Friday, January 23, 2009

Would A Pink Dream make WMS better?

Pop Matters says yes, by replacing Club America with A Pink Dream. (Thanks Kate)
Posted by Craig at 4:54 PM

55 comments:

  1. jonstoneJanuary 23, 2009 at 5:05 PM

    absolutely. Pink Dream is one of my favorite B-sides of all time. It's better than most of the tunes on WMS.

    ReplyDelete
  2. MarcJanuary 23, 2009 at 5:23 PM

    We could quite easily do this with every album after Disintegration, IMHO.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Clockwise CatJanuary 23, 2009 at 5:25 PM

    WMS is perfect as is, IMO. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. furreverJanuary 23, 2009 at 5:30 PM

    If only this would have been the case. While we're at it, I would have also replaced Numb with Home and Return with Ocean.

    ReplyDelete
  5. CraigJanuary 23, 2009 at 5:33 PM

    Anything that removes Club America, Numb, and Round & Round & Round from WMS, gets my full support.

    ReplyDelete
  6. CraigJanuary 23, 2009 at 5:33 PM

    And The 13th.

    ReplyDelete
  7. furreverJanuary 23, 2009 at 5:34 PM

    Marc,

    Agreed, although WMS seems to have suffered from poor song selection more than any of the Cure albums (although The Cure is a close second).

    Funny thing is, even on their older stuff, the Cure was always leaving gems off. IMO 2 Late could have been an excellent pop song. Granted, I'm not sure it really would have fit the mood of Disintegration, which I imagine is why Robert left it off.

    The Kiss Me sessions also produced several excellent b-sides that I think were stronger than some of the tracks on the studio album.

    ReplyDelete
  8. vJanuary 23, 2009 at 5:47 PM

    I actually like "Club America" better than "A Pink Dream." :o

    *ducks*

    ReplyDelete
  9. CraigJanuary 23, 2009 at 5:59 PM

    Sigh...oh well! That's that. : P

    ReplyDelete
  10. RandyJanuary 23, 2009 at 6:02 PM

    nah, because then the b-sides would probably have really sucked. i don't hate WMS, like it as is, and love A Pink Dream fitting into the mold of The Cure always releasing great b-sides.

    until 2000 and on, that is...

    ReplyDelete
  11. sofiaJanuary 23, 2009 at 6:03 PM

    "Anything that removes Club America, Numb, and Round & Round & Round from WMS, gets my full support."

    amen, my man!

    ReplyDelete
  12. vJanuary 23, 2009 at 6:04 PM

    Craig: I figured as much. :P

    ReplyDelete
  13. SkrapsJanuary 23, 2009 at 6:34 PM

    I guess i am one of those rare cure fans that enjoyed WMS.

    Although I am ashamed to admit, other than "Dread Song" they havent produced anything I really disliked.

    ReplyDelete
  14. altr2eliseJanuary 23, 2009 at 6:44 PM

    I'm almost with you, Craig ;) - except I don't mind numb

    ReplyDelete
  15. J.January 23, 2009 at 7:07 PM

    I actually have an iTunes play list that has my preferred version of Wild Mood Swings:

    Want
    Home
    Strange Attraction
    A Pink Dream
    Mint Car
    Jupiter Crash
    Waiting
    Numb
    Trap
    Treasure
    It Used to Be Me

    I don't much care for the songs that I left off of that list.

    I did the same thing for Three Imaginary Boys...

    ReplyDelete
  16. MorrisJanuary 23, 2009 at 8:41 PM

    All the B-sides from WMS were excellent!

    ReplyDelete
  17. LompocWineGuyJanuary 23, 2009 at 9:54 PM

    I think you could safely put all of the WMS B-sides on the album and make it much better.

    ReplyDelete
  18. ZapJanuary 23, 2009 at 10:13 PM

    you can do alot of things to it... but "J" how can you leave off BARE... that's way wrong :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. AnonymousJanuary 23, 2009 at 10:15 PM

    All the b-sides would have better additions, I for one enjoy Club America, The 13th, and Numb, I could do without This is a Lie, Round and Round, and even Gone, the rest of the album I think was mint. The B-sides though were gems that could have been included in the regular tracklisting, especially the Mint-car single b-sides.

    ReplyDelete
  20. MoontearJanuary 23, 2009 at 10:23 PM

    Boah... you're all mad!!!! Club America is fucking awesome. One of the absolute standouts of Wild Mood Swings. A Pink Dream is good but definitely has a B-Side feeling to it. Adonais and It used to be me should have been on the album instead of Mint Car and Round&Round&Round.

    Want
    Club America
    This Is a Lie
    The 13th
    It Used To Be Me
    Strange Attraction
    Jupiter Crash
    Adonais
    Gone!
    Numb
    Return
    Trap
    Treasure
    Bare

    ...this would have been an awesome follow up to Wish. But nevertheless WMS is beautiful in the way it is. Can't see all to hate for Club America but then on the other side alot of Cure Fans like All I Want or now The Real Snow White. Club America kicks both their asses, easily!!!

    Okay... just my 50 cent. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  21. AnonymousJanuary 23, 2009 at 11:19 PM

    I love WMS!

    When i was 12 i went through my dad's cds and it caught my eye. it was the first Cure record i'd ever heard and it's what got me into them! (i'm 18 now and they are my all-time-favorite-i'd-do-anything-to-see-them-live-a-4th-time band).

    that being said, i'd much rather have it replace Round & Round... than Club America. i love A Pink Dream. AND i also love Home. I just can't choose!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Dumb AnguishJanuary 24, 2009 at 1:47 AM

    LOVE Pink Dream. I still say its a felony criminal offense that it was left off the album.

    But I also love me some Club America. So can we ditch Round & Round & Round & Round & Round & Round instead?

    ReplyDelete
  23. lostwishesJanuary 24, 2009 at 2:22 AM

    i also really like this album. it sounds like they had a lot of fun while they recorded it. i also like the idea of using real strings. the swing tour showed how much fun they had that year as well (imo their best tour ever!).

    ReplyDelete
  24. Alex ArrowsmithJanuary 24, 2009 at 3:46 AM

    no! replace no songs! WMS is a near-flawless album. while the b-sides are all great as well, i think the album works perfectly as a whole as it is.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Cure userJanuary 24, 2009 at 4:27 AM

    I love Club America !

    Don't care much for Round x 3 , Gone and the last two.

    Every b-side from that album should have been on there.

    I was really dissappointed by the album when it came out. I've come to appreciate it more as time goes by.

    ReplyDelete
  26. TrendezhJanuary 24, 2009 at 8:09 AM

    There is no one album with all greatest songs. You always find one song is better then others.

    B-sides phenomenon is great. It's a balance, a compensation for 'bad' songs. And everyone has a possibility to customise album as everybody wants. It's just waste of time imho

    ReplyDelete
  27. AnonymousJanuary 24, 2009 at 8:26 AM

    keeep the 13th ,, its fuckin ace

    drop the hideous middle section ,jc,sa,rrr,gone.. replace with bsides = amazing album!

    ReplyDelete
  28. AnonymousJanuary 24, 2009 at 8:29 AM

    i still like the songs i dont like on the album just not on the album as a whole... but a second rate cure song is still 20 times better than the majority of the dross out there

    ReplyDelete
  29. AnonymousJanuary 24, 2009 at 8:31 AM

    ps checkout

    miserylab

    ReplyDelete
  30. MorrisJanuary 24, 2009 at 9:40 AM

    ... I love The 13th.

    (two chord cool)

    ReplyDelete
  31. PJWJanuary 24, 2009 at 10:56 AM

    I see your point Deadboycraved, but Jupiter Crash? Phew!,that's hardly a second rate Cure song,IMO.

    My Ipod WMS has IUTBM, APD and Ocean on there instead of CA, Gone and numb. Love all the other tracks.

    ReplyDelete
  32. AnonymousJanuary 24, 2009 at 11:20 AM

    pjw,, yup jupitercrash - to my ears its standard fare cure by numbers- twee whimsical unadulerated evil , lol .i can easily live without this arena of the cures back catalogue ,, the kissme bsides, just like heaven , trust,jupitercrash,taking off, before 3 , siren song .. theyre all ok in thenselves but taint my idea of what the cure is to me , giving a false notion of english tea on the lawn crap that doesnt exist in reality . phew ,. thats it lol

    ReplyDelete
  33. ToddJanuary 24, 2009 at 11:25 AM

    If you were to take The Cure's best b-sides and make an album out of it, it'd probably be my 2nd favorite album behind Disintegration.

    And I can't believe someone actually dared say JC should be left off of WMS!!! >:<

    ReplyDelete
  34. AnonymousJanuary 24, 2009 at 11:48 AM

    well if we ll liked the same things how dull life would be todd

    ReplyDelete
  35. ToddJanuary 24, 2009 at 12:22 PM

    Spare me the lectures. Relax. It's all in good fun.

    ReplyDelete
  36. AnonymousJanuary 24, 2009 at 12:33 PM

    lol lectures?im relaxed mr dont fret

    ReplyDelete
  37. Bananafish17January 24, 2009 at 4:06 PM

    WMS should have been...

    1. Want
    2. Club America
    3. This Is A Lie
    4. Mint Car
    5. Ocean
    6. Adonais
    7. Jupiter Crash
    8. Numb
    9. Gone!
    10. It Used To Be Me
    11. Trap
    12. Treasure
    13. Bare

    "Return" should have never been released, even on a b-side. I think "Club America" is great, especially the bass line. All the other songs I left off are just OK. I think "The 13th" is interesting; like "The Blood", "If Only Tonight We Could Sleep", "Labrynith" & "Kyoto Song" before in the expansion away from the basic pop/punk sound of The Cure. That is one of the things that sets them apart from all other bands; but "The 13th" is just not as good as the fore mentioned songs.

    The overall theme of this post rings very true though. "Wild Mood Swings", more than any other of the later albums, suffers from song choices. A real lack of central theme that you could find on prior diverse albums like "Kiss Me" or "The Top" is missing.

    - Seymour Glass

    ReplyDelete
  38. Bananafish17January 24, 2009 at 4:25 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Bananafish17January 24, 2009 at 4:25 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  40. KateJanuary 24, 2009 at 5:16 PM

    Wow, what a way to get the conversation going! :)

    ReplyDelete
  41. HelsabotJanuary 24, 2009 at 6:27 PM

    deadboycraved said...
    "giving a false notion of english tea on the lawn crap that doesnt exist in reality"

    LOL! The other songs, fine, but Jupiter Crash?? Me thinks not, good sir.

    I think WMS is fine the way it is, and maybe it's kind of pointless to mull over it now? I mean, it's not like it's a new album or anything; I think 4:13 is just as manically idiosyncratic. Oh well, at least we get fabulous b-sides!

    Kate, you're always happy aren't you? I wish you were my neighbor, instead of the insufferable goblins who live above me. XD

    ReplyDelete
  42. AndrewV127January 24, 2009 at 7:02 PM

    I never really understood all the hate WMS gets. Yeah it's B-sides are better than some of the A sides but isn't that true of all Cure albums?

    I would rather have the crazy eccentricities and textures of WMS over the (IMO) half hearted dullness of Bloodflowers any day.

    ReplyDelete
  43. AnonymousJanuary 24, 2009 at 8:13 PM

    -its good no one agrees i think .. that everyone can like somethings and hate others , thats the best thing about them

    bananafish ,, .i LOVE return ,, i think its the best POPpopPOP song the cure have ever done

    ReplyDelete
  44. AnonymousJanuary 25, 2009 at 12:57 AM

    Wild Mood Swings was a fantastic album, and it spawned an even greater live tour with it, the Swing Tour! WMS in my opinion, was the last album that Robert sounded like he really cared, or was at least inspired. Maybe it was the the afterglow of comming off the Wish tour and the invincibility of having been one of the biggest bands in the world at the time, but Robert and the rest of the band seemed to actually really enjoy what they were doing. I think they lost it soon after the Bloodflowers tour. Ok, off topic, but all the B-sides from WMS were fantastic as per usual..

    ReplyDelete
  45. KateJanuary 25, 2009 at 9:04 AM

    Helsa - You are so sweet!

    ReplyDelete
  46. AnahJanuary 25, 2009 at 5:44 PM

    Craig: LMAO.

    I love *most of WMS, but I agree with you. His vocals on some of those songs really scare and confuse me!

    ReplyDelete
  47. DeconstructionismJanuary 25, 2009 at 11:45 PM

    Want
    Adonais
    This Is A Lie (ambient)
    A Pink Dream
    Mint Car (Buskers mix)
    Jupiter Crash
    Waiting
    Burn
    More Than This

    ReplyDelete
  48. DeconstructionismJanuary 25, 2009 at 11:56 PM

    So I just made an iTunes playlist of all the genuinely good material the Cure did after Wish and its singles (hence starting with the Hendrix cover in 1993), not counting live and acoustic versions of older stuff, and allowing only one rendition of each song. I (perhaps generously) came up with 2 hours and 15 minutes, which makes for 3 great 45-minute albums. I suspect that if in the last 16 years, they'd released just the following songs, their legacy would be invincible:

    Purple Haze
    Burn
    Dredd Song
    Mint Car (Buskers)
    Adonais
    Waiting
    A Pink Dream
    This Is A Lie (Ambient Mix)
    Want
    Jupiter Crash
    More Than This
    Out Of This World
    Where The Birds Always Sing
    Maybe Someday
    The Last Day Of Summer
    39
    Bloodflowers
    Alt.End (single edit)
    Anniversary
    Taking Off
    Sleep When I'm Dead (Gerard Way & Julien K)
    Without You
    Underneath The Stars
    The Only One
    The Reasons Why
    Sirensong
    The Hungry Ghost
    The Perfect Boy
    The End Of The World

    ReplyDelete
  49. ChristianZJanuary 26, 2009 at 2:54 AM

    I actually like Club America and it's the perfect song for the current lineup to play. I also really like Trap and Treasure. How could anyone leave off Jupiter Crash? Anyways, my version of WMS (on Rhapsody) leaves off a chunk of four songs in a row. Will have to give the B-sides a listen to again.

    ReplyDelete
  50. KimmonJanuary 26, 2009 at 5:56 AM

    What comes to WMS it is pretty clear that the problem lies with a poor and not so coherent production. Songs itself, by origin, are not so bad. Just listen to demos of WMS, you will realise the difference. The shortcomings made are similar with that of The Top. A Pink Dream, however, exceed the actual quality of WMS and is definetly better than most of the songs. While with the Cure 2004 album, there is nothing you can do about the poor quality...

    ReplyDelete
  51. AnonymousJanuary 26, 2009 at 8:20 AM

    i love "the cure " barr 2 or 3 songs .. again the bsides more than make up fr those though

    ReplyDelete
  52. AnonymousJanuary 26, 2009 at 10:38 AM

    i would replace a lot of the other WMS crap first(R&R&R, Gone, Numb). Most of the b-sides would've made better album tracks. Having done that, the album would've been an instant classic IMHO. In particular, "it used to be me" is F-ing mindblowing!

    ReplyDelete
  53. AnonymousJanuary 26, 2009 at 10:52 AM

    adonais did kick ass--it was so theatric sounding. anyone know what it was written for? to me, it sounded very much like it was made for a soundtrack and not for WMS. i liked club america too.

    ReplyDelete
  54. sofiaJanuary 26, 2009 at 5:19 PM

    anyone who says numb is worth a damn is wrong.

    /official feelings

    wms never gets a fair shake and thats because half of it is brilliant and the other half is crap. but ALL the b-sides are sterling and a goodness.

    ReplyDelete
  55. stammerhammenJanuary 28, 2009 at 4:22 AM

    i thought it was a good album one of my favs i think the really good songs on there are stronga and the pop is what it is.
    want is great and mint car is one of my favs on the album as for the b side put everything together it is some of thier best work over all

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)