstract imagery to describe an energy driving life and pushing through obstacles. Track 5, “Electric Ocean” describes being drawn to something dangerous. Track 6, “Bad Fun” describes embracing life by being wild and reckless. Track 7, “King Contrary Man” discusses the desire for extraordinary experiences without considering the consequences. Track 8, “Love Removal Machine” the song begins by mentioning a “red room” and a “scarlet woman”, which suggests to me this is about an encounter with a professional lady. She provides sexual excitement but not the love the obsessed protagonist seeks . Track 9, “Born To Be Wild” is a great cover of the Steppen Wolf song. It is, however, very similar in style to the original. Track 10, “Outlaw” is about a man rebelling against authority and social norms. He takes out his anger on small towns, suggesting he’s not as tough as he makes out. Track 11, “Memphis Hip Smoke”. Memphis Hip is a dance move associated with Rock ‘n’ Roll. This is a great album with some fantastic songs. Definitely worth a listen. If you get to see the Cult live, they still know how to Rock and they sound exactly the same. Amazing. Listen Again?: Yes My Rating: ****

Ok, a little to hard rock for me.

Highlights: Love Removal Machine, Bad Fun, Electric Ocean Leave Em's: Born To Be Wild, Peace Dog, King Contrary Man Overall Thoughts: A classic rock album that isn't trying to be anything more then what it is. I actually enjoyed this record more then I thought I was going to. The Rock and Roll sound shines through this album and I think they do a good job of not making the loud instrumentation and vocals abrasive. This album also embodies the sound that I imagine rock music taking in the late 1980's and early 1990's. Despite its predictability and lack of variety, The Cult did what they do well and produced a rock album that does rock. Score Breakdown: 3.173 & 4 -> 3.587

I'm into the 80s glam rock sound, but that Born to Be Wild cover is the kind of mistake that casts a shadow over the whole project. I shudder just thinking about it. Best track: Wild Flower

“Y-air, yeah, yeah, yay-air, ye-hay-air!”Thought I’d already reviewed this because I listen to it so often, must have mixed it up with AC-DC or Zeppelin! Riffs everywhere. All the different ways to say “yeah”! Influences stolen from all over, love The Beatles in Aphrodisiac Jacket. Simply outstanding balls out rock and roll. Amazed few other reviewers agree with me - hey-ho, never mind.

Sounds like a perfect Lost Boys soundtrack

So I felt like I've heard Born to be Wild in rock'n'roll racing, googled it, and it turns out not only all those bands sound the same, but they also literally play the same songs

genuinely the most uninteresting genre

Boring, standard 80s glam rock, nothing stands out to me

Some parts are kinda catchy, but this album is repetitive and kinda blockheaded. Less revolutionary and more retro for 1987, this felt like it came out earlier than it did. BT - Peace Dog - Aphrodisiac Jacket

I don't really need more of this kind of hard rock. Shouldn't it have been a bit dated already when it was released? Some allright riffs, but every song sounds like I have heard another band done better, and I'm not only talking about Born to be Wild.

I can't load any other reviews for this. Am I the first? Fuck yeah! Anyway, I'm a big fan of these guys. Sonic temple is better but only by a sliver. Has a distinctly 80s feel but also a timeless rock vibe. Like they knew about hair metal but only dipped their toes cause they knew it had a use by date. Perfect summertime beer music. 5/5.

Y'a pire mais on se fait chier

court😃 mais chiant🫤

possibly the worst album i’ve ever listened to its so bad, guns and roses dupe, awful, trash