A Quietus Interview
Glenn Branca
Baker's Dozen
Love Approval Thirteen: Ian Astbury Of The Cult's Favourite Albums
Love Approval Thirteen: Ian Astbury Of The Cult's Favourite Albums
Julian Marszalek
, May 30th, 2012 19:04
Julian Marszalek speaks to the Wolf Child about esoteric drone doom, witch house, krautrock and, of course, The Doors
Primal Scream - XTRMNTR
That trilogy of records that Primal Scream made – Vanishing Point, XTRMNTR and Evil Heat – fuck! They did something profound on those records. It was the height of experimental lifestyle choices as well as musical choices. I know them and I’ve been round their studio near Swiss Cottage and the keyboards they were using were fucking demolished. I mean, they’d been thrown around and that’s why they got some great sounds out of them. I love the complete destruction on that record and it just jumped off into transcendence, and they just jumped into the deep end. They made music about what was going on.
Has rock & roll lost its ability to get angry? There’s a perception of rock & roll that my generation grew up with that came from a completely different time. The time you’re given is how you respond, and the response now is different. Maybe it’s not about sticking your head over the parapet with one fist in the air and some righteous fucking statement from the podium. I’m seeing more and more people kinda going inward and expressing themselves through the internet.
There’s some pretty righteous things being said out there and there’s stuff being said out there that wouldn't have been said in the street or on stage back in the day. Now, people have individual platforms but in the end who’s actually listening to it? Your three buddies on your Facebook page? We’re in a very fragmented time and when the green light goes on, it’s like ‘Go!’ in any direction. I guess it’s about what you want to get out of it and a lot of critics say, ‘Rock & roll should be this, this or this’ but it’s not a case of one-size-fits-all any more.
Music’s always going to be at the epicentre of cultural change but maybe not in the way that we’re used to. Once technology was all rocks and arrows but people still fucking died, but warfare now is all guns, grenades and fucking lasers and it’s still people dying. There’s been a shift, and rock & roll can be equated to that chaos around a battlefield.
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Al
May 30, 2012 9:14am
May 30, 2012 9:14am
"Love" by The Cult would certainly be in my top 10 albums, if not in the top 3.
pete keeley
May 30, 2012 9:18am
May 30, 2012 9:18am
the wrong PIL album is listed,it says first edition while pictured and talked about is Flowers Of Romance
AvAn
May 30, 2012 11:07am
May 30, 2012 11:07am
Im no Cult fan but that is one of the best Baker's Dozen, Astbury's comments are dead insightful, get him to write a column!
Enkeling
May 30, 2012 2:51pm
May 30, 2012 2:51pm
Just wanted to say that I hugely enjoy this Baker’s Dozen series. Fantastic reads, all of them. Thanks!
May 30, 2012 5:21pm
Anyone who acknowledges the brilliance of BJM is OK in my book!
May 30, 2012 5:40pm
Ian came off really well here; the music was never that interesting to me but it's cool to see he's really listening. Compare to this to the horrific Butch Vig list from yesterday... Cult >>>>>>> Garbage & U2 combined!!!
Mark
May 30, 2012 8:18pm
May 30, 2012 8:18pm
Never been a Cult fan...but give Ian his due, he's clearly very well listened and devoted to his artform, and there's some superb selections here that he's put great cases for. Perhaps I'll have to give them another chance.
James Moore Stevens
May 30, 2012 11:39pm
May 30, 2012 11:39pm
Title of the year and I should know because I work in a seashell sanctuary
Jim
May 31, 2012 2:40am
May 31, 2012 2:40am
In reply to AvAn:
WORD!! Was A Southern Death Cult fan many years back and have had little interest in Astbury's subsequent output but always reckoned he was in the know. Getting him to write a column wouldnt be a bad idea, he has the knowledge and passion and he can express himself (more than you can say for most interweb music journalism)
Apop
May 31, 2012 3:53pm
May 31, 2012 3:53pm
God bless Mr. Astbury, this man is a true music fan and i'd happily listen to him riff on music any time, anywhere, and for however long. I don't own a Cult record but he's always come off as genuine and an original. Thank you, sir, and thank you Quietus.
Eugene Montpelier
May 31, 2012 10:11pm
May 31, 2012 10:11pm
Thought I'd find this unbearable but anyone who can go from talking about Lou reed's Berlin to rambling about ayahuasca ceremonies in the same paragraph is alright in my book.
anton newcombe
Jun 1, 2012 9:55am
Jun 1, 2012 9:55am
Ian is solid and so is the quietus.
well done.
Veni Vitaljić
Jul 23, 2012 8:32am
Jul 23, 2012 8:32am
Ian is such a fantastic man and artist, so deep, powerfull. I adore him, his voice, his music, and everything about him. His interwievs are allways breathtaking.
Dolores
Sep 27, 2012 5:04pm
Sep 27, 2012 5:04pm
In reply to Mark:
Hi Mark. Try Love, Electric or Sonic Temple first off. You gotta love those riffs and melodies! ;) I would also recommend Dreamtime. Oh heck, why not listen to Born Into This too?
Great interview, Quietus, what a fantastic selection of albums Ian chose ( i have quite a few on the list)
Good to see the love here for The Cult. Such an underrated band, they deserve more credit.
Yeah, i agree bout Ian havin' a regular column...he's full of opinions and has lived quite a life, and has many years experience in the music biz...you really couldn't ask for a better music critic heh!
I have to say that the gig they just did over here in London (september 16th) has left me on such a high I AM STILL BUZZING OFF OF IT and can't stop raving bout the band.
Glad i got to finally see them before i shuffle off this mortal coil.
Keep rockin hard!
Dolores (aka Slightly Unkempt Wildflower)
Soundcloud.com/Dolores-3
Myspace.com/foxyladydee
Lastfm (Nohiddenpath)
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Oct 17, 2012 8:27am
Oct 17, 2012 8:27am
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Oct 17, 2012 8:27am
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Tim Barlow
Nov 14, 2012 2:22pm
Nov 14, 2012 2:22pm
Not a bad list, but really I'm just doing this cos I want to get the weekly newsletter!
Jeremy
Jan 27, 2013 6:33pm
Jan 27, 2013 6:33pm
I find it hard to pick just one favorite Bowie album too.
The National
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News Headlines
May 30, 2012 8:09am
Fuckin dude, that man
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