The Cure: Classic or Dud?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Not all messages are displayed: show all messages (207 of them)

hmmmmmmm .............
dud

― donna (donna), Friday, 4 October 2002 01:02 (10 years ago) Permalink

I'm exactly like Clarke. Always loved what I heard, but only own 'Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me'... Last year I told a friend of mine that the reason for this is because I pretty much know that I'll like them and am just 'saving it'. Is this like some weird Cure phenomena?

― Kim (Kim), Friday, 4 October 2002 01:39 (10 years ago) Permalink

I LOVE THE CURE. They fill a niche that no other band does. From the acutely depresso Pornography stuff to the silly dance stuff to the haunting gothy Faith stuff to the blatant sunshine pop... they've done all this convincingly and well. Did they invent the drugged up goofy romantic miserable goth ecstatic giddy thing?

Yet I do wonder how much my own nosatlgia plays a role. I still think Wish is great, despite every. review. ever. written. Maybe if I hadn't listened to it for the 1st time as a teenager travelling thru Europe with schoomates I'd think differently.

― Aaron A., Friday, 4 October 2002 03:43 (10 years ago) Permalink

Where to start, Ned and Dan? I'm thinking _Pornography_, but some of their _Disintegration_-era stuff kills me (esp. "Lovesong").

Also, I really really like the Wolfgang Press song on _Lonely is an Eyesore_, but I've heard their recordings are pretty patchy. Any recommendations there?

― Clarke B., Friday, 4 October 2002 05:30 (10 years ago) Permalink

In your place I'd start with 17 Seconds, Clarke. It has their greatest song on it, "A Forest" and I find it the darkest and most powerful of their records. A lot of their stuff didn't age too well (even Disintegration), but this record definitely stood the test of time.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Friday, 4 October 2002 07:03 (10 years ago) Permalink

I wouldn't go for _Pornography_ first; I think I'd get _Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me_ and the cassette version of _Standing On A Beach_ in order to get the b-sides.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 4 October 2002 11:04 (10 years ago) Permalink

Classic until "Stranding on a Beach" came out, after which they descended into the depths of self-parody.

― TMFTML (TMFTML), Friday, 4 October 2002 17:37 (10 years ago) Permalink

I kinda saved them also, Kim - owned the two singles compilations for years before actually buying my first proper album (Disintegration) just this year. Though I do like it, it hasn't swayed me into snatching up the others yet. Maybe in another four years I'll get another one.

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Friday, 4 October 2002 17:51 (10 years ago) Permalink

They fill(ed?) a niche no one else did (which I usually characterize as "Harlequin romance rock") and they did a perfectly accomplished and unique job of it most of the time but it's not one I care to listen to much at all. I can play Pornography maybe a couple times per year and it's sometimes nice to hear the singles on the radio but overall there's not a big connection. And I couldn't imagine sitting through a whole album of stuff like "In Between Days" or "Let's Go to Bed". The singles comp (Staring At the Sea?) is probably as much as I'd need of that. I'd buy Disintegration if I thought I'd ever listen to it. Wish and Wild Mood Swings were awful.

― sundar subramanian, Friday, 4 October 2002 18:32 (10 years ago) Permalink

I honestly cannot comprehend how _Wish_ is AWFUL.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 4 October 2002 18:34 (10 years ago) Permalink

the cure were/are one of the best bands for dancing to whilst only wearing underwear...hopefully not by yourself...

― g (graysonlane), Friday, 4 October 2002 18:47 (10 years ago) Permalink

Ok, I'm a liar. I totally forgot that I also had 'Standing on a Beach' on cassette - played it to death. I don't have it anymore though. I think my brother "borrowed" it and never gave it back! Ooooh...that little...

― Kim (Kim), Friday, 4 October 2002 20:39 (10 years ago) Permalink

I like just like heaven, I'm going to get Kiss me times 3.

― jel -- (jel), Friday, 4 October 2002 20:43 (10 years ago) Permalink

classic classic classic and why should you not dance to the cure in underwear by yourself! unless you are wearing the underwear out to the goth dance club, of course.

― teeny (teeny), Friday, 4 October 2002 20:44 (10 years ago) Permalink

Have you ever been to a goth dance club? Underwear as outerwear is pretty much de rigeur.

― Kim (Kim), Friday, 4 October 2002 20:48 (10 years ago) Permalink

Clarke, start with Disintegration first, and then try Seventeen Seconds and then Pornography. I've argued elsethread about this already so I won't go into the details here...just click the link, cause there's a lot of other good talk there anyhow.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Friday, 4 October 2002 20:55 (10 years ago) Permalink

Pretend that there's a smiley at the end of my last post. I sound like a meanie otherwise.

― Kim (Kim), Friday, 4 October 2002 20:57 (10 years ago) Permalink

10 months pass...

"And yet Robert Smith - the Chatterton of Crawley - had created if not a wall of sound then a very high hedge of sound, over which he seemed to peer at the world like a boy who couldn't be bothered to ask for his ball back."

the "cure=suburbia" part of Michael Bracewell's England Is Mine is one of the best things ever!

― etc, Wednesday, 20 August 2003 08:54 (9 years ago) Permalink

"Join the Dots" (B Sides and rarities) is out on October 21st. I presume it'll have the much talked about Cassette b sides from Standing on a Beach on it, but does anyone know that actual tracklisting is?

― flowersdie (flowersdie), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 09:05 (9 years ago) Permalink

Hopefully it'll have the stuff off "curiosity", too. And that soundtrack they did.

Classic, BTW. Again, my mid-teens coincided with Disintegration and I was full-on obsessed for a couple of years. I bought a shedload of albums at Oxfam last year, and a friend and I drove our GF/wives insane by listening, back to back, to 17 Seconds, Faith, Pornography and the Top. Divorce was on the horizon by the end of that evening.

― Jim Eaton-Terry (Jim E-T), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 13:04 (9 years ago) Permalink

Hopefully it'll have the stuff off "curiosity", too. And that soundtrack they did.

Thing is, there are SO many B-sides and rarities which have officially surfaced that they'd have to put out a box set. As it is, if the remasters that are surfacing next year are going to include bonus discs for each with room for other oddities, then that will partially settle the problem.

― Thy Lethal Zen Ned (Ned), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 13:42 (9 years ago) Permalink

This news makes me very, very happy.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 13:53 (9 years ago) Permalink

won't come out on Oct. 21st though. That info was wrong

― Fabrice (Fabfunk), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 13:55 (9 years ago) Permalink

When is it out then?

― flowersdie (flowersdie), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 13:56 (9 years ago) Permalink

No official release date..

― Fabrice (Fabfunk), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 14:01 (9 years ago) Permalink

I kind of like the guitars in "Pictures of You".

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 14:04 (9 years ago) Permalink

Recently listened to Dark Side of the Moon and then Disintegration back to back. Confirmed what I already knew.
Fuck the Canon and the Keepers it rode in on. The Cure > Pink Floyd.

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 14:18 (9 years ago) Permalink

Just adding to the calls of "Classic" (up to, and including, Wish, that is).

― David A. (Davant), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 19:47 (9 years ago) Permalink

6 months pass...

Shall I expound at great length here about The Cure's gig at the Barfly last night? Or does it warrant its own thread?

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Saturday, 6 March 2004 12:31 (9 years ago) Permalink

either way, spill!

― teeny (teeny), Saturday, 6 March 2004 16:25 (9 years ago) Permalink

Yes. Now please. Or else.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 6 March 2004 16:30 (9 years ago) Permalink

Giz it.

― Lynskey (Lynskey), Saturday, 6 March 2004 16:34 (9 years ago) Permalink

You don't want to make The Raggett angry.

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Saturday, 6 March 2004 16:34 (9 years ago) Permalink

I'm trying to envision whether turning into a green Lou Ferrigno is merely a lateral move.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 6 March 2004 16:35 (9 years ago) Permalink

Pretty much.

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Saturday, 6 March 2004 16:51 (9 years ago) Permalink

Ah well, the downsides.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 6 March 2004 16:52 (9 years ago) Permalink

Sorry, too busy right now, but will gush like a geyser tomorrow. In the meantime, drooooool over the setlist...

Shake Dog Shake
Fascination Street
A Strange Day
A Night Like This
Lovesong
Push
Sinking
Pictures Of You
Lullaby
Lovecats
Maybe Someday
In Your House
From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea
M
Charlotte Sometimes
Inbetween Days
Just Like Heaven
Hey You!!!
Play For Today
A Forest

Fire In Cairo (as a 3 piece)
Grinding Halt (as a 3 piece)
10.15 Saturday Night
Boys Don't Cry
I Dig You (with Porl Thompson and Frank The Postman)
I'm A Cult Hero (with Porl Thompson and Frank The Postman),
Close To Me
Let's Go To Bed
Why Can't I Be You
Friday I'm In Love

Fucking hell, just reading that through sends me into space. I'm still shellshocked.

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Sunday, 7 March 2004 19:38 (9 years ago) Permalink

WAH! *whimpers and hopes for bootleg...somewhere...ANYWHERE*

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 7 March 2004 22:03 (9 years ago) Permalink

THEY DID CULT HERO MATERIAL???????

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Sunday, 7 March 2004 23:05 (9 years ago) Permalink

With Porl and Frank no less. And was not Charlie saying some months back about how the band has fallen off recently? UNDESERVING INFIDEL! But I will not bear a grudge. Yet.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 7 March 2004 23:07 (9 years ago) Permalink

Fire In Cairo (as a 3 piece)
Grinding Halt (as a 3 piece)

Genius.

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Sunday, 7 March 2004 23:23 (9 years ago) Permalink

porl!

!!!!!!

― teeny (teeny), Sunday, 7 March 2004 23:48 (9 years ago) Permalink

Porl, remarkably, is now jobbing as the band's guitar tech!

And yes, Frank the postman showed up in all his voluminous glory, the first time they've done any Cult Hero material in (10 years according to Robert).

And was not Charlie saying some months back about how the band has fallen off recently? UNDESERVING INFIDEL! But I will not bear a grudge. Yet.

And I maintain my viewpoint, no doubt. Friday's only iffy moment came 11 songs in, when some (relatively) unfamiliar chords struck up - "What is this," I thought to myself with a grimace, "Joan Osborne's 'One Of Us'?" But no, it was in fact "Maybe Someday".

The Cure should've stopped recording new music after Wish (or more specifically, if you like, after "Fear Of Ghosts"). I love them still, but I shall not be moved on this matter.

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Tuesday, 9 March 2004 01:01 (9 years ago) Permalink

I forgive you. Since you're going to help me find someone who recorded the show OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE...

Porl, remarkably, is now jobbing as the band's guitar tech!

Wait, what? So essentially he and Perry B. have completed the circle.

Anyway. First batch of reissues in a month. EXCITED!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 9 March 2004 01:04 (9 years ago) Permalink

Oh, and Perry's brother is their manager.

I am naturally using all my spider-senses to procure a mixing desk feed of the show. I'll be absolutely amazed if nobody recorded it, but nothing yet. Ned, you will be the f...oooh, among the first to know when I find it!

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Tuesday, 9 March 2004 01:09 (9 years ago) Permalink

Oh, and Perry's brother is their manager.

That I had heard, seems to make sense! They and Depeche should just finally tour together. ;-)

In all seriousness, thanks for any leads you might have!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 9 March 2004 01:33 (9 years ago) Permalink

Where's a good place to go to get the skinny on the order and track listing of the reissues? I just got Join the Dots and I'm liking it a lot. It's time.

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Tuesday, 9 March 2004 01:39 (9 years ago) Permalink

I've been searching around but as yet no specs seem to be public.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 9 March 2004 02:02 (9 years ago) Permalink

That was badly worded... is the order the albums are going to be re-released in public knowledge?

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Tuesday, 9 March 2004 03:06 (9 years ago) Permalink

Chronologically. First batch will be the first four albums, through Pornography.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 9 March 2004 03:09 (9 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 107 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

The opening hour of that set was live on BBC3 last night (available on iplayer), I turned over to it by accident and was whisked back to my teens (huge, huge fan from about 15 to 18 years old), they sounded *great*. Like you say Ned, no real madness from Reeves but he was pretty sweet, got a lovely tone on Just Like Heaven etc. The live footage also showed what looked like a crib sheet for keys/chords for different songs etc next to his fx board :)

― that mustardless plate (Bill A), Saturday, 25 August 2012 19:13 (9 months ago) Permalink

Excellent set, way better than the "Bestival 2011" live album, FWIW.

― NoTimeBeforeTime, Saturday, 25 August 2012 22:17 (9 months ago) Permalink

Yeah, definitely agree there.

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 25 August 2012 23:14 (9 months ago) Permalink

Oh man that Bestival album sounds like a nutsack

― Lil Swayne of Pie (DJP), Sunday, 26 August 2012 01:16 (8 months ago) Permalink

It's a competent souvenir of a particular lineup, but that's about it.

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 26 August 2012 02:54 (8 months ago) Permalink

Great Reading set. Sounding streamlined in a way and they seem to be having fun again. Thanks, Ned!

― Loo Reading (Capitaine Jay Vee), Sunday, 26 August 2012 07:21 (8 months ago) Permalink

The Bestival set was *too* streamlined, it was like half the music went missing, couldn't hear the keyboards at all, etc. They sound more complete here. Point being if they wanted to release a live album from a festival show, the Reading set would have been so much better.

― NoTimeBeforeTime, Sunday, 26 August 2012 20:22 (8 months ago) Permalink

Point being, if they wanted to be invited to release a live album for charity, they should have not played at a festival with an associated charity until ten months later because they would have known in advance how both the performance and recording would have turned out, and also would have arranged all by themselves in the 70s that the second festival would have always been involved in charity fundraising just so that it could have invited them to release the recording to that end.

― itt: i forgot that he yells at a butt (sic), Sunday, 26 August 2012 22:04 (8 months ago) Permalink

Point being it's too bad that they released something that sounds kind of crap, instead of something that sounds great, choice of locations and charities aside.

― NoTimeBeforeTime, Monday, 27 August 2012 16:33 (8 months ago) Permalink

Entreat Plus

― itt: i forgot that he yells at a butt (sic), Monday, 27 August 2012 23:57 (8 months ago) Permalink

all of the set is now on bbc iplayer iirc
amazing how much The Kids love them so much these days.

― piscesx, Tuesday, 28 August 2012 01:38 (8 months ago) Permalink

if you're not from the UK, the BBC uploaded "Friday I'm In Love" (Reading) to Youtube...

― UnderControl, Tuesday, 28 August 2012 01:45 (8 months ago) Permalink

4 weeks pass...

Robert Smith's version of "Witchcraft" from the new 'Frankenweenie' sdtrk

http://museeffect.tumblr.com/post/32267129654/witchcraft-robert-smith

― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 27 September 2012 20:36 (7 months ago) Permalink

4 months pass...

Seems that Chris Parry is selling of his Cure collection via a Record Store in Portsmouth.

http://www.musicstack.com/my/index.cgi?seller=5799&search_type=artist&find=cure

― MaresNest, Thursday, 31 January 2013 23:46 (3 months ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

Incredible set list for Mexico City performance (over four hours!): http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2013/04/22/cure-mexico-city-50-song-setlist/

Lookit all the Wish numbers!

― the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 22 April 2013 13:30 (1 month ago) Permalink

They may never release anything again but if they keep up this kind of activity I will not complain!

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 22 April 2013 13:37 (1 month ago) Permalink

"Mint Car"!

― the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 22 April 2013 13:42 (1 month ago) Permalink

I wonder if all the "Wish" stuff is because it's next on the reissue agenda and is therefore fresh in mind? Also, those songs are awesome live.

When did they make the drummer dye his hair? Also, LOL, Reeves is wearing eyeliner.

― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 22 April 2013 14:07 (1 month ago) Permalink

and they, er, opened with its first two numbers.

Wish remains my favorite. Looking forward to the reissue and its B-sides.

― the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 22 April 2013 14:11 (1 month ago) Permalink

"This Twilight Garden" and "Play" and "The Big Hand" and "Halo" are so so so good

(you can totally see the massive cliff that is WMS coming in "A Foolish Arrangement" though)

― Call me at **BITCOIN (DJP), Monday, 22 April 2013 14:17 (1 month ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

Dad joke of the gods:

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 15 May 2013 14:57 (1 week ago) Permalink

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.