A thread for the Cure reissues

Anyway, bonus track time:

"The Kiss" -- the first of nine instrumental tracks on this disc and the only one recorded at home by Robert. Keyboard/harmonica? break that's sweetly sad leads into a drum machine pattern that suggests where the final song would go, though more by implication. The keyboard returns to add more droning depth as well as fragmentary melody, and the resemblance to the final song gets stronger. It's actually quite an elegant piece of work and since the final song is nearly all instrumental anyway the results end up being pretty close in the end. Guitar starts building up bit by bit and everything gets more ominous and kaleidoscopic as it goes -- it might have ended up on The Top in this style!

"The Perfect Girl" -- full band demo, the first of four from a June 1986 London session. A little slower than the final version and the distinct keyboard part isn't present yet, in favor of a gentler addition to the slightly ascending chorus and a bit of piano on the predominantly descending verses. I always like Cure instrumentals in general in their final form and this while simpler compared to some is still pretty nice, with a couple of cool guitar breaks as well.

"Like Cockatoos" -- that great weird sound texturing element isn't present yet but there's a heavily treated guitar (or maybe keyboard?) part that acts as a partial equivalent, though it doesn't start the song dramatically as happens in the album version. Otherwise extremely similar to the final results, less reverb and depth but the acoustic guitar feels spookier while the drone parts get even danker towards the end, especially after the drums cut out.

"All I Want" -- much gentler and less strident than the final cut at the start, feels much more like a tentative rehearsal or initial hashing out of the arrangement. Boris's drums I especially like here -- keyboards are present but far less immediate in the mix, with Simon's bass part standing out all the more in turn. There's a midsong break that sounds noticeably different from what ends up in the final version, with a slightly lighter keyboard part creating a melody. Not much more to say about it otherwise.

"Hot Hot Hot!!!" -- also pretty close to the final version, a touch more lumbering maybe but I think that's due to the drum sound rather than due to Boris specifically! The extremely distinct synth string part is completely absent until the final seconds of the song! If it had never gone further than this I wouldn't have been surprised but that's what made the final version such a sly kick to expectations anyway.

"Shiver and Shake" -- and off to France we go, from the first set of sessions there, and again this is generally close to the final cut aside from the exact conclusion. Guitars are a lot more trebly and upbeat in this take, it almost sounds like a return to early eighties post-punk but not the band's own take on that! Dare I say the merest hint of U2 sonics? (Frightening thought, actually.) But Simon keeps things from being too disturbing to contemplate on that front, and it being an instrumental I don't have to imagine Robert trying to sing like Bono. Eek!

"If Only Tonight We Could Sleep" -- nowhere near as compellingly beautiful as the final cut thanks to that version's beautiful balance between the instruments -- here the keyboards are often muffled and without the wordless vocals half the impact of the build up to the actual lyrics is lost. But it's still got a lot of the queasily narcotic edge of the end version in there -- the sitars (or mock sitars or whatever) and Boris's drumming in particular standing out, the later being extremely doomy at points, huge and muffled, not to mention various cymbal hits.

"Just Like Heaven" -- crisper drum smack and -- I was downright startled! -- no synth string part! Whoa, that's half the song -- glad they made sure to get into the final version. But the guitar parts really get to shine as a result. The arrangement is a lot more abbreviated -- after the first guitar part it immediately goes into a chorus, then the midsong break with the piano part (which is intact, while softer synth strings -- but again not THAT synth string part -- are in the background). That actually gets repeated later on in the demo as well, so the song must have gone through a few incarnations given how relatively complete this sounds otherwise. It's still good but you can really use this to show the difference between good and great when it comes to initial and final versions of a piece.

"Hey You!" -- just bass and drums at the start, and instead of a synth horn section there's a solo sax (?) break over the beginning as the song builds into the full band arrangement. Keyboards take a more forward part here, a bit like how they do on "Bananafishbones," By the time everything is jelling it's not far at all from the final version; the basic structure is perfectly intact.

"A Thousand Hours" -- and we finally get to vocals! The first of three songs from the Miraval sessions that were rough mixes with guide vocals finished up elsewhere. More reverb laden than the final mix, piano seems more prominent here as well, with the synth strings set further back in comparison. Robert doesn't start singing until much later into the song and it's *definitely* a guide vocals, more strained and tremulous than the terrific final take, but there are some good moments here anyway, and when he concludes by singing through deep, deep echo, the effect is quite something!

"Icing Sugar" -- no sax part yet, keyboards buried in more murk -- a rough mix but an intriguing one given how some of the guitar parts sound, but otherwise the song pretty much approaching final form. The vocals are the real surprise, with the "I'll empty you" section being sung first as well as appearing in an abrupt final conclusion, and turning it into more of an obvious chorus as a result. Some flanging added to said vocals, again very much a guide, doesn't have that sense of semi-whisper/gasped intensity.

"One More Time" -- practically all there, again a touch fuzzier/reverb heavy in comparison to the final mix and a couple of elements here and there louder or quieter in turn but if there's anything otherwise out of place I'm not immediately hearing it. Vocals are the closest to the final version in these three cuts, though again it's not *quite* there -- and interestingly he sings it as "Take you in my arms" at the end there; I think it was very wise of him to switch that!

"How Beautiful You Are" -- and into the final six cuts, all live, first two being from the oft-bootlegged Santa Barbara date on the tour. Rule number of one Cure concert experiences -- Robert will say something unintelligible followed by an announcement of the song in question -- is followed closely. Nice performance of a good song but I admit it didn't strike me as particularly distinct or interesting in and of itself.

"The Snakepit" -- This on the other hand is a bit different -- it might just be the way the bootleg's mix inevitably turned out, but by capturing more of the high end at the start it sets a different mood, just. Still very deliberate and unsettling as always but clearer, or maybe cleaner is a better word. The extended instrumental conclusion picks up on this mood, and Robert's soloing is really striking here, more so than on the studio take. More than makes up for the pretty unnecessary track right before this!

"Catch" -- and off to Europe for some December 1987 dates, the first two songs being from Birmingham. Nice brisk performance of a brisk song, and it's actually kinda neat to hear how Robert replicates that half sleepy delivery from the studio version -- I always wondered about that a bit and it's probably more intentional than I ever realized (but it works well with the lyrics).

"Torture" -- a bit like "How Beautiful You Are" in that I don't sense why this version was chosen in particular. Pretty close to the studio version, good enough vocal from Robert...that's about all I can say!

"Fight" -- from a French date, nice version with the key difference being in the vocals. Robert sounds almost serene in the verses, coolly removed, while the choruses, though certainly more energetic as in the studio version, are still a bit restrained. It's not bad, just a bit unexpected and intriguing -- I think he was just tired at that point of the tour!

"Why Can't I Be You?" -- and from a London show to wrap everything up. Real murky on the song introduction but the performance itself sounds good enough, emphasizing vocals over keyboards thanks to the arena mix as taped. Sprightly, fun take of the song, not that that's surprising given said tune but it does seem particularly merry. The holiday spirit or something. The break is brief but actually sounds really nice, while there's also an extended conclusion to the song featuring Robert's occasional interpolations of "Young at Heart" and "Fools Rush In." Bless.

Okay, now for me to get The Head on the Door...

KMKMKM and THE TOP!

Exciting!

Maybe I will have to buy one.

Steve Severin has posted an explanation in his forum about the controversy over Robert's vocals on the 'Blue Sunshine' bonus disc:

"All the vocals on CD2 are from 1983. I admit it is a bit confusing calling them "RS vocal demo" but this is how it worked.....

All the Glove tracks were written in the studio (bar PMWK) so the music you hear isn't a demo per se, it's a rough mix of the final thing. Lyrics were written at different times in the procedings so whenever they were, Robert would do a "guide vocal'. That explains why some tracks are more developed than others. For instance, I hadn't written the bass parts for "LAA" when RS did the guide but the strings had been put on ORGY before he sang. Does that make sense?

We could only find these versions on cassette and Robert did some extensive "soundsoap" work on them going as far as stripping out the vocal, treating it and adding it back in. We've obviously done a good job because so many people think it's all new!

Whateverrrrrrrrrrrr.............it's 16 new tracks....you would think most fans would be leaping for joy, wouldn't you?"

"Inbetween Days" -- the first of some instrumental Robert home demos. Slower paced than the final version, a bit of an equivalent to that striking demo of "10:15 Saturday Night" that surfaced -- there's the same sense of thick murkiness shot through with a sudden beauty. Really a lovely alternate take, and if it had surfaced this way ten years later as a lo-fi dude's composition, nobody would have been surprised.

"Inwood" -- a totally new song, midpaced, has that rich guitar roil to it one would expect from, say, Wish a few years later, but the feeling is starker all around -- very much a descendant of the darker moments on The Top, say. Has as a really ear-catching drum part, plus gentle keyboards.

"Push" -- Dan's favorite song ever, indeed. Drum machine sets a steady pace from the start, the beautifully strong beginning in the final version is more tempered here, the feeling is much more gentle all around and without the vocals the impact is reduced further, but it still has some good attractions to it. Anyway, *I* like it and Dan is still wrong, so there.

"Innsbruck" -- another new one and another 'ghost of The Top' number...or more accurately the Glove? There's a bit of Morricone here, I'd say, just a hint, combined with some spy movie drama atmospherics (perhaps the reason for the title?) -- actually, this could almost be a quicker cousin to something like "Carnage Visors," obsessive and building, but a lot busier in the guitar playing all around, slightly martial drums adding to the unsettling feeling.

"Stop Dead" -- to the first of eleven studio demos from Fitz/F2 Studio done before the album was recorded for real -- a lot of these have circulated so this is more of a 'great, good sound finally!' feeling. Another 'slower than the final take' track, some amusing demi-scat bits from Robert, bass leading the way most of the time.

"Mansolidgone" -- another rarity! Robert does a goony riff on Frank Sinatra's "Witchcraft" before everything mutates into a son-of-"The Lovecats" jazzy strut and stroll but with more of a full-on late night lounge act rush, Robert wordlessly vamping (aside from, tellingly, a highly drawled mention of 'the man inside my mouth'), sax from Porl towards the end and everything sounding enjoyably ridiculous. Might have been interesting to hear a full version of this -- they'd worked out a verse/chorus structure at least, but no words -- but as is it's an enjoyable aside.

"Screw" -- the bass line is *much* quieter here! But it's still the same part, though herky-jerky keyboard bits are standing more to the fore. Robert's singing a little more relaxed here, slathered in a lot of echo.

"Lime Time" -- and one last outright rarity, a playful little song more akin to "Inbetween Days" than "Sinking" or "The Baby Screams," say. (In fact I think the opening line is the same!) Keyboards, bass and drums to the lead here, Robert's vocal a bit ragged but the lyric seems mostly complete. Sprightly with an undercurrent of melancholy -- classic Cure pop as such, though not as good as the actual singles.

"Kyoto Song" -- a touch darker than the final cut, more going on with the drums, the textured demi-sitar sound has an extended guitar part replacing instead, Robert's vocal is a bit more direct instead of that strange/cool muffled sound on the album cut; some of the lyrics apparently hadn't quite been nailed down yet, and he adds a wordless vocal part in between verses.

"A Few Hours After This..." -- *way* less theatrical than the final version, probably unsurprisingly -- the melody/pace/etc. is all the same, but the arrangement's a lot more close and claustrophobic, Robert sounding more wistful than divaish (if you like), the string synth part's a guitar/keyboard riff loop...this is really nice! I don't think I'd heard this demo before so it's really leaping out at me.

"Six Different Ways" -- not as subtle a beginning but it still starts weirdly, almost hesitantly, before That Keyboard Line kicks in, though this one's more muted and the guitar is a bit more prominent as a result. Robert's delivery here is actually fairly close to the the final cut, though not all the lyrics are performed, IIRC.

"A Man Inside My Mouth" -- the Cure does Soft Cell! (This early arrangement really isn't that far removed from something on Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret -- close to the final take but rougher all around, appropriately enough.) Robert's hyperactive vocal on the final cut is much more muted here, probably an initial run through of the lyrics (and there's definitely no climactic squeal of the title line!).

"A Night Like This" -- fades up like the final version, interestingly enough -- noticeably lower volume than the final version too, at least until it gets to where Robert starts singing. There's a catch in his voice that's intriguing -- it's almost very arch and piercing, he's definitely singing in a slightly higher register, and his accent is showing up more here than elsewhere. Sax surfaces first after the first verse/chorus, but still set back in the mix, while the ending is more abrupt and less dramatic. Pretty close to the final version otherwise.

"The Exploding Boy" -- Robert's first words two seconds in: "Now wash your hands!" Presumably an ad-lib. ;-) Queasier than the final take, something in the way that the keyboards sound wavery, but otherwise it's still that same quick exultant rush at work. Calmer vocal but not without the swoops.

"Close to Me" -- the drums here actually remind me a little bit of the sound in "Play for Today"! Not the actual drum parts, just the sound -- it's the major difference in place of that great handclap approach. Keyboards sound a little goonier, and the backing 'doo doo doo' parts to the verses that in the final version are almost subliminal are much more prominent here -- also, he sings the 'if I had your face' section a lot more slowly, a striking difference. A nice alternate and a good end to the demo cuts.

"The Baby Screams" -- the first of three bootleg live cuts from a Paris date in December 1985. Slightly murky recording quality (it audibly improves with the second verse) and a subtly faster pace actually make this sound even more frenetic/kinetic -- and it sounds like the whole crowd is singing along too! Cure fans, you gotta love 'em (he said self-regardingly).

"The Blood" -- not much to remark on here, it's a good performance of a good song, and again the recording quality makes it all sound a bit more freakish somehow. The acoustic guitar break is a treat.

"Sinking" -- a logical song to end on given the source album. Much fuller arrangement thanks to extra keyboard parts right at the start beyond the core piano line, a nicely different way than the studio cut where they cut in dramatically. Here it's a lusher spiral downward, Robert's vocal is even more despondent and the guitar breaks are amazing -- you can kinda hear goth/shoegaze hybrids being invented right there.

Well, that's that for now. *pause* I WANT THE NEXT REISSUES NOW! Virtue is a patience.

And "AIHTDIKH"'s real title is probably "All Mine", since "Forever" is essentially the live alter-ego of "Three" with the same build-up and chords.

Am I obsessed?

I finally had the chance to listen to the Glove reissue and, at least to me, they sound recently recorded - and not only the vocals! Anyway, this alternate, stripped down version of "Blue Sunshine" is quite good.

At the end of the day I think this is where I stand. That album is just monstrously great.

Sometime this year, I suppose. But you have reminded me I need to get the 2005 live DVD that's out now.

when are disintegration and wish coming out?

Nothing specific -- again, likely this year.

That album is just monstrously great.

And inspired by this talk I have brought into work with me.

So thanks to Baaderonix for finding this -- I'll just post it here for easy reference:

Cure fans will have to wait slightly longer for the next instalment of their re-issues. Next in the que are 1989's classic Disintegration, 1990's Mixed Up and 1992's Wish.
They won't surface until next year at the earliest.
"They're half-ready", Robert Smith says. "I gave up on compiling the extra disc".
However fans will be rewarded for their patience.
"The extra disc for Disintegration will be great", he says. "It's very atmospheric. There are some strange versions of some of the songs".
Meanwhile the remix album Mixed Up will come with a bonus disc of new remakes by "contemporary" remixes.

Smith has also discovered the missing tapes for the 80's live concert The Cure in Orange, which will be issued on DVD along with 1993's Show.
Rifling through old Cure tapes in his archive isn't only good for material for bonus discs.
Smith has uncovered 3 songs which he's reworking for the new Cure album.
"I was loath to put them on as extras; I'd thought they'd work well if they were played by this band", Smith says.
"One's really early, between Pornography and The Top, from 1983. The other are from the Kiss Me period, 1986-87. I'm sure I'll find more, we did loads of stuff that didn't get used on Disintegration".

Smith is also preparing a comprehensive DVD for The Cure's 30th anniversary in 2009.
"It's all the live footage that hasn't come out, lots of TV stuff I've got on video. That's the full stop. Once that's done, that's it for the re-issuing and remastering".

Meanwhile the remix album Mixed Up will come with a bonus disc of new remakes by "contemporary" remixes.

oh god. is this a good idea at all? i suppose if it's like Digitalism...

One of the million reasons i love Robert is that he uses words like "loath" and makes it sound totally normal! (which it is, of course, but still)

i'm still only up to Seventeen Seconds - any cheap UK shopping tips? The first ones I got from Amazon for like a tenner each but the rest all seem to be 20 quid, which is harsh.

Landray wasn't that bad really, after all.

Apart from the 1st couple of albums most of the bonus stuff has been pretty pointless, no? I mean, I'm not having a go if you like live versions etc, but I'm listening to the bonus disc of KMKMKM right now, and it's like strip the vocals off the actual album, add a bit of tape hiss, and Bob (lol)'s yr uncle. Bollocks, more like.

The earlier discs' bonus cuts are the more interesting overall, true -- and I'd be happy with just more of the solo demos in all. Still, I like 'em!

The Three Imaginary Boys reissue is really really great, I love the punky early stuff, so after that most of the rest seem like a real let-down. I'm just grumbling, it's not like I bought any of them (apart from 3IB)