Review: This brilliant double album captures legendary UK miserablists The Cure live in Rio de Janeiro's Apotheosis Square back in early 1996, during a performance broadcast by the King Biscuit Flower Hour. The setlist blends plenty of their classics with newer material from their Wild Mood Swings era, including fan favourites like 'A Forest,' 'Disintegration,' 'In Between Days,' 'Fom The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea' and the evergreen 'Boys Don't Cry.' It's a testament to the fact that the band was still evolving and able to conjure real emotional intensity that was as powerful in the mid-'90s as in their early post-punk days.
Review: Captured during The Cure's seminal 1981 Picture Tour, this vital 13-track collection is a raw, atmospheric glimpse into a band deep in their post-punk ascent. Recorded while promoting their haunting third album Faith, the setlist draws from early classics like 'A Forest,' '10:15 Saturday Night' and 'Fire in Cairo' while darker cuts like 'All Cats Are Grey' and 'Play for Today' showcase the band's moody evolution from wiry, spiky songsmiths into epic goth pioneers. Stripped-down, urgent and undeniably magnetic, this live recording cemented The Cure's status as generational icons and even more years it, it is still resonant with intensity and vulnerability.
Review: Post-punk pioneers and drivers of the earthy gothic scene, The Cure is one of the UK's most seminal bands. They have a wealth of ever-green and classic hits which have a bittersweet sense of uplifting melancholy to them and never do they sound better than when live. Between the years of 1979 and 1981 they played no fewer than nine times for the BBC and this is a collection of some of the best of it. There are several highlights from various albums during that time and this marks the first vinyl release for some of these versions after various bootlegged CDs in the past.
Review: Songs of a Lost World, The Cure's first studio album in 16 years, marks their highly anticipated 14th release. Written and arranged by Robert Smith, who also produced the album with Paul Corkett, it sees the band return to form with Smith's unmistakable vocals and instrumentation, alongside the long serving Simon Gallup on bass, Jason Cooper on drums, Roger O'Donnell on keys and Reeves Gabrels on guitar. Recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales, the album's cover art, designed by long-time collaborator Andy Vella, features Janez Pirnat's 1975 sculpture 'Bagatelle'. This limited edition comes pressed on grey marbled 180g vinyl.
Review: Just when you thought you'd heard Robert Smith and The Cure every which way but bad, we discover more from their huge back catalogue. This time in the form of World War, a compilation of rare demos that takes its name for the band's seminal early single, which appears in a particular raw and unfettered, grinding version on this collection. A sound that defines the overall aesthetic. Rough and ready but packed full of energy, the huge landmark 'Boys Don't Cry' feels more intimate as a result, 'Fire In Cairo' arguably more punk, 'M' more New Romantic, and 'Heroin Face' less compromising than ever before. If all that sounds like bullshit talking, we implore you to take a listen and see what you think - the smart money is on us agreeing in the end.
Review: The Cure have a lot of iconic moments from throughout their career, starting with the angular goth rock of their early years right through to their long-standing position as headline treasures of British alternative music. Originally released in 1992, Wish marked their move towards a poppier sound, and 30 years on it still ranks as their most successful album to date. This reissue gives Wish the pomp and ceremony it deserves, letting perennial classics like 'Friday I'm In Love' shine anew for lifelong fans and newcomers alike.
Review: Songs Of A Lost World is Robert Smith and co's first studio record since 2008. In the lead-up to the release, the band dropped cryptic social media hints, mailed postcards revealing the album's title and release date, and even placed a poster at the pub where they played their first show in Crawley. Recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales, this album is the band's 14th, featuring the core lineup of Robert Smith, Simon Gallup, Jason Cooper, Roger O'Donnell, and Reeves Gabrels. Smith, together with producer Paul Corkett, oversaw the arrangements, while long-time collaborator Andy Vella designed the album's artwork, which showcases Janez Pirnat's 1975 sculpture Bagatelle. Smith has stressed that identifying the opening and closing songs is crucial for the album's development. A record that digs deep into darker, more personal themes, echoing the intensity of their earlier work, the release also includes two live tracks, 'And Nothing Is Forever' and 'I Can Never Say Goodbye', from their Shows Of A Lost World tour.
Review: This live album captures the raw energy and emotional depth of a legendary goth band's performance, showcasing their latest work in its full, unfiltered glory to an intimate crowd (albeit with a massive global streaming audience). Debuting the entire new album for the first time to an eager London crowd, the band delivers a powerful, immersive experience. Tracks like 'Alone' and 'End Song' stand out as some of the most hauntingly beautiful and intense pieces in the band's catalogue, with the live setting amplifying their emotional weight. The band's iconic sound, a blend of atmospheric melancholy and brooding intensity, resonates deeply, drawing the audience into every note and lyric. The live rendition of these songs adds a new layer, with the crowd's energy and the band's commanding performance elevating the material. Since its release, the accompanying live album has been met with widespread acclaim, charting in the top five across numerous countries, proving that the band's impact remains as potent as ever.
Review: Amsterdam has two celebrated, long standing venues - the Paradiso and the Melkweg - and this 1979 broadcast caught the soon to be huge Cure in action in the latter, way more intimate one. It's a collection of the tracks that made the early part of their career as a wiry, lean three post-punk piece more than goth behemoth - 'Killing An Arab', '10:15 Saturday Night', 'Boys Don't Cry' and two speedy versions of 'A Forest' that both come in under five minutes (as opposed to the latter versions that are closer to ten) all figure. It's a period that has its own, rather different following to the normal Cure legions, and this display of sharp pop sense and its jagged approach to sonics showcases just why that is.
Review: Alternative rock and Goth legends The Cure were at an all-time high in popularity as they embarked on their 1993 tour across Europe. Enjoying the result of their most successful album Wish, the band was to take on their biggest world tour yet. For the previous two tours, there was no proper full recording of the band live by the group themselves. Robert Smith wanted to change that and a handful of shows were recorded to be edited together for the live albums Paris and Show. Paris shows the power of The Cure's new lineup which featured a new drummer, keyboard player and guitar player. Like most Cure concerts, the setlist is a varied mix of brand-new tracks at the time (Apart and A Letter to Elise) many classics (Figurehead, A Charlotte Sometimes and Shake Dog Shake) but then always a sprinkle of lesser-known ones like 'Dressing Up'. This edition is the 30th Anniversary release of the evergreen original.
Review: Japanese Whispers stands as a crucial juncture in The Cure's evolution, capturing a transformative period for the band. Amidst lineup changes and creative exploration, this compilation album bridges their gothic roots with a newfound synth-pop sound. Tracks like 'Let's Go to Bed' and 'The Lovecats' showcase Robert Smith's emerging versatility as a songwriter and producer, marking a departure from their earlier introspective rock. Despite its status as a compilation, Japanese Whispers is a gem often overlooked for its significance. This reissue offers fans a chance to rediscover its brilliance. With its effervescent melodies and cheeky nods to jazz and dance music, Japanese Whispers laid the groundwork for The Cure's future endeavors and remains a testament to their enduring influence.
Review: The Cure's live album 'Paris' catches the band in the summer of 1992. This tour came after a siesmic shift in the previously fairly static line up of the goth pop icons, with original frontman Robert Smith and long serving bassist Simon Gallup joined by drummer Jason Cooper, keyboardist Roger O'Donnell and guitar player Perry Bamonte for the first time, all of whom remain part of their live ensemble 30 years later. The setlist starts with their evergreen opener 'Shake Dog Shake' but this selection double vinyl captures more deep cuts - 'The Figurehead', 'One Hundred Years' and 'Apart' as examples - than hits, although the dark pop of 'Close To Me' does make an appearance close to its end.
Review: This album, originally released in 1989, and now expanded for a deluxe edition, is god-tier stuff from The Cure. The 'Pictures Of You' melody is emotional enough to draw tears from those with stone hearts. And similarly to many of the tracks on this album, 'Lovesong' still forms a really important part of their live set as there's beautiful interplay between keys and bass, whilst Robert Smith's heartfelt poetry is filled with conviction. In terms of album openers they don't come much stronger than 'Plainsong', which is a melancholic, dark synthgaze-y masterpiece that will stop you in your tracks whatever you're doing.
Review: This multi-volume series captures various different parts of one of the many seminal gigs that UK indie sad-sacks The Cure played around the world. In particular, this captures the action from a legendary night in Leipzig, Germany. Much like the first two volumes, the third is a brilliantly well received album that is alive with energy and the rawness of the gig but never at the expense of any of the frets of melodies. From 'In Your House' to original classics like '10:15 Saturday Night' and the enduring favourite 'Boys Don't Cry', this is a great record of a great band in great form.
Review: Songs of a Lost World, The Cure's 14th studio album, arrives after a 16-year wait. Written and produced by Robert Smith, with Paul Corkett co-producing, the record showcases the band's signature sound with Smith on vocals and instruments, Simon Gallup on bass, Jason Cooper on drums, Roger O'Donnell on keyboards and Reeves Gabrels on guitar. Recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales, the album's cover art features Janez Pirnat's 1975 sculpture 'Bagatelle', with design by longtime collaborator Andy Vella. This limited release comes on 180g bio vinyl.
Review: There are so many pivotal albums in The Cure's imperious back catalogue, but Wish will always remain one which heralded the band's progression from indie heroes to universally adored treasures of British pop music. The gothic tendencies are absolutely still there in the moonlit charm of 'Open' et al, but the sound is direct and expansive, with plenty of space for monster hits like 'Friday I'm In Love'. The ability to let the light in ensured Robert Smith and co. could be popular as well as profound, and they've never looked back.
Review: This is the first heavy-weight vinyl version of the Cure's greatest hits performed acoustically. The album first appeared as a limited-edition CD accompanying the 2001 Greatest Hits compilation and in 2017 was released as a double picture disc for Record Store Day. This latest version, however, is the audiophile's dream copy. The tracklist is everything you can want from a Cure set: 'A Forest', 'Lovecats', 'Just Say Yes'... all the most memorable numbers are on there. Having it stripped back allows the songs to just be what they are and emphasises the fact that Robert Smith is an all-time great.
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