PRIMAL SCREAM - Screamadelica

PRIMAL SCREAM – Screamadelica – Album Review

1991 ranks up there as one of the maddest years in my 90’s campaign of debauchery.

This album sums up so much about the friendship, unity and after-party culture of a period in time that remains my most precious. The rave scene was starting to properly explode, rival football terraces were, for some unknown reason, liking each other, dance-floor bigotry was taking a sabbatical…and everything in the world was just beautifully coloured and perfectly euphoric…until Tuesdays.

Screamadelica was the benchmark wind down and take the edge off album for me and my mates. Someone who has never rode the back of a 3 day post rave gathering may overlook the journey that this collection of music takes you on, and see it purely on it’s face value of song after song – not moi.

There are hidden depths in these songs that only dogs and ravers can hear.

Our dearly departed hero of electronica, Andrew Weatherall was the key figure in the production of this album and it just (pardon the pun) ‘screams’ The Guv’Nor and his beautifully low slung, analogue Balearic mastery. The tracks seamlessly blend through genres, creating a sound that totally encapsulates a unique time in music history.

At a whopping 10 minutes and 19 seconds, ‘Come Together’ goes on, and on, and on, and on, and builds to a level of locked in, hypnotic euphoria that goes beyond anything i’ve ever heard since. To then follow a track like that with ‘Loaded’ has the power to completely peel open the top of your head if heard under the right circumstances.

This album has everything i could ever require in a body of music, highs, lows, twists & turns, funk, depth and utter charm.

Every now and again i believe that anyone who was a Primal Scream fan back in the 90’s and is still in reasonable control of their main faculties, should take a little refresher course in this album..trust me, it will do wonders for your heart and soul.

This album is as close to out and out perfection as you will ever get. I actually found myself getting quite emotional wording this particular review and listening (again) whilst writing.

I would urge you to take some time at your earliest opportunity and reacquaint yourself with this beautiful indie masterpiece.