Update: Robert answered the question.
38 PLAYS!!! IN TOTAL ACROSS AMERICA IN 17 DAYS!!!
WELL IT STRUCK ME AS ODD...
MUST BE JUST I...
RSX
Friday, July 25, 2008
Robert on SWID being #1
Robert has posted the news about SWID being the #1 single on the sales chart. He also posted the first reply. Robert, we are trying with the radio support, but we seem to be banging our heads against a brick wall! (Thanks V)
Update: Robert answered the question.
38 PLAYS!!! IN TOTAL ACROSS AMERICA IN 17 DAYS!!!
WELL IT STRUCK ME AS ODD...
MUST BE JUST I...
RSX
Update: Robert answered the question.
38 PLAYS!!! IN TOTAL ACROSS AMERICA IN 17 DAYS!!!
WELL IT STRUCK ME AS ODD...
MUST BE JUST I...
RSX
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Haha funny picture. I think the radio stations are conspiring against The Cure. Caterpillar we have to get The End 106.5 on the ball.
ReplyDeleteAnyone want to start a controversy about those hands/fingers? : )
ReplyDeletei love when he fingers us...
ReplyDeleteI think the one with the question mark has been edited out by the Mighty-U because the hand was giving the middle finger.
ReplyDeleteSofia!!!
ReplyDeleteCraig: Hey, you're the one who asked for a controversy! ;) What'd you expect from this crowd?
ReplyDeleteV: Um...not that! : )
ReplyDelete:@ craig...i HAD to. ;)
ReplyDeleteoh my god! is that picture of the fingers a different cover for the single?
ReplyDeleteSo is he really saying it has only been played 33 times? I checked Radio & Records, and they don't even have it listed.
ReplyDeleteI feel like such a failure! But the "mighty U" should take some blame too.
Wow. I find it really funny that Robert is commenting on this - on the OFFICIAL website, no less.
ReplyDeleteBy my estimate, he's saying 37... that's insane if it's true. LOL.
ReplyDeleteMeh, I am back to getting error messages when attempting to post on the official site *shakes fist at thecure.com*
ReplyDeleteWhether the single has gotten 37 plays or 937... so much for the best laid plans of corporations or whoever the hell buys airtime, etc...
Nicely done.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see Robert seems more interesting in how many people hear his stuff rather than how many buy it.
ReplyDeleteOh well as long as he isn't interested in stuff like this who cares?
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/article1472229.ece?offset=8
Thats odd the link I posted seems to be broken. Oh well. Anyway the sun.co.uk (continuing to higher the bar in news journalism) has a celebrity look a like section, which breaks the most important news to us that they think Robert looks like a Chinese Crested Dog (reportedly the worlds ugliest dog).
ReplyDeleteNot that there is anything important going on in the world today to report.
Seems our friend Clockwise Cat is taking a little heat over on the official from somebody. Let's give a little support eh?
ReplyDeleteI had to chime in with a smart-ass remark about calling in a bomb threat to my local radio station :)
ReplyDeleteBut actually, American radio has sucked for a long, long time.
A very easy way to contact INDIE 103.1 in LA. and if you look to the right hand corner there is a request a song online and phone number. maybe if enough ppl link them the billboard list they will listen... maybe.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.indie103.fm/contact.php
copy paste emails to KROQ LA staff and send them all a link to the billboard, asking them why they are such and awful station. or just why they dont play the new cure songs.
ReplyDeletekevin@kroq.com
Bean@kroq.com
Ralph@kroq.com
Lightning@kroq.com
Lisa@kroq.com
Kat@kroq.com
Jed@kroq.com
Stryker@kroq.com
Nicole@kroq.com
questions@lovelineradio.com
Rodneyontheroq@kroq.com
Jason@kroq.com
Sluggo@kroq.com
John@kroq.com
Savage@kroq.com
Kurt@kroq.com
perhaps it's just me but i cant imagine robert being at home with a hot number like mary and instead of being smoochy- is hovered over a computer worrying about crappy amerian radio.
ReplyDeleteon the other hand...the numbers are curious. but the vast majority of people don't like good music. never have. radio caters to the sort of people who don't care what sort of dross comes on next.
i left a message at the official site anyhow.
Perhaps it's just me, but it seems to me that most people aren't smooching 24/7, regardless of the many charms of their partners.
ReplyDeleteRight on, Maree.
ReplyDeleteThat number, 38, is insane. I wish I was a mutant with the power to control airwaves.
wow maree, you really are queen of the snide remark in the face of a innocent comment. congratulations for being so stand-offish!
ReplyDeleteIm sure we can all agree on the piss poor quality of American radio. Regardless, American radio reaches an enormous market. I support a new generation of Cure fans. A young generation of Cure fans. Unfortunately these so called "indie" radio stations might just be the best we have to reach a new generation of fans.
ReplyDeleteBeside the pure atrocity of mass media turning a blind eye on the cure and their success is reason enough for us to call them out on it!
Wow, right back at you, Sofia.
ReplyDeleteThe only time I heard one of The Cure new singles was on Indie 10.31 in Los Angeles California...
ReplyDeleteAnd it wasn't even the full song! It was a snippet, like a commercial thing for the station, playing a bunch of snippets of different songs...If that makes sense...And it was The Only One.
Okay, so I'm an old fart and perhaps out of the loop regarding these things, but hasn't broadcast radio become somewhat of a fossil? Aren't most stations owned by corporations now, and aren't most listeners getting their tunes via the internet, dls, or satellite?
ReplyDeleteI should think that these days, it's far more important to have a #1 in sales.
Please correct me where I'm wrong.
Does the Billboard Chart account for downloaded singles as well? Or just cd's and vinyl?
ReplyDelete7Bluestars - you are completely right.
wow! 7 of those plays have been on WZEW here in Mobile. :) It was played 6 times and won 5 new music challenges, also was played once by my request.
ReplyDeletei heard kroq play the only one in its entirety back in june i think, but to be honest, it's incredibly rare if i even drive a car, let alone listen to the radio. i never listen to the radio at home. and on those rare occasions when i'm not riding my bicycle, i'm listening to cds when i drive.
ReplyDeletei'm guessing most of the radio stations have online streaming? otherwise i don't know how i would listen to one (record player and ipod dock here. i may have a tape player buried somaplace)
ReplyDeletei'm completely radio clueless. i feel old too, 7blue
It's not getting played on 102.1 The Edge in Toronto, either, and I doubt that it's the kind of song that 105.1 The River in Niagara Falls, Ontario would play. I'm in the process of e-mailing 102.1's programming and music directors right now. Wish me luck.
ReplyDeleteBeen emailing and calling radio stations in Atlanta today. Radio stations never answer the phone of course. I cannot find where any radio station in Atlanta has played any of the new singles! Not once! Yet we have once that says they are Rock without rules and they do play Lovesong, JLH, and POY a good bit. The other is 99x which says it is the alternative station and were the host station for the show in Atlanta! The radio sucks!
ReplyDeletescott in Atlanta...99x ceased existing about 6 months ago? some other radio station bought it and of course they only play "today hits" which we all know are hits below the belt...
ReplyDelete@Sofia: :-) (I've got a couple of tape players myself!)
ReplyDeleteI find the fact that he's using sign language to specify numbers fascinating. It's as if he's saying "not heard" in more than one way.
Speaking of images, it's regrettable that the flag with floating stars got mired down in controversy. Imo it had nothing to do with the USA. Although there's almost certainly another of Robert's secret messages there, I simply can't imagine him making a political statement in association with this particular EP. Also, why would anyone would think the EP would bear any artwork other than that created by Parched Art? Finally, I think the title Hypnagogic States is truly inspired. Love it!
As for the real topic, if a label leaves an artist to fend for himself, apart from getting stuff reviewed by people at popular music websites, how does he get the word out? (Forgive my ignorance.)
Y'all all missed it- The photos of the hands on the official site are the numbers 3 and 8 in sign language!
ReplyDeleteoh. duh. geez.
ReplyDeleteThe thing you have to understand with radio stations is that they'll only play one new song from an artist every couple months or so, because that's just the way the system has worked for so long. What The Cure are doing with these 4 single releases in advance of the album simply hasn't been done by a major recording artist very often (if at all) over the past 20 years. To the band's credit, 'The Only One' got enough play on modern rock radio to crack the chart, and 'Freakshow' actually did get a few stations on board, but to expect anymore than that out of future singles from this point forward is unrealistic. Unless, say, 'Sleep When I'm Dead' gets featured in an episode of Grey's Anatomy. Then we'll have a Billboard #1 on our hands.
ReplyDeleteThat said, one station that probably will be on board as long as the ship is sailing is WEQX out of Manchester, Vermont, because they're the best terrestrial alternative station in the country. And they even stream online for people like me who no longer live in the northeast.
I heard SWID here in Ottawa, as a heads up to the upcoming release in the fall, preceded by an explanatuon about the four singles this summer. Then the whole track.
ReplyDeleteLive 88.5 in Ottawa!!
Erik
kj, are you mocking me? I was merely saying that I thought it clever to use the language of the deaf to comment on an aural phenomenon.
ReplyDeletedonyo, you make excellent points. I listen to streaming radio, too. Sounds like I need to tune in to your WEQX!:-)
sofia said...
ReplyDelete"i love when he fingers us..."
Here! Here!
7:
ReplyDeleteNo, I agree. Radio (however fortunate or unfortunate-depending on your view) is dead for the most part. It doesn't surprise me that the single is #1 and has little to no plays.
Personally I can't stand to listen to the radio anymore and haven't for years now. All they do is play the same 10 songs over and over and it's all crap.
ReplyDeleteWHA' HAPPEN?
ReplyDeleteWell it's a combination of two things.
ReplyDeleteA. Radio stations really will no longer play material unless there is a significant financial incentive for them to do so.
B. It's just not a good song. It's no some conspiracy against the band. I hear older material all the time on multiple stations, people simply aren't interested in the new material.
Since I've no interest in getting my ass chewed by skwege, and because Cat is my friend, I'm outta here.
ReplyDeleteCraig, dear, it's been loads of fun. You've got a number of very cool regulars here who have been a joy to experience. Good luck with COF and the blog. <3
oh no. what did i miss? :\
ReplyDeleteIf the cure made 'normal' singles they would be played. People have no interest in the cure anymore and lets face it: all the singles after 1992 are not 'catchy' period !!
ReplyDeleteI always like the album songs much better than the singles (except just like heaven).
So i dont care if the singles sell good or be played on radio.
Sorry 7BS, I did not see your posting when I posted mine about the ASL numbers. No, I was not mocking. Sorry if it came across that way.I would never mock anyone in a message board. Disagree openly, yes, but never mock...
ReplyDeleteya know I don't recall JLH or POY exactly being radio staples back in the day when those songs were new, but now both are classics.
ReplyDeleteJLH was a radio staple. It came out after KMKMKM already became a big hit.
ReplyDeleteWhat this shows is that Robert and the band really don't have any confidence in the material to include it on a full length album. I highly suspect there never will be a full length album again. Their behavior comes across as that of a burnt out band. They just are not good songs. Now I know many of you are biased to the point that you'll love anything Robert throws out there, but they really are not good songs.
i'm glad you're so smart, skwege.
ReplyDeleteSkwegee, you are my hero. Please make love to me and father my children.
ReplyDeleteYou obviously know the truth about The Cure and stand high above us, where only people like Socrates, Nietzche and Einstein dwell. And maybe Lovecraft.
May your light shine bright upon us. We shall see the truth someday.
Heh, personal vendetta or what? What motivates people to spend time trolling like this? o_O
ReplyDeletehynreck, you're my hero. :)
ReplyDeleteThe guy's nuts.
ReplyDeleteplease please please let's support craig. i brought all of this on - it's all my fault! cof deserves to be flame-free! it's the best cure place on the internet! i take full responsibility for my actions... now let's move on!
ReplyDeleteback on topic: i do think that rs is merely surprised by the fact that the single is selling well despite lack of airplay... and i for one don't care anymore about the radio anyway, and nor should rs, imo, esp. given how manipulated it is, as many have pointed out.
the internet is where music seems to thrive these days. that should be the focus of all bands trying to make a mark.
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ReplyDeleteI don't have any real conections in the music industry, or it's sales but I've been "annoying" those nice guys at FNAC here in my city and they say the singles sales have been really good, more than they expected!
ReplyDeleteSo I say it's a good sign!
I wasn't being facetious. it was legitimate point I made. How about you all calm down and actually try to refute it? Either you can't, or you're too busy covering your ears crying "I'm not listening."
ReplyDeleteIt's just ironic that people call me a troll. I could probably mop up the floor with most of you on overall knowledge of the band. Hardly a troll.
Try to refute my argument, come on! You know you can't!
Cat (((HUG))) you're here! you just made my day :)
ReplyDeleteBTW - I just posted on the official and then came over here to read you posting something similar about internet exposure.
skwege: it's not a matter of "refuting" your arguments. You have your own opinion and everyone else has their own.
ReplyDeleteI actually like the new songs, Down Under is currently my favorite, but I'm excited to ear the studio version of The Perfect Boy.
That's great, go ahead and like the song. You're entitled to do that, go buy a million copies and support the band. That is fine.
ReplyDeleteHowever that doesn't change the fact that there really is no incentive for stations to play it. The youngin's these days would rather listen to 80s knockoff bands than the real thing. Nevertheless that doesn't change the fact that the new material is subpar at best. Can you honestly say the new material is on par with Charlotte Sometimes, Inbetween Days, The Same Deep Water As You, etc? No you can't. It's just not of the same overall quality. Those songs were written with the intent of writing good songs. Robert seems more interested in writing Cure songs than original songs. Without naming names, The Cure are hardly the only older band with that problem.
I have a feeling that radio stations don't play songs not just because they're good songs...
ReplyDeleteAs for paring the songs with the ones you named: you cannot compare them AT ALL. Robert is not a music making machine, at least I think. Is he more inspired at certain times? I'm sure! Does he like one song over another? Probably! Has he released everything he's written? Of course not! Will you ever hear a song like Inbetween Days? I guess you'll just have to wait and see...
opinion is all that matters in this case. if someone thinks one of the new singles is a better song than (x song from cure's history), than it is.
ReplyDeletethe problem i have with you is that you come on these boards with this defensive, argumentative attitude, daring anybody to challenge you, and getting pissed off if they don't.
either be cool like everyone else, or go away.
Skwege: I think the point for many of us is that we're enjoying most, if not all, of the new songs. Simple as that.
ReplyDeleteWe're all just mouth-breathing morons, with simplistic tastes, I guess.
skwege is right on all accounts. if you can't face the facts of how the band's quality in singles has declined since 1992 and how the music/radio industry works today, then you're living in a dream world with no logic. the power of positive thought isn't going to make the cure a huge success outside its dedicated fanbase again, nor is it going to improve robert's songwriting. this sort of thing happens with any band in its final years, so it's time to take the blinders off, generic cure fans.
ReplyDeleteCraig, MB: thank god! I was going nuts thinking I was the only one here!
ReplyDeleteMonkey: This is his MO, he comes across as very unpleasant, holier than thou, but he's actually pretty funny most of the time. I have no idea about all of the bullshit I've heard about him on other boards, but I've enjoyed most of his posts on Roger's message board.
ReplyDeleteAnd I doubt he really cares what any of us think about him.
But he will not come here and start posting personal attacks. Not going to happen.
As Craig said. we are all morons. And will probably like The Cure even after they're gone (God forbid)!
ReplyDeleteWe like them and like to share that with other morons like us, and I'm not trying to offend anyone here!
flashback to when the last cure album came out. remember when so many people began lauding the self-titled album as the best thing since disintegration? remember how people got all hyped up over the new songs leaked out and then several months after the album came out, people starting realizing that it was a huge pile of poo (one of their worst albums) all along? same thing is happening here, though this new album is already shaping up to be stronger than the last one (but that isn't saying much).
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHH: I wasn't one of those. I made my feelings about it pretty clear from the start. Especially about Ross. : )
ReplyDeleteI don't care if mainstream radio plays it really, like I said I don't listen to the radio, except Pandora. The Cure has always been like a cult band to me, their success with teeny boppers was kind of a fluke in my opinion. How popular was Faith or Pornography with the mainstream folks? Even with The Head on The Door, Robert said it didn't get the kind of mainstream success he thought it would. I love SWID, and I ussually don't like Cure singles as much compared to the rest of the album, especially recently. He leaves off the best songs like This Morning and TGAB, that's my only problem with The Cure, not the quality of the songs they're putting out.
ReplyDeleteWhat do radio plays say about quality of songs? I never heard any of my favorite Cure songs in radio. I don't care about that cos there are lots of other ways to listen to my favorite music. I don't listen to radio a lot anyway cos I can't stand these stupid radio moderations. About old bands losing touch I can only laugh. And Also The Trees just made there best record (Listen for) The Rag and Bone Man last year. And guess what... no single Radio play for them. My favorite Cure Song is Your god is fear... no radio plays at all as far as I know. None of the songs released as singles and b-sides so far leaves me breathless, but they don't need to... Lullaby/Lovesong made me shrug but Disintegration blew me away. High/Friday made me yawn, Wish is The Cures best record to date. NY Trip, Sleep when I'm dead, Down Under and All kinds of stuff are pretty good songs but surely will ne get Cure evergreens... but again, they don't need to... the record is still to come. The Perfect Boy was my favorite Live... looking forward to this single and "Without you" sounds promising as a song title.
ReplyDeleteI don't listen to the radio anymore, as there is nothing good playing, but it would be nice if The Cure got some airplay.
ReplyDeleteAs for the quality of the new singles, or any Cure single, IMO they hardly ever are the best songs on the album. I think the new album will have a few surprises.
When one thinks about it, it's pretty amazing that a band has put out such good material for such a long time.
Just my moronic 2 cents:)
Oi msp! I drank a Caipirinha yesterday at the beach! (off topic I know!)
ReplyDeleteand I agree with you moronic 2 cents, being a moron myself.
ReplyDeletesorry, I meant with youR...
ReplyDeleteThis is really funny. If you want to call me names that is fine, but go do it in the other thread.
ReplyDeleteI am being completely sincere here, and I don't appreciate people putting words into my mouth. Nowhere have I said someone is an idiot for liking the new material, if you like it fine. That is your perogative. However there are plenty of fans who have been consistently disappointed with the bands material for going on ten years now. Adding on top of that with some very unprofessional behavior, it really has soured a lot of fans on the band. If people want to be satirical that's fine, but no one has countered the argument I have made. Regardless what I said about someone I genuinely don't like in another thread, I do enjoy discussing the band and the merits to the music. The Cure are hardly the only band in this situation, look at New Order, Echo & The Bunnymen, etc. Bands that continue to chug along putting out "Brand Songs." Even U2 falls into this category (Though they tend to be an anomaly.)
The fact that they manage themselves poorly, delay after delay, etc doesn't help the case. They went touring to support an album that hadn't even been released yet.
I am actually a bit surprised at Craig. You used to be rather objective. One of the reasons I checked out CoF religiously. One of the reasons when I started that Prayer Tour Wembley petition, you were the first person I sent the link too. You weren't afraid to rock the boat, and when many (including a lot of these people here) were giving you hell over it, I was one of the few people to defend you. It's a bit disappointing that you seem to have turned into another yes man.
I love the new songs to varying degrees. SWID and NYT are the weakest of the bunch, but I still like them pretty well. FS for me is the true standout, and will probably evolve into one of my favorite Cure pop songs of all times. And AKOS knocks my tits right off. :-)
ReplyDeleteI don't really care much about whether they become hugely popular again, or if they are considered "relevant." Relevance is, well, relevant, and most stuff deemed relevant now is crap, IMO. I like some college radio stuff now a lot, actually, but most popular radio crap blows.
I think RSX and co should simply continue making the music they want to make - it's clearly not about fortune for them, but about the love of playing music. Clearly they ARE concerned about being "relevant" again, and that kind of annoys me, but whatever. I still like the new stuff.
That may sound generic and moronic and sychophantic - so be it. It's the way I genuinely feel. :-)
skwege: No one has said you called people idiots for liking the new songs.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you to a certain degree, but it is hard for any band to reinvent itself after a long career. As you have said, it is one's prerogative to like or dislike new material by any one band.
I think that people here are smart and critical thinkers, but they choose to enjoy the band and leave the negative thoughts out the door.
Be good, man.
Jupiter: I could use a beach and a caipirinha right now!
msp: the new songs mostly resonate with me. i am not choosing not to be negative; i happen to feel very positive about the new songs. i say exactly what i feel - sometimes to my peril! :-)
ReplyDeleteanyway, i actually really disliked the only one until recently. i said so repeatedly how much i disliked it... but then something changed and now i love it. not the best cure song ever.. but very cute and bawdy NTL!
however, i DO think SWID could be better. it's good, but nothing earth shattering, IMO. i like the passion of the vocals and the wah, though. and the eerie ethereality... but it's nothing ground breaking.
FS though.. that song continues to captivate me. That and AKOS and DU. LOVE them. :-)
Skwege: Ask RS if he thinks I'm a yes man. : )
ReplyDeleteAnd I hardly think that enjoying the new songs and the tour, means I've lost my objectivity. Believe, I still see all of the flaws, that just don't get to me in the same way anymore.
Look, over the last 4 years I've had many problems with what the band/RS has done, and was very public with my comments. But what can I do, I love a lot of what I hear these days. Especially the b-sides & UTS. I've still made my dislikes very public. My hatred of The Only One was well known. I have the hate mail to prove it. : )
I'm certainly not afraid to rock the boat, but to what end? RS is always going to do what HE wants. No matter how much the fans whine, complain and pout.
And I would like to think I've grown up a bit since my stupid little rants back in 04/05. I'm embarrassed by much of that, and will not make the same mistakes again.
I'm sorry, but this band and their music have meant too much to me over the past 21 years, to just throw that passion away. And many of "these people here" are responsible for making me realize that.
I'm having fun being a Cure fan again for the first time since the 99-02 era. And for me, that's all that matters. If that means losing your respect, well, I hate to hear that, but there's very little I can do about it.
Did any of that make a bit of sense? : )
AW!! :-D
ReplyDeleteI don't think Craig is a yes man at ALL! He says what he thinks! I think he truly likes the new songs (some more than others)... but I also think he is choosing to eschew some of the negativity in favor of positive vibes. Not because he is suppressing his feelings, but because The CURE have given us great great great music over the decades (three of them!) and regardless of the quality of the new stuff - we want to support them. That does NOT mean we should merely lap up everything the band does - no one does that here, I don't think - but it does mean that it is pointless to pound something in to the ground if we don't like it. We can CHOOSE NOT to listen to it, after all! We can also choose to state our disappointment... but I think Craig just wants to be constructive! I have NO doubt that Craig will express his opinion if he doesn't like something...indeed he has made it very clear he does not like TOO! :-)
and craig, that made all the sense in the world! wonderfully put. i hope rs reads it.. i hope he understands that while we certainly won't be mere sychophants, we do appreciate all the cure have given us over the years. we are free NOT to like the new songs, but i think it is to no end to bleat about it if we don't. we should just say, "well, this doesnt resonate with me," and move on. that is what i did with u2. :-)
ReplyDeleteben: figurehead was never played on the radio...bloodflowers was never played on the radio...lost was never played on the radio.. holy hour was never played on the radio... and those are great cure songs, so i concur!
ReplyDeletei do think songs like FS and AKOS and DU match up to the best past cure songs.. they're just an UPDATED sound, that's all...
if that makes me a deaf sychnophant, so be it! :-)
i also think that the cure have always made some shitty songs.. so what?? they cant be on the mark everytime! mostly, they make good stuff.. IMO!
Right-on Craig!
ReplyDeleteAnd let me first say...
I love MonkeyButt!
mmm let me take that back, it's sounds wrong on so many level.
I don't get what holy squigee (see how clever a trig I am, I've combined 2 names together!) is trying to make us admit, that the band as already reach and pass it's creative peak? Yes I agree, like it happens/will happened for every human being. That The Cure will never be the same again? Yes, I agree too. It never will be.
And it's marvelous as it is, cause for one, I'm in love with evolution. I like to see things/people evolve. It would be boring without it.
Sure it might not ever sound as good as it was, but then maybe not. Maybe different is the simple truth, and different won't please everybody of course.
I happen, like a lot of others here, to enjoy the new material, a lot, much so then in the last few years and since too long a while.
Why won't you guys just leave it be? There's no argument here. You hate it, I love it, reasons are multiples and so what?
You can't change the world, it's been proven many times.
/end of rant. Off to do some Wii Fit.
And no I don't want to go out and run instead. I hate bugs.
I'm sorry Ben, but I had to delete your post. No personal attacks on Skwege or anyone else. But here's the the rest of what GenitalBen said:
ReplyDelete"I'm actually a new fan that got turned on in the past few years, I like what they're doing now-MOSTLY. So what if they aren't beating Rihanna on the charts, or the most played Cure song is Friday I'm in Love. I've NEVER heard some of the best Cure songs on the radio, but do I care? No! I have them on CD which I listen to the whole way through like they're meant to be!"
Sorry again Ben, just trying to be fair.
Cat: I like the new stuff - I've always liked "The only One" and I simply love "Down Under"! And I have said I don't like SWID. The live version didn't do it for me, and the studio version didn't help its cause. As I see it, people here express their opinion, but they don't keep hammering the same negative points over and over.
ReplyDeleteHas a ALTE ever played on the radio? It is on my favorite songs!
Everyone: Please argue and debate all you want, I encourage that.
ReplyDeleteBut please save me some time and trouble. Please drop the name calling and personal attacks. Thank you!
I'm sorry craig, I won't do that again. :)
ReplyDeleteYes, we all respect Craig too much to allow this place to turn into a festering shithole. We would hate to see him close down the comments, no? And he could easily do that. I don't think anyone wants that so let's play nice. We are all much happier when we are being constructive and friendly. I take ALL the blame for everything that ensued. I won't apologize for my views but I WILL take any and all blame for the flame war that ignited.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind reading Skwege's posts at all as long as he refrains from being abusive. The same goes for everyone else.
Please respect Craig and COF! He has a site that we all cherish!
Not that my word matters here but I do humbly hope people will respect Craig's wishes. :-)
Hearts and flowers, everyone!
ReplyDeleteIt's Monday in my world, and it is nice to see the CoF world is settling down again.
ONWARD! YAY!
Yay for Elise and the return of civility to COF! : )
ReplyDeletecuroisa: 99x is still around they just moved up the dial to 100.5 and 100.5 move to 99.7. They were both owend by the same company but 99x had just lost so much market share in the last few years that they essentially killed the station. I rarely listen to the radio anymore, I have a connection for my iPod in the car.
ReplyDeletei listen to pandora.com
ReplyDeletesorry for being pouty...
I do love the new singles & b-sides but I do feel with the exception of UTS & DU, that they are not the best The Cure has done over the years. Still I find them quite enjoyable to listen to and I do so almost everyday. I'm still looking forward to The Perfect Boy & the new album! It's will be quite good.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's great that SWID is #1 for single sales in the US. However, it's too bad I hardly hear it on the radio. I've only heard it a few times the first few days after it was released but not once during the past week. I still request it but I don't think the alternative radio stations will play it much again. So Sad! Radio truly sucks big time!! I hardly ever listen to it anymore.
wow. everyone's so angry.
ReplyDeletepersonally, and yes, it doesnt mean a whole lot but...i kinda agree with this guy (skwege101) i mean, i know a lot of people who only listen to the cure from 79-89. and thats fine or whatnot, i enjoy the entirety of the cure catalogue including the new songs but there is definitely something different about the songs from this past decade. many of them dont seem to have the full picture quality of much of their older material. i dont know, the endings seem so rushed and ill prepared or sometimes ideas are just presented as opposed to being fleshed out cohesive or whole. it just seems as if the effort is kind of weak...theyre still good songs that i enjoy, but if the back catalogue wasnt there...they wouldnt have changed my life how they have.
thats all i suppose.
viva cure.
oh and by the way: the biggest problem with the previous record was the tracklist. i made an alternate one for myself that i enjoy a hell of a lot better.
wow. everyone's so angry.
ReplyDeletepersonally, and yes, it doesnt mean a whole lot but...i kinda agree with this guy (skwege101) i mean, i know a lot of people who only listen to the cure from 79-89. and thats fine or whatnot, i enjoy the entirety of the cure catalogue including the new songs but there is definitely something different about the songs from this past decade. many of them dont seem to have the full picture quality of much of their older material. i dont know, the endings seem so rushed and ill prepared or sometimes ideas are just presented as opposed to being fleshed out cohesive or whole. it just seems as if the effort is kind of weak...theyre still good songs that i enjoy, but if the back catalogue wasnt there...they wouldnt have changed my life how they have.
thats all i suppose.
viva cure.
oh and by the way: the biggest problem with the previous record was the tracklist. i made an alternate one for myself that i enjoy a hell of a lot better.
now that was a very well presented constructive criticism! i do think the stripped down quality of some of the new songs is deliberate.. but perhaps not? not really sure. i do think the reason that FS is my fave single so far is because of its "fuller" nature... swid is indeed a bit less fleshed out and therefore more lackluster. good though... but not great like FS, which to me embodies chewy cure goodness, lyrically and musically. it narrates a story and is musically fun and fleshed out.. IMO. but yeah... the back catalogue has many gems as well. i consider ALL cure albums to be chock full of gems, but that is just me... sycophantic simplistic cure fan. :-)
ReplyDeletei agree about tc tracklist. sucks.
ha yeah my friend jon hated "the cure" (album) until i gave him my copy and then he was like "wow...this makes so much more sense...i can actually listen to this now"
ReplyDeleteyeah, rsx has issues with tracklists.
ReplyDeletethe album needs tgb/tm/fake/gn to be complete. period. and take off taking off and us or them. and rearrange the songs. some of them are truly great.
i do think the lost/lab/b43/eotw combo on the us album is brilliant though.
LURVE those songs.
so whats yer tc tracklist anyway?
ReplyDeleteYeah truly the tracklisting for The Cure WAS a fiasco. No doubt about it. I only listen to the Japanese version. It's not perfect, but much better than the US/Canada version. That version was a real bad joke.
ReplyDeleteindeedy. it was tailored for the younger rock crowd... and did not pass muster. the cure are good at hard rock... but at CURE-rock... lost/labyrinth/promise (although the latter is better live). they are not good at ac/dc rock (us or them). imo.
ReplyDelete1.anniversary
ReplyDelete2.your god is fear
3.alt.end(gotta have a single haha)
4.why cant i be me?
5.fake
6.lost
7.truth goodness and beauty
8.labrynth
9.this morning
10.going nowhere
11.the promise
i seriously cant stand us or them. the live version on festival 2005 is at least decent though. he just sounds so goofy repeating "i dont want you anywhere near me..etc."
and yeah i know some of the ones i left off were pretty good songs...i dont know, i suppose i wasnt feeling it at the time (to me they seem better kept as a supplement e.p.)
my two cents.
ReplyDeleteThe cure are not the same band they used to be. It would be sad if they were. And Robert would either be dead or look much worse then today.
I dont think everything the cure touch is gold.
I was among the dissapointed group when mixed up and wild mood swings came out. Of which I like both now. not my favorites but much better then most music out there.
I do however disagree that they are just another band that continue to chug along and put bad music out. A handful of the newer songs are brilliant ( e.g. this morning). They even envolk passion and angst (in a good way). I cannot say that for any band listed earlier. I would even put a few of the newer songs on a top 50 songs of all time (one or two). And without a doubt on a top 10 songs of the year from the years that the last few albums where released.
So if the cure continue to put out some of the best new music of this generation I will not complain that they are not what they used to be. Its great in relation to what else is coming out. u2 cant do that now days, rolling stones cant do that, echo, Bowie and so many others that try.....
And Technically they are better then ever. you cant argue that. The old music was very simple. Not that there is anything wrong with that. At one point they had a better drummer and a friendly keyboardist other then that Porl is better then ever on guitar and so is Robert (technically) and Simon is as good or better. The only generations of cure that compared to them now (technically) would be Disintegration and wish.
The new singles are better then most everything played on the radio today. So in turn I dont mind calling radio stations that I personally do not listen to in order to try and get cure songs played. one play on my local radio station gets heard by tens of thousands of people. It takes the internet weeks to get the same sort of exposure the a radio station can get in a 5 minute play.
And... they continue to put on amazing shows! other older bands do not. I go to allot of shows and see it all time. old bands that go up and play the hits in order to put a few more dollars into retirement. They sound like crap, they look like crap and couldn't care less as long as they get paid. The cure put everything they had into this last tour, tears and all. And did it with grace. They sounded as good as ever. I even looked forward to new songs. SWID was great live!
Lost
ReplyDeleteLabyrinth
Going Nowhere
Before Three
Fake
Your God Is Fear
Us Or Them
Anniversary
Why Can't I Be Me?
This Morning
Never
Truth Goodness And Beauty
The Promise
...this would have been an awesome "The Cure" record.
Glad to see things have settled down here. It wall all due to flowers from elise. As for the new songs, overall I do like them a lot. I guess I am in the minority but all along I have like The Only One. Has a catchy sound for me and the xylephone, I know I didn't spell that one right, sound just makes me smile. I am also looking forward to hearing studio versions of BRDB and Underneath the Stars.
ReplyDeleteI think one thing with The Cure is that this is not the same band from past albums. They have a somewhat different sound with Porl back and no keyboards. So for me comparing stuff from past albums is like comparing Bloodflowers with 3 Imaginary Boys. I like both but they are different sounds and honestly, other than Roberts vocals do they sound like the same band? To me they do not.
I guess what I am trying to say is it seems hard to me to compare different albums without looking at the band line up.
Lurker here who needs to speak. I have been a fan since 1987 and after Wild Mood Swings I just totally lost my love and passion for The Cure. These new songs and the recent tour have taken me right back to the reason I loved the Cure all those years previously. The 4Tour was amazing in every way (this coming from someone who flipped out when he heard there would be no keyboards on this album or tour) and the new songs remind me of the passion the Cure once had (but not since Wish).
ReplyDeleteSo take it as you wish, but as a fan that abandoned the Cure since 1996 (I did like a lot of BLoodflowers, to be fair), I am simply very happy with the new sound and the new songs. I cannot wait until October now for the new album.
I am also in that "likes The Only One" minority. :^P
ReplyDeleteI essentially agree with much of what Brandon and Oktober said, but I want to add that Disintegration is in the past. The moment and the various things internal and external that converged to create it are past. So what? I have the album right here and I can enjoy it whenever I want to. What's more, when I see The Cure on tour, they will play the songs powerfully and sincerely. I agree that The Cure are not the Disintegration Cure, but I absolutely take issue with anyone who says they are crap and putting out crap. Come on now... that is just not accurate at all.
If it were true, I would be among the first to put the new music and the tours respectfully aside and enjoy them as I remember them. I have seen many bands age and tour as a fond memory of what once was... they play the old songs and everyone enjoys it even if they don't quite still have it. This is emphatically not the case with The Cure. They are a band that, if my first exposure to them had been the tour, would have completely blown me away. They are putting on kick ass shows and putting out new music that I enjoy listening to and that definitely compares favourably with what is out there. They are a great band today, here and now. :^P
Well said, Maree: )
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with cat and I've said it before, put in tgab, fake, going nowhere and this morning and the untitles CD kicks ass. I might take out Us vs them but I just leave it in because I like having all the songs there in case I'm in the mood for them. I don't think I've ever been in the mood for Us vs Them though, who knows, I might be in the mood for it later on today. I want that song to be there when I need it, until then I just grit my teeth and listen through it or skip it.
ReplyDeleteI don't have Your God is Fear or Why Can't I Be Me, if I did I'd put them on maybe. I mostly put the other songs on because they are on different versions of the album. With those songs the album would be Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me long!
I totally agree with maree BTW. Like Ms. Chokesondick said on South Park, "Why go back to the past when you've lived that moment perfectly? What more could you do to make it better?"
ReplyDeleteAs Robert says, ONWARD!
What I also do not understand is when people are simply MIRED in the past. If so, fine... but don't you think nearly TWENTY years of wishing for another Disintegration is a bit long? I for one do not wish for mere re-hashes of ANYTHING The Cure have done, even my favorites- Faith, HOTD, BF. I LIKE that they keep evolving. Some people say that they ARE putting out warmed over Cure songs... but frankly, I don't hear it. No, they are not radically reinventing themselves... I think VERY few bands are capable of that. The Cure did sort of do that early on, but I don't think we can expect them to come out sounding like a whole new band at this point. However, they ARE evolving and still doing their own thang! To me that is great. Sure, some songs are derivative... but songs like FS are not terribly so, unless you reach way back, and even then it sounds pretty damn fresh to my ears. Same with AKOS and DU.
ReplyDeleteI just think it's very strange for people to continually bleat about how the Cure are not the "same." Well, no, they are not - do you expect them to sound like they did in the 80s? That's just insane and inane! I LOVE that they keep on keepin' on and evolve in their own special way. Isn't that what made us all Cure fans to begin with - the sense of surprise and unpredictability? I realize some people think they are very predicable now, but you can't really match up, say, the self-titled album with, say, HOTD, and say they sound predictably the same. It's the same band with some of the same elements, sure, but those are pretty different sounding albums, ultimately. ALL Cure albums are different - that is what makes them so intriguing!
Furthermore, I think it reflects more on the people who are continually complaining than it does on the Cure themselves. I think it's perfectly okay to dislike a Cure song or Cure albums - it can't be otherwise, for you can't force a like or dislike - but to persistently carry on about it as though the Cure themselves have done you some grave disservice is downright WEIRD to me. Just move on if you don't like it - you're causing yourself to have an ulcer otherwise! :-)
And one more thing (bear with my interminable loquaciousness, please - I have had a shitty morning and need to blab): If the songs resonate with you, musically and lyrically, that is ALL you need to be happy. You can deconstruct them to death and say they are shit, or you can just put them aside if they don't do it for you.
I hardly get why some people feel they MUST try to convince others that the songs suck. If they don't suck for me - and they most emphatically do not - then someone "explaining" with detached and detailed technical analysis why they suck is not going to change how I FEEL about them. Feeling is everything with art. The technical part matters, but much less so than the emotional part.
That's my rant for the day. Feel free to scroll past.
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ReplyDeleteI've always loved The Cure because, with a few very notable exceptions, they don't try to recapture an old theme. I always like an album based on the album itself. Not because it was or was not like some other album. Its just, for me, the last three albums in the past 12 years just haven't been very good. (That's another issue. This every-four-years business. But that's something to rail about another time). But I hold out hope because I know The Cure is capable of greatness.
ReplyDeleteI mean, the second half of "The Cure" managed to feature five of the worst Cure songs ever recorded...All in a row:
- alt.end
- I Don't Know What's Going On (Yeah, I know part of that title is supposed to be in parentheses, or something, but I never understood why)
- Taking Off
- Never
- The Promise (this song might have been better if it wasn't 52 minutes long)
(For me, the very best Cure songs are the ones that achieve that perfect combination of word and sound)
Bloodflowers had a beautiful sound for the most part. But I wasn't too terribly impressed with the lyrics. Just repeating an idea over and over in the same song, but switching a word or two as we progress (like in Bloodflowers, Out of this World, The Loudest Sound) or just bludgeoning a metaphor to death (like in 39).
WMS was the opposite for me. Loved the lyrics. Didn't quite like the sound. Though, I do think WMS was the last time they really put in a good-faith effort into making an album. It just didn't quite work out. (And you want to talk about forgotten B-Sides. The fact that "A Pink Dream" wasn't on the album is just plain criminal! I LOVE that song.)
Long story short: I'm not getting my hopes up for the new album. Just because in recent years The Cure has disappointed me with their big talk and little follow through. So I'm just going to wait and see if they pleasantly surprise me. For me that's better than me trying to convince myself that I love the album because I feel the need to validate the high expectations I had for it (which has been the case for me with recent albums)
I'm no fan of "The Only One" either. To me it sounds like a single that they forgot to add on to the 2004 album. My new album apprehension lifted a little with "Freakshow". Its got that whole "Hot Hot Hot", "Lovecats" and "Hey You" lovable goofiness to it. I'm really in love with "Sleep When I'm Dead". But is it true that song was really something left behind from Head on the Door? Right now, if I were a doctor, I'd have to say I'm "guardedly hopeful" about the new album :-)
DA: I respect your line of thinking.. at least you're constructive. I do disagree about BF lyrics... I don't find them to be that repetitive and I really love their elegant simplicity. In all honesty I find them to be the most mature and insightful lyrics RSX has ever written. I love the free association druggy stuff too (ala Porno, Top, etc.) but RSX has such a bewildering array of styles (confessional, surrealistic, narrative, etc.) that I don't really prefer one style over the other. I like most of his lyrics quite a bit... BF being my favorite of all times. The Top has some truly evocative imagery drenched lyrics that make me dizzy with delight, which is why I like FS a lot - it reminds me of the Top stuff. But for me, BF lyrics resonate deeply and I find them to be incredibly heartfelt and moving. I am indeed a BF junkie. :-)
ReplyDeletethis number just amazes me, but at the same time, i can believe it. the few times i've listened to the radio here in houston, i haven't even heard them mention anything about the cure. during the tour, they were promoting everything from snoop dogg with 311 to motley crue, but they didn't even mention the cure. and then they had the nerve to show up at the venue like they had a right to be there. i wanted to smack them.
ReplyDeleteon another note, i'm glad to see the hostility here has calmed down a bit. i was a little scared to come in here for a while, which sucks since we're here for one thing, our love for an amazing band!