Newsgroups: alt.music.alternative
Subject: Re: Cure: I Wish...
From: ibhan@husc8.harvard.edu (Ishir Bhan)
Date: 13 Oct 92 13:19:53 GMT
 <1992Oct11.014751.16267@husc3.harvard.edu> <u882517.718937555@bruny>

u882517@bruny.cc.utas.edu.au (Blos!) writes:

>djperry@husc11.harvard.edu (Lord of deXness) writes:

>>Compare Open to Shake Dog Shake.

>No comparison.  "Shake Dog Shake" is searing, blunt and ugly..."Open" follows
>its footsteps (but it's not one of the horror areas of _Wish_).

They're not even similar songs, in my opinion.  How does "Open" follow in
"Shake Dog Shake's" footsteps?  Open is about being drunk.  Shake
is about anger.

 >>Compare Friday to The Caterpillar.

>My God.  This stretches the bounds of credulity...an acid dizzy pop whirl
>compared to "Friday I'm in Love"?  If there are similarities for you, then
>I don't think there's a lot of point arguing, but for me, one is a classic
>and the other leaves a taste of bitter disappointment.

Agreed, but I don't think they're attempts at the same thing.  Smith
himself said that Friday was a stupid pop song that they cooked up when they
were drunk.

>>The ENTIRE Japanese Whispers album is more poppy than Wish, especially since all
>>the singles from it were deliberate attempts at pop songs.  As far as I can see,

>	Yes!  Though I wish it didn't need spelling out, the singles
>compiled on _Japanese Whispers_ were jokes, a sly dig at idiot pop designed
>to stop people taking the Cure so seriously and to enable them to start afresh.
>The lowpoints of _Wish_ are idiot pop done *without* irony, and without the
>redeeming charm or idiosyncracy of "Lullaby" or even "Boys Don't Cry".

What?  Give me a break.  That's a load.  I've heard interviews with the
Cure about this album, and they seemed to indicate the opposite.  Japanese
Whispers is not a joke, and I don't even think the songs are idiot songs. 
I'll grant you that Friday is an idiot pop song (Smith said so himself). 
But what are the other so-called idiot pop songs?  Perhaps Doing The
Unstuck.  Now what's left?  High is a traditional Cure pop song, which is
done very well (unfortunately didn't get much air-time around here).  But
Japanese Whispers is not a joke, and not idiot pop either.  They are a
humorous collection songs, perhaps (not La Ment), but one reason they may
appear to be different is that they were written by Smith at a time when
he thought there would not be another Cure album, so they were more for
just his own sake then for his "band".  

>	As much as people want to be "open-minded" and say that success is OK
>(which it is) and can't understand why getting commercial airplay is anathema
>(which it IS!) the fact remains that the Cure were once a special band with
>intelligent fans, who have now swerved into the tastes of the bland public.
>Whatever you say, the music commercial radio plays is SHIT and if the Cure
>are making inroads there then that is all the proof of a sad demise that
>you need.  If you've only been a fan since, say, the 90% appaling "Kiss Me
>Kiss Me Kiss Me" then you just won't understand, because the back catalogue
>will always be just the back catalogue to you, and you won't have known
>what it was like when they were important.  _Disintegration_ was a miracle,
>a return to beauty I thought had gone forever, but _Mixed Up_ and _Wish_
>have continued the saddening process that really started with the singles
>collection.

What?  Give me a break.   I agree that Friday was a mistake, but the Cure
obviously had fun doing it, so let them have fun.  I don't think they
could care less about being top 40 heroes.  I didn't hear Open on pop
radio stations.  I have all their US releases, and I think Wish is pretty
strong (not quite good enough to be on Disintegration's level, but easier
to listen to).  Mixed Up?  That wasn't an album, that was a collection of
remixes done to satisfy requests for hard to find remixes.  I don't think
that was a bad move at all.  Wish is a pretty good album overall, if not
great.  Here, all you Wish-whiners should do this.  Set up your CD player
to do:
1)Open
2)Apart
3)This Twilight Garden (From the High single)
4)From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea
5)Play (from the High single)
6)Trust
7)A Letter To Elise
8)High
9)Halo (from the Friday I'm In Love single)
10)To Wish Impossible Things
11)Cut
12)End

Try it, you'll like it.  But if you don't like any of the Cure's current 
music, don't whine.  They Cure is not a static band (both in musical
direction and members).  Maybe their current style isn't for you.  Who
cares?  Tough.  Wait around.  Maybe they'll change to something you like
more.  

-- 
             --      Ishir Bhan (ibhan@husc.harvard.edu)      --
Newsgroups: alt.music.alternative