Pure Cult

Summarizing the first decade or so of their career, Pure Cult also pretty well covers what needs to be known about the band, despite occasional albums since: all the key singles are there and a few extras besides. It also shows what is a sometimes underrated variety evident in the Cult — while Ian Astbury’s full-bodied singing and Billy Duffy’s riff mania are always central, it’s not just one copycat arrangement after another, as they test out any number of things. Plus, this is where to find one of their best songs ever, the addictive, snarling funk burn of “The Witch.”