Red Mecca Explained

Red Mecca is the fourth studio album by English industrial band Cabaret Voltaire, released in 17 August 1981 through Rough Trade Records.

Background

While touring the United States in November 1979, Cabaret Voltaire became strongly interested in the rise of the Christian right in the country and its use of television, especially the fundraising broadcasts of televangelist Eugene Scott. They compared this phenomenon to the parallel rise of Islamism in the Middle East, devoting a side of vinyl to each strand of geopolitics on their 1980 album Three Mantras.^[2] Red Mecca was a culmination of this interest; the album further connects these themes to the bleak atmosphere of the deindustrialising North of England under Margaret Thatcher.^{[3] [4]}

Band member Richard H. Kirk noted that the title was inspired by then-current events in the Middle East: "The whole Afghanistan situation was kicking off, Iran had the American hostages [...] it's not called [''Red Mecca''] by coincidence. We weren't referencing the fucking Mecca Ballroom in Nottingham!"^[5] According to Chris Watson, the band "wanted to use the word 'Mecca' in the title, and we wanted a strong word complimenting it, and came up with a colour – which happened to be Red. I mean, red is a strong colour anyway, but when they came together to make Red Mecca they took on a totally different significance."

Red Mecca was recorded at Western Works in Sheffield in May 1981.

Release

Red Mecca reached No. 1 on the UK Independent Albums chart.^[6]

Critical reception

NME named Red Mecca the ninth best album of 1981.^[7]

Andy Kellman of AllMusic retrospectively praised the album, writing, "Unlike a fair portion of [Cabaret Voltaire]'s studio output, Red Mecca features no failed experiments or anything that could be merely cast off as 'interesting.' It's a taut, dense, horrific slab lacking a lull." Uncut cited Red Mecca as the band's "masterpiece", where they "struck the perfect balance between experimentalism and entryism".^[8] Record Collectors Ian Shirley called it "a seismic release" and noted "its timeless sheen, with the Cabs' use of echo, space and phasing lending depth and vibrancy to the album."

In 2019, Pitchfork ranked Red Mecca as the fourth best industrial album of all time, deeming it a "paranoid, claustrophobic masterpiece".^[9]

Personnel

Cabaret Voltaire

• Christopher R. Watson – organ, tape, production, recording, sleeve design
• Richard H. Kirk – synthesizer, guitar, clarinet, horns, strings, production, recording, sleeve design
• Stephen Mallinder – vocals, bass guitar, bongos, production, recording, sleeve design

Additional personnel

• Nik Allday – drums
• Porky – mastering
• Neville Brody – sleeve design

Notes and References

1. 8 August 1981 . Cabs for hire . . 5.
2. Web site: Chris Watson interview for Japanese ‘Rock Magazine’ 26 September 1981 . 2024-08-22 . Encyclopaedia Electronica . en-GB.
3. Web site: Cabaret Voltaire- Red Mecca . 2024-08-22 . Waiting Room Records . en.
4. Web site: 2013-06-13 . Mute Records • Cabaret Voltaire • Red Mecca Vinyl Release - Out 22 July . 2024-08-22 . Mute Records . en-GB.
5. Book: Reynolds, Simon . Simon Reynolds . Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978–1984 . Rip It Up and Start Again . . 2005 . 0571215696 . 171–72.
6. Book: Lazell, Barry . Indie Hits 1980–1989 . . 1997 . 0-9517206-9-4 . 311.
7. Web site: 1981 Best Albums And Tracks Of The Year . . 10 October 2016 . 14 February 2018.
8. Doom with a view . . 69 . February 2003 . 93.
9. Web site: The 33 Best Industrial Albums of All Time . . 17 June 2019 . 30 November 2020 . 3.