I discovered Doppelganger back in the mid-2000s and thought it was pretty good, although there wasn't much variety. I'd never heard of the band until that point but I was familiar with Garbage, and the similarities were striking - they sounded exactly the same, down to the vocal style and drum sound. The production sounded massive, that's what appealed to me. The drums, they have a huge booming sound that's badly out of date nowadays but I'm genetically programmed to respond to that sound.
Also, there's a bit in "Already Yours" near the end where most of the mix falls away and there's a rhythm guitar solo a la Carlos Alomar's solo in "Don't Look Back in Anger". It's not as good but I like it. The song has a massive wall of production that reminds me of "Leave Them All Behind" by Ride, where the guitars almost turn into a wash of static. Listening to it again on Youtube I'm amazed they weren't put on the soundtrack of a generic mid-1990s PlayStation racing game. I assume Gran Turismo was out of bounds because it actually had Garbage.
I've always wondered why they so totally failed to make any commercial impression, to the extent that I'd never heard of them; I can't name any of the band, so perhaps they didn't have Shirley Manson's charisma, and from what I know they were on a small indie label at a time when indie bands weren't supposed to sound like massive stadium rock acts. I can't think of another instance of a rock band anticipating the sound of another rock band so perfectly, down to the production and vocal style (I've always liked to assume that Garbage were unaware of Curve).
Also, dismembered dolls or multiple babies on an album cover = commercial disaster, viz The Human League's Reproduction. A single baby is okay, viz Nevermind and Van Halen's 1984. Multiple babies no. When Chumbawamba put a single baby on the cover of one of their albums they had a massive success AND YES I KNOW that Anarchy also has a baby on it but the cover was widely censored so no-one got to see it. Why was Moby's Animal Rights a commercial failure? Because the baby was obscured by towel.
― Ashley Pomeroy, Sunday, 6 October 2019 22:56 (four years ago) link
Never go full baby.
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 6 October 2019 23:09 (four years ago) link
(I've always liked to assume that Garbage were unaware of Curve).
lol
― now let's play big lunch take little lunch (sic), Monday, 7 October 2019 00:12 (four years ago) link
HA!
― Johnny Fever, Monday, 7 October 2019 03:26 (four years ago) link
I can't name any of the band, so perhaps they didn't have Shirley Manson's charisma
Let me assure you that Toni and Debbie both had charisma to burn onstage, for a start.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 7 October 2019 03:52 (four years ago) link
Garbage had the advantage of having big time record biz connections from day one.
― Mario Meatwagon (Moodles), Monday, 7 October 2019 03:53 (four years ago) link
well to be fair Curve were hardly total strangers to the recording industry
― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Monday, 7 October 2019 04:22 (four years ago) link
Was gonna say
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Monday, 7 October 2019 06:51 (four years ago) link
Heh, yeah, Curve's industry ties are massive.I do think Garbage's debt to Curve is a little overblown. The former never really aligned with anything shoegaze or dark or goth or mysterious. Garbage could never pull off starting their set in a haze of thick smoke, for example. Also, wouldn't call Toni particularly charismatic, though Debbie sure was. But Shirley is one of the most compelling, charismatic front people I have ever seen live.(That said, I think Curve is massive and Garbage was pretty slight.)
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 7 October 2019 11:58 (four years ago) link
Speaking of Debbie, I met her last month! (post gig party for The Raincoats' 40th anniversary show in London) Within ten seconds she correctly ID'ed me "I bet you're a guitar player" and we chatted about effects pedals and amps for twenty minutes. I still miss Curve.
― Elvis Telecom, Wednesday, 25 December 2019 08:42 (four years ago) link
otm
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 25 December 2019 08:44 (four years ago) link
Another one from that playback tv appearance just popped up -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKwbx6GLq6o
― Maresn3st, Tuesday, 7 January 2020 15:43 (four years ago) link
still can't decide whether there is anything being played live on these videos and if not why the band seem so engaged
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 8 January 2020 21:11 (four years ago) link
It's all playback
― Maresn3st, Wednesday, 8 January 2020 21:37 (four years ago) link
Like the last one, this one seems all pre-recorded, the album version. Though yeah, the band is fake playing its heart out.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 8 January 2020 22:37 (four years ago) link
It's just kinda cool to watch them swaying about, they were always a pretty good looking band.
― Maresn3st, Thursday, 9 January 2020 10:24 (four years ago) link
I dunno if any of you have ever watched this dude, but he's a totally square yet knowledgable and enthusiastic old nerd who breaks down music theory and whatnot. Anyway, out of nowhere, he included Curve is his list of the top 20 rock bass sounds of all time. #18, around the 30 minute mark!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0P5isBr7uw
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 9 January 2020 15:27 (four years ago) link
Nice, I like Rick's videos, his son Dylan has perfect pitch, the clips of him calling out the names and notes of gnarly cluster piano chords are amazing.
― Maresn3st, Thursday, 9 January 2020 15:29 (four years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VZcW7JCpCU
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 9 January 2020 15:31 (four years ago) link
New Toni H. EP is totally unexpected and totally awesome
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Sunday, 28 March 2021 16:21 (three years ago) link
Well I trust you're going to link this!
― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 28 March 2021 16:43 (three years ago) link
Streamable on your favorite platform and downloads here:https://www.junodownload.com/artists/Toni+Halliday/tracks/
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Sunday, 28 March 2021 17:10 (three years ago) link
that's a timely revive.. i've been going through my old CDs and ripping ones that are missing from my digital collection and just hit the "C"s โ was literally just wondering how Curve was going to hold up
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Sunday, 28 March 2021 22:49 (three years ago) link
They hold up really really well! Also, mysteriously absent from Amazon's streaming service.
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 28 March 2021 22:51 (three years ago) link
But thankfully fully on Bandcamp, including a slew of rarity comps.
https://curve.bandcamp.com/music
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 29 March 2021 00:38 (three years ago) link
Wow, what's all that "bootleg series" stuff?
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 29 March 2021 03:49 (three years ago) link
A lot of it is mixes and various elements of final tracks -- Garcia breaks each entry down thoroughly in the liners.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 29 March 2021 04:34 (three years ago) link
happy 30th to cuckoo
― mookieproof, Thursday, 21 September 2023 22:09 (seven months ago) link
Claaaaaaaasssssssssic (imagine this word said with tons of fuzz and overdrive and reverb and flanger and the like)
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 21 September 2023 22:19 (seven months ago) link
I wish I knew what the mad vocal sample at the start of Clipped is all about, I've been wondering that for 30+ years.
― MaresNest, Thursday, 21 September 2023 22:41 (seven months ago) link
That Cuckoo tour was a hell of a thing to experience.
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 21 September 2023 23:00 (seven months ago) link
xp the absolute zenith of Curve for me (shout out to โTurkey Crossingโ) - I remember Cherry coming out and thinking, well, this hits every mark dead-on.
― assert (matttkkkk), Friday, 22 September 2023 01:05 (seven months ago) link
also Cuckoo is their best album by an order of magnitude
― assert (matttkkkk), Friday, 22 September 2023 01:08 (seven months ago) link
To each his own. Never much cared for Cuckoo despite some good moments. But then again all their albums were flawed. Pubic Fruit all the way
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Friday, 22 September 2023 05:44 (seven months ago) link
well yeah the EPs were the real high point.
― assert (matttkkkk), Friday, 22 September 2023 09:48 (seven months ago) link
Curve is one of those bands where I kinda liked them, picked up Cuckoo at a record store on a whim, it became one of my favorite albums of all time, and I never really bothered finding any of their other music. Now, my curiosity is piqued and I'm finally listening to the E.P.s that comprised Pubic Fruit after all these years. Might be doing some Bandcamping today.
― beard papa, Friday, 22 September 2023 16:51 (seven months ago) link
Physical box set coming in February:
Unreadable Communication: Anxious Recordings 1991-1993
The two albums, four EPs, some remixes and some live stuff. Does not include Peel Sessions, which are supposed to be very good.
I'm not a fan, but if you want remastered CDs, here you go.
― Tahuti Watches L&O:SVU Reruns Without His Ape (unperson), Saturday, 2 December 2023 18:52 (five months ago) link
so, remember this from a while back :
"but more to the point .. did all cd copies of the album come with doubled up inner sleeves as a spin off from the album name .. or is that just me being a little too nerdy ?
โ mark e (mark e), Tuesday, August 23, 2005 1:53 PM (eighteen years ago)"
well, a twitter account posted this weekend re the album, so i asked the question re the doubling up.
and look what happened :
๐พ๐๐๐๐ liked your replyquestion : was i only the person who bought this on cd to find the inner booklet doubled up ? i assumed it was a play on the album name ..
!!!
― mark e, Saturday, 9 March 2024 19:16 (one month ago) link