"Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me" is the creative high mark in The Cure´s entire discography followed by their masterpiece "Disintegration" that is widely seen as the best album. Why would you call it the beginning of the end? Further on I do not see a connection between success and quality of music. And speaking of it "The Head on the Door" had them already getting golden records around the globe and "Standing on a Beach" even sold double platinum in the US. So if someone would want to accuse The Band for being to successful/commercial he should probably start with "The Head on the Door".
The comparitive success of one album over another has no bearing on me.
My own biases take precedence, in that the flow of KM is interrupted too often. With a simple adjustment I have a Dark/Light split that overcomes the ups and downs of the original sequencing.
So I have two 45 minute albums comprised of KM material.(Plus an EP of remixes)
After The Head the albums became longer. That is not a criticism but an observation.
What has had some impact personally, especially over time, is the product. What I found interesting was no longer as evident, appearing less frequently and in smaller quantity. Obviously these changes appealed to a wider market, but that doesn't influence me. I don't care if Disintegration sold more units than Japanese Whispers, for example, the music is fundamentally different.
Brand recognition is important OFC. Though I can't help feeling sometimes that some projects should have had a separate identity.
It would be so perfect If you would just fall out the window
I do have a soft spot for KMKMKM. I totally get that it was a showcase where all members were tasked with writing something which is perhaps why it can feel a bit all over the place at times compared to output where Robert takes full control. Catch is a bit of an odd duck for me. My OCD side gnashes its teeth at the seemingly ever so slightly out of tune-ness. But then I take a step back & see it for what it is. A bit of a cute, even child-like song. When I first heard them play it on The Tube, ahead of the album release, I almost had to hide behind the sofa. That seemed a bit too out of tune at the time & I wasn't used to that aspect of the band back then.
I have the B-sides in part 2, though Japanese Dream is included in part 1.
Part 1 is the 'heavy' stuff, while the rest is relegated to part 2. Coincidence determined that each part has 12 tracks.
Part 3 is comprised of the remixes.
Part 1: Kiss Torture Dream WCIBY Snakepit Hey you AIW Hot Cockatoos Icing S&S Fight
In part 2 I inserted bsides after their single and TTS last. I didn't move any songs, if that makes sense.
Messing with track order, a bold choice. As an old rocker, I'm pretty staunchly in the camp of "listen to the entire album in the order arranged by the artist." My thinking is that, especially with a band that is doesn't pander to labels, audiences, or producers, TC/RS intended it as a whole work with flow. Mess with order and the universe may cave in.
If RS wanted us to hear KM as 1 uninterrupted sequence there would be no indexes on the CD.
Point taken re: uninterrupted. Of course we don't always have time to listen to an album in its entirety. I do skip certain tracks I don't care for pretty consistently.
My personal feeling is that there is an intended flow to albums, though. I would rather be carried through in the way the artist originally conceived of the track order than playing deejay. I do realize I may be in the minority there, but for me it's like reading a book out of order.
It all comes down to personal preference. But I wouldn't think I could come up with a better flow for someone else's material, at least not someone who's work I think so highly of.
^^ I don't want to offend, but deconstructing something to then reconstruct it differently is my way of honouring the work. I don't claim to be a greater fan that you, mind.
RS recorded 24 songs for KM. Only commercial considerations restricted his releasing them altogether as a unified piece. He had to have a single which had to have a Bside. He had to release an album, it had to fit on vinyl, etc. Had he actually done so I may hold the same opinion as you do currently.
Digital technology affords us the opportunity to do what RS could not. Whether he would is another matter.
It would be so perfect If you would just fall out the window
If RS wanted us to hear KM as 1 uninterrupted sequence there would be no indexes on the CD.
What?
I think no one has talked about uninterrupted sequence. Artists take usually a lot of time before choosing a particular sequence in their albums. I’ve recorded five albums and songs sequence was always capital for us. It’s ok if you want to change the sequence. But I don’t think it was Robert Smith desire that everyone decide to start KM by listening, I don’t know… Fight, Icing Sugar or One More Time, to name just some.
And vinyl, as far as I know, doesn’t have any index.
Last Edit: Mar 13, 2024 16:33:58 GMT 1 by gongoro73
^^ I don't want to offend, but deconstructing something to then reconstruct it differently is my way of honouring the work. I don't claim to be a greater fan that you, mind.
RS recorded 24 songs for KM. Only commercial considerations restricted his releasing them altogether as a unified piece. He had to have a single which had to have a Bside. He had to release an album, it had to fit on vinyl, etc. Had he actually done so I may hold the same opinion as you do currently.
Digital technology affords us the opportunity to do what RS could not. Whether he would is another matter.
Why would I be offended by that? It's interesting to hear the reasons behind your doing it, although it doesn't change my mind. It's fine for you.
Believe me there is no assumption on my part that I am a bigger fan than anyone else here. I don't really think "fan" fits how I think about this band. I certainly don't care for everything they've done; same with many here. I also don't have nearly the complete collection or hundreds of boots, as others here do. It doesn't make a difference to me.
Our opinions differ and that's fine. We're each entitled to hold them and express them.