I just finished reading this (although I think I may be missing the last page) thanks to an incredibly generous soul.
I just can't hate this album, despite really not liking a few of the songs. It sounds like a party to me and from RS' description, that's kind of what it felt like. I can see wanting to push your limits as an artist and band and try things that are totally different.
It's funny because while I saw that tour and the atmosphere was one of my favorites of their shows (a fairly small venue), I have no memory of the set he describes. I'm thinking maybe the venue couldn't accommodate the set? It was George Mason University in VA.
In terms of him "falling out of love" with some of the songs it makes total sense when he talks about the fact many of them couldn't translate into a stage performance given all the orchestral elements, etc. Recording material is one thing, but being able to hare the material live through performance is really the core of things for many, if not most, artists, I think. Without live performance as an artists, material just kind of dies because you aren't interacting with it anymore.
True. Although there are WMS songs that are perfectly doable live which I wish they still played, such as Treasure (it would fit well in the current tour) and Bare (I don't agree with Robert: it's as long as it should be!).
Also, one of their most underrated songs ever, It Used To Be Me, in the top 10 for sure for me in their last 30ish years (post-Wish era).
Because it's in another thread I just watched this 1996 ToTP performance of The 13th. It's not a song I would say I love but I bet it was SO MUCH FUN working with the stageful of additional musicians on this! Yes, more runs, etc. with so many but it's like a party in my mouth, I mean onstage!
I especially love the "Do it to me!" lady! I hope they all drank a sh!tton of tequila in the green room together.
The record comes across to me like another band doing a Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me attempt, going from The Kiss to Catch to Snake Pit and Hot Hot Hot. I remember one paper describing the album as schizophrenic (which, sure, would be frowned upon today, but lets not go there) (Kiss Me album that is). I kinda thought that this is a reason why Cure fans don't like the album: because it's a forced Kiss Me...it's a forgery, a 'did you just fake that baby?'...Me...ya know...I used to like it but I just can't play it anymore.
I'd love to read the mag but after 25 years I can wait another ten for it to turn up in a £1 find somehow, somewhere.
Yes, if I could express it in mathematical terms, it would be:
WMS : KMKMKM = Bloodflowers : Disintegration
In other words:
WMS is a (much) lesser version of KMKMKM, similarly to how Bloodflowers is a (much) lesser version of Disintegration.
I had the bsides on recently and noticed that It Used To Be Me points the way to the sound of the subsequent albums.
It's the first song from the album sessions that I like as it is. Most of the others have music or parts that don't appeal much.
In the OP by Steve he copied text that mentions RS had reconsidered which tracks should have been on the album. Could that revised running order be shared sometime please? .
I doubt it would redeem the album but I can be brave, or foolish, when necessary.
I had the bsides on recently and noticed that It Used To Be Me points the way to the sound of the subsequent albums.
It's the first song from the album sessions that I like as it is. Most of the others have music or parts that don't appeal much.
In the OP by Steve he copied text that mentions RS had reconsidered which tracks should have been on the album. Could that revised running order be shared sometime please? .
I doubt it would redeem the album but I can be brave, or foolish, when necessary.
For me It Used To Be Me is in the top 10, maybe also in the top 5, of their songs done in the "from WMS onwards" era (which is their lesser era).
In my opinion, it's the strongest song from the WMS session together with Want (but Treasure and Bare follow closely).
Last Edit: Apr 28, 2024 22:46:25 GMT 1 by thebighand
WMS is a (much) lesser version of KMKMKM, similarly to how Bloodflowers is a (much) lesser version of Disintegration.
I'm kinda going back in space and time reading that. I remember late 80s I'd outgrown metal and was using stuff like Dinosaur Jr and Pixies for that need then I think around Bloodflowers I was outgrowing this angst stuff and more into instrumentals like Michael Nymen or chakra chant drone stuff for this need...Pretty sure I heard Bloodflowers and just thought 'same again but not as good' and walked off into mixed gatherings of New Age Travelers and Beemer Yuppies where the ambient dawn sounded like the Cure without words. The Cure went from the stadiums to theatres and completely carried on being just the Cure - which was so damn cool.
I like Bloodflowers because it is a masterpiece of musicianship, writing, presentation, ambience, emotion and authenticity. And I like WMS because he could have thought about the career...He could have gotten a rapper in and got Blaggers In The Area to produce it with some Mixed Up drum going on but he didn't - he just carried on writing Robert Smith stuff and carried on being Robert Smith and he seemed to be cool about being Robert Smith the popular arena guy or being Robert Smith last years' thing. He just didn't bend. Proper writer that is and I think WMS deserves to be critisised in light of this - in light of the times and that Robert Smith was writing and not career moving.