From the Rolling Stone Fall Music Preview (#1062, 10/02/08):The Cure - 4:13 Dream (10/28)
"I like the sound of deadlines as they rush past my head", says Cure frontman Robert Smith, explaining why his album has been two years in the works. Now, after a massive world tour, Smith has met his deadline. The Cure's latest has the same gloriously gloomy vibe as the band's Eighties discs - one song, "Sleep When I'm Dead" was originally written for 1985's The Head on the Door. Smith's new lyrics, however, take on current events. "I'm trying to be a bit more socially aware," says Smith. "I've always been very careful to shy away from that, but the songs are about things that bother me in a global sense."
(Thanks Paul K. and Dayna)
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Does that mean that Rolling Stone has heard 4:13? I generally hate Rolling Stone because they usually hate every group I like and push groups I can't stand.
ReplyDeleteI'm not one that's big on leaks or downloading or anything (I've only downloaded one album before its official release ever), but if any of you are, is Dream 4:13 going to be leaked in the near future and are any of you going to download it? I'm just curious to know if some of you guys are going to get a head start on the rest of us (although I personally don't really want to hear anything about the album until I hear it myself on its release date).
ReplyDeleteTotally. I download music as soon as I can find it, but I always buy a physical copy later. I like to have a physical copy even if I could just as easily burn my own copy. Yes, JPX is a nerd.
ReplyDeleteAfter all, if I didn't download music I never would have heard Lost Wishes, Strum, etc.
ReplyDeleteWow, so there are more socially aware songs on the upcoming album? Very interesting. Let's just hope they are better than Us or Them. Don't get me wrong - I didn't disagree with the polemic put forth in that song, I just feel it was musically and lyrically lacking.
ReplyDeleteBring on the Dream!
So when do you think this will be leaked? Usually it's about a month before isn't it? So it's gotta be soon...
ReplyDeletein general, my least favorite cure songs are the ones where robert looks out at the world and writes how he's feeling about it.
ReplyDeletei won't download it if it leaks before, but it will be interestingly difficult to resist the temptation:) i do download some official stuff from the cure, but i always buy it later
ReplyDeletei would probably download songs i hadn't heard yet given the chance. but still by the vinyl as soon as it comes out.
ReplyDeleteI managed to hold out until midnight on release day for "The Cure," and I'm planning on doing the same this time around.
ReplyDeleteBesides, the album can't leak yet because Robert still hasn't finished it. ;)
OMG - I think Robert has been reading my Facebook! I love the sound of deadlines too!!!!
ReplyDeleteElise: I thought of you when I saw that quote! I thought he must have seen your profile there! :D
ReplyDeleteNot to ruin the party, but wasn't that a Douglas Adams quote?
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, more fun to think it was Jo who inspired him to say that. : )
ReplyDeleteThe reality is, there is no way that Robert could have checked my Facebook as it is only visible to friends - and he has yet to send me an invitation :)
ReplyDeleteBut it is a nice fantasy!
i don't see why robert is so against writing songs about the external world. ever since bloodflowers, he's been saying how he's really wanting to go in that direction but won't let himself. he should just do what he wants i say! it's nice that he's mindful about being self-indulgent, but still, he should just write what's in his head/heart.
ReplyDeleteCraig: How dare you ruin our party by bringing up Douglas Adams?! You're just jealous that RS didn't quote you instead! ;)
ReplyDeleteSeriously, though, I didn't realize that that quote was a DA reference (in addition to it being a Jo reference, of course). Very cool. :)
MonkeyButt said...
ReplyDelete"in general, my least favorite cure songs are the ones where robert looks out at the world and writes how he's feeling about it."
Really?? Would you care to provide some examples dear sir?
Robert's dialogue quoted in that paragraph has piqued my interest for this album even more.
"...the songs are about things that bother me in a global sense."
I've always respected Robert's intellect, and I've always felt that it would be most interesting to discuss "global issues" with him because.... I'm a fuckin' dork!
I just enjoy hearing his thoughts about things regardless.
Anyway, I think he has a very peculiar and distinctive perspective on life, and I love the way he's able to succinctly and poignantly articulate all these different convoluted thoughts and feelings in such a way, that I just can't help but have an immediate visceral response to it...
If most of this album consists of him exploring his thoughts and feelings about what's going on in the world, I very much welcome it, and am pretty fucking excited to hear it.
V- Finally made your way out of the loving room 'ay? ;D ;P 8d
Your man does way too much around here... not that I'm mad at him for it! He deserves something for all his thankless devotion to this here blog thingy...
"this news is too old Craaaaaaig..."
Helsa, there are some videos I have at my You Tube of RSX talking about global issues in a very passionate way. I become so besotted with him when he does this. I do love his more impressionist/ethereal songs, which seem to comprise the bulk of his lyrical output, but I agree with you that intellectually he's so fascinating that I welcome his more expressionistic lyrics as well - i.e., ones that blatantly touch on more tangible topics. For example, I just love the lyrics to WTBAS. Those kind of have a mixture of impressionist/expressionist.
ReplyDeleteBTW, where has Pierre been? Pierre would like this topic.
*waves to Pierre*
As far as social commentary, "How Beautiful you are" is hard to beat. the singer/narrator/persona (i.e., RS) is disgusted with his lover (and possibly himself) because of her shallow disregard for the poor and downtrodden.
ReplyDeleteI've been waiting for some world commentary as well. How many love songs can you possibly write? I enjoy the love songs, but, as he ages, I think RS has more interesting things to say about world angst as opposed to personal angst.
Final Note: "How beautiful You are" would fit in perfectly on Coldplay's Viva la Vida album, with the whole "French Revolution" thing going on...
I am now preparing to get flamed into oblivion, ha ha ha.
Robert will be best remembered for tripping over his ill-fitting boots and blinking beneath his perpetually riotous hair
ReplyDeleteCat, that's one of my favorite songs from Bloodflowers. I have a quote from Robert regarding that song.
ReplyDelete"'Where the Birds Always Sing' arose out of a discussion with someone who was experiencing a series of extremely terrible events, and who honestly believed, due to a religious upbringing that somehow they'd done something to deserve this. I got really upset about that, and wrote the words out of my belief that things just happen because they happen. There's no great force at work, there's no great master plan, there's nothing. I've kind of lost all my earlier desire to believe in something or to seek something. Which doesn't diminish my enjoyment of life at all, because I actually live much more for the moment than I used to". (Pulse March 2000)
AWESOME quote, Helsa. Thanks for sharing. I do believe I had read it before. Great song, great lyrics. Apparently RSX doesn't like the song musically, but likes it lyrically. I like it all around. BF is freakin' fantastic!
ReplyDeleteHelsa - thanks for the quote, it's nice to know that my own understanding (and feeling) for the song, is close to the intention.
ReplyDeleteHelsa: Thank You! It would be nice to have a part of COF with interesting quotes like that one and the one about being socially aware.
ReplyDeleteI can tell from Robert how he feels about most things, but rarely do we get to see what he thinks about certain issues in such a clear voice.
I loved seeing the TV advertisement:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz-7QxkrhgY
too, as it made me proud that Robert now clearly stands up for an organization such as Amnesty International.
Helsa,
ReplyDeleteThanks for that quote too. WTBAS is once of my all time favorite songs & it's great to get Robert's perspective on what it is about.
Political stuff. I'm all for it! Robert is quite a brilliant guy and I'm eager to hear what he has to say. Now is the time!
ReplyDeleteIt's ironic U2 used to be a heavily political band, but turned into damn cowards on the Arab-Israeli issue (using cliches about both sides needing to lay down arms and work it out peacefully, when the Israelis have been the clear aggressors for decades and supplied with US arms to do so) and turned a blind eye to American atrocities of the Bush administration -- so much worse than Chile's Pinochet, Bono!
Robert's not a coward like Bono and will hopefully tell it like it is. I thought "Us or Them" was quite brilliant and could refer to a conflict between any group of sides.
I just don't want the lyrics to be overly obvious, but innovative and truthful in the way Robert often talks about politics.
Jpx, I'm not gonna download the album and I'll try not to listen to it until I have it in my hands -- provided it's not delayed in the mail or anything. It'll be hard, but I'll do my best. Still haven't heard the single version of "The Perfect Boy".