Which Cult Do You Follow?

[Edgy MD]

Few acts are as distinctive from period to period as The Cult. They were goth. Then they were gypsy metal. Still later, they were biker highway metal. And then they were just metal.

They claimed to have a north, paying lip service to Iggy Pop on a nightly basis, but it was hard not to notice their gradual evolution, even documentable through the first part of their career by their changing names, paring down from "The Southern Death Cult" to "The Death Cult," into ultimately, "The Cult" you came to love, if only briefly. (If you haven't yet come to love them, you will, if only briefly.)

Vocalist Ian Astbury was insistent that they stayed distinctive however, refusing an invite to audition for a role as Jim Morrison that every young actor in Hollywood was angling for, insisting that his band's profile could not be eclipsed by that of The Doors. He had no such scruples a decade later when he decided to join Ray Manzerek and Robby Krieger (along with Stewart Copeland) in a new touring Doors lineup that was mostly met with indifference. His style and swagger and dark mysticism certainly reference Morrison, but his voice was more of a traditional shrieking metal tenor rather than Jim's spooky baritone. He also subbed on occasion for Rob Tyner in MC5 reunion/tribute lineups, which tells you just how at sea The Cult's legacy had become, that he had more action propping up somebody else's.

But The Cult were somebody once, headlining The Garden, getting a featured slot on the Video Music Awards, magazine covers, the works. Billy Duffy's guitar laid down mad hooks that made headbangers bang, slamdancers slam, and clubgoers absolutely FLOOD the dance floor. Now they're just the band that Matt Sorum drummed for before jumping to Guns 'n' Roses, and Eric Singer drummed for before taking over in KISS, and Michael Lee drummed for before grabbing a longtime slot laying the foundation of Robert Plant's band (including the Page/Plant reunion). Were they just a starter gig for drummers?

So, your job is to find the one track that makes them something more than that — to you, if no one else.

If you don't vote, The Cult gets to come to your house and take all your stuff. "They suck I never heard of them" is not a response that honors the gravity of such an important question.

"Resurrection Joe" (1984)


"She Sells Sanctuary" (1985)


"Rain" (1985)


"Love Removal Machine" (1987)


"Wild Flower" (1987)


"Fire Woman" (1989)


New York City (1989)


"Edie (Ciao Baby)" (1989)


"Wild Hearted Son" (1991)


Otherwise, feel free to go off book by selecting "Other" above and listing your go-to Cult track below.

[kcmets]

I haven't voted, but this song came to my mind scrolling...

Live from 11th Street:

[MFS62]

I voted "other".
I liked Blue Oyster Cult.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

Never on my radar

[metirish]

Sweet Salvation from The Cult (album) has always been a personal favorite, brings back some good memories, the heartfelt lyrics, soaring voice and excellent Billy Duffy guitar , Benmont Tench plays the organ ( from Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers )

Could someone please post a YouTube of the song ?

[Edgy MD]

"Sweet Salvation" and "Nirvana" are lovely selections.

As for the other posts, the outline to the request totally isn't that hard.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

We played ELECTRIC over and over. And over.

I left the room during a cassette recording of that album and wound up recording 25 minutes of a skip in the song "Outlaw." That sort of summed up the Cult for me. Pleasingly rocking but kinda "samey."

Good stuff on LOVE.

I will vote later

[TransMonk]

I'll never not turn up "Love Removal Machine".

[Bob Alpacadaca]

I really like “Fire Woman.” And if you told me the lyrics are placeholders shouted out freestyle for a demo, I’d believe it. But damn, it’s a great song.

[Edgy MD]

Excellent comments. Yeah, I believe Astbury was probably typically more impressionistic than studied in his lyricizing.

And yeah, "Love Removal Machine" begs to be turned up. And just as you do, the bass comes in.

And yeah, as much as I note the band changed distinctly through their career from alboom to alboom (seemingly with a very different producer each time out), there was certainly a lot of saminess within the albums.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I accidentally voted for 🔥 👩 when I meant to vote for 🤪 🌼

[Edgy MD]

Revoting is enabled.

[Fman99]

I dig me some Cult. I'd default to "Wild Flower" but I want to listen to these other tracks, only some of which are familiar to me.

[kcmets]

Went with Fire Woman.

Funny, I"ve always heard it as twistin' like a cat on a hat tin shack but
found it's prancing? So I googled and this was the first link to show...

The Cult's, "Fire Woman"

Misheard Lyrics:
Dancing like a cat on a hot tin shack.
Original Lyrics:
Trancing like a cat on a hot tin shack.
(Suggest Different Misheard Lyrics)
The Cult's, "Fire Woman"
Misheard Lyrics:
Fire Island
Original Lyrics:
Fire Woman
Fire Island is located on Long Island.
(Suggest Different Misheard Lyrics)
The Cult's, "Fire Woman"
Misheard Lyrics:
Goat cheese and raisins
Original Lyrics:
Smoke, she is a rising.
(Suggest Different Misheard Lyrics)
The Cult's, "Fire Woman"
Misheard Lyrics:
I say him ham part of me
Say him ham part of me
Say him ham part of me, yeah!
Original Lyrics:
I say send down fire to me
Say send down fire to me
Say send down fire to me, yeah!
(Suggest Different Misheard Lyrics)
The Cult's, "Fire Woman"
Misheard Lyrics:
Smoked cheese horizon, Flame!
Original Lyrics:
Smoke, she is a rising, Fire!
(Suggest Different Misheard Lyrics)
The Cult's, "Fire Woman"
Misheard Lyrics:
Smokey and the wise man
Original Lyrics:
Smoke on the horizon
(Suggest Different Misheard Lyrics)
The Cult's, "Fire Woman"
Misheard Lyrics:
Twistin' like a tat on a hard tin shack.
Original Lyrics:
Trancing like a cat on a hot tin shack.
(Suggest Different Misheard Lyrics)
The Cult's, "Fire Woman"
Misheard Lyrics:
Vidalia!
Original Lyrics:
Fire!
(Suggest Different Misheard Lyrics)
The Cult's, "Fire Woman"
Misheard Lyrics:
Vile woman, you're to blame
Original Lyrics:
Fire woman, you're to blame
(Suggest Different Misheard Lyrics)

[Edgy MD]

Well, I'm totally singing some of those alternative lyrics from now on.

FIRE! Goat cheese and raisins!!

Awesome.

[metirish]

I remember some controversy when Ceremony was released, Asbury for all the glam was socially conscious, this would have been his indigenous period, he did grow up in Ontario for the most part , not a great album though and the dawning of grunge killed it