Dreamtime

Artist: The Cult
Label: Beggars Banquet Us
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Format: Original recording remastered
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 607618200923
EAN: 0607618200923
ASIN: B0000018AH

Release Date: 1996-09-24

Dreamtime

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Tracks:

Horse Nation
Spiritwalker
83rd Dream
Butterflies
Go West
Gimmick
Flower in the Desert
Dreamtime
Rider in the Snow
Bad Medicine Waltz

Similar Items:

Love
The Cult
Ghost Dance
Ceremony
Sonic Temple

Customer Reviews:

EXCELLENT SONG/MUSIC CRAFTING.......2007-05-16

Best Cult album in my humble opinion. Every sound you hear is deliberate and tasteful. I used to have this on cassette tape when it first came out. I had the later ones too but they pale in comparison with regards to the craftwork in this album. A lot of inventiveness in the music and the quality of the melodies are catchy (no you don't need to listen to this a gadzillion times to make yourself like it) The melodies hit the spot instantly. Bear in mind this was made back in the late 80s, so don't expect today's sound production.

The Cult's somewhat forgotten debut........2006-04-11

The debut album by the Cult (although they'd released an EP and a single prior to this under the name Death Cult collected, along with some BBC sessions) as "Ghost Dance"), "Dreamtime" is an album that is noticably overlooked, likely because the band would reach enormous heights, both creatively and commercially, with their few albums, but "Dreamtime" should be evaluated for what it is-- a great record.

The Cult was formed when Ian Astbury, vocalist for the Southern Death Cult, determined to pursue a direction away from the gothic sound of that band and formed a group with Theatre of Hate guitarist Billy Duffy. Astbury, a singer of enormous presence, dominated the Southern Death Cult to the point where the band felt lopsided. But in Duffy, Astbury found a performer of equally strong personality and a foil. Recruiting guitarist Jamie Stewart on bass and eventually settling on drummer Nigel Preston, the group recorded first under the name Death Cult before shortening it to the Cult to deter the gothic connotations.

"Dreamtime" is, however seeped in gothic and post-punk influences, even if it does manage to get past them as much as it embraces them-- single "Spiritwalker" is probably the best example of this-- a glittering, aggressive track with a great riff reminiscent of the sort of work the gothic acts were doing but avoiding any sense of lifelessness and a vocal soaked in swagger by Astbury, the song is a summation of everything they'd done up until now and yet a pointer to the future. But while it was the only piece to garner any real attention as a single, there are a number of fantastic pieces on here-- the pounding, tribal rhythm-infused "Horse Nation" (also recorded on the "Ghost Dance" EP), the churning, driven, almost reggaeish "Go West", and the very much updated Southern Death Cult piece "A Flower in the Desert" (here presented as a swirling slice of goth with a muscular guitar line). Still, the album seems to fizzle a bit towards the end with the last few tracks being less memorable ("Rider in the Snow") or just plain bizarre (the galloping pop rhythms of the title track).

"Dreamtime" was reissued and remastered in Japan as a double with the "Live at the Lyceum" album-- the sonic improvement on this rerelease is well worth the price upgrade, and the Lyceum show is a great listen.

Bottom line-- "Dreamtime" gets overlooked and it shouldn't. This is an album that deserves more attention, recommended.

The Cult's last decent recording.......2005-07-27

This is a great post-punk/goth CD and continues where Ian left off with Death Cult/Southern Death Cult. Unfortunately, just about everything after this is mindless mullet-rock. If you prefer that genre then this CD (and earlier ones) is probably beyond you and you'll be wasting your money on a purchase unless you're collecting. I think at some point Ian fell and hit his head, woke up thinking he was Bon Jovi minus several IQ points after this CD. The next one, "Love", contains a few post-punk elements but pretty much marks their de-evolution from the Post-punk/Goth genre. However, Dreamtime is a great purchase and something you'll be listening to quite often.

Classic Rock Meets Gothic Post-Punk.......2000-12-06

This is, in my opinion, a true masterpiece. The 80s is often criticized as being over-produced, sythetic and shallow. Like U2, the Cult had much more to offer. "Dreamtime" is a fantastic fusion of gothic punk walking hand-in-hand with Jim Morrison-ish imagery and influence. Eventually Led Zeppelin could be heard in the Cult's sound more than the Doors, but "Dreamtime" and "Love" envoke a unique-for-the-80s combination of lyrical mysticism and spiritual passion with an insurgent rythmn and sonic punch.

Songs like "Spiritwalker" and "Horse Nation" drive forth the mystic imagery with a rocking groove, while the darker songs like "Butterflies" and "Bone Bag" have a darker edge that has as much to lend to Nick Drake as it does to Nick Cave.

This is a phenomenal and, at least in the States, unfortunately underappreciated milestone in the Cult's career. The Cult were, are, and shall be a solid band and influence on new bands for years to come.

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