The Cure Appreciation Thread

[Dee Jay]

I've only gone and done it!

Workhard, Morris Dancer, anybody else??

Workhard: On re-reading your introductory post, I see that not only are you of the right age, but you also grew up in the right area to have to gone to school with the boys from The Cure. Yes?

Have you been a fan since those early days?

[Dee Jay]

See if you can track down Laura Courtese's version - so much better than KM's but as you say NOTHING compares to the original except maybe the MTV unplugged version they did a couple of years back.

But they aren't to everyone's taste.....

I just listened to Laura Courtese - managed to find a free snippet online - and yes, much better than KM. Partly, I believe, because of that wonderfully atmospheric fiddling! Do you agree? She also has a very poetic voice. Thanks for the heads-up.

My ex-boyfriend, himself a cyclist and former London cycle courier - nutters - used to do a beautiful accoustic version of this. And LC's version kinda reminded me of that. Although, John (my ex) is a guitarist.

It is worth saying that I think that the lyrics to 'Just like heaven' somehow, has much more import when sung by a man than when sung by a woman.

I did listen to an unplugged version - not sure if it's the one you're thinking of - it was great, but had a semi-unplugged feel to it?

'Unplugged' is always a great way of seeing/hearing the real strength and quality of the songwriting. I introduced the most unlikely friends to Nirvana when their classic 'Unplugged' came out.

[workhard]

I've only gone and done it!

Workhard, Morris Dancer, anybody else??

Workhard: On re-reading your introductory post, I see that not only are you of the right age, but you also grew up in the right area to have to gone to school with the boys from The Cure. Yes?

Have you been a fan since those early days?

Shucks I've been rumbled...... They were "The Easy Cure" the first time I saw them at The Rocket in Crawley in the late 70's. Went to the same school as RS, year below him, and I admired him and his band from afar as I was ambitious rugby player with sights on 1st XV place and identifying with someone who was drinking black tea and wearing lipstick and dresses and being very introspective and on his way to getting bounced out of the school wasn't a good career choice at the time.

Huge, huge, fuss in the VIth Form Common Room when "Killing an A..." came out. I think I was the only one who had actually read any Camus! Probably still am, well amongst the ruggerbuggers anyway. My wife is a HUGE fan as well (same school - five years below me) and both our children (same school as well - though "The Feeling" are the latest outpouring of musical talent from there) are infected to and have gone all over the world watching The Cure play.

Semi-unplugged is all MTV ever do btw! Fair play to Simon Gallup if you play an acoustic bass guitar no one can ever here you!

[Dee Jay]

I've been trying to get back to post on this thread, Workhard, but each time I've been overtaken by events .... but here I am.

Have you been a fan since those early days?

Shucks I've been rumbled...... They were "The Easy Cure" the first time I saw them at The Rocket in Crawley in the late 70's.

Aah, I'm a bit of of a Johnny-come-lately then! Although, my husband saw The Cure - and RS - quite early, as he was - and is - a Siouxie and the Banshees fan. (I can never remember the exact chronology of RS playing with The Banshees; I'm sure you know, though!) My husband grew up in Bucks and was lucky enough to be able to hang out at the Nag's Head at exactly the right moment in musical history!

Went to the same school as RS, year below him, and I admired him and his band from afar as I was ambitious rugby player with sights on 1st XV place and identifying with someone who was drinking black tea and wearing lipstick and dresses and being very introspective and on his way to getting bounced out of the school

Bearing in mind that I still have a large framed poster - Boys Don't Cry - on my bedroom wall (I know!), I must confess to feeling a bit faint at this point!

wasn't a good career choice at the time.

But, I can understand this.

Huge, huge, fuss in the VIth Form Common Room when "Killing an A..." came out.

Huge, huge fuss everywhere, really.

I think I was the only one who had actually read any Camus! Probably still am, well amongst the ruggerbuggers anyway.

Theoretically, you should have more of a chance with footballers, shouldn't you, but I think, in reality, you might not? (As an aside; I have just rounded up all the newspapers - which seem to breed all over the house - to go in the recyling box ... and what should be staring at me, but this, in the 'Digested Classics column:

http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/stor ... 38,00.html

Synchronicity or what??? )

My wife is a HUGE fan as well (same school - five years below me) and both our children (same school as well - though "The Feeling" are the latest outpouring of musical talent from there) are infected to and have gone all over the world watching The Cure play.

Keepin' it in the family! Excellent! My children have yet to see The Cure, although I plan to take them.

I was watching The Feeling at Glastonbury last night on the telly and we were reminiscing that the last we went to Glastonbury we saw The Cure play! And they were on really good form.

My husband came home with a copy of 'Galore' a few months ago, as a present for me, and the first time my 9-year old son heard it, he said, "Is The Hoosiers?" (When I heard The Hoosiers for the first time, I'd thought ... gosh, no prizes for guessing your influence!! Although, I think The Hoosiers are fun!)

Semi-unplugged is all MTV ever do btw!

Aah, OK.

Fair play to Simon Gallup if you play an acoustic bass guitar no one can ever here you!

Indeed.

Good to chew the (Cure) fat with you, btw.

[workhard]

Since Gulf War I when "Killing an A..." became something of an anthem for the coalition forces they've always sung "Killing An-Other" when I've heard them play it live. I can remember one gig back in the days of the Anti-Nazi League and rock against racism when a bunch of skinheads turned up !!!!! Not sure John Crace really did justice to the book though, that said it was a way better read than Charlotte Sometimes.

Major Small World Scenario - I was a Banshees fan saw them at the Roxy and the Nags Head in ?77? Think RS played with them in early mid 80's when The Cure were falling apart for the first time....

Does everyone have that boys don't cry poster?

Galore eh? My fav. compilation from them.
Always reminds me of cycling the South Downs Way in high Summer and being met by my wife in Eastbourne - it had just been released and we listened to it on the way home.

I think The Hoosiers border on plagiarism at times but they do name check The Cure regularly as do many other of their contemporaries so I guess all is good.

Saw The Cure at Wembley this year, youngest person in our party was six, oldest in their 70's!

[Dee Jay]

Not sure John Crace really did justice to the book though, that said it was a way better read than Charlotte Sometimes.

I've read neither, I'm afraid. Although, I am nearly finished 'Sixty million Frenchman can't be wrong!': a great read for anyone interested in all things French. It deals with why the French are so French - from a sociologocial, pyschological, anthropological, historical, culinary, sartorial, educational, political .... etc etc .... perspective. And deals, in part, with the War of Algeria. Fascinating read. And I think that the John Crace piece was really just a piece of post-modern fun?

Major Small World Scenario - I was a Banshees fan saw them at the Roxy and the Nags Head in ?77? Think RS played with them in early mid 80's when The Cure were falling apart for the first time....

Just been reading bits of your posts out to my husband, and we've worked out that you and he have almost certainly been in the Nag's Head at the same gigs! In '77 he saw the Banshees supporting Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers and I'm guessing this was probably the gig to which you're referring?

Did you also see The Cure at the High Wycomb town hall in '78?

Does everyone have that boys don't cry poster?

Probably .... but mine's framed!!

This must have been my children's intro to The Cure as they grew up with RS standing in the corner of their parents' bedroom!!

Galore eh? My fav. compilation from them.
Always reminds me of cycling the South Downs Way in high Summer and being met by my wife in Eastbourne - it had just been released and we listened to it on the way home.

Isn't it great the way certain times are just inexctricably linked with certain albums? Galore will forever be associated with our most recent holiday in France - in Charente Maritime, just a few months back and when I was given the abovementioned book by a friend - as the children had just discovered many of the songs and loved them so. Of course, that made me fall in love with them all over again!

I think The Hoosiers border on plagiarism at times but they do name check The Cure regularly as do many other of their contemporaries so I guess all is good.

Indeed. And there are far worse influences a young band could have??

Saw The Cure at Wembley this year, youngest person in our party was six, oldest in their 70's!

I am feeling very inspired to take my children to see them now. I'd better find out out when next they're playing!

[commuter world]

just to add one to your just like heaven covers - the watson twins.
you may have come across the watson twins on jenny lewis' (from the excellent rilo kiley) recent debut solo album, rabbit fur coat.

[workhard]

just to add one to your just like heaven covers - the watson twins.
you may have come across the watson twins on jenny lewis' (from the excellent rilo kiley) recent debut solo album, rabbit fur coat.

just listened to it on myspace. Love the sparse arrangement and the gorgeous "just enough" bass playing though the lead guitar is cheating by only playing about 2/3rds of the notes in the riff! Their vocals are quite eerie, almost like a chorus effect at time, and the original stuff reminds me of both the talking heads and the pretenders in an indie folk sort of way!

Thanks for introducing me to this version...

[commuter world]

my pleasure

now check out rilo kiley (more adventurous may be the best place to start)

[workhard]

my pleasure

now check out rilo kiley (more adventurous may be the best place to start)

no need. #1 daughter already big fan of rilo kiley!

[Dee Jay]

I've not yet heard the new album by The Cure but it got a huge thumbs-up in Saturday's Guardian (The Magazine). Not a full-on review, but a very enthusiastic mention in The Measure.

So ... Santa .... if you're wondering what I'd like ....!