There was a brief period of time in the history of Rock, between the release of Appetite for Destruction and that of Nevermind, when the record industry sniffed the business of Hair Metal.

Everyone (and I mean everyone!) was forced to tease their hair, get highlights, and wear lipstick and mascara... in short, the triumph of macho madness.

Well, even a respectable guitarist like Billy Duffy, with an indisputable postpunk and new wave past, and an iconic Rockabilly look with his nice blonde pompadour and white Gretsch guitar, was forced to grow his hair and wield the obligatory Gibson.

The Cult - Sonic Temple

Setting aside the dark wave and psychedelic ambitions of Love and the classic Hard Rock of Electric, in 1989 Sonic Temple was born, an album where the honest British band retraces the path of a Zeppelin-like sound revitalized (or mortified?) by the Los Angeles vibe of the late '80s, whose cultural and fashion references were as much Tommy Lee as Peter North, Axel Rose and Ron Jeremy, Lita Ford and Traci Lords...

The tracks are all catchy and very American. Simple, direct, and effective.

In short, back then you could spend a good hour at the stereo, imagining improbable escapes on the back of a Harley Davidson, pursued by very unbuttoned blonde police officers.

That day back in 1989 when I bought the album, I was with a very pretty girl (a real knockout, to be honest).

I went on and on about who the Cult had been up to then... she very calmly said to me: "I only listen to the Doors. I like Jim Morrison!"

Tracklist Lyrics and Videos

01   Sun King (06:09)

This is where it all ends
And the kinda dream that you've never seen
Well, yeah

Hot damn, ooh, mercy ma'am
What the hell you doing to me?
Ah, strutting round with your head held high
What you trying to prove, girl?
Black haired missy
Big brown eyes
On my knees, mama please
I'm a regal man
I'll do what I can
To take you off to the promised land

I'm a sun king, baby
Let me take you by the hand
Sun king, honey
We can rule across the land
I'm a sun king, baby
With you, I'll share my throne
A sun king, honey
I can't make it on my own, no

Hey, look out, little missy's about
Ripping up the town, yeah
Honey, I can't tie you down
Woman, you make me frown
Long legged lady with a black dress on
On my knees, mama please
I'm a regal man
I'll do what I can
To t-t-take you to the promised land

A sun king, baby
Let me take you by the hand
Yeah, sun king, honey
We can rule across this land
I'm a sun king, baby, baby
With you, I'll share my throne
A sun king, honey
I can't make it on my own, yeah

Let me tell you people
Now, listen good
City crawling like a tired dog, yeah
Cult children in the house of the dawn, yeah
Time was wasted 'cause it's gone too fast
Time was wasted 'cause it's gone too fast
I see the sun begin to shine
I see the sun begin to shine

Sun king, baby, ow
Let me take you by the hand
Oh, sun king, honey
We can rule across the land
I'm a sun king, baby, yeah yeah
With you, I'll share my throne
Sun king, honey
I can't make it on my own, yeah

I'm a sun king, baby

Sun king
Sun king, baby...

02   Fire Woman (05:10)

Fire woman, yeah

Shake, shake, shake, shake it, yeah

Wound up, can't sleep, can't do anything right, little honey
Oh, since I set my eyes on you
I tell you the truth
T-t-t-t-twistin' like a flame in a slow dance, baby
You're driving me crazy
Come on, little honey
Come on now

Fire
Smoke, she is a rising fire, yeah
Smoke on the horizon, well
Fire
Smoke, she is a rising fire
Oh, smokestack lightning
Smokestack lightning

Well, shake it up, you're to blame, got me swayin' little honey
My heart's a ball of burnin' flame
Oh, yes it is
Trancing like a cat on a hot tin shack
Lord, have mercy
Come on little sister
Come on and shake it

Fire
Smoke, she is a rising fire
Oh, smoke on the horizon, yeah
Fire
Smoke, she is a rising fire
Oh, smokestack lightning, baby

I was thinking what I've been missing
I'll tell you truthfully, well
She's coming close now
Oh, I can feel her
She's getting close to me
And I never, yeah

Fire
Smoke, she is a rising fire
Oh, smoke on the horizon
Fire
Smoke, she is a rising, rising, rising fire
Smokestack lightning
A-j-j-j...

Burnin' out
and shake it, baby.
Come on and burn it.

I say send down fire to me
say send down fire to me
say send down fire to me, yeah!

Fire woman, you're to blame...

03   American Horse (05:18)

04   Edie (Ciao Baby) (04:46)

Always said you were a youthquaker, Edie
A stormy little world shaker
Oh, Warhol's darling queen, Edie
An angel with a broken wing

The dogs lay at your feet, Edie
A wind caressed your cheek
Ooh, stars wrapped in your hair
Ooh, life without a care
But your not there

Oh, caught up in an inward sea, Edie
Yeah, paradise, a shattered dream
Oh, wired on the pills you took, Edie
Your innocence dripped blood, sweet child

The dogs lay at your feet, Edie
A wind caressed your cheek
Ooh, stars wrapped in your hair
Ooh, life without a care
Ciao baby

Shake it, boy

Oh, sweet little sugar talker
Paradise dream stealer
Oh, Warhol's little queen, Edie
An angel with a broken wing, oh

The dogs lay at your feet, Edie
A wind caressed your cheek, well
Stars wrapped in your hair
Ooh, life without a care
Yeah, yeah, yeah

Why did you kiss the world goodbye?
Ciao baby
Don't you know paradise takes time?
Ciao, Edie
Why did you kiss the world goodbye?
Ciao baby
Don't you know paradise takes time?
Ooh, ciao, Edie
Ciao baby, yeah
Ciao baby
Ciao baby, yeah
Ciao baby

05   Sweet Soul Sister (05:08)

Embrace the wind with both arms
Stop the clouds dead in sky
Hang your head no more
And beg no more
Brother wolf and sister moon
Your time has come
Brother wolf and sister moon
Your time has come
And the wind will blow my fears away
Will dry my tears away
And dry my tears away
And dry my tears away
Embrace the wind with both arms
Stop the clouds dead in sky
Hang your head no more
And beg no more
Brother wolf and sister moon
Your time has come
Brother wolf and sister moon
Your time has come
And the wind will blow my fears away
Will dry my tears away
And blow my fears away
And dry my tears away
And the wind will blow my fears away
Will dry my tears away
And blow my fears away
And blow my, blow my fears away
Dry my tears away
And blow my, blow my fears away yeah
And blow my, blow my, blow my
And blow my fears away

06   Soul Asylum (07:25)

07   New York City (04:41)

08   Automatic Blues (03:51)

Yeah
Ooh now baby, baby, baby, baby, baby

Hey there people, have you heard the news?
Ooh oh yeah
The world's on fire, I'm telling you, yeah, I'm telling you
Brothers and sisters everywhere, come together
People like you should
Ooh, like you should

Drive on people
Drive on people

Ooh, I never thought we'd get too far, yeah
Living on the wrong side talking 'bout life
Ow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Lovers and sinners, cats and fools
Shake it together, come on people, please, yeah

Drive on people
People drive on, say
Drive on people

I ain't no sucker, I ain't no fool
Talking about the automatic blues, yeah
I ain't no sucker, I ain't no fool
Talking about the automatic blues

Ain't no sucker, ain't no fool, no
Ain't no sucker, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Come on and shake it, boy

Drive on people
People drive on, yeah
Drive on people, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Drive on people
People drive on, say
Drive on people

I ain't no sucker, I ain't no fool
I'm talking about the automatic blues, yeah
I ain't no sucker, I ain't no fool
I'm talking about the automatic blues, now

I ain't no sucker, I ain't no fool
I'm talking about the automatic blues
I ain't no sucker, I ain't no fool
I'm talking about the automatic blues, yeah, uh

09   Soldier Blue (04:36)

10   Wake Up Time for Freedom (05:17)

Wake up time for freedom, baby
Wake up time to fly
Wake up time for freedom, baby

Ah-ha, ah-ha-ha, yeah
Ah-ha, ah-ha-ha, well
Ah-ha, ah-ha-ha
Ah-ha, ah-ha-ha

There's someone knocking on my door
A tall dark figure I've never seen before
His badge shone brightly like a star in the sky
Drag me out to the waiting car

Wake up time for freedom, baby
Wake up time to fly
Wake up time for freedom, baby

A flock of vultures spinning round my head
Left me on the roadside for dead
Cars pass by but no one stares
These waking dreams, they never end

Wake up time for freedom, baby
Wake up time to fly
Wake up time for freedom
You we gotta try

Lawman on the bank now, honey
Hound dog on my trail
Wake up time for freedom
Before the night prevails

There's someone knocking on my door
A tall dark figure I've never seen before
Yeah, backs on blinding, like a star in the sky
He drag me out to the waiting car

Sometimes, like this, they came

Ah-ha, ah-ha-ha, yeah
Ah-ha, ah-ha-ha
Ah-ha, ah-ha-ha, yeah
Ah-ha, ah-ha-ha

Wake up time for freedom, baby
Wake up time to fly, yeah
Wake up time for freedom, baby

Wake up time for freedom, baby
Wake up time to fly, yeah
Wake up time for freedom, baby

Wake up time for freedom, baby
Wake up time to fly
Wake up time for freedom, baby

Wake up time for freedom, baby
Wake up time to fly
Wake up time for freedom, baby

Wake up time for freedom, baby...

Freedom...

11   Medicine Train (04:39)

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By Fidia

 "Sonic Temple was also their most criticized work because it was considered too Zeppelin-esque."

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