Bela Lugosi's Dead

AMG Review of Bela Lugosi's Dead

Ned Raggett
All Music Guide

It's been described as the goth-rock equivalent of "Stairway to Heaven" -- in fact, it's even longer than that particular song -- but what still remains especially astonishing about the title track is in fact how un-"goth" it is, at least in the clichéd notion familiar in later times. If anything, dub reggae is at the heart of the song, with Haskins' steady pulse and clatter interspersed with heavy-duty bass from David J. But what ultimately carries the day is the combination of Ash's swirling, crisp and snarling guitar work, a mini-masterpiece of art-rock in itself, and Murphy's deep black croon, singing what he described later as lyrics meant to be as much horror-movie parody as anything else, but which still conveyed a romantic majesty thanks to the performance. Until its appearance on the Crackle compilation in 1998, the EP was the only place to get the original studio version, making it one of the steadiest-selling singles in musical history as a result. Not to be ignored is the sharp B-side "Boys," a glammy recounting of dressing in drag which, with its astringent arrangement and massive bass/drum slams, stakes out a great balance between Wire and Gang of Four.