The Cure - all things big, small, and sticky sweet

Hmm are you sure your friend really needs deep cuts? Just tell him to listen to Disintegration and the Staring at the Sea compilation. If nothing jumps at him, then maybe he should stick to the Dead.

(Fwiw I consider myself a big Cure fan and I’ve never liked the Dead.)
This all started with: “I don’t like the Cure b/c of Friday I’m in Love”.
He compared it to Shiny Happy People.
Again...this is a travesty I’m on a mission to correct.

Hes knowledgeable enough to have come across what was played on Top 40...but what’s gonna hook him are the songs he doesn’t know and are great.

I’ve started with what to me are some obvious cuts to me [ Six Different Ways, Fascination Street, Bloodflowers, Shiver and Shake...and I’ll add a couple of the “Hits” (Lovesong for example)] but I’m big enough to admit I’m not as knowegable about the pre-Head On the Door releases.
 
This all started with: “I don’t like the Cure b/c of Friday I’m in Love”.
He compared it to Shiny Happy People.
Again...this is a travesty I’m on a mission to correct.

Hes knowledgeable enough to have come across what was played on Top 40...but what’s gonna hook him are the songs he doesn’t know and are great.

I’ve started with what to me are some obvious cuts to me [ Six Different Ways, Fascination Street, Bloodflowers, Shiver and Shake...and I’ll add a couple of the “Hits” (Lovesong for example)] but I’m big enough to admit I’m not as knowegable about the pre-Head On the Door releases.

It’s probably a good approach to expose him to perennial live favorites. “Open,” “A Forest,” “One Hundred Years,” “From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea,” “A Night Like This,” and “Disintegration” are all obvious (to fans), but not radio songs.

And “Fascination Street,” of course.
 
This thread makes me listen to The Cure again. I'm just seeing that on Spotify the song "Watching me fall" of their Bloodflowers album is blocked (at least in Germany). Do you know why? Any legal issues surrounding this song? I think it's a great song.
 
It’s probably a good approach to expose him to perennial live favorites. “Open,” “A Forest,” “One Hundred Years,” “From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea,” “A Night Like This,” and “Disintegration” are all obvious (to fans), but not radio songs.

And “Fascination Street,” of course.
This is a great approach. Fan favorites at concerts aren’t necessarily the singles. “Plainsong” is another that frequently opens their shows and it’s absolutely amazing live.

In terms of killer guitar solo paired with rare vitriol, I’d recommend “The Kiss”. It bites harder than some of the others. And for subdued softness I’d say “All Cats Are Grey”
 
This is a great approach. Fan favorites at concerts aren’t necessarily the singles. “Plainsong” is another that frequently opens their shows and it’s absolutely amazing live.

In terms of killer guitar solo paired with rare vitriol, I’d recommend “The Kiss”. It bites harder than some of the others. And for subdued softness I’d say “All Cats Are Grey”

All of this is super helpful.
Thanks!
 
This is a great approach. Fan favorites at concerts aren’t necessarily the singles. “Plainsong” is another that frequently opens their shows and it’s absolutely amazing live.

In terms of killer guitar solo paired with rare vitriol, I’d recommend “The Kiss”. It bites harder than some of the others. And for subdued softness I’d say “All Cats Are Grey”

Ooooh I love “All Cats Are Grey.” That’s my favorite track off Faith.
 
Today in the car it’s the B-sides from Standing on the Beach cassette, captured to CDR.

Splintered In Her Head by The Cure. Shazam
 

Incoming:
“Probably in about six weeks time I’ll be able to say when everything’s coming out and what we’re doing next year and everything … We were doing two albums and one of them’s very, very doom and gloom and the other one isn’t,” he said. “And they’re both very close to being done. I just have to decide who’s going to mix them. That’s really all I’ve got left to do.”
 

Incoming:
“Probably in about six weeks time I’ll be able to say when everything’s coming out and what we’re doing next year and everything … We were doing two albums and one of them’s very, very doom and gloom and the other one isn’t,” he said. “And they’re both very close to being done. I just have to decide who’s going to mix them. That’s really all I’ve got left to do.”

"Oh, and we're releasing them both exclusively as picture discs."
 
The Cure may not pass Steven Hyden’s “5 albums test” (unless you’re really partial to The Top or Wild Mood Swings), but their 1985-1992 run is really out of this world. I’ve been digging into the Join the Dots b-sides collection and there are enough gems just from that period to make up two really good full-length albums. The Wish era b-sides in particular are just incredible. With a little more focus, the Cure could’ve kept their imperial run going for a little longer!

On a related note, I can’t wait for a studio album (or two) with Reeves Gabrels on guitar.
 
The Cure may not pass Steven Hyden’s “5 albums test” (unless you’re really partial to The Top or Wild Mood Swings), but their 1985-1992 run is really out of this world. I’ve been digging into the Join the Dots b-sides collection and there are enough gems just from that period to make up two really good full-length albums. The Wish era b-sides in particular are just incredible. With a little more focus, the Cure could’ve kept their imperial run going for a little longer!

On a related note, I can’t wait for a studio album (or two) with Reeves Gabrels on guitar.

It’s a good thing there’s google because I don’t know who that guy is.

For me, all albums up to The Cure are just fine in my book. I have never understood the dislike for WMS.
 
It’s a good thing there’s google because I don’t know who that guy is.

For me, all albums up to The Cure are just fine in my book. I have never understood the dislike for WMS.
WMS is good! I’ve been enjoying the RSD version. The thing for me is that the two albums that preceded it are some of my favorite music ever, and WMS is just not as consistent. I do wish Robert Smith had pursued that direction further, instead of the rougher textures of their 2000s work.

Edit: while I have @mcherry ’s attention… do you have (and if so, have an opinion on) the original Entreat and/or Entreat Plus on vinyl?
 
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