Project 1001: Peggy Suicide by Julian Cope

And I saw my old man / Exploding out of the tunnel / I knew what came next / Recognized that cruel scene / That brought the downfall / Of the distant gaze, distant gaze

May 05, 2025

Julian Cope has never made much of a dent in the U.S. I am not too familiar with his work although after looking at his discography I did have a vague recollection of his 1988 hit “Charlotte Anne”, which hit #1 on the alternative charts.1 Other than that, it’s all new to me.

Peggy Suicide was a pleasant surprise for me today. A rather enjoyable romp of rock songs that have earnest thought behind them about subjects ranging from the environment, women’s rights, and religion. Your mileage may vary on how well Cope’s opinions align with yours, but it’s undeniable that he presents them with top-quality music.

I suppose I found the album appealing because many of the songs build to crescendos, which is probably my favorite type of song structure. I’m a sucker for a big buildup to a bombastic climax. My favorite may be “Safesurfer”, a dreamscape featuring excellent guitar lines that envelope you in a comforting embrace.

My rating:

NME scored the album 8 out of 10 concluding:

There’s too much here for eve a hardened Copeophile to assess fully, so soon. But I figure at least a quarter is classic, and only one sounds like a Vanilla Fudge filler.
He sighs, “I was born to entertain so here I go” on Side Four, naturally. As any major dude will tell you, Julian Cope rarely delivers anything less.2

Select magazine also gave high praise to the album:

Peggy Suicide, a double album so spaced, so Cope-ian, it might just be thealbum he’s been trying to make for the past decade. This is where the hip kids hang out.
From lazy summer mellow to apeshit manic, Peggy never ceases to delight.

In AllMusic’s review Ned Raggett asserted Peggy Suicide was Cope’s “best album to date, overtopping even his Teardrop Explodes efforts.” Moreover, the album shows “a greater musical breadth and range than ever before, from funk to noise collage -- and more importantly, not sounding like a dilettante at any step of the way.” Raggett proclaims the album, “an absolute, stone-cold rock classic, full stop.”3

In 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, Manish Agarwal wrote:

Post-punk renaissance man Julian Cope is the foremost cult artist in contemporary British music.
…dissatisfied by (his late 80s musical compromises), (with this album) he underwent a spectacular creative rebirth.4

Enjoy and listen without prejudice.
“And just remember, different people have peculiar tastes”
~ Lou Reed

Cheers!

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Charts

• Peak on Billboard 200 album chart: n/a
• Singles on Billboard Hot 100 chart: n/a
• RIAA certification: n/a

Released on April 22, 1991. Here’s what else was happening:

Pop Culture

• Number one song: “You’re In Love” by Wilson Phillips5
• Number one album: Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey6
• Number one movie: Out for Justice by John Flynn7
• Most watched TV programs: Cheers, 60 Minutes, Rosanne8
• NYT bestseller, fiction: Heartbeat by Danielle Steel9
• NYT bestseller, non-fiction: You’ll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again by Julia Phillips10

Some other albums released that month

• Hoodoo by Alison Moyet

• Shift-Work by The Fall

• 13 Engines by 13 Engines

• And Now the Legacy Begins by Dream Warriors

• Flyin' the Flannel by Firehose

• Kinky by Hoodoo Gurus

• Ordinary Average Guy by Joe Walsh

• The Reality of My Surroundings by Fishbone

• Renegade by Charlie Daniels

• Time, Love & Tenderness by Michael Bolton

• Power of Love by Luther Vandross11

Sport

• Apr 19 Evander Holyfield beats George Foreman in 12 for heavyweight boxing title.
• Apr 25 Boston Herald journalist Lisa Olson brings suit against NFL New England Patriots for sexual harassment while covering team; an out-of-court settlement was reached.
• Apr 26 Soccer star Diego Maradona, suspended for using cocaine, arrested in Argentina for possession & distribution of illegal narcotics.12

Notable Births

• Apr 16 Jazzmeia Horn, American jazz singer-songwriter (A Social Call), born in Dallas, Texas.
• Apr 21 Max Chilton, British Formula One and IndyCar racing driver, born in Redhill, England.
• Apr 30 Travis Scott [Jacques Webster], American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer ("Highest In The Room"; "Sicko Mode"), born in Houston, Texas.13

Historical Events

• Apr 18 Iraq's Chemical Weapons Declaration to UN: Iraq officially declared some of its chemical weapons and materials to the United Nations, complying with Resolution 687, while simultaneously claiming it did not possess a biological weapons program.
• Apr 23 USSR Grants Republics Secession Rights: The Soviet Union passes a landmark law allowing its constituent republics to secede under specific conditions, signaling the potential fragmentation of the USSR and foreshadowing its imminent collapse.
• Apr 24 Freddie Stowers Receives Posthumous Medal of Honor: Freddie Stowers, an African American soldier who served in World War I, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during the war. This recognition came 73 years after his original recommendation, highlighting the historical delays in acknowledging the contributions of Black soldiers.14

Notable Deaths

• Apr 18 Barry Rogers, American jazz, salsa, and session trombonist (Eddie Palmiere; Fania All-Stars; Chaka Khan; Todd Rundgren), dies at 55
• Apr 20 Steve Marriott, British rock guitarist and singer-songwriter (Small Faces, 1965-68, 75-78); Humble Pie, 1969-75, 79-83 - Eat It), dies in a house fire at 44.
• Apr 23 Johnny Thunders [Genzale], American punk rock guitarist (New York Dolls), dies from a combination of leukemia and drug abuse at 38.15