From The Quietus:
"It would have been at some point in late 1987, my senior year of high
school, and it would have been in one of the two English literature
courses I was taking that year. (Because I sure as hell didn’t want to
do phys ed classes after I didn’t have to any more.) I had heard this
song 'Just Like Heaven' on the radio and was randomly enthusing about
it, because it was really good and all. I remember my classmate Susan
Orozco - who regularly preferred to dress all in black, like a small
coterie of people at our high school - saying in response “Yeah, but I
think they sold out.” My reaction was essentially confusion - the class
was about to start and I just wasn’t sure what to make of it. What was
there to sell out from? And if it sounded this good, why complain?
A couple of years back I celebrated The Head On The Door’s
30th anniversary for tQ and so here I am again a couple of years later
with the next album along the way. So I won’t try to add anything
further to the potted band history I already gave in that feature,
except to note an extension. After that album’s well-deserved success in
the UK and elsewhere (especially on incipient alternative radio in the
US) the temporarily stable lineup of Robert Smith, Simon Gallup, Lol
Tolhurst, Porl Thompson and Boris Williams, spent 1986 dealing with
retrospection colliding with the present. The Standing On The Beach
singles collection - easily one of the best of its era, hands down, a
perfect illustration of just how Smith and company’s pop instincts had
been on since the start - served as both a good reason to hit the road
some more and create a great concert film in The Cure In Orange while they were at it. "
Read the rest at The Quietus.
Saturday, May 20, 2017
Great technical article about Cure Tour 2016
From ET Now:
PRG XL Video Supply Lighting and Video for The Cure World Tour
Iconic rock band The Cure recently completed a 76 date world tour with lighting, video and rigging supplied by PRG XL Video. The lighting and video design was by Angus 'Mac' MacPhail, with creative input from lead singer and founding member of The Cure, Robert Smith.
PRG XL Video Supply Lighting and Video for The Cure World Tour
Iconic rock band The Cure recently completed a 76 date world tour with lighting, video and rigging supplied by PRG XL Video. The lighting and video design was by Angus 'Mac' MacPhail, with creative input from lead singer and founding member of The Cure, Robert Smith.
Mac explained the creative process behind bringing
the production to life, and how they dazzled the expectations of
die-hard Cure fans: “It’s important to note that Robert Smith was very
hands-on with the design for the show; he’s been as much a member of our
creative team as he has a band member. When Robert and I first
discussed the design, we wanted a very simple look, where the set is the
lighting rig and it’s a very clean, uncluttered stage. We started off
with the idea for a curved screen at the back of the stage, added a
curved riser and pulled the ends of the truss back to extenuate the
curved look. The different lighting looks we used was kept simple, but
precise and well-executed, for happy songs we used bright colourful
lighting, and for moody songs, we adjusted the lighting accordingly.”
PRG XL’s event services co-ordinator, Ben Hornshaw
performed the role of lighting programmer, and worked closely with Mac
and Robert on all the live shows and in the pre-production stage: “We’re
confident the fans really enjoyed the show, there was an awful lot of
lighting and video technology on stage. The band played a fan-based show
which lasted for just under three hours made up not only of hits, but
also album tracks and lesser known B sides.”
The Cure's Pornography As Psychedelic Post Punk Masterpiece
From The Quietus:
"While punk did indeed make a lasting impression on those who were touched by it, there were enough influences coming through from the 60s to also make a difference in the early 80s. The passage of time has served to rub out the impact that psychedelics made on the music of the post-punk era, but LSD was still popular and a strange legislative loophole meant that magic mushrooms were legal on the proviso that they weren't prepared in any way. In theory, picking and eating them at source wouldn't be tarnished by the threat of legal sanction.
It was in this environment, with the real world issues of the threat of nuclear war and harsh economic conditions also looming, that The Cure - then a trio of guitarist and vocalist Robert Smith, bassist Simon Gallup and drummer Lol Tolhurst - released their fourth album, Pornography. Dark, claustrophobic and densely packed, it unwittingly set a benchmark for subsequent generations while adjusting the vernacular for psychedelic music. Made under the influence of LSD and alcohol and in tense circumstances, it not only concluded a run of albums that had seen the band's sound evolve over a period of four years, it would also destroy that incarnation of the group."
Read the rest at The Quietus.
"While punk did indeed make a lasting impression on those who were touched by it, there were enough influences coming through from the 60s to also make a difference in the early 80s. The passage of time has served to rub out the impact that psychedelics made on the music of the post-punk era, but LSD was still popular and a strange legislative loophole meant that magic mushrooms were legal on the proviso that they weren't prepared in any way. In theory, picking and eating them at source wouldn't be tarnished by the threat of legal sanction.
It was in this environment, with the real world issues of the threat of nuclear war and harsh economic conditions also looming, that The Cure - then a trio of guitarist and vocalist Robert Smith, bassist Simon Gallup and drummer Lol Tolhurst - released their fourth album, Pornography. Dark, claustrophobic and densely packed, it unwittingly set a benchmark for subsequent generations while adjusting the vernacular for psychedelic music. Made under the influence of LSD and alcohol and in tense circumstances, it not only concluded a run of albums that had seen the band's sound evolve over a period of four years, it would also destroy that incarnation of the group."
Read the rest at The Quietus.
Cure sales were strong on Record Store Day
Cure Greatest Hits at #5 & Acoustic at #8 - These Are the Top-Selling Albums & Singles of Record Store Day 2017. https://t.co/NpvG1i8YHX
— Chain of Flowers (@CraigatCoF) May 8, 2017
Cure Greatest Hits at #3 - Record Store Day 2017: the best-selling albums https://t.co/J87XNkEPDw
— Chain of Flowers (@CraigatCoF) April 26, 2017
Simon recording a track for Michael Ciravolo
From Michael Ciravolo on Facebook, Simon & Eden working on a track for Michael's album. https://t.co/AzzkroUXFg pic.twitter.com/4oukVOXIaH
— Chain of Flowers (@CraigatCoF) May 11, 2017
Roger at the Spanish Grand Prix
The Cure's Roger O' Donnell came to visit us #SpanishGP #FP1 pic.twitter.com/ofYbJvS1Ac
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) May 12, 2017
Also...
Roger O'Donnell, keyboard player with The Cure, takes us for a spin in his Dino 246 GT - https://t.co/DahhVniKYp
— Chain of Flowers (@CraigatCoF) May 4, 2017
Lol is working on a new project
From @RealLondonMay on Facebook. Looks like @LolTolhurst has a new project, The AntiMatter Network, coming soon. pic.twitter.com/10YWkvalzA
— Chain of Flowers (@CraigatCoF) May 14, 2017
New project in the works from @LolTolhurst (The Cure) and @RealLondonMay (Samhain/Danzig). Thanks to them for inviting me to be part of it! pic.twitter.com/P9h24pYcuN
— Robin Roth (@robin_roth) May 19, 2017
Pearl at the Malibu Guitar Festival
Pearl Thompson at the Malibu Guitar Festival - https://t.co/F2hSCr905i pic.twitter.com/WcjJNKnQM5
— Chain of Flowers (@CraigatCoF) May 13, 2017
Pearl Thompson and Don Moser trading riffs at #malibuguitarfestival art gallery. Those are Don's guitars and Pearl's paintings. Come see!! pic.twitter.com/WOezFA9X47
— MalibuGuitarFestival (@MalibuGtrFest) May 15, 2017
Revisit 15 Classic Tracks By The Cure
From Billboard:
"Robert Smith has been making music with The Cure since the goth-rock band formed in 1976 – and in 41 years' time, his group has given us quite an extensive body of work (including 13 albums, 4 EPs and numerous compilations). His classic songs and his eccentric image have captivated audiences on both sides of the Atlantic, making The Cure one of the most internationally successful acts in alternative rock history.
Over the course of his illustrious four-decade career, Smith has performed with his idol David Bowie, appeared as a superhero version of himself in an episode of South Park, and reportedly even inspired the look of Tim Burton’s 1990 cult classic Edward Scissorhands. His favorite cover of a Cure song is Dinosaur Jr.’s “Just Like Heaven."
Today (April 21), we’re celebrating Smith’s 58th birthday by revisiting 15 classic tracks by The Cure."
Read the rest at Billboard.
"Robert Smith has been making music with The Cure since the goth-rock band formed in 1976 – and in 41 years' time, his group has given us quite an extensive body of work (including 13 albums, 4 EPs and numerous compilations). His classic songs and his eccentric image have captivated audiences on both sides of the Atlantic, making The Cure one of the most internationally successful acts in alternative rock history.
Over the course of his illustrious four-decade career, Smith has performed with his idol David Bowie, appeared as a superhero version of himself in an episode of South Park, and reportedly even inspired the look of Tim Burton’s 1990 cult classic Edward Scissorhands. His favorite cover of a Cure song is Dinosaur Jr.’s “Just Like Heaven."
Today (April 21), we’re celebrating Smith’s 58th birthday by revisiting 15 classic tracks by The Cure."
Read the rest at Billboard.
7 Things You Didn't Know About 'Friday I'm in Love'
From Rolling Stone:
The darkest funeral dirge sounds almost peppy compared to the goth apocalypse of the Cure's Disintegration, a 1989 album completed under such fraught circumstances that frontman Robert Smith seriously wondered if it would be the band's last. When they managed to endure following a series of personnel changes, Smith and Co. tackled their next project with a new, cautiously optimistic outlook.
Released in 1992, Wish would be the Cure's commercial apex, a diverse collection of instantly accessible songs that combined Smith's talent for creating dense lyrical thickets with some of the most tuneful melodies the group ever recorded. Though a few clouds appear on the horizon (see the heartbreaking ballad "Apart" and the epic drama of "From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea"), the album flaunts an upbeat tone. "High" is a musical sugar rush, and "Doing the Unstuck" features the shockingly un-Cure-like lines, "Kick out the gloom!/Kick out the blues!/Tear out the pages with all the bad news!"
Chief among the album's highlights is "Friday I'm in Love," an unrepentantly catchy pop song dripping with exuberance. It became one of the Cure's highest charters, and also one of the most identifiable singles of their 40-year-plus career.
In spite of the album's comparatively sunny sound, Smith balked at any suggestions that he was (gasp!) happy. "Say 'happier.' I'm still miserable overall," he insisted to Spin just after Wish's release. "I think, words-wise, there are only two songs on the new album that are miserable, so I guess I can't be that miserable at the moment – but I am, really. It's that same core of despair that never goes away." Perhaps it's only fitting that the Cure's next album would be titled Wild Mood Swings.
The Cure's most pop-friendly LP to date was also among their biggest sellers, debuting at Number Two on the Billboard charts. Today Wish remains a cornerstone of the band's catalogue and one of their most beloved works. In honor of its 25th anniversary, we look at some fascinating facts about the album's smash single, "Friday I'm in Love."
Read the rest at Rolling Stone.
The darkest funeral dirge sounds almost peppy compared to the goth apocalypse of the Cure's Disintegration, a 1989 album completed under such fraught circumstances that frontman Robert Smith seriously wondered if it would be the band's last. When they managed to endure following a series of personnel changes, Smith and Co. tackled their next project with a new, cautiously optimistic outlook.
Released in 1992, Wish would be the Cure's commercial apex, a diverse collection of instantly accessible songs that combined Smith's talent for creating dense lyrical thickets with some of the most tuneful melodies the group ever recorded. Though a few clouds appear on the horizon (see the heartbreaking ballad "Apart" and the epic drama of "From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea"), the album flaunts an upbeat tone. "High" is a musical sugar rush, and "Doing the Unstuck" features the shockingly un-Cure-like lines, "Kick out the gloom!/Kick out the blues!/Tear out the pages with all the bad news!"
Chief among the album's highlights is "Friday I'm in Love," an unrepentantly catchy pop song dripping with exuberance. It became one of the Cure's highest charters, and also one of the most identifiable singles of their 40-year-plus career.
In spite of the album's comparatively sunny sound, Smith balked at any suggestions that he was (gasp!) happy. "Say 'happier.' I'm still miserable overall," he insisted to Spin just after Wish's release. "I think, words-wise, there are only two songs on the new album that are miserable, so I guess I can't be that miserable at the moment – but I am, really. It's that same core of despair that never goes away." Perhaps it's only fitting that the Cure's next album would be titled Wild Mood Swings.
The Cure's most pop-friendly LP to date was also among their biggest sellers, debuting at Number Two on the Billboard charts. Today Wish remains a cornerstone of the band's catalogue and one of their most beloved works. In honor of its 25th anniversary, we look at some fascinating facts about the album's smash single, "Friday I'm in Love."
Read the rest at Rolling Stone.
Why Can’t I Be A Cure Fan Like You?
From A.V. Club:
"Gwen Ihnat: The Cure didn’t exactly make a U-turn in 1987 with Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, but it was a hell of a reroute. The iconically mopey band, led by head goth/grump Robert Smith, all of a sudden had a cheerful horn section in “Why Can’t I Be You?” that threaded throughout the double album. And while its poppiness—and the smash success of “Just Like Heaven”—helped Kiss Me become The Cure’s first Top 40 record in the U.S., it also became the first Cure record I never bought.
I was probably slightly too cheerful to be too much of a goth. In my younger years, I preferred buoyant outfits like Simple Minds or lively pop like Squeeze. But whenever I was mad at my parents, my sibling, or the world—like teens before and after me—The Cure was the perfect solace. I tried albums like Pornography and The Top, but my go-to was Standing On A Beach, a compilation of The Cure’s first 13 U.K. singles. Dark sonic journeys like “The Walk,” “The Hanging Garden,” and especially “Charlotte Sometimes” made for ideal wallowing music. I could even appreciate when the band perked up a little bit, like in “Let’s Go To Bed” and the cute “The Love Cats.” And I stayed on board through The Head On The Door, mostly because of “In Between Days.”
Read the rest at A.V. Club.
"Gwen Ihnat: The Cure didn’t exactly make a U-turn in 1987 with Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, but it was a hell of a reroute. The iconically mopey band, led by head goth/grump Robert Smith, all of a sudden had a cheerful horn section in “Why Can’t I Be You?” that threaded throughout the double album. And while its poppiness—and the smash success of “Just Like Heaven”—helped Kiss Me become The Cure’s first Top 40 record in the U.S., it also became the first Cure record I never bought.
I was probably slightly too cheerful to be too much of a goth. In my younger years, I preferred buoyant outfits like Simple Minds or lively pop like Squeeze. But whenever I was mad at my parents, my sibling, or the world—like teens before and after me—The Cure was the perfect solace. I tried albums like Pornography and The Top, but my go-to was Standing On A Beach, a compilation of The Cure’s first 13 U.K. singles. Dark sonic journeys like “The Walk,” “The Hanging Garden,” and especially “Charlotte Sometimes” made for ideal wallowing music. I could even appreciate when the band perked up a little bit, like in “Let’s Go To Bed” and the cute “The Love Cats.” And I stayed on board through The Head On The Door, mostly because of “In Between Days.”
Read the rest at A.V. Club.
About the LatAm tour footage...
To be clear, the South Amercan footage will probably be included In a bigger protect, the gods willing. Stop bugging me!!!
— Tim Pope (@timpopedirector) April 19, 2017
Thursday, April 20, 2017
Very kind words from Perry
From Perry on Facebook:
"Let's be honest, growing old is not good -
- unless you're a Cure song.
"Let's be honest, growing old is not good -
- unless you're a Cure song.
I'm sure it's just a sign of age when I say I can't find any new music
that's any good (if you know different, let me know) but Cure songs just
get better and better. With each passing year I appreciate them more, I
hear more meaning in the lyrics, I'm amazed at the compositional skill,
I'm reminded over and over of the emotional depth and still find new
meaning and resonance in them.
Tomorrow is Robert's birthday - wish him a happy one, but maybe you should also say thank you. He has given us immeasurable pleasure. His gift to the world is immense and continual. Be grateful!"
What Perry said x 100. Thank you, Perry.
Happy Birthday, Robert! None of us can thank you enough for all you've given, but THANK YOU SO MUCH! Cheers and have a brilliant day & a better night!
Tomorrow is Robert's birthday - wish him a happy one, but maybe you should also say thank you. He has given us immeasurable pleasure. His gift to the world is immense and continual. Be grateful!"
What Perry said x 100. Thank you, Perry.
Happy Birthday, Robert! None of us can thank you enough for all you've given, but THANK YOU SO MUCH! Cheers and have a brilliant day & a better night!
Friday, March 24, 2017
Where to find Greatest & Acoustic Hits
Note: Sorry I never got around to updating this! The blog is on a bit of a hiatus, but will return soon! Until then, I am still updating on Twitter, and will tweet any RSD info I'm sent on Saturday. Good luck getting the Cure albums and anything else you're looking for!
Starting a list of stores confirmed to be carrying one or both of the Record Store Day limited edition picture discs. Please let me know if you find them listed anywhere.
UK
Resident (Brighton) - in store only on April 22nd. Any leftover stock goes online at midnight on April 29th. (Thanks, Benj)
US
Amoeba Music (3 locations in California - Hollywood, Berkeley, San Francisco) - In store only on April 22nd but they also put all extra stock online after RSD. (Thanks, Ryan)
Bull Moose (several locations in Maine & New Hampshire) - in store only on April 22nd but they release extra stock online the next day or Monday. (Thanks, Ryan)
Mills Record Company (Kansas City, MO) - in store only on April 22nd. The owner herself personally told me she ordered many copies of both albums. (Thanks, Ryan)
Starting a list of stores confirmed to be carrying one or both of the Record Store Day limited edition picture discs. Please let me know if you find them listed anywhere.
UK
Resident (Brighton) - in store only on April 22nd. Any leftover stock goes online at midnight on April 29th. (Thanks, Benj)
US
Amoeba Music (3 locations in California - Hollywood, Berkeley, San Francisco) - In store only on April 22nd but they also put all extra stock online after RSD. (Thanks, Ryan)
Bull Moose (several locations in Maine & New Hampshire) - in store only on April 22nd but they release extra stock online the next day or Monday. (Thanks, Ryan)
Mills Record Company (Kansas City, MO) - in store only on April 22nd. The owner herself personally told me she ordered many copies of both albums. (Thanks, Ryan)
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Greatest & Acoustic Hits vinyl for RSD 2017
Update (March 20th, 2017): Confirmed by The Future Heart.
Cure, The – Greatest Hits [2LP] (Picture Disc, remastered, on vinyl for the first time, limited to 3250, indie-retail exclusive)
Cure, The – Greatest Hits Acoustic [2LP] (Picture Disc, limited to 3250, indie-retail exclusive)
Thanks, Carl.
Update (March 21st, 2017): And the official US and UK lists are now posted, also confirming the release.
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Depeche Mode mention The Cure's long sets
Depeche Mode held a TimesTalk interview tonight, and the subject of why DM doesn't play longer sets came up, and of course, The Cure got mentioned (at 45:30).
Fletch: "We physically can't play everything. Unless you're The Cure and Robert Smith. But Robert stands still and plays his guitar, our boy is a natural dancer."
You can also watch the interview on Facebook. Cure part is 58 minutes in.
Simon's new UltraBass now available
Note: The photo shows the black bass with yellow graphics, while the description says it's the yellow with black graphics. Not sure which is correct, but have contacted them about it. Will update if I get an answer.
Update (March 8th, 2017): Matthew finally got a reply about this, and it IS the yellow version, NOT the black as pictured. Here's the reply - "The one that will be available will be yellow with black graphics. We have the black one pictured because we don’t have the yellow one ready yet. There will most likely be a black version available later on." Thanks, Matthew.
The Cure in Orange with Lol Q & A
From Cindy Tolhurst on Facebook:
"Join us on April 21st @7:30 pm for a Special Screening of THE CURE IN ORANGE on 35 mm at the Egyptian Theatre located at 6712 Hollywood Blvd. Lol will be there for a Q & A and to sign copies of his memoir CURED . Event hosted by cinematic void. Look forward to seeing everyone for a fantastic evening!"
"Join us on April 21st @7:30 pm for a Special Screening of THE CURE IN ORANGE on 35 mm at the Egyptian Theatre located at 6712 Hollywood Blvd. Lol will be there for a Q & A and to sign copies of his memoir CURED . Event hosted by cinematic void. Look forward to seeing everyone for a fantastic evening!"
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