@@bidouillette29 Initially Beggars released them individually in the early 90s. Wanna say 91? After they toured for Sonic Temple for sure. I understand they wanted more of their "LIVE" feel (Live at the Ritz is the best version of most Love songs you will here). Steve Brown kinda overdubbed the sound at Manor and it really was overdone, but then you had Rubin overdo it in the exact opposite direction. Too bad Brown and Rubin didn't work in the studio together and get a medium between the two. Ian and Billy blew it ditching him completely. I like Electric, but their peak was Resurrection Joe to late Love / tour era.
If they would have released this in 86 you would have never heard of The Cult. They did the right thing to dump everyone one involved in recording this and re-recording it with Rubin. Thank God!
@@kmortensen Complete conjecture that MANY including Steve Brown (RIP) disagree with. The reality, Electric f*cked them in terms of classifying as a 2nd class American rock band for jocks and AC/DC fans, rather than the true depth and talent they were about. They became less about being iconic and being a flavor of the moment, that's why they bombed out in the early 90s, when butt-rock died because of grunge the true damage of failed Rubin experiment became apparent. They were tossed aside in '91 rather than being able to transition into the 90s with the alternative acts of the era. That's the reality, Peace would've kept their alternative pedigree instead of catering to the US rock market. Chase trends, you become the trend, too. Total f*ckup by Ian and Billy. I'll go one step further, they'd be far more recognized if they'd not hooked up with Rubin and gone with Peace. Peace would be considered iconic along with Love. Electric is not iconic. It's unnecessary trend chasing for trend chasing that had the effect of screwing up how you are perceived as an artist. Butt-rock, gothic rock, post-punk or poseurs? That's what Electric did. They smartly walked it back a little bit with Sonic Temple.
@@zoso1980 The album was hot trash before they re-recored it. Nearly every band fell trap to the trend of the 90s. Having a hit record made them known world wide, presumably their desire. So stick to your art principles and keep working at the coffee shop and living in your mom's basement ya troll.
Wildflower is amazing on this EP. Electric ocean is incredible. The whole thing from strait to finish is spell binding. I found this after trawling back and liking Love. So I already knew about sonic temple and Electric. When I heard this I was spell bound. Yes I was a teenager into middle distance running and bar Sasha and John digweed this has been the biggest kick up the arse I’ve ever heard sonically. Seriously amazing.
My time in college during the late 1980's could not be defined without the music of the Cult. How this group doesn't get mentioned amongst the best rock/soul groups of all time is something I can't process. Absolutely Zeppelin are the kings of this genre, with close seconds being The Who and Deep Purple. But, I don't know how a fan of this music leaves the Cult out of the discussion of true rock royalty. They are better than any of the hair/glam bands of the 1980s and early 1990s, and the undeniable reality is this. Their music sounds just as good in 2023 as it did 35 years ago. It stands the test of time, which is all you really need to place a band at the top of the generational pyramid. Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy created a compilation of songs that few have ever been able to replicate. Long live THE CULT.
Well said and I agree completely, except with their recent albums I think they are as good or better than anyone, including the legends you mention. I can't listen to them anymore, they sound dated to me. The Cult does not at all.
I think Steve Brown (RIP) alluded to it in an interview how they aren't mentioned along with the greats. It's their tendency to "hop" genres. Alternative and goth, corporate cock rock, mainstream rock, then a weird stripped down thing that's still oddly perplexing (1994 LP). As where many of 70's greats evolved down a cohesive line, The Cult radically re-imaged themselves as they went shedding the previous audience they appealed to. From something iconic like Resurrection Joe to cheesy and corporate with a terrible cover of Born To Be Wild. Many of their fans fall into 'eras.' I've said before that had they evolved along the lines with Peace, they'd been much more cohesive. Perhaps not as big, but they'd have sustained their creativity and audience. They'd evolved more along the lines of the 70s bands before them. As When they "came" to the USA, they were a corporate cock-rock band. That's NOT who they were in England. Who The Cult are depends on what album and era you listen to them. That tendency to 'be all over the place' and especially that raw pixie dust magic that existed from Dreamtime through Peace, if they'd sustained that, I'm confident they'd be right up with The Cure in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As it stands, and their genre and audience hopping the magical core Stewart, Duffy, Astbury tended to get buried in corporate imagery and flights of rebranding tactics. I wish they'd evolved rather than chased dollars and trends. That magic and pixie dust could've stayed a lot longer and given us some amazing albums. Instead, the odd "left turns" such as gave us the corporate Electric or the odd 1994 LP are your answer. For everything great about them, occasionally going off the rails in another direction and almost turning into a totally different band isn't the best way to build an audience that follows you across the decades.
Ric Rubin's "Electric" was very much his own personal vision of what the band should sound like on record. I personally love the sound of the album, but it wasn't exactly what the band themselves had in mind. I'm glad these alternate versions exist.
The problem for me with both the Manor sessions and the Rick Rubin recordings was simply that Les Warner was a naff drummer. Steve Brown did his best to make the drums sound interesting, and Rubin opted for simplifying the whole approach so that the shortcomings didn't stand out. Mark Brzezicki had been a good choice for Love, but there was only ever one drummer for The Cult, and that was Nigel Preston. No one else they ever had could compare to him. He had the chemistry and the feel that made The Cult work in the first place. If you watch the old live at the Lyceum film, or "Resurrection Joe" on Whistle Test, or just listen to "She Sells Sanctuary" it is undeniable that Nigel Preston was the man.
The Cult is the most underappreciated rock group of all time. Ian Astbury is a legend. He is much more than a Jim Morrison tribute singer. Same with Billy Duffy, these dudes deserve Tier 1 status on the range of legends..
Too bad the misstep with Rubin and Electric cost them dearly. They got labeled as an AC/DC knock off. Never recovered from it. If only they'd gone with these mixes and the Peace album. I think they'd be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and recognized. Steve Brown (RIP) said it too, and I agree with him. He said Astbury and Duffy would be up with Page and Plant and Jagger and Richards. I don't think he's wrong. Rubin's 'mulletization' of them stripped them of everything they are and made them something they weren't. Long-term disaster. With the Manor sessions, they could've evolved into Sonic Temple's sound and been cohesive. Pandering to the mullet and the bar scene, was not them and screwed up how they were perceived forevermore.
While my bandmate was producing the demo for Atlantic prior to BGAE, I started hanging out w/Billy a bit. I told him that the 1st real concert I went to see was The Cult in Birmingham, Alabama. He remembered the night. He recalled meeting a hot black girl w/the "tightest lil' booty". Ian is a ball of joy to be around as well!
Wow! Talk about alternate universe here. This is great. Could be mixed a lot better, but wow, lots of great vibes here. Electric is amazing for different reasons. Electric has definitive attitude which is lacking here in places, but Manor has dreamy LOVE type sounds that just feel good. Glad to have both.
Rick Rubin made these songs into very sellable, classic rock like radio friendlies... I don't think the band would be mad about that... but these versions are true Cult to me... all the magic, mystique, and stardust that made me love them in the first place. I prefer these.
Totally agree brother. Have to believe recordings like this were influential on STP and AIC. They had some great change ups on the 80's hair metal that had a lot of substance. A lot of people didn't give us/that genre much credit, but any band that places its priority on outstanding guitar work, driving bass, pounding drums, and just great vocals has to give a little bit of credit to our scene. Even the bands that went with stripped down sounds and changed up the presentation still made us proud and we were enthusiastic feeling some ownership in their start. Not like in the form of debt, just genuine appreciation. Music frequently is a reflection of the times. The 80's were a party scene, coming out of the same conditions in the 70s we have right now. In the 90s everyone got serious, many got morose, but a lot of the same elements were there for many of the bands that changed things up. Almost as proof, just recently discovered Sisters of Mercy. No idea how we missed SOM first time around. Huge Type O, Love and Rockets, etc. fans. But, now the SOM cds get stuck in our car disc player for weeks, if not months at a time. lol ;) Come to think of it, Lucretia My Reflection extended, This Corrosion, More extended, Jeep extended, Vision Thing extended aren't bad sister tracks to this presentation of the Cult at the time. Very similar live presentation and power. Very cool.
I'm a massive Cult addict. Peace and Electric are two ENTIRELY different albums, two different genres. Electric was definitely a missive leap from what they did in Love. And a gamble. I read somewhere that Beggars Banquet were not impressed by Ian and Billy wanting to redo the Peace album since they had invested so much money in it. But the band almost didn't have a choice when they hired Rubin. Ian and Billy brought their recording of Brown's LRM to him and wanted it reproduced. Rubin agreed to it only under one condition, that he reproduce the entire album. I personally like this version of LRM a little more than the one on the Peace album, even though the differences are minimal (this version of LRM is the Price remix which was released only on this EP as well as The Best of Rare Cult compilation). But this is why I'm so obsessed with The Cult. They took, and continue to take, one giant leap after another over each album, reeling us in to another chapter. I try to collect every version of every song they (officially) released (including various mixes, edits, etc. but not live versions (they're too many of them)).
By chance, did you ever come across the live version of "Spiritwalker" that was issued on the double album Vertigo sampler here in Canada? I had at least 4 copies - don't ask me why I had to give them up. I have yet to find that specific version of "Spiritwalker" online as of this date.
@@mabuti66 This is not a live version. This is the regular album version (the timing is the same as on the album, also the producer,engineer is the same as on the Dreamtime album).
I cannot believe I found this- I lost my copy years ago. Thank you so much for the upload! I love Rick Rubin as much as the next guy, but I still loved the Manor Sessions before Rubin remixed everything.
This is epic and really loose. I think both versions have there merits... this had the more goth / 80's sound from it, More like you would expect from the previous cult albums. But Rubin's version made it a really tight blues rock classic which was fantastic also. It wouldn't be either or for me they sound totally different. You can also get both albums as a double on vinyl now. Essentially to me they sound nothing like each other. Remember the Cult were aiming to break the US at that time so Rubins production was imho perfect for that.
For this album… they opened for Billy Idol a few times- I followed them around like the groupie I was 😜😂 for their next album, Sonic Temple, which really made it big in the states, they headlined and Lenny Kravitz opened for them. Good Times! 😄
After you listen The Mannor Sessions you realize Rick Rubin destroyed their sound. Love and Peace are their best era along with Sonic Temple. My opinion.
@@MarianMuruzabal Electric is what really broke them out and logically lead to Sonic Temple and the later records. The band didn't like how these songs turned out and wanted something harder.
@@birdonawi think he was referring to that. Rubens work was crap compared to Manor House recordings. Even the cult got it wrong and lost a lot of early fan base. Just saying...
@@brianmartin1139 I have to disagree. This representation you hear on the Manor Session is closer to the logical progression towards Sonic Temple. Don't get me wrong, I still love Electric, but I do personally prefer the raw sound and connection sound wise to Love on the Peace version of the Electric album. For me this sounds flows far more suitably into the likes of Sun King, American Horse, Fire Woman, New York City, Automatic Blues and Edie (Ciao Baby) from Sonic Temple. Yes, Electric still led to Sonic Temple anyway, thankfully , but sound and style wise, I think the Peace stuff was better suited in that step.
Regardless of which version of the album they went with (Peace vs. Electric), nobody had their sound during this time. I really love both. But I honestly think Leather, Leslie Paul's & Rick Ruben brought these guys to a level that let the continue to grow. One of my all time, very favorite bands. Long live the Cult!!! 🎸😎🤘
Love the Peace album. I just found it recently in its entirety and it's really good. Zap City and Outlaw.. really good!! And as other people have said... Sun King, She Sells Sanctuary, Sweet Soul Sister... Are all there in bits and pieces. ❤️👍
It stands alone in a special way because what bands do you know that have a pro recording and then changes drastic direction and you can hear it and say wow. I love them both. Thank you for letting me hear it. What I was thinking in 90. The big box set.
I heard in interview with Steve Brown the recording engineer on this that the demo was dropped at Bensons studio with Steve written on the envelope intended for Steve Lilywhite. As a huge fan of his I wonder what his mix would have sounded like. I actually like listening to both mixes that were released. Hope to see these guys play live in a few days-2022
My impression is that the biggest change made by production was the guitar sounds etc. Seems like they originally wanted to sound more like they did on she sells sanctuary etc. With more delay etc. Seems like rick Rubin stuck to effects that were “in” at the time and weeded out the unique individuality of the sound.
Rubin got rid of Billy's Gretsch and all the guitar effects he was too reliant on. *'Here's a Les Paul and there's a Marshall.'* Big fat direct guitar sound to analog tape, loud rhythm section and dry vocals, a throwback '70s sound that predates GNR. They were still young kids at the time so it's interesting they were captured in such a raw form.
I used to have a copy of the Manor sessions on cassette back in the day. Wore that thing out. Great versions of these songs. Would have made an interesting double concept album to release them together.
absolutly love these versions, still got the cd XD but never listen to it, just listen on here, i can play nearly every Cult song ever writen on guitar :)
have to say this version is a recent revelation to me...I still remember picking up my pre ordered copy of electric from the record guy on our local market (he could get you anything on release day).. it blew my fucking mind...it was just so tight ...stripped back but in your face....what an awesome album! Here’s the thing...I love “ Love” just as much...the production etc, but those songs were written for that unique style too....and as an album it fkin kicks ass too....as muCh as this version of the tracks is in the sentiment of love plus x it’s neither or ...they made the right decision
it's still interesting that Billy used the same guitar melodies at the end of "Sun King" as in the manor sessions version of "Love Removal Machine". When i got my Rare Cult Box Set in the early 90s i was quite surprised to hear that and i still enjoy those recordings and the full "Peace" Album, which has been re-released a couple of years ago together with "Electric".
I love this. I wish there was a widely available reissue of this. It was a bit strange that they went from the neo hippie and goth sound and look to the denim and traditional hard rock route. Sort of like Spinal Tap going from 'Listen To The Flower People' to Rock N' Roll Creation '.
Love this ep .prefer this to electric ....this was the sound of the first warrior soul album too which I love ...but cult did it first. The massive wall of sound and guitar work of Billy duffy is epic.
Sonic Cult. The Alternative Cult band starts out Jan 29th at Stanleys Cask Wallasey. Then we have three gigs for Rockageddon 1: Colwyn Bay Rugby Club Fri 4 February. Derby Social Club Derby April 2nd and The New Continantal Hotel Preston 13th May.
These recordings were produced by Steve Brown and it was intended to be called the"Peace" album following up their successful "Love" album. But Brown has stated that the session was lacking the same vibe as their Love album sessions did. Thus these are the scrapped recordings! Brown did not like this nor (some) of the other members in the band, but they were re done by the band with Ric Ruben for the Electric album.
The band requested the re-recording, they wanted a more rock sound, less psychedelic, the manor sessions are very much in the same veign as Love, Electric was where they wanted to be at the time, I personally do prefer these recordings, but Electric was the correct choice, it broke America, was a huge success and without it they maybe wouldn’t be around today, Bands are allowed to evolve, to go in different directions, the ones that do last. The Cults new album is up there with their very best, yet sounds nothing like this, Electric or any of there other releases, definitely worth checking out Under the midnight sun
Well people always said was a pared down, raw producer. Maybe not every song deserved the Rubin treatment, and some of the Electric songs could have sounded more like Zeppelin than AC/DC.
I had this disc back in the late '80s and I'm happy to see it here. I love these versions of the songs, however in general there are way too many effects on the instruments, which is likely why they decided to go the Rick Rubin approach. Unfortunately, the sound quality of this upload is absolutely awful! Super compressed and squeaky-sounding. It would be great if someone could re-upload it at a higher sound quality. 👍
i think Rubin did alright with Outlaw, too much reverb and modulation for the tune itself. Should have left the rest of it alone. Manor Sessions rocks!
I think we can agree that the Rubin production got them on American radio, and that was the intent of the band. Electric Ocean stands out among the others, but I made be jaded because this was the version that appeared on the Out of Bounds soundtrack that got me searching for the Manor sessions back in the 80s. If you're like me, you favour the Cult in all its incarnations, but most of all the Mute/ Sire/ Beggars Banquet era.
These songs are way over-produced. You may not prefer the Rubin versions, but they (the songs) needed to be stripped down, at least some. The versions on this album are still good songs, and some of the parts that were scrapped made it into other songs on Sonic Temple. What Rubin did for the band at the time was needed, even if you believe that it could have been a little less drastic, which I wouldn't fault anyone for thinking.
The album that should have been. They never should have dropped their post-punk sound for 80s rock. Everything prior to Electric was *so* unique sounding. Once they went for the rock sound they just faded into the blur with all the other bands. They still made some great hits but they lost their "sound."
I have always thought that if you listen to Dreamtime, Love, Peace, then Sonic Temple in order, there is a real logical progression there; Sonic Temple has less of the psych/goth sheen, but it's still there under the surface. Electric, a great album in of itself, feels like the biggest white elephant in their entire catalogue. If I had one complaint about Peace, it is that there is more 'stuff' on the songs than on Love; they could have done with some trimming, but without changing the style. If you hear the demos on the Rare Cult box-set, the songs are really powerful.
I’ve never liked electric. Ghastly album. Yes I agree. Sonic temple is good old cult like love or whatever. Electric is an anomaly. I understand why they did it i just wish they hadn’t because if they’d stick to their guns they may have been a far more influential band now. Past ceremony it’s awful and that’s too much bombast anyway. Great songs when you bother to listen but also over produced nonsense. Sonic temple was the beginning of the end. Ironically their best track for me is American horse. A lot is just formulaic numbers. I still love them though. First gig I ever saw - sonic temple tour. My partner - her first ever gig was seeing their love tour. All Criticism comes from a good place
This was way superior to the final Rick Rubin product on Electric.Don't get me wrong,I like the album,but it was too far removed from their original sound for me.Nah,the Manor sessions are IT !
" but the original versions of the songs sounds like they are ripping themselves off" I find this with the Cult anyway (to an acceptable degree), but I agree, its too much here.
Dude, Electric was a success. That says enough about rubin, and where he put them, Of course personal taste is just that. But Rubin did a really good job
A great follow up to ❤️. Too bad, they went in the direction they did, Rick Rubin producing etc.... I saw them open up 4 Metallica back in 1988, people just booed & threw stuff @ them. Not to mention the goldfish incident @ the end of that same tour. Sad, great band turned poseurs, no wonder why Jamie Stewart left. Can’t blame him, he was one hella of a bassist.
Wow, this is a mess, too much of everything going on. When in doubt, the answer is not drench it in delay and phasing. Rubin earned his corn with this.
No, that obscurity, that happened in the 90s after Sonic Temple, when the legacy of the Electric misstep was fully apparent and got them classified as 80s butt rock, and even worse for Billy and Ian, the Electric misstep removed them from recognition in the 90s alternative rock genre which would've allowed them to slide into the 90s alternative scene with ease. Instead, the bottom fell out. Electric was a short term cash out for American audiences who flocked to AC/DC and proved a long term developmental disaster as it confused people as to who they were. Butt rock or alternative? I think their career path with Sonic Temple was secure if the Electric butt-rock experiment never happened. Steve Brown thought it, too. Brown thought it cost them more long-term, and I think he's right. Obscurity is a weighty assumption that is a wild guess at best. After Ceremony, the band has relied on their material to sell, radio airplay has been minimal proving the butt-rock stripped down AC/DC approach wasn't right the move. Rubin's remixing while successful at the time, didn't capture the band, or who they really were. It was repackaging that stripped them of their strengths. Rubin's mix is a colossal failure in capturing the artist's core, instead he made them AC/DC, in the vision he thought they should be while trashing their post-punk/alternative pedigree.
@@zoso1980 Could not agree more. I think Ceremony is a great album that got overlooked because of the residual Electric effect. Brown was right, I could never understand the hate for Ceremony, myself. Lotta great songs on that album. Would have proffered Rock over Zito, but he did ok with it.
You can say this or that, but the fact is, THE CULT became superstars after ELECTRIC. They were never a special band, but they did it right with Rick Rubin. They never did it again
Best version of love removal machine ever!
This is my favorite of everything The Cult ever did. Still have my CD of this one.
Hi ! these titles come from cd 3 of the rare cult box? that's it ? thank you
@@bidouillette29 Initially Beggars released them individually in the early 90s. Wanna say 91? After they toured for Sonic Temple for sure.
I understand they wanted more of their "LIVE" feel (Live at the Ritz is the best version of most Love songs you will here). Steve Brown kinda overdubbed the sound at Manor and it really was overdone, but then you had Rubin overdo it in the exact opposite direction.
Too bad Brown and Rubin didn't work in the studio together and get a medium between the two. Ian and Billy blew it ditching him completely. I like Electric, but their peak was Resurrection Joe to late Love / tour era.
If they would have released this in 86 you would have never heard of The Cult. They did the right thing to dump everyone one involved in recording this and re-recording it with Rubin. Thank God!
@@kmortensen Complete conjecture that MANY including Steve Brown (RIP) disagree with. The reality, Electric f*cked them in terms of classifying as a 2nd class American rock band for jocks and AC/DC fans, rather than the true depth and talent they were about. They became less about being iconic and being a flavor of the moment, that's why they bombed out in the early 90s, when butt-rock died because of grunge the true damage of failed Rubin experiment became apparent. They were tossed aside in '91 rather than being able to transition into the 90s with the alternative acts of the era. That's the reality, Peace would've kept their alternative pedigree instead of catering to the US rock market. Chase trends, you become the trend, too. Total f*ckup by Ian and Billy. I'll go one step further, they'd be far more recognized if they'd not hooked up with Rubin and gone with Peace. Peace would be considered iconic along with Love. Electric is not iconic. It's unnecessary trend chasing for trend chasing that had the effect of screwing up how you are perceived as an artist. Butt-rock, gothic rock, post-punk or poseurs? That's what Electric did. They smartly walked it back a little bit with Sonic Temple.
@@zoso1980 The album was hot trash before they re-recored it. Nearly every band fell trap to the trend of the 90s. Having a hit record made them known world wide, presumably their desire. So stick to your art principles and keep working at the coffee shop and living in your mom's basement ya troll.
1_Love Removal Machine 0:00
2_Wildflower 5:17
3_Electric Ocean 9:27
4_Outlaw 13:39
5_Bad Fun 18:45
Thank you, Sir!
I think they could put out these songs today and people would still listen to them. Timeless.
Love the version of Electric Ocean...always have time for The Cult & they didn't disappoint live either
It would've been massive on the radio in '86. 250%. Peace would've been massive, and be considered iconic next to Love had they done this.
Wildflower is amazing on this EP. Electric ocean is incredible. The whole thing from strait to finish is spell binding. I found this after trawling back and liking Love. So I already knew about sonic temple and Electric. When I heard this I was spell bound. Yes I was a teenager into middle distance running and bar Sasha and John digweed this has been the biggest kick up the arse I’ve ever heard sonically. Seriously amazing.
My time in college during the late 1980's could not be defined without the music of the Cult. How this group doesn't get mentioned amongst the best rock/soul groups of all time is something I can't process. Absolutely Zeppelin are the kings of this genre, with close seconds being The Who and Deep Purple. But, I don't know how a fan of this music leaves the Cult out of the discussion of true rock royalty. They are better than any of the hair/glam bands of the 1980s and early 1990s, and the undeniable reality is this. Their music sounds just as good in 2023 as it did 35 years ago. It stands the test of time, which is all you really need to place a band at the top of the generational pyramid. Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy created a compilation of songs that few have ever been able to replicate. Long live THE CULT.
Well said and I agree completely, except with their recent albums I think they are as good or better than anyone, including the legends you mention. I can't listen to them anymore, they sound dated to me. The Cult does not at all.
I think Steve Brown (RIP) alluded to it in an interview how they aren't mentioned along with the greats. It's their tendency to "hop" genres. Alternative and goth, corporate cock rock, mainstream rock, then a weird stripped down thing that's still oddly perplexing (1994 LP). As where many of 70's greats evolved down a cohesive line, The Cult radically re-imaged themselves as they went shedding the previous audience they appealed to. From something iconic like Resurrection Joe to cheesy and corporate with a terrible cover of Born To Be Wild. Many of their fans fall into 'eras.' I've said before that had they evolved along the lines with Peace, they'd been much more cohesive. Perhaps not as big, but they'd have sustained their creativity and audience. They'd evolved more along the lines of the 70s bands before them. As When they "came" to the USA, they were a corporate cock-rock band. That's NOT who they were in England. Who The Cult are depends on what album and era you listen to them. That tendency to 'be all over the place' and especially that raw pixie dust magic that existed from Dreamtime through Peace, if they'd sustained that, I'm confident they'd be right up with The Cure in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As it stands, and their genre and audience hopping the magical core Stewart, Duffy, Astbury tended to get buried in corporate imagery and flights of rebranding tactics. I wish they'd evolved rather than chased dollars and trends. That magic and pixie dust could've stayed a lot longer and given us some amazing albums. Instead, the odd "left turns" such as gave us the corporate Electric or the odd 1994 LP are your answer. For everything great about them, occasionally going off the rails in another direction and almost turning into a totally different band isn't the best way to build an audience that follows you across the decades.
Ric Rubin's "Electric" was very much his own personal vision of what the band should sound like on record. I personally love the sound of the album, but it wasn't exactly what the band themselves had in mind. I'm glad these alternate versions exist.
It was also a pile of shite
The manor sessions is the most electrifying thing they’ve ever recorded
Should of known RICK THE MAN RUBIN HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THIS HIGHLY EFFECTIVE SPIRITUAL ROCKING CREATORS
Actually, the Manor Sessions were recorded first. The band didn't like them and went to Rubin for some inspiration.
No, they really wanted to change their sound, that's why they recorded Electric with Rick Rubin
Such a Badass Sound!
The problem for me with both the Manor sessions and the Rick Rubin recordings was simply that Les Warner was a naff drummer. Steve Brown did his best to make the drums sound interesting, and Rubin opted for simplifying the whole approach so that the shortcomings didn't stand out. Mark Brzezicki had been a good choice for Love, but there was only ever one drummer for The Cult, and that was Nigel Preston. No one else they ever had could compare to him. He had the chemistry and the feel that made The Cult work in the first place. If you watch the old live at the Lyceum film, or "Resurrection Joe" on Whistle Test, or just listen to "She Sells Sanctuary" it is undeniable that Nigel Preston was the man.
you right about preston
Yes. Warner was a dreadful drummer, so damned stiff and dull. The songs just don't take off thanks to him.
No, I would choose Qureshi from the SDC period, nothing compares to his drumming.
Fun fact: The Sun King riff appears at the end of this version of Love Removal Machine
yup, I bought this about 30 years ago !
Too good a riff not to see the light of day on a "proper" release.
@@neilswan8015 so did I
The Cult is the most underappreciated rock group of all time. Ian Astbury is a legend. He is much more than a Jim Morrison tribute singer. Same with Billy Duffy, these dudes deserve Tier 1 status on the range of legends..
Still waiting for the day I'll see Billy Duffy on the cover of Guitar World Magazine. I'll actually buy that issue.
Defo😘😘😘😘😘😘
Too bad the misstep with Rubin and Electric cost them dearly. They got labeled as an AC/DC knock off. Never recovered from it. If only they'd gone with these mixes and the Peace album. I think they'd be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and recognized. Steve Brown (RIP) said it too, and I agree with him. He said Astbury and Duffy would be up with Page and Plant and Jagger and Richards. I don't think he's wrong. Rubin's 'mulletization' of them stripped them of everything they are and made them something they weren't. Long-term disaster. With the Manor sessions, they could've evolved into Sonic Temple's sound and been cohesive. Pandering to the mullet and the bar scene, was not them and screwed up how they were perceived forevermore.
While my bandmate was producing the demo for Atlantic prior to BGAE, I started hanging out w/Billy a bit. I told him that the 1st real concert I went to see was The Cult in Birmingham, Alabama. He remembered the night. He recalled meeting a hot black girl w/the "tightest lil' booty". Ian is a ball of joy to be around as well!
@@zoso1980 Rubin is so over rated it's ridiculous. These songs were much better before he got involved and basically ruined them.
Wow! Talk about alternate universe here. This is great. Could be mixed a lot better, but wow, lots of great vibes here. Electric is amazing for different reasons. Electric has definitive attitude which is lacking here in places, but Manor has dreamy LOVE type sounds that just feel good. Glad to have both.
These versions are awesome. Thanks for posting this.
Rick Rubin made these songs into very sellable, classic rock like radio friendlies... I don't think the band would be mad about that... but these versions are true Cult to me... all the magic, mystique, and stardust that made me love them in the first place. I prefer these.
You can call me whatever you want but to me (and not only) this is the origin of mainstream grunge of Pearl Jam, Soundgarden.
Totally agree brother. Have to believe recordings like this were influential on STP and AIC. They had some great change ups on the 80's hair metal that had a lot of substance. A lot of people didn't give us/that genre much credit, but any band that places its priority on outstanding guitar work, driving bass, pounding drums, and just great vocals has to give a little bit of credit to our scene. Even the bands that went with stripped down sounds and changed up the presentation still made us proud and we were enthusiastic feeling some ownership in their start. Not like in the form of debt, just genuine appreciation. Music frequently is a reflection of the times. The 80's were a party scene, coming out of the same conditions in the 70s we have right now. In the 90s everyone got serious, many got morose, but a lot of the same elements were there for many of the bands that changed things up. Almost as proof, just recently discovered Sisters of Mercy. No idea how we missed SOM first time around. Huge Type O, Love and Rockets, etc. fans. But, now the SOM cds get stuck in our car disc player for weeks, if not months at a time. lol ;) Come to think of it, Lucretia My Reflection extended, This Corrosion, More extended, Jeep extended, Vision Thing extended aren't bad sister tracks to this presentation of the Cult at the time. Very similar live presentation and power. Very cool.
Agree with both of you.
I'm a massive Cult addict.
Peace and Electric are two ENTIRELY different albums, two different genres. Electric was definitely a missive leap from what they did in Love. And a gamble. I read somewhere that Beggars Banquet were not impressed by Ian and Billy wanting to redo the Peace album since they had invested so much money in it. But the band almost didn't have a choice when they hired Rubin. Ian and Billy brought their recording of Brown's LRM to him and wanted it reproduced. Rubin agreed to it only under one condition, that he reproduce the entire album.
I personally like this version of LRM a little more than the one on the Peace album, even though the differences are minimal (this version of LRM is the Price remix which was released only on this EP as well as The Best of Rare Cult compilation).
But this is why I'm so obsessed with The Cult. They took, and continue to take, one giant leap after another over each album, reeling us in to another chapter. I try to collect every version of every song they (officially) released (including various mixes, edits, etc. but not live versions (they're too many of them)).
By chance, did you ever come across the live version of "Spiritwalker" that was issued on the double album Vertigo sampler here in Canada? I had at least 4 copies - don't ask me why I had to give them up. I have yet to find that specific version of "Spiritwalker" online as of this date.
@@mabuti66 Which double album sampler are you referring to? What's it called? Are you referring to the radio session?
@@U-rok this one as shown in the discogs website link: www.discogs.com/Various-Vertigo-Sampler/release/1369738
@@mabuti66 This is not a live version. This is the regular album version (the timing is the same as on the album, also the producer,engineer is the same as on the Dreamtime album).
@@U-rok it may be so..it's been years since I have had my copies and the inserts shown online are impossible to magnify and be sure.
Recorded during the summer of 1986. "Wildflower" and "Electric Ocean" are epic. They sound great.
How awesome is Jamie's bass riff in Bad Fun!? When the track drops back before the first verse, what a moment!
totally different wildflower. outstanding mix; totally different sound- more blended.
I cannot believe I found this- I lost my copy years ago. Thank you so much for the upload! I love Rick Rubin as much as the next guy, but I still loved the Manor Sessions before Rubin remixed everything.
Not just remixed, rerecorded entirely from scratch.
This is epic and really loose. I think both versions have there merits... this had the more goth / 80's sound from it, More like you would expect from the previous cult albums. But Rubin's version made it a really tight blues rock classic which was fantastic also. It wouldn't be either or for me they sound totally different. You can also get both albums as a double on vinyl now. Essentially to me they sound nothing like each other. Remember the Cult were aiming to break the US at that time so Rubins production was imho perfect for that.
For this album… they opened for Billy Idol a few times- I followed them around like the groupie I was 😜😂 for their next album, Sonic Temple, which really made it big in the states, they headlined and Lenny Kravitz opened for them. Good Times! 😄
The version is mutch better than original , that's really rocks ! Love Removal Machine....The Cult 4ever
These are the original.
Glad Ric Rubin didn't ruin the Love album.
Dude, Rubin fixed the ELECTRIC album, this was before rubin
After you listen The Mannor Sessions you realize Rick Rubin destroyed their sound. Love and Peace are their best era along with Sonic Temple. My opinion.
@@MarianMuruzabal Electric is what really broke them out and logically lead to Sonic Temple and the later records. The band didn't like how these songs turned out and wanted something harder.
@@birdonawi think he was referring to that. Rubens work was crap compared to Manor House recordings. Even the cult got it wrong and lost a lot of early fan base. Just saying...
@@brianmartin1139 I have to disagree. This representation you hear on the Manor Session is closer to the logical progression towards Sonic Temple. Don't get me wrong, I still love Electric, but I do personally prefer the raw sound and connection sound wise to Love on the Peace version of the Electric album. For me this sounds flows far more suitably into the likes of Sun King, American Horse, Fire Woman, New York City, Automatic Blues and Edie (Ciao Baby) from Sonic Temple. Yes, Electric still led to Sonic Temple anyway, thankfully , but sound and style wise, I think the Peace stuff was better suited in that step.
Regardless of which version of the album they went with (Peace vs. Electric), nobody had their sound during this time. I really love both. But I honestly think Leather, Leslie Paul's & Rick Ruben brought these guys to a level that let the continue to grow. One of my all time, very favorite bands. Long live the Cult!!! 🎸😎🤘
Well, AC/DC had the Electric sound at this time.
Love the Peace album. I just found it recently in its entirety and it's really good. Zap City and Outlaw.. really good!! And as other people have said... Sun King, She Sells Sanctuary, Sweet Soul Sister... Are all there in bits and pieces. ❤️👍
Links my dear fellow! Links please!
The-Best-Cult. Period.
It stands alone in a special way because what bands do you know that have a pro recording and then changes drastic direction and you can hear it and say wow. I love them both. Thank you for letting me hear it. What I was thinking in 90. The big box set.
I heard in interview with Steve Brown the recording engineer on this that the demo was dropped at Bensons studio with Steve written on the envelope intended for Steve Lilywhite. As a huge fan of his I wonder what his mix would have sounded like. I actually like listening to both mixes that were released. Hope to see these guys play live in a few days-2022
This sound elevates me blows me away
This has always sounded, to me, like songs from Electric demoed for Sonic Temple
My impression is that the biggest change made by production was the guitar sounds etc.
Seems like they originally wanted to sound more like they did on she sells sanctuary etc. With more delay etc.
Seems like rick Rubin stuck to effects that were “in” at the time and weeded out the unique individuality of the sound.
Rubin got rid of Billy's Gretsch and all the guitar effects he was too reliant on.
*'Here's a Les Paul and there's a Marshall.'*
Big fat direct guitar sound to analog tape, loud rhythm section and dry vocals, a throwback '70s sound that predates GNR.
They were still young kids at the time so it's interesting they were captured in such a raw form.
More like no effects at all, just plug in n play....also the drum sound on Electric is pretty primal
Bad fun is off the rails epic!
I used to have a copy of the Manor sessions on cassette back in the day. Wore that thing out. Great versions of these songs. Would have made an interesting double concept album to release them together.
absolutly love these versions, still got the cd XD but never listen to it, just listen on here, i can play nearly every Cult song ever writen on guitar :)
Both versions should have been released at the same time. Outlaw rips!
Love this version of Wild Flower. 🚀🚀🚀
Wow the intro to this version of Wild Flower sounds amazing! There were too many "gaps" in the final version...
have to say this version is a recent revelation to me...I still remember picking up my pre ordered copy of electric from the record guy on our local market (he could get you anything on release day).. it blew my fucking mind...it was just so tight ...stripped back but in your face....what an awesome album!
Here’s the thing...I love “ Love” just as much...the production etc, but those songs were written for that unique style too....and as an album it fkin kicks ass too....as muCh as this version of the tracks is in the sentiment of love plus x it’s neither or ...they made the right decision
I never take the opinion of someone with a mullet, seriously.
💕💕💕
I really dig this version of Electric Sea and I just heard part of Edie in the middle !
it's still interesting that Billy used the same guitar melodies at the end of "Sun King" as in the manor sessions version of "Love Removal Machine". When i got my Rare Cult Box Set in the early 90s i was quite surprised to hear that and i still enjoy those recordings and the full "Peace" Album, which has been re-released a couple of years ago together with "Electric".
I love this. I wish there was a widely available reissue of this. It was a bit strange that they went from the neo hippie and goth sound and look to the denim and traditional hard rock route. Sort of like Spinal Tap going from 'Listen To The Flower People' to Rock N' Roll Creation '.
The Peace album is widely available on the Electric Peace issue. A 2cd edition. With the Manor recordings and the Electric album 👍
Been thru three copies since this came out.
Take all the minor sessions on cd , and you have a fantastic album😉
Love this ep .prefer this to electric ....this was the sound of the first warrior soul album too which I love ...but cult did it first. The massive wall of sound and guitar work of Billy duffy is epic.
Sonic Cult. The Alternative Cult band starts out Jan 29th at Stanleys Cask Wallasey. Then we have three gigs for Rockageddon 1: Colwyn Bay Rugby Club Fri 4 February. Derby Social Club Derby April 2nd and The New Continantal Hotel Preston 13th May.
These recordings were produced by Steve Brown and it was intended to be called the"Peace" album following up their successful "Love" album. But Brown has stated that the session was lacking the same vibe as their Love album sessions did. Thus these are the scrapped recordings! Brown did not like this nor (some) of the other members in the band, but they were re done by the band with Ric Ruben for the Electric album.
The Cult ....The soundtrack of my life....Sun king at the end of love Removal Machine ?
The band requested the re-recording, they wanted a more rock sound, less psychedelic, the manor sessions are very much in the same veign as Love, Electric was where they wanted to be at the time, I personally do prefer these recordings, but Electric was the correct choice, it broke America, was a huge success and without it they maybe wouldn’t be around today, Bands are allowed to evolve, to go in different directions, the ones that do last.
The Cults new album is up there with their very best, yet sounds nothing like this, Electric or any of there other releases, definitely worth checking out
Under the midnight sun
open your mind
Well people always said was a pared down, raw producer.
Maybe not every song deserved the Rubin treatment, and some of the Electric songs could have sounded more like Zeppelin than AC/DC.
Voodoo😮
I had this disc back in the late '80s and I'm happy to see it here. I love these versions of the songs, however in general there are way too many effects on the instruments, which is likely why they decided to go the Rick Rubin approach. Unfortunately, the sound quality of this upload is absolutely awful! Super compressed and squeaky-sounding. It would be great if someone could re-upload it at a higher sound quality. 👍
I had this on CD and I believe that’s the quality of the entire EP…. The whole thing just sounds ghostly. I don’t think it’s the upload quality, IMHO.
Can;t deny the vibe, tho.
This is what should have been.
I agree.
wild flower the best
The middle point Between their post punk roots and Hard Rock
Would be great for them to revisit this mix and tidy it up but keep the Love/Electric combination
Is this the “peace” album?
i think Rubin did alright with Outlaw, too much reverb and modulation for the tune itself. Should have left the rest of it alone. Manor Sessions rocks!
Steve Brown Producer
Good call not using these versions on Electric.
I think we can agree that the Rubin production got them on American radio, and that was the intent of the band. Electric Ocean stands out among the others, but I made be jaded because this was the version that appeared on the Out of Bounds soundtrack that got me searching for the Manor sessions back in the 80s. If you're like me, you favour the Cult in all its incarnations, but most of all the Mute/ Sire/ Beggars Banquet era.
I don't recall Mute releasing any Cult material.
These songs are way over-produced. You may not prefer the Rubin versions, but they (the songs) needed to be stripped down, at least some. The versions on this album are still good songs, and some of the parts that were scrapped made it into other songs on Sonic Temple. What Rubin did for the band at the time was needed, even if you believe that it could have been a little less drastic, which I wouldn't fault anyone for thinking.
The album that should have been. They never should have dropped their post-punk sound for 80s rock. Everything prior to Electric was *so* unique sounding. Once they went for the rock sound they just faded into the blur with all the other bands. They still made some great hits but they lost their "sound."
I have always thought that if you listen to Dreamtime, Love, Peace, then Sonic Temple in order, there is a real logical progression there; Sonic Temple has less of the psych/goth sheen, but it's still there under the surface. Electric, a great album in of itself, feels like the biggest white elephant in their entire catalogue. If I had one complaint about Peace, it is that there is more 'stuff' on the songs than on Love; they could have done with some trimming, but without changing the style. If you hear the demos on the Rare Cult box-set, the songs are really powerful.
Most indeedy, but they have sold gazillions albums ?
I am so with you brother
I’ve never liked electric. Ghastly album. Yes I agree. Sonic temple is good old cult like love or whatever. Electric is an anomaly. I understand why they did it i just wish they hadn’t because if they’d stick to their guns they may have been a far more influential band now. Past ceremony it’s awful and that’s too much bombast anyway. Great songs when you bother to listen but also over produced nonsense. Sonic temple was the beginning of the end. Ironically their best track for me is American horse. A lot is just formulaic numbers. I still love them though. First gig I ever saw - sonic temple tour. My partner - her first ever gig was seeing their love tour. All Criticism comes from a good place
Agreed. The songwriting and talent was still there, but not the sound. They WERE one of the most unique sounding bands of all time.
Wild flower is good but the rest don't work here, mainly the drum sound
This was way superior to the final Rick Rubin product on Electric.Don't get me wrong,I like the album,but it was too far removed from their original sound for me.Nah,the Manor sessions are IT !
" but the original versions of the songs sounds like they are ripping themselves off" I find this with the Cult anyway (to an acceptable degree), but I agree, its too much here.
Bands evolve. They hated this mix. And they were right. The edge in the Rick Ruben mix is far, far, far superior to this mix. Not even close.
Absolutely- 100%! I wish they never changed their sound, but oh well- they've really evolved to a a legendary band.
Dude, Electric was a success. That says enough about rubin, and where he put them, Of course personal taste is just that. But Rubin did a really good job
right on
A great follow up to ❤️. Too bad, they went in the direction they did, Rick Rubin producing etc.... I saw them open up 4 Metallica back in 1988, people just booed & threw stuff @ them. Not to mention the goldfish incident @ the end of that same tour. Sad, great band turned poseurs, no wonder why Jamie Stewart left. Can’t blame him, he was one hella of a bassist.
Wow, this is a mess, too much of everything going on. When in doubt, the answer is not drench it in delay and phasing. Rubin earned his corn with this.
Luckily Rubin, at the bands request, fixed this album ensuring The Cult didn’t fall into obscurity.
No, that obscurity, that happened in the 90s after Sonic Temple, when the legacy of the Electric misstep was fully apparent and got them classified as 80s butt rock, and even worse for Billy and Ian, the Electric misstep removed them from recognition in the 90s alternative rock genre which would've allowed them to slide into the 90s alternative scene with ease. Instead, the bottom fell out. Electric was a short term cash out for American audiences who flocked to AC/DC and proved a long term developmental disaster as it confused people as to who they were. Butt rock or alternative? I think their career path with Sonic Temple was secure if the Electric butt-rock experiment never happened. Steve Brown thought it, too. Brown thought it cost them more long-term, and I think he's right. Obscurity is a weighty assumption that is a wild guess at best. After Ceremony, the band has relied on their material to sell, radio airplay has been minimal proving the butt-rock stripped down AC/DC approach wasn't right the move. Rubin's remixing while successful at the time, didn't capture the band, or who they really were. It was repackaging that stripped them of their strengths. Rubin's mix is a colossal failure in capturing the artist's core, instead he made them AC/DC, in the vision he thought they should be while trashing their post-punk/alternative pedigree.
@@zoso1980 Could not agree more. I think Ceremony is a great album that got overlooked because of the residual Electric effect. Brown was right, I could never understand the hate for Ceremony, myself. Lotta great songs on that album. Would have proffered Rock over Zito, but he did ok with it.
Bob Brown album
Are you referring to Steve Brown?
Steve Brown spliced with Bob Rock...even Frankenstein wouldn't have created such an abomination.
You can say this or that, but the fact is, THE CULT became superstars after ELECTRIC. They were never a special band, but they did it right with Rick Rubin. They never did it again
i can hear why this was rejected
Too much reverb/delay. Love removal is pretty good, but the rest, Rubin really helped!
Absolutely
He took their unique sound and made them sound like a mix between AC/DC and Zeppelin. I was disappointed.
Yeah like Bob Rock "helped" Metallica? Lol
@@psychedelicfright85 that was awful
i call bullsh t on that
Production on this is very poor. I prefer Electric version. It´s more raw and more punk rock sounding.
My god, Rick Rubin saved the fuck out of this album.
Could never work out why The Cult hired Les Warner - dreadful drummer. Nothing like the fluid rhythm and beats Nigel Preston laid down.
Sorry but this version is not good