The Cult (album)

The style of music on the album is more reminiscent of the grunge and alternative rock music popular at the time, and of noise rock, with its use of distortion and feedback. Vocalist Ian Astbury referred to the record as "very personal, and very revealing" songs about his life, with the subject matter ranging from sexual abuse at the age of 15, to the death of Nigel Preston (friend and former drummer for The Cult), to his directionless years spent in Glasgow in the late 1970s. The album also features a rare occasion of Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy sharing a writing credit with another band member, as bassist Craig Adams is credited as co-writer of "Universal You". ==Reception==

Upon release, the album reached no. 69 on the US charts and no. 21 in the UK, before quickly falling off the charts. Reportedly, it reached number one on the charts in Portugal, but quickly dropped off there as well. The single "Coming Down (Drug Tongue)" (UK#51) was released with the band going on tour in support of the new album. Only one more single, "Star" (UK#65), was officially released. That song began life in 1986 as "Tom Petty" before being dropped by the band during rehearsals. In 1993 the song was resurrected once again as "Starchild", and was finally completed for the record in 1994 as, just simply, "Star". "Be Free" was also released as a single both in Canada, as a promotional CD with a purchase of a party pack of Labatt Genuine Draft, and in France by Virgin Records as an extremely rare edited version along with the edit of "Coming Down (Drug Tongue)". "Sacred Life" was released as a promotional only single in Spain and the Netherlands. "Gone" was released as a limited edition (only 2000 made) 7 inch vinyl single with artwork and handwritten lyrics by Ian Astbury. The Australian version contains an extra CD, with nine songs recorded live at the Marquee Club in London in November 1991. The album peaked at #64 on the US Cashbox charts. ==Track listing==

;The Cult • Ian Astbury – vocals, acoustic guitar, occasional guitar, tambourine • Billy Duffy – guitar • Craig Adams – bass • Scott Garrett – drums ;Additional personnel • Bob Rock – fender and string bass (track 2), acoustic guitar (tracks 3, 8, 12), rhythm guitar (tracks 7, 11), mixing, producer • Scott Humphrey – keyboards, programming • Jim McGiueray – percussion ;Technical • Mario Caldato, Jr. – mixing • George Marino (at Sterling Sound) – mastering ==Charts==