The Cult: Sonic Temple CD Track Listing

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The Cult Sonic Temple (1989)
Originally Released April 1989\nReissued CD Edition Released March 7, 2000\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: More varied than its predecessor, Electric, Sonic Temple finds the Cult trying several different metal styles, from crunchy Electric-era '70s grooves and the fuzzy, noisy psychedelia of Love, to mellow ballads and commercial '80s hard rock. Not all of the experiments work, as some of the songs lean toward ponderousness, but enough of them do to send Sonic Temple into the Billboard Top Ten, due to the exposure provided by the hit single "Fire Woman." -- Steve Huey\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nThey don't make 'em like this anymore, January 31, 2007 \nBy Rudolf Schmidt (San Diego)\n\nDamn, this is good rock & roll. In my mind there are four classic balls-out guitar-rock (is there any other kind?) albums: Van Halen's first, Back in Black, Appetite for Destruction, and Sonic Temple. And of them all, Sonic Temple probably rocks the hardest. It's a solid wall of buzz-saw, multi-tracked guitars. And it's not just a jam-fest: the songwriting is top-notch (except for the weak "New York City"). I used to put this CD on to get stoked before I went into the gym. Almost twenty years later, it hasn't aged one bit. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nSonic Temple, January 17, 2007 \nBy Brian K. Sanders\nThis is the album that divided the fans back in the day. My goth friends thought they had sold out with this album and the people who love metal thought it was too weird. I on the other hand, like all kinds of music and thought this was the best hard rock album of the late 80's. It was loud and bombastic, it put all of the other bad metal bands like poison, skid row and other to shame. This album is why Metallica picked Bob Rock to produced their black album. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nAn Essential CD!, April 25, 2006 \nBy W. Koenigsmann "Wendy Koenigsmann" (Northern Hemisphere)\nAccording to the insert, Iain Astbury was depressed throughout the tour for Sonic Temple, having to do mostly with the illness and imminent death of his father. Astbury himself said that at the time he "hated Fire Woman." \n\nHailed as a great commercial success, at the same time, Sonic Temple led to the album Ceremony, which ultimately led to a semi-demise of the band, at least in my personal opinion. I do not believe The Cult ever produced anything of much significance after Sonic Temple and Ceremony. \n\nSonic Temple seems to have that same flair for the exotic that has always permeated the works of The Cult (also known as Southern Death Cult). Various songs seem to have either an Egyptian motif or a slightly "Near East" sound, mostly heard in the haunting guitar. Songs that aren't as ethereal of pretty are straight out rock songs, like "American Horse" or "Automatic Blues." \n\nThe best songs on here include "Fire Woman," "Edie (Ciao Baby)", "Sweet Soul Sister", "Soul Asylum," and "Automatic Blues." I personally think "Soul Asylum" is the best song on the disk; it has a haunting quality that sounds more like The Cult's earlier gothic-infused songs. \n\nSonic Temple is an essential cd in my collection, and I do not own very many cds (not enough music out there is good enough for my tastes); however, I do not think it will appeal to the younger crowd. I feel sorry for young people today, so little good music to choose from, and so little good music to remember. I am grateful that I got to know The Cult and had the chance to see them in concert. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nOver the top hard rock., April 11, 2006 \nBy Michael Stack (Watertown, MA USA)\nIn the late '80s, the Cult appeared poised to conquer the world. With producer Rick Rubin, they stripped bare their sound of excess production and recorded a raw, blues-based rock record (in "Electric"). For its followup, the band kept the hard rock, but eschewed Rubin's minimalist approach in favor of over-the-top arrangements. The resulting album-- "Sonic Temple"-- is significantly different from its predecessor, but like "Electric", it has a deciding lack of consistency, when it's good, it's great, but unfortunately, it misses as much as it hits. \n\nAnd certainly looking at the first two tracks, it's not hard to see both sides of this. Both "Sun King" and "Fire Woman" feature mellower introductions recalling the gothic-tinged psychedelia of "Love", but both quickly move into extended riff-based rock performances. The critical difference between the two appears to be singer Ian Astbury-- on the former, he sounds almost lazy and minimally uninspired, with a lack of energy and conviction behind the vocal, on the latter, he's downright vicious-- aggressive, powerful and assertive, full of swagger and attitude. And the difference makes "Sun King" pretty forgettable and "Fire Woman" extraordinary. \n\n"Sonic Temple" does hit now and again-- single "Edie (Ciao Baby)" hearkens back to the band's old days-- clean tone, processed guitars, a passionate solo and a superb vocal delivery from Astbury. "New York City" is something totally bizarre-- blues based rock meets punk meets an almost stride feel, and while Astbury seems a bit unengaged with the bombastic "Sweet Soul Sister", it's such a fine slice of hard rock that even his somewhat flakiness on the performance can't take it down a notch. But for each of these, there's something soaked in too many overdubs ("American Horse"), a bit too light songwriting ("Automatic Blues") or in desperate need of editing (the over seven minutes "Soul Asylum"-- there's a fantastic four minute song in there...). \n\nIt is inconsistent, but like "Electric", "Sonic Temple" has enough great material on it that it's a worthwhile purchase. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nOne of the great late-80's hard rock albums, November 6, 2005 \nBy John Alapick (Wilkes-Barre, PA United States)\n1989 was the year in which melodic hard rock was at its peak. Bands like Def Leppard, Guns N' Roses, Aerosmith, and Motley Crue were at or near their peak as their albums were selling millions of copies and pumping out several hit singles. Hair metal was also in full swing as bands like Poison, Warrant, Winger, and Slaughter were riding high on the charts. Another band that found its greatest success that year was a hard rock trio from the U.K. called the Cult. The band's previous releases, Love and Electric respectively, were both very strong and built the band's momentum. Sonic Temple would be the band's breakthrough release as it hit #10 on the Billboard charts and several of the tracks would receive strong airplay. Ian Astbury was one of the most charismatic singers in rock while guitarist Billy Duffy wrote some of the greatest guitar riffs since Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and AC/DC's Angus Young. While this would be the band's most successful release, listening to the album today makes you wonder how they didn't become superstars. Although several of the songs had hit single written all over them, the closest thing to a hit was "Fire Woman", which would peak at #46. \n\nEvery track here is top notch. "Sun King" is a killer hard rocker, full of Astbury's swagger and Duffy's fiery lead work. The aforementioned "Fire Woman" would be their biggest hit single and one of the best hard rock songs of the era. How this song didn't hit the Top 10 remains a mystery. "Edie (Ciao Baby)" is a majestic ballad that is one of the band's best tracks while "Sweet Soul Sister" is a catchy melodic rocker. While both of these songs barely grazed the Billboard Top 100, the songs still sound great today and are much more memorable than most of the hair metal songs that were becoming hits. The lesser known tracks are also very good. The hard rocking "Medicine Train" and "Automatic Blues" as well as the dramatic epic "Soul Asylum" are awesome tracks and feature a strong Led Zeppelin influence. "Soldier Blue" and "American Horse" contain guitar lines that are both heavy and melodic while "New York City" recalls the raw energy and enthusiasm of the New York Dolls. The remaining track "Wake up Time for Freedom" is also very good. All told, Sonic Temple is one of the great '80s hard rock albums. Highly recommended. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nTruly The High-Water Mark For Hard Rock in 1989, July 5, 2005 \nBy Keith Beebe (Chicago, IL USA) \nThe Cult found themselves enveloped in a wave of expectations as they entered the studio in September of 1988. Their previous album "Electric" had been a surprise hit and subsequently earned them praise with the hard rock crowd starved for guitar licks from a Marshall turned up to 11. Interestingly, "Electric" had left fans of 1985's "Love" unsatisfied and wanting more of Billy Duffy's spacey, flanged guitar parts and Ian Astbury's gothic poetry. Therefore, The Cult had not one but two musical demographics to mollify in the autumn of 1988. Enter "Sonic Temple": a truly rich hybrid of gothic new-wave music and muscular hard rock riffing from a Les Paul. What is striking at first is how dynamic the album sounds; It isn't static like "Electric" and not quite as watery as "Love", thus it is it's own monster: A true product of The Cult and not their influences. Nowhere is this more evident than on the album's lead-off song "Sun King", where Astbury proclaims "This is where it all begins", only to be followed by an absolute explosion of sound from the guitars and rhythm section. Astbury's lyrics on "Sonic Temple" are intensely dynamic and range from sounding like a dog in heat to the introspective musings of Warhol scenester Edie Sedgewick. Billy Duffy also shines on "Sonic Temple", ripping out a few leads that would've impressed the shred crowd (particularly on "Sun King" and "Sweet Soul Sister"). His guitar sound is also much more textured than on "Electric" and has alot more width in the mix (undoubtedly because there is reverb on the guitar signal, unlike the super-dry Gretsch). What this all amounts to however is a well-produced hard rock album with alot of character and dynamics. You can forget about being pounded by the same tempo for 12 songs. I think this album should be considered one of the greatest of the 1980's. Period. Take a chance and try it yourself though. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nSONIC MASTERPIECE, November 17, 2003 \nBy Eric C. Martin "Marty-Mar" (North Aurora, Illinois)\nIn the summer of '88, a dozen of us went to see Metallica with special guests The Cult. Although I only knew "Fire Woman", I didn't hate them...but the croud did. Middle fingers, obscenities, and pure venom was thrown at them. And that's a shame, because I bought the album the following week to find out for myself why it was being praised to the skies in magazines, etc.\n\nAfter one listen, I was hooked. Powerful and memorable riffs, Zeppelinesque tunes like AUTOMATIC BLUES and SWEET SOUL ASYLUM (BLACK DOG and KASHMIR), and great production by Bob Rock makes this the group's masterpiece. There's not one dog on this disc. The album really smokes when after SWEET SOUL ASYLUM, Ian Asburry launches into NEW YORK CITY (a blistering verbal scathing on the Big Apple) "...crashed the big apple...so I took a bite but she bit me back..." "Hell's Kitchen is a DMZ/I ain't never coming back." Next is the "Black Dog"-ish AUTOMATIC BLUES, and continues with the incredible SOLDIER BLUE that has a hook so powerful you'd have to be deaf not to tap your foot. Oh sure, this album was eclipsed by the Metallica phenomenon and the God-awful hair bands that now make up most of the discount bins. Yes, even lead singer Asburry was criticized for constant use of "Lil' Honey," "Sugar" and "Lil' Sista" (DO any of these women have names?) But those are pretty sorry criticisms for one of the best hard rock albums of the 80's. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nSorry, but...., January 24, 2003 \nBy Dave (virginia) - See all my reviews \nThis album is definetely a classic all-time great album. When a friend told me he saw it was remastered, i knew i had to buy the new one even though i still had the original disc. But alas, after flipping through the liner notes of the new one i realized that it WASN'T remastered at all. How? Because it still says "Mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound" instead of "Remastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound". And then after listening to it alongside the original realizing it is an exact duplicate of the original. So as far as i can tell, there is no difference between the two except for the expanded artwork. But i guess i'll keep it nonetheless and give my original to my friend. \n\n\nHalf.com Details \nContributing artists: Iggy Pop \nProducer: Bob Rock \n\nAlbum Notes\nThe Cult: Ian Astbury (vocals, percussion); Billy Duffy (guitar); Jamie Stewart (keyboards, bass).\n\nAdditional personnel: John Webster (keyboards); Mickey Curry (drums); Iggy Pop (background vocals).\n\nRecorded at Little Mountain Sound Studios, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from September to November 1988.\n\nIndustry Reviews\nRanked #12 in CMJ's Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1989\nCMJ (01/05/2004)\n\n\nROLLING STONE REVIEW\nFans of The Cult argue over which is the group's definitive album. Some prefer the sweeping, cerebral overtones of the 1985 Love LP, while others opt for the stripped-down aggression of 1987's Electric. It was inevitable, then, that the Cult would at some point in its career attempt to please everybody by fusing both elements on one album. Sonic Temple is that album.\n\nTo get the bad news out of the way, the album has a few drawbacks. One annoyance is the tendency of the Cult to invite old songs back for special return engagements. "She Sells Sanctuary" from Love turned up as "Wild Flower" on Electric, and now Electric's "Love Removal Machine" makes a spectral appearance during the chorus of "Fire Woman."\n\nWhile we're bitching, why is it that the members of the Cult never seem to meet any girls with names? With the exception of Edie Sedgwick -- the unhappy Warholian camper whose tragic demise is mourned in "Edie (Ciao Baby)" -- this album, like its predecessors, is rife with women called "li'l honey," "sweet angel" and "black-haired missy." After a few repetitions, this becomes tiresome. You'd think the guys could throw in a Cathy or a Jennifer for good measure.\n\nMinor gripes aside, Sonic Temple has more than its fair share of good news. First and foremost, the combination of guitarist Billy Duffy's psychedelic crunch and Ian Astbury's Lizard King-revisited vocals is still lethal, and five of the eleven tracks on Sonic Temple bear excellent witness to that. There's the mystical stomp of "Soul Asylum" and "Medicine Train" (on the CD and cassette only), in which harmonica and acoustic guitar evolve into a bottom-heavy blues belter, Astbury wailing out lyrics a half beat behind the drums. There's the manic, thrashy "New York City" (featuring Iggy Pop's unmistakable deadpan backing vocals) and the shuffling bombast of "Soldier Blue." "Edie (Ciao Baby)," with its cellos and bell-like guitar, finds Astbury abandoning his wildcat growl just long enough to pay vocal tribute to Styx's Tommy Shaw.\n\nIts marriage of spiritualism and slam may occasionally fall short of the mark on both counts, but Sonic Temple could hardly be called unsatisfying. The best moments artfully embrace the two distinct musical styles that have marked the Cult's finest work, and its worst moments simply make you wonder why the band didn't stick to one or the other. (RS 553 -- Jun 1, 1989) -- KIM NEELY
This rock cd contains 11 tracks and runs 57min 9sec.
Freedb: 860d630b
Buy: from Amazon.com

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