The Cult -
Pure Cult
(Anthology
1984-1995)
Performance
Production
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The Cult -
Pure Cult
Performance
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It's a little hard to believe, but The Cult have been around, in one form or another, for over twenty years now. When the band was originally formed, back in the early 1980's, they first called themselves the Southern Death Cult, but rather quickly dropped the "southern" part from their name - possibly thinking that it just wasn't quite morbid sounding enough yet. Soon thereafter they also dropped the "death" aspect from their name, settling simply for the more politically correct The Cult - which showed keen insight for avoiding future problems with Tipper Gore and the PMRC. The Cult was founded by singer Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy, who remain the only consistent members of the band throughout their history. They have seen numerous bassists, rhythm guitarists, and drummers come and go, over the last twenty years, with non of them ever really earning full-fledged band member status. The band's sound and style has evolved dramatically over their seven album career. The first two albums Dreamtime and Love were dominated mostly by an alternative/goth-rock style. Only two years later they released their monumental Electric album, which couldn't have been more different than the previous two. Producer Rick Ruben's vision for the band was a much rawer, harder-rocking sound, and Electric ended up sounding pretty damn similar to some vintage AC/DC. That is a good thing. Three of the next four albums were produced by Bob Rock, and he gave the band a more majestic, but even heavier sound than the previous albums, similar to what he did with Metallica on their "black" album, but each of these albums continued to incorporate elements of the band's alternative and retro influences as well. Pure Cult Anthology includes 18 excellent videos that the band released between 1984 and 1995. These videos are listed chronologically and dramatically show how the band has evolved in appearance, style, and sound over this ten year period. The videos for "Spiritwalker" and "Go West", both from their debut album, Dreamtime, are live performances showing the band in full-goth regalia, and sounding almost unrecognizable to those of us who came onboard around the time of Electric. That is not to say that this stuff is not intriguing, because it is actually catchy as hell. "Resurrection Joe" does not appear on any of The Cult albums, but would have fit nicely on the Dreamtime or Love albums. Love is the album that the next three videos emanated from. "She Sells Sanctuary" is a powerhouse alt-rocker, which is the song that made the world stand up and take notice of The Cult. This song remains a concert staple and fan favorite.
Most of The Cult's videos are in the form of lip-synched soundstage performances mixed in with some scenes that portray the song's storyline. Other's use footage from actual live concert performances. "Sun King" is an amazing live performance from the 1992 Pinkpop festival in Belgium, in front of what appeared to be about 50,000 people. Astbury must have already begun auditioning for The Doors by then, because he is literally channeling Jim Morrison during the powerful intro to this song. As Billy Duffy is drowning the crowd in ominous feedback and distorted power-chords, leading up to the climactic intro to the song, a drunken, nearly-incoherent Astbury is captivating the crowd with his ramblings about youth, revolution, and fire. I wonder what Jim would have thought. The video for "Edie (Ciao Baby)", is one of my favorites and features some great shots of Billy Duffy, in the middle of a Manhattan street, wailing on his Les Paul, as all of the skyscrapers loom ominously overhead. This switches back and forth between the tuxedo-clad string section playing their parts, while sitting at the corner of a busy intersection, and the extremely hot young lady who portrays Edie. The "Wild Hearted Son" video begins with a Native-American warrior doing a war dance in the middle of a crowded four-lane highway, as the camera slowly pans back to reveal the massive Los Angeles skyline. This is the one video that best exemplifies the spirit of the band.
Pure Cult is one of the better video packages I have seen. Not only does it include every video that the band has ever released, but it also includes a bonus performance of "In The Clouds", recorded live in Argentina, from 1995. You also get three different interviews with Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy, from 1986, 1991, and 1994. An impressive, 74-page, discography section includes details and notes relating to every album and single that the band ever released, through 1995. The overall production of the this package is outstanding. Yeah, the videos are a little old, and were not recorded for DVD, but the source material has held up pretty well. Unfortunately, only a Dolby stereo option is provided, but the mix sounds great if you "turn it up loud baby!", as Ian might say. The main program includes options to either play the continuous videos, or to include Billy and Ian's comments that are provided before about half of the songs. The only thing missing is a chapter selection option. This is a must for any serious rock and roll DVD collection. Reviewed by Paul M. Roy - February 2005
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Technical Details |
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Audio Transfer |
Video Transfer |
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Set List |
Performers Jamie Stewart - Bass/Rhythm Guitar
1984-1990 |
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Running Time: 94 Minutes (with band commentary, 86 minutes without) |
DVD Release Date - October 2001 |