Peggy Suicide is the seventh album

Album

An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...

 by Julian Cope

Julian Cope

Julian Cope is a British rock musician, author, antiquary, musicologist, poet and cultural commentator...

. It is generally seen as the beginning of Cope's trademark sound and approach, and as a turning-point for Cope as a maturing artist.

Background

Peggy Suicide was recorded and released following two lo-fi Cope albums - Skellington

Skellington

Skellington is the fifth solo album by Julian Cope.-Background:Skellington was recorded in just two days at the end of the sessions for Cope's 1988 album My Nation Underground. It was inspired by Cope's frustration with the work on My Nation Underground, which he had lost faith in even as he...

and Droolian

Droolian

-Background:Droolian was recorded against the background of Cope's disagreement with Island Records, the record label to which he was contracted at the time. During this time, Cope was discovering that the recordings he made on a low-budget, one-take approach were more pleasing to him than the...

- which had not gained official distribution and caused friction with Cope's label Island Records

Island Records

Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...

. Cope's previous Island release, My Nation Underground, had not satisfied him, and he had rejected its heavily produced, pop-friendly sound in favour of a one-take, more politicised approach as expounded by former White Panther John Sinclair in his book Guitar Army. Cope was later to refer to this book as "my holy book", and it would set the method for all of his subsequent recording. Several familiar Cope cohorts contributed to the record - multi-instrumentalist Donald Ross Skinner

Donald Ross Skinner

Donald Skinner is a guitarist, songwriter and producer born in Edinburgh, UK primarily known for his work with Julian Cope. Skinner is commonly known by the name Donald Ross Skinner with the addition of the middle name of Ross attributed to him by Cope after Glenn Ross Campbell, the pedal steel...

, drummer/percussionist Rooster Cosby and keyboard player/onetime Cope producer Ron Fair

Ron Fair

Ron Fair is a veteran A&R executive, record producer arranger, recording engineer and songwriter. In a career that has spanned over 30 years at major record labels he has produced and arranged hits for several artists, but he is best known as a "guru/mentor", guiding the careers of unknown artists...

. There were also contributions by new associates in the shape of former Smiths

The Smiths

The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...

 drummer Mike Joyce

Mike Joyce

Mike Joyce is an English drummer. He is best known as the drummer for The Smiths.-Career:...

 and future Spiritualized

Spiritualized

Spiritualized are an English space rock band formed in 1990 in Rugby, Warwickshire by Jason Pierce after the demise of his previous outfit, space-rockers Spacemen 3...

 lead guitarist Michael Watts (better known as Mike Mooney or "Moon-eye").

On the album’s songs, Cope laid bare many of his personal convictions including his hatred of organized religion and his increasing public interest in women's rights, the occult

Occult

The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...

, alternative spirituality (including paganism

Paganism

Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....

 and Goddess

Goddess

A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....

 worship), animal rights

Animal rights

Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...

, and ecology

Ecology

Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...

. He had referred in passing to these beliefs in previous songs, but never so directly. The album was written in the aftermath of the British anti-poll tax

Poll Tax Riots

The UK Poll Tax Riots were a series of mass disturbances, or riots, in British towns and cities during protests against the Community Charge , introduced by the Conservative government led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher...

 in 1990. Cope himself had taken part in the protest, and several songs on the album refer directly to its events. Cope's forthright new political stance was reflected in the song Leperskin, which refers to the contemporary British prime minister Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...

 (who resigned between the recording of Peggy Suicide and its release) as an "apostolic hag". For one particular track, the anti-police tirade "Soldier Blue", Cope sampled Lenny Bruce

Lenny Bruce

Leonard Alfred Schneider , better known by the stage name Lenny Bruce, was a Jewish-American comedian, social critic and satirist...

's live album The Berkeley Concert and mixed in samples of the Poll Tax Riot.

When released in 1991, the album featured extensive sleevenotes in which Cope explained the meaning of each song and stated that the entire album was a meditation on humanity's relationship to Mother Earth. Many songs were given very idiosyncratic interpretations, such as Cope's account of "You" which asserts that the Conscious Mind "acts like a cross between Tony Wilson

Tony Wilson

Anthony Howard Wilson, commonly known as Tony Wilson , was an English record label owner, radio presenter, TV show host, nightclub manager, impresario and journalist for Granada Television and the BBC....

 and Bill Drummond

Bill Drummond

William Ernest Drummond is a Scottish artist, musician, writer and record producer. He was the co-founder of late 1980s avant-garde pop group The KLF and its 1990s media-manipulating successor, the K Foundation, with which he burned a million pounds in 1994...

 but looks a lot like Lew Grade

Lew Grade

Lew Grade, Baron Grade , born Lev Winogradsky, was an influential Russian-born English impresario and media mogul.-Early years:...

. The Unconscious mind...looks like Iggy Pop

Iggy Pop

Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...

 playing Syd Barrett

Syd Barrett

Syd Barrett , born Roger Keith Barrett, was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and painter, best remembered as a founding member of the band Pink Floyd. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter during the band's psychedelic years, providing major musical and stylistic...

."

"Peggy Suicide" generated two singles - the calypso-styled "Beautiful Love" (a minor hit) and "East Easy Rider". Another track, "Soldier Blue", was re-mixed by Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy's Michael Franti

Michael Franti

Michael Franti is an American poet, musician, and composer. He is the creator and lead vocalist of Michael Franti & Spearhead, a band that blends hip hop with a variety of other styles including funk, reggae, jazz, folk, and rock...

, who also provided a rap for the new mix. However, Island Records refused to release the song as a single due to it being considered too overtly political.

The album was heralded by critics as Cope’s best work thus far, and has subsequently been considered as an artistic rebirth for Cope. In 2009, a deluxe edition was released with a second CD of bonus tracks.

Trivia

Head was edited to fit on the limited time of LP and CD mediums for the album. The original unabridged version was later made available on the CD single release for the song and credited as a remix version.

Original LP release

1. "Pristeen"
2. "Double Vegetation"
3. "East Easy Rider"
4. "Promised Land"
5. "Hanging Out & Hung Up on the Line"
6. "Safesurfer"
7. "If You Loved Me at All"
8. "Drive, She Said"
9. "Soldier Blue"
10. "You..."
11. "Not Raving But Drowning"
12. "Head"
13. "Leperskin"
14. "Beautiful Love"
15. "Western Front 1992 CE"
16. "Hung Up & Hanging Out to Dry"
17. "The American Lite"
18. "Las Vegas Basement"

Original cassette and vinyl release

1. "Pristeen"
2. "Double Vegetation"
3. "East Easy Rider"
4. "Promised Land"
5. "Hanging Out & Hung Up on the Line"
6. "Safesurfer"
7. "If You Loved Me at All"
8. "Drive, She Said"
9. "Soldier Blue"
10. "You..."
11. "Not Raving But Drowning"
12. "Head"
13. "Leperskin"
14. "Beautiful Love"
15. "Uptight"
16. "Western Front 1992 CE"
17. "Hung Up & Hanging Out to Dry"
18. "The American Lite"
19. "Las Vegas Basement"

2009 Deluxe edition

1. "Pristeen"
2. "Double Vegetation"
3. "East Easy Rider"
4. "Promised Land"
5. "Hanging Out & Hung Up on the Line"
6. "Safesurfer"
7. "If You Loved Me at All"
8. "Drive, She Said"
9. "Soldier Blue"
10. "You..."
11. "Not Raving But Drowning"
12. "Head"
13. "Leperskin"
14. "Beautiful Love"
15. "Western Front 1992 CE"
16. "Hung Up & Hanging Out to Dry"
17. "The American Lite"
18. "Las Vegas Basement"
19. "Easty Risin (East Easy Rider Remix)"
20. "Ravebury Stones"
21. "Love L.U.V. (Beautiful Love Remix)"
22. "Dragonfly"
23. "Heed: Of Penetration And The City-Dweller"
24. "Bring Cherhill Down"
25. "Safesurfer ('91 Tour 7" Version)"
26. "If You Loved Me At All ('91 Tour 7" Version)"
27. "Butterfly E"
28. "Straw Dogs"
29. "Anyway At All"

Personnel

• Julian Cope (also credited as "DeHarrison" or "Double DeHarrison") - vocals, electric & acoustic 12-string/wah-wah guitars, bass guitar, Moog synthesizer, string arrangements
• Donald Ross Skinner
  Donald Ross Skinner
  Donald Skinner is a guitarist, songwriter and producer born in Edinburgh, UK primarily known for his work with Julian Cope. Skinner is commonly known by the name Donald Ross Skinner with the addition of the middle name of Ross attributed to him by Cope after Glenn Ross Campbell, the pedal steel...
  
   - bass guitar, electric guitar, organ, Omnichord
• Michael "Moon-Eye" Watts - electric & infinite guitar
• Ron Fair
  Ron Fair
  Ron Fair is a veteran A&R executive, record producer arranger, recording engineer and songwriter. In a career that has spanned over 30 years at major record labels he has produced and arranged hits for several artists, but he is best known as a "guru/mentor", guiding the careers of unknown artists...
  
   - piano
• G.S. Butterworth - Moog synthesizer
• Rooster Cosby - drums, percussion, congas
• Mike Joyce - drums on "Hanging Out & Hung Up On The Line", "You..." & "Las Vegas Basement"
• J.D. Hassinger - electronic drums, tambourine
• Ronnie Ross
  Ronnie Ross
  Albert Ronald "Ronnie" Ross was a jazz baritone saxophonist.Ross moved to England in 1946 and began playing tenor saxophone in the 1950s with Tony Kinsey, Ted Heath, and Don Rendell. During his tenure with Rendell he switched to baritone saxophone...
  
   - baritone saxophone
• Aaf Verkade - trumpet
• Dan Levett - cello
• Lulu Chivers, Edwin Vernon, Camilla Mayer - background vocals
• Hugo Nicolson
  Hugo Nicolson
  Hugo Nicolson is a record producer and engineer who has worked on records for artists including Primal Scream, Embrace, David Holmes, Shack and Julian Cope....
  
  - engineer