Support Group: Reformed Cure Fanatics

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I've got twenty or more Cure CDs I haven't touched in years but to ponder their merits. The only ones I can listen to without cringing are Concert and Entreat. At best an extremely talented hair band; at worst, middling, repetitive dillettantes.

Let the consolation begin.

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Saturday, 11 January 2003 14:32 (twenty-three years ago)

You will receive no consolation from me, I'm afraid!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 11 January 2003 15:14 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm not particularly reformed, but I've learned to imbibe in moderation. Do not over-indulge on the crucial 3 (17 Seconds, Faith and Pornography, not anything to do with Mssrs. Cope and McCullough) and avoid anything past about 1985. Thus I can continue with my "hair-band"-band loving ways without risking the scary all-consuming gothness, in a gentle well-adjusted sort of way.

― kate, Saturday, 11 January 2003 15:27 (twenty-three years ago)

Ned, step into the light. I'll walk you through it brother... ;)

Let's take "Harold And Joe", one of their few moments of daring since the poptastic 83 standouts "Lament" and "Just One Kiss" (and ensuing self-doubt/drugs/world music pose The Top). That's one of few Boris-era songs with staying power; I'll always love "The Kiss", but more and more I find the Established Cure Sound albums - HOTD, KMKMKM, Disintegration - lifeless.

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Saturday, 11 January 2003 16:03 (twenty-three years ago)

I've always thought "Fascination Street" is pure pop genius. Holds up well, IMO.

― maria b (maria b), Saturday, 11 January 2003 17:18 (twenty-three years ago)

And, actually, I haven't heard the word "dilletante" used negatively in intellectual circles since, er... before everyone became unapologetic dilletantes and abandoned the notion of the masterpiece. Yoko Ono to thread.

― maria b (maria b), Saturday, 11 January 2003 17:24 (twenty-three years ago)

pardon my spellingness. :: hangover ::

― maria b (maria b), Saturday, 11 January 2003 17:25 (twenty-three years ago)

Ned, step into the light. I'll walk you through it brother... ;)

You are SICK LIKE DOG.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 11 January 2003 17:29 (twenty-three years ago)

I was mad for them in high school, but lost interest after KMKMKM. "The Walk" ep is the only thing I ever play.

― Sean (Sean), Saturday, 11 January 2003 17:36 (twenty-three years ago)

you have to have at least a little love for disintegration.

― Mike Taylor (mjt), Saturday, 11 January 2003 17:41 (twenty-three years ago)

I only listen to double-live R.S.-era Siouxsie and The Glove and Baroque Bordello anymore.(Baroque Bordello cuz Lol Tolhurst produced them and on the cover of the single that I have someone wrote in magic marker,"Like the Cure with a girl singer".)I finally heard Bright Eyes the other day and they not only reminded me of the Violent Femmes and The Langley Music School Project but that hayseed kid has a distinct Smithian aura to him on some of the tracks where he strings his misery along on a sea of words that rise and fall like the tide or a gravedigger's shovel.

― Scott Seward, Saturday, 11 January 2003 18:55 (twenty-three years ago)

Looking back on how fun the goth scene was back when they were around, I have to sigh wistfully. Now its all emaciated "scary kid" wannabes reading bad goth poetry (not being redundant...I mean worse than usual.) over 3-generation knockoff Rammstein beats. The Cure injected just enough "Hello Kitty" silliness to make the scene amusing and joyful. I'll take Robert Smith over Marilyn Manstink any day of the week.
(I'm sure someone out there is itching to yell "The Cure's not Goth!"; Please, Spare us.)
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc400/c499/c49937ddg79.jpg
HONOUR THE FIRE! DO IT NOW!

― Lord Custos Omega (Lord Custos Omega), Saturday, 11 January 2003 20:14 (twenty-three years ago)

looks like an honor-the-water pic ...m'Lord?!

― t''t, Saturday, 11 January 2003 21:02 (twenty-three years ago)

Well, its actually a picture of the sky, so I guess it should be...
HONOUR THE AIR! DO IT NOW!

― Lord Custos Omega (Lord Custos Omega), Sunday, 12 January 2003 00:02 (twenty-three years ago)

No consolation. never surrender. it'll take a hell of an intervention to pry those records out of my hands.

― teeny (teeny), Sunday, 12 January 2003 01:16 (twenty-three years ago)

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc400/c499/c49937ddg79.jpg

the first CD I ever bought, and still indubitably among the best I own, 14 years after the purchase.

i am not reformed. i will NEVER REFORMMMMMMMAAAAARGH! Oh, The Cure, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

(ok, I'll spare you the eulogy)

― Charlie (Charlie), Sunday, 12 January 2003 01:40 (twenty-three years ago)

I cannot comprehend the topic of this discussion.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Sunday, 12 January 2003 13:43 (twenty-three years ago)

Fret not, Dan, it appears to be something in an obscure language not many speak. ;-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 12 January 2003 15:15 (twenty-three years ago)

I actually read the subject line as "reformed Cure FANFIC". I was assuming this thread would be devoted to fictional stories about how the Cure had gotten back together again (YET AGAIN) to release yet another new album. Maybe there could be more drunken fistfights? Somebody get to it, I'm itchin' for some good fictional bustups with our pal Bob.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Sunday, 12 January 2003 15:57 (twenty-three years ago)

Eyeliner and a black eye on a man.... visions of Purple Rain dance in my head.

― maria b (maria b), Sunday, 12 January 2003 16:04 (twenty-three years ago)

I think Dan just become your loveslave with that post, Maria.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 12 January 2003 18:01 (twenty-three years ago)

:: giggles :: Tough-guy dandy-ism makes my heart go pitter-patter.

― maria b (maria b), Sunday, 12 January 2003 22:06 (twenty-three years ago)

putting on some cure for a good old fashioned gothy dance around the house feels therapeutic but may not reform you

― ducklingmonster, Sunday, 12 January 2003 23:15 (twenty-three years ago)

The only Cure album I want to listen to anymore:
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000002H5V.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― , Sunday, 12 January 2003 23:22 (twenty-three years ago)

BTW when I went to school me and my friends thought we were the only ones in the world listening to The Cure. We were the outcasts. I was ridiculed for my t-shirt with Robert's big red lips on the back.

― , Sunday, 12 January 2003 23:27 (twenty-three years ago)

But Sean they really ARE back (well.. still) together and they really ARE releasing a new album!

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ChainofFlowers/newalbum.html

― Paz, Sunday, 12 January 2003 23:42 (twenty-three years ago)

I have to join Lord Custos and Charlie. 17 Seconds is the shit.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Monday, 13 January 2003 07:02 (twenty-three years ago)

Nice review, Alex - reminds me why I fell in love with it in the frist place, as well as making me want to rush home and play it straightaway...thank fuck I remembered to pack it.

― Charlie (Charlie), Monday, 13 January 2003 07:07 (twenty-three years ago)

"In Your House" was always my fave early Cure tune.

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Monday, 13 January 2003 07:09 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm pretty reformed and reconstructed I would say, although I catch myself checking Chain of Flowers several times a week to get news about the ever so elusive new album..
I had to move a few years ago and had to shed some wood in my record collection. I took with me Disintegration and the Top. Top is the only one I would consider listening to these days. I took it with me cuz it was the only cure album I hadn't played to death. Now I find it's the only one which consistently avoids any cure cliches (at leats musically) and which I can listen to in public without feeling slightly embarassed... Also I love the uber-narcotic vibe of the whole thing..

― Fabrice Terrac (Fabfunk), Monday, 13 January 2003 09:16 (twenty-three years ago)

the only cure album I hadn't played to death.
i always thought of the top as a stillborn. maybe i should relisten to it. in a way it is true what you write, fabrice. chez moi aussi most cure albums have been played to death.

thanks for the compliment, charlie. nice that there are people reading my ramblings. tonight i'll do my favourite 2001 album. it's even darker than 17 seconds.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Monday, 13 January 2003 12:47 (twenty-three years ago)

I loved them 15+ years ago - after a few years I was completely bored by them & didn't listen to them for about 8 years. Now I think I listen to them again in small doses... although nothing released after KissMeKi..

If you abstain from the Cure for awhile, you can probably accelerate the affect by listening to the Corrs (whoever they are...)

― dave225 (Dave225), Monday, 13 January 2003 13:23 (twenty-three years ago)

Whoever posted BDC, I'm with you; the 76-79 material - including the widely-booted, pre-studio versions of 17 Seconds' tunes - is pure pop, but still among Smith's best songwriting. "Jumping Someone Else's Train" would definitely make my Cure Top 5.

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Monday, 13 January 2003 14:39 (twenty-three years ago)

This is all well and good but what the real victims here, namely the luckless sods who have ever had to share accomodation with Cure Fanatics. For two long years the Goth upstairs played nothing else, every bloody day.

― stevo (stevo), Monday, 13 January 2003 15:55 (twenty-three years ago)

And you're COMPLAINING?????

Truly we live in a WORLD GONE MAD.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 13 January 2003 16:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Come now, Dan, it's not a healthy diet. The upstairs neighbor should have played some Prince too.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 13 January 2003 16:02 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...

I am reviving this thread for my friend, Kaliflwr, who emailed me asking if she should go and see The Cure and Mogwai at Madison Square Garden or wherever in NYC they are playing. I referred her to this website, told her to ask for Ned, and hopefully she will see this thread now!

― Super-Kate (kate), Friday, 30 April 2004 11:07 (twenty-two years ago)

That is a strange name

― Mr Mime (Andrew Thames), Friday, 30 April 2004 11:22 (twenty-two years ago)

What do you want, she's a goff? ;-)

(Hopefully she will now delurk to prove me wrong. Dang, maybe I should have revived a Neubauten thread instead...)

― Super-Kate (kate), Friday, 30 April 2004 11:23 (twenty-two years ago)

The answer to Kate's friend's question is of course yes.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 30 April 2004 11:58 (twenty-two years ago)

... I'm only a goth because some magazine back in 1985 called me one, so there! ;) Up until that point I was a Death Punk, or something equally silly. Apparently the requirements to be goff these days are different so I guess I'm not anymore. ::insert much eye rolling here::

I really don't relish the idea of seeing The Cure at MSG. I already did once and felt like I was watching it through a neighbor's window across the street. If they play a smaller venue, like Radio City (saw them there too) I will probably cave in and go. I am going to try to catch them on the Late Show tonight.

― kaliflwr (kaliflwr), Friday, 30 April 2004 13:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Yay, Kaliflwr! ::chants:: one of us! one of us!

Are they on Letterman? Remember when I made you stay up all night to watch it, and wouldn't tell you why, and then THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN came on?

Now find the Loop revival thread. ;-)

― Super-Kate (kate), Friday, 30 April 2004 13:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Kate, you are leading your friend down the primrose path to the devil! But since I'm there on that thread too it's all for the good.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 30 April 2004 13:20 (twenty-two years ago)

What do you mean *I* am leading? This is the friend who led ME down the primrose path about 15 years ago!

― Super-Kate (kate), Friday, 30 April 2004 13:27 (twenty-two years ago)

You are repaying the favor! ;-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 30 April 2004 13:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Aw shucks! You give me too much credit! Kate was equally influential, even when she didn't realize it. ;) Now, to find that Loop thread...

― kaliflwr (kaliflwr), Friday, 30 April 2004 13:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Yay the Loop thread yay.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 30 April 2004 13:53 (twenty-two years ago)

(And who are the first two posters on the Loop thread? Me and Ned, of course.)

((Oh, and go ahead and ~~correct~~ contribute to any SP (no, not Spiritualized) or EN threads you might find))

― Super-Kate (kate), Friday, 30 April 2004 13:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Kaliflwr is now wondering what type of crowd she's fallen in with and prepares to flee! Or not. ;-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 30 April 2004 13:57 (twenty-two years ago)

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