PRIMAL SCREAM | SCREAMADELICA
Screamadelica remains one of the most uniquely stark depictions of a drug trip ever laid to tape.
In the early 90’s acid house was and ecstasy culture was spreading all over the UK club scene, enrapturing rock musicians and club-goers alike. The band and its label, Creation Records, were smack dab in the middle of the party and were inspired to capture the effects of the scene through musical interpretation. Though not initially seen as an album, the songs were more a collection of singles, b-sides and remixes they were experimenting with. Thought it was a huge departure from their previous efforts, it’s since become the highlight of their output.
Screamadelica spirals through an acid trip of house, rock, dance, and gospel. It was released the same year as Nirvana’s Nevermind which is hard to imagine, but while Nirvana was blowing the hair metal torch out for good Primal Scream was on a completely different playing field. This was about the exciting discovery of the acid house club scene, the exhilaration of ecstasy, the hypnotic trans of dance music, the spell of speed, and the glaze of alcohol. For the band, days and nights revolved around partying – the pre-game, the dancing, the afterparty, and the comedown and the morning after.
The album offers no life-changing lyrics or melody, or songs that will be covered by new budding artists discovering a lost relic in time. It’s more about what the album represents to people who understood the scene at the time and less about the actual music. The songs are all over the place, which makes it hard to genuinely relate to. But it serves its purpose in linking psych rock and dance music together in a one of a kind union. Years later electronic music would be all over rock as electronica become the new trend to close out the millennium. In fact, the two were inseparable for quite some time, partly in thanks to Screamedelica’s influence.
The album cover was inspired by an LSD drug trip in which graphics artist Paul Cannell had been staring at a water spot on the ceiling. It’s somehow become an icon within itself and was even turned into a postage stamp in 2009 to commemorate the UK’s most classic albums alongside Bowie, The Clash, and Led Zeppelin. It resembles a blotted imprecise face a child might draw up before recess, yet captures the sunny sonic lift of the album perfectly. There’s something about it’s simplistic and bright essence that is charming to the eyes.
When asked how important drugs were to the making of the album, Bobbie Gillespie responded: “You never get anything done on acid or E, it’s a fucking disaster. I remember [keyboard player Martin] Duffy coming in for a session, tripping. He ended up lying on his back, pissing into the air. “I’m pissing into the sun, man!”
As the song loaded says: “We wanna get loaded and we wanna have a good time, and that’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to have a good time. We’re going to have a party.” Well said indeed.
It’s rare these days to see anyone being this honest about doing drugs, drinking, and partying without feeling shamed or judged by their counterparts or society. Rock music doesn’t make drugs cool anymore, and long gone are the days of Lou Reed promoting heroine use. Hip Hop is the only genre still actively romanticizing substance abuse, but weed, downers and Xans make don’t exactly fill the dance floor.
As we move into new political awareness and the times get more bleak, there is more pressure to admit our faults and let go of our crutches. Certainly amazing music can be created without the influence of substances, but even Radiohead was swigging wine from the floor while making OK Computer. Screamadelica is there to remind us it’s ok to let go and to have F**king fun.
HIGHER THAN THE SUN
1.5 oz dark rum
1.5 oz white rum
1.5 oz triple sec
1.5 oz lime juice
2 oz mango juice
1 oz cranberry juice
1 tsp wild berry jam
*Shake all ingredients with ice. Stain into a hurricane glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with pineapple slice and coconut slice.