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The Psych Ward–Screamadelica by Primal Scream

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  • Rob Cavenagh
  • February 24, 2023
  • 8:16 am

The Psych Ward–Screamadelica by Primal Scream

Creative collisions can be a wonderful thing: 1920s Paris, 1950s American music, and most relevant – the late 1980s collision of independent rock with dance music and huge parties in the UK. While Manchester seemed to be the original nexus (see Stone Roses and Happy Mondays et al), it was a bunch of paisley and leather wearing Scots that found the pot of gold. Concisely stated, Screamadelica is a joyous merger of country rock, Stones riffs, trippy beats, gospel choruses, and a healthy dose of dub reggae.

The personnel on Screamadelica undoubtedly had a tremendous impact on the final product as producers Andrew Weatherall and Hugo Nicolson started their involvement by remixing previous Scream tracks that ended up on the final LP. Add to that a track produced by The Orb and two by Rolling Stones producer Jimmy Miller (aka “Mr. Jimmy”) and the result is a masterpiece.

While Manchester seemed to be the original nexus, it was a bunch of paisley and leather wearing Scots that found the pot of gold.

Kicked off by the infectious Jimmy Miller-produced “Movin’ On Up,” the opening track brings Exile-era Stones to mind with its jubilant acoustic guitar along with equal portions of piano, tambourine, handclaps, and slide guitar that would make Mick Taylor proud. The song is also the first time the listener hears the glorious gospel vocals of Denise Johnson who appears on several tracks and toured with the band following Screamdelica’s release in 1991. The other Jimmy Miller track “Damaged” could very well be the sui generis of Noel Gallagher’s songwriting or at least his style of guitar solos. Spare and haunting, the song could be mistaken for a Rolling Stones cover or at least an acoustic alternate take of “Wild Horses” or “Let It Loose.”

Screamadelica Album Cover

“Trip Inside This House” is the band’s version of a 13th Floor Elevators (Roky Erickson) track. Less a cover than a reinterpretation, singer Bobby Gillespie sings “Trip” in place of the original lyric “Slip inside this house” which only adds to the relevance to the timeframe being the “rave era” and closely aligned with the drugs Ecstasy and LSD. A throbbing bassline and a sitar loop complete the psychedelic recipe.

While the Stones-influenced tracks stand on their own, it is the combo of “Come Together” and “Loaded” that truly set Screamadelica on a pedestal of its own. The remixing genius of Weatherall and Nicholson took band demos and for “Loaded” the song “I’m Losing More Than I’ll Ever Have” from the band’s previous album and created combinations of drum loops, gospel vocals (Denise Johnson again) and various percussion instruments in a mix that has filled dancefloors for decades. Add in some quirky 60s movie dialogue (The Wild Ones) and Primal Scream had a genre-busting success that holds up thirty years later.

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2 thoughts on “The Psych Ward–Screamadelica by Primal Scream”

  1. Heather dougherty
    February 27, 2023 at 7:19 pm

    Love this album! And I got to listen to it all the time with you in our 20’s!

    Reply
    • Rob Cavenaugh
      February 28, 2023 at 10:03 am

      Good times…

      Reply

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