the cure all

This page was last updated on Saturday, 6 March, 2004

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spirits and hypocrisy

Last night (well it seems like last night even though officially it was two nights ago since i'm writing this at three in the morning) I got a call from my favorite music store, MODified Music. I guess MODified is my only friend in Salt Lake City that really cares about me (or my money) enough to invite me to a party. The event was the midnight release party of the new Cure boxed set of b-sides.

So I decided to go to this party for several reasons. One, I work until 11 every night and so midnight is when I'm most awake. Two, If anybody showed up at all, I knew they'd be "my people." Three, MODified also said that a very limited edition poster would be available to the first few people who bought the box. I at least wanted to see the poster before I didn't buy it.

flashback:

31 January 2001

According to Emode, my wedding date will be Saturday, June 21, 2003

walked into the place at 12:30 noticing that only two employees and one of their friends were there. After asking for an example of the limited edition poster, MODified said, "Well, it looked like this." Apparently, all the posters were already gone. My obvious shock wasn't because I was out a poster, but because my people really did exist -- and they left without me.

This event hardly seems worth mentioning, but I have other reasons for mentioning The Cure at this time. I have my reasons to think that one of my favorite bands, which has been hated by many of my peers, is on the brink of ultra-cool success.

Has anyone read the liner notes to the new Blink-182 cd? Blink mentions in two very separate passages how they're huge Cure fans. Apparently, the ideas for the instrumentality of the song "I Miss You" came after the band listened to The Cure's "Lovecats." Blink also actually hired Cure lead singer Robert Smith to collaborate on the writing and vocals to "All of This," which is also on the new Blink cd.

The band, A Perfect Circle listened to The Cure's Disintigration during the recording of The Thirteenth Step. Proof of this is found especially in the tracks "The Noose," "Vanishing" and "Gravity" (although "Gravity" seems to sound a bit more like "Sinking" from The Cure's Head on the Door).

311 recently covered "Lovesong," a staple of the aforementioned Disintigration album.

I can't explain why today's popular musicians are suddenly pushing a band known for its 80's material. I can say, though, that this new Cure awareness is a very good thing. I also have no doubt that these popular bands of today are sincere in their devotion to the gloom masters of the 80's.

Since The Cure will stage a huge comeback and will be popular again, I've composed a short list of what you need to know about the band, as well as what you need to do to become a true Cure devotee. This is for your benefit. You'll be more able to fit into a world that has embraced the gloom gods of classic alternative music.

1. Don't freak out about the depressing stuff the band is famous for. You must realize that The Cure recorded all sorts of different types of songs. Robert Smith specialized in the miserable stuff, but his musical prowess shined in his pop songs. You may already know "Just Like Heaven," but get to know "The Caterpillar," "Inbetween Days," "Close to Me," "Mint Car" and one you've really never heard, "Doing the Unstuck."

2. Enjoy the positivity of some great love songs. Barry Manilow? Richard Marx? Bah! Nobody can write a good love song like Robert Smith. Many are very sweet and innocent like "Catch." Others, like "High," are just plain dreamy.

3. Let The Cure rock you! For my money, The Cure can wail with the best of them (certainly better than Billy Corgan ever could). Listen to the surprise track from Mixed Up called "Never Enough." Then listen to "Open," the first song on Wish. Make sure you play them loud.

4. Check out the eclecticism. Robert Smith's voice is very distinctive, so you always know when it's a Cure song, but you don't always know from the music itself. Many Cure songs draw on strange varieties of musical influences. "The Blood" has some really groovy Spanish guitar. "The 13th" is rooted with Mexican brass. "Hot Hot Hot!!!" is all about jazz. And "Push" just has a really cool guitar sound that I've never heard before.

5. Start with Head on the Door. This album is a good mix of pop, love, experimentalization and is only ten tracks long. It's also my personal favorite. When you're done with that, move on to Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me and Wish. By this time you can handle a few tracks from Wild Mood Swings, as well as the early singles.

6. Embrace the depressing stuff the band is famous for. Now you can go ahead and listen to Disintigration in its entirety. Turn it up. Just because it's depressing, it doesn't mean your neighbors don't need to hear it too (there's actually a disclaimer on the liner notes to this cd that say it was recorded to be played loud). You may actually be surprised that such depressing music can be so therapudic as well.

Do the above six steps before you realize that there is a really good chance that The Cure may be one of those bands that is still popular amongst musicians, but will probably actually never make a big comeback.

Oh, by the way, I did get that Cure poster. MODified scrounged and they had one left. That also means I got the boxed set, which I actually meant not to buy. It is, however, bloody brilliant.

(28jan04)