The Drude came lumbering out of the psychedelic wasteland with this sprawling kaleidoscopic pop masterpiece. Inspired by John Sinclair's book 'Guitar Army: Rock and Revolution with The MC5 and the White Panther Party', Julian Cope adopted a more political perspective and a one-take approach in the studio. He also spent a lot of time touring ancient monuments around England. 'Peggy Suicide' is his metaphor for Mother Earth on the verge of destruction. In the midst of recording the album he played his first live show in two years in Brixton for an Anti-Poll Tax benefit and took place in demonstrations dressed as Mr. Sqwubbsy. He produced the album with Donald Ross Skinner who also plays bass, guitar, and organ. Frequent collaborators Rooster Cosby and Ron Fair took part as well as a slew of studio musicians.
Cope describes his new creative process as a "gnostic odyssey": "Everything in my trip is a holistic thing. Some of it's very left-field and some of it is right in the center. I believe that we formerly had collective magic that we used in a community way. I think that the collective magic in 3000 B.C. in Britain made large stone circles. The stones were so big no one can even imagine it now as magic--because it was a communal effort. But at the same time, we are in the middle of a very high technological magic which we don't even accept. If archaeologists, using the kind of ideas they use now in 5000 years discover car culture, they really won't believe that we could have driven at 80 miles per hour on the motorway with very few collisions. If you think about that in a rationalist way, it doesn't really make sense. But we think that it can't be magic because we can do it. That's what I term the whole Fordism, the car culture. So we still have that collective magic, but we've applied it to technological pursuits and we fall victim to thinking in a technological way so we can't get back to our magical selves. So that's my job, to let people know about it."
'Beautiful Love' was the first single. It peaked at number thirty two on the UK charts.
"You seem lonely oh Avalon
I feel evidence very strong
Beautiful love now beautiful love where have you gone"
The funky groove of 'East Easy Rider' went to number fifty one on the British charts.
"Well, it's a bruising shattering ride
But I cannot deny myself this luxury"
The double entendre single for 'Head' peaked at number fifty seven in the UK.
"I can feel my head exploding now
an uncovered head exploding now."
'Safesurfer' is a meditation on A.I.D.S. that features Michael "Moon-Eye" Watts trading guitar licks with Julian.
"You don't have to be afraid love
'Cause I'm a safesurfer, darlin'"
'Hanging Out And Hung Up On The Line' features Mike Joyce on drums. Cope describes it as “a psychic driving song.”
"this is not a dainty world to set before the swine,
Guess it looks like I'm hanging out and hung up on the line."
'Soldier Blue' samples Lenny Bruce and the Poll Tax riots to criticize the police. Julian wanted to release it as a single.
"'Cause I know what you did
And I'm proud to admit it
I was out in the street
I was strangely committed"
'Double Vegetation' addresses religious fundamentalism.
"Why did you and me both stand in line?
He said "I want you"
Each day we get closer to the big bad fire"
'Pristine' describes the effect we have had on the planet.
“How much can you take?
Trusting in me was your major mistake”
full album:
All songs written and composed by Julian Cope.
00:01 Pristeen
04:41 Double Vegetation
08:33 East Easy Rider
12:33 Promised Land
16:12 Hanging Out & Hung Up On The Line
20:58 Safesurfer
29:05 If You Loved Me At All
34:06 Drive, She Said
38:42 Soldier Blue
43:31 You...
45:20 Not Raving But Drowning
49:37 Head
51:58 Leperskin
57:10 Beautiful Love
01:00:23 Western Front 192 CE
01:02:25 Hung Up & Hanging Out To Dry
01:07:12 The American Lite
01:11:16 Las Vegas Basement
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