The Cure: Classic or Dud?

so finally got around to listen to the new remixes - not as bad as I thought, although very throwaway.
The cheesy Avalon-ish version of Night Like This for instance is pretty great. The actual mixing though is pretty crap (as usual), with vocals way too high up (this ruins what would otherwise be a pretty badass version fo Shake Dog Shake)

re-discovered how great the "Everything Mix" of 'The Walk' was. Weird to think that remix is nearly 30 years old - it really sounds like it could have come out last month.

That's a great interview - I enjoyed reading Robert's thoughts on his approach to writing lyrics. While I can understand why he shies away from certain kinds of approaches, I'd be interesting in seeing what kind of lyrics he's come up with while deviating from his preferred methods.

i finally listened to the remix album today and it wasn't bad. i do own the original CD but i'm not a remix type of person, so i never really warmed up to it. this new version is not bad but is still a remix album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2E3EWhvDsc

Hi Turrican :)

so weird how the fest was billed as old members coming back and drastically different versions of songs and then none of that happened.

no surprise here

Might as well throw this out there in this thread:

My take a Cure album that never was--but that I suspect may have been intended to be at some point--circa 'Wild Mood Swings' but IMO far superior to that album, comprised of a few album tracks and some of the b-sides, almost all of which are superior to the album that was released. There were enough tracks in that era that heavily featured string instruments--not something they often did before then--that it makes me think at some point that was a sound they had in mind for an album. The vibe is just too coherent and consistent for it to be an accident--a lot of the b-sides even have album-style intro-outro segue portions, such that it all hangs together rather nicely as an album. I would rate it around the equal as 'Wish,' which for me is to say not amazing but quite good, a few spotty mid-90s production flourishes notwithstanding.

https://scontent.fzty1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/20045576_10159281061750495_3240874481460166229_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=84d76d07d27915aa6b90954cb2abd7be&oe=5BB337C1

01. Adonais
02. Jupiter Crash
03. A Pink Dream
04. Treasure
05. Home
06. Waiting
07. Dredd Song
08. It Used To Be Me
09. Numb
10. Ocean
11. Bare
12. This Is A Lie

http://www.mediafire.com/file/8f97pneclpg72ut/ThisIsALie.zip/file

Yeah I think RS has alluded to this a few times. He was planning to release a Nick Drake influenced set of songs and worked with strings for quite a bit, at a time when he was the only remaining member of the band. I guess when Simon came back he decided to /had to go back to a more traditional sound. Anyway, the idea sounded good on paper, but always found these acoustic and strings songs incredibly dull and lifeless.

The liner notes for Join the Dots confirms as much: RS initially envision Wild Mood Swings as an all acoustic album.

*envisioned

I find hearing it all together as a 50-min. album, it really works. It's not especially acoustic, but it does feature strings heavily.

I don't think the Judge Dredd tune would be on it. I think he never really liked it and it just sounds like what it probably is, something to fill up a soundtrack.

Really digging this unrecord, Soundslike! I don't know much Cure post-Wish (have listened through them all 1x or 2x but without sparking much interest) but these are sounding great.

now someone post zips of DJP's mostly-b-sides versions of the last two albums plz

So the trend of b-sides being better than album cuts has continued post-'Wild Mood Swings'? I admit I didn't follow past there. . .

there are fewer b-sides overall but many of them are quality. all the various s/t bonus tracks are great

Enh, the self-titled's non-album material was pretty strong, but the 4:13 Dream stuff was hit or miss. 'Down Under' and 'Without You' are decent.

Same with Bloodflowers. There weren't really any "b-sides" from that album, but the outtakes and related recordings from the time are kind of meh.

"Spilt Milk" is from the Bloodflowers era and is all time.

It's alright. Definitely the better of the "lost" songs surrounding that album.

Coming Up, the Australian bonus track, was deeply meh, but I don't know what else was an outtake from around then. Of the two new songs for the Greatest Hits the next year, Cut Here is great and Just Say Yes is underwhelming but tolerable.

While I'm posting, here's Wolf Alice clashing Boys with Boys Don't Cry for an Australian radio session:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bg1ocz7TUL4

Really enjoyed the Hyde Park event yesterday evening. The sound could have been a bit better, but it was an interesting mixed crowd and good atmosphere. I stood rooted to my spot for the whole set and my knees were 'locked' when i went to move: the old person's personal indicator of a good gig.

I was going to go but I asked a friend if they were interested when it was first announced and they said the sound is always shit in Hyde Park because of draconian noise level restrictions so I gave it a miss, the ticket price made that decision easier

Hi dere. I’ve got a question that’s probably been asked or answered a dozen times, perhaps by me, but I seem to recall reading somewhere that part of Robert Smith’s guitar sound was an intentional detuning of some of the strings, perhaps making the high E string a bit sharp. Now I can’t find this anywhere so I am asking for a friendhere while the thread is live.

That's a good question! I know RS (like other guitarists) had an epiphany that what the chorus effect was doing was in essence just detuning his guitar, so I can see how he might make that leap, though in practice it seems a pretty imprecise way to go. I know he did use a six-string bass - tuned up? - as his guitar quite a bit, which also throws off nailing his sound, at least sometimes.

Yeah I saw something about a Fender VI, I think it was

Here’s something about that. Interesting that he wrote “Primary” on one but then used a Precision to record it.

Link I meant to add: http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3687

Sad news

Andy Anderson, Former Drummer For The Cure, Reveals He Has Terminal Cancer

http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2019/02/20/andy-anderson-the-cure-cancer/

Saw that yesterday on reddit.

I swear, if we're ranking the members of the Cure just based on how cool they looked in their tenure with the band, Andy wins easily. One cool bloke, to be absolutely clear.

ticket ballot is open for four nights of them playing Disintegration at the Sydney Opera House btw

Really is awful news about Anderson. Hoping Robert mentions him at the HoF ceremony for sure.

So, so sad.

Aw no, absolutely shit news. The most underrated of all the Cure drummers.

this is horrible news, didn't know or realize that he also played druns on The Glove album.

Such horrible news. I always enjoyed listening to live performances from their 1984 tour and his drumming was a big part of that.

Coincidentally, according to this Chain of Flowers post, Andy Anderson, Phil Thornalley, and Matthieu Hartley will not be inducted into the Hall of Fame as former members of the Cure.

That's just bullshit. They played on records and were touring members.

Agreed. It feels wrong to me to not induct the rhythm section that played on 'The Lovecats' ...

It's bullshit if they leave 'em out but let Reeves in, who has played over a hundred shows now but only done three tours in seven years as a member, and never been contracted to play on a Cure record (I think? since Wrong Number was recorded by Cogasm)

otherwise, ehh, don't the Hall make inexplicable line calls about who's admissible every year?

Yeah they have some weird standards in that regard.

Sadly, Andy Anderson has now passed on.

https://www.post-punk.com/former-drummer-for-the-cure-andy-anderson-has-passed-away/

Just saw this on Twitter. Holy shit

It's with a heavy heart, I have to report the passing of a Cure brother.
Andy Anderson was A true gentleman and a great musician with a wicked sense of humor which he kept until the end, a testament to his beautiful spirit on the last journey. We are blessed to have known him.

— Lol Tolhurst (@LolTolhurst) February 26, 2019

Best Cure drummer, I just saw a clip of a show from the early 90s where they were playing music from his era and wow I missed him.

The world just got a lot less cool.

Andy🤜🏻🤛🏿Andy

this is horrible news, RIP.

going to have to play The Top tomorrow.

My favourite Andy moments
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFCNikO5TmA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd8uz2e7fsk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pgc3fgh27c

So sad.

The Top was the Cure album I ignored the most when I was a teenager as to young me it sounded like a band that had lost its way a bit - like it crawled out of the darkness, made a couple of great pop songs and didn't know what to do about it. Over the years it has grown and grown on me and the drumming was a big part of that.

RIP Andy

(have to disagree with Matthew about "One Hundred Years" on Concert though. Andy never quite nails the crushing oppressive magnificence of Lol's studio effort - for me it's Lol's finest moment as a Cure musician)

I agree the studio version crushes (altho I have a lingering suspicion it’s not all Lol) but that Concert version is like a cruise missile