THE CURE レコード& CD

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: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


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: 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: 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: The Cure is surely everyone's favourite band of post-rock and hyper emo miserablists. Their dark but uplifting moods and joyful melancholy always strike a perfectly bittersweet note when paired with the upbeat guitar rhythms and their 1993 live album Show is as good as it gets. The tunes that mark the cut here were recorded over two nights at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Michigan in the USA the previous year as part of their huge Wish tour. It features later career classics like 'Friday I'm In Love', 'Just Like Heaven' and 'In Between Days' as well as plenty of lesser-known album jams ('Lullaby', 'High', 'Cut' and more).

Review: Happy Man are not two words you would usually associate with The Cure frontman and emo poster boy Robert Smith, but this live album is named after their 1984 track 'Happy The Man', naturally enough included here. This selection was recorded while the group was on a third tour of the US having already made a big name for themselves off the back of their recently released 1984 studio record The Top. The fan based turned out (and then some) and got to hear classics such as 'Let's Go To Bed', 'Boys Don't Cry' and a live version of 'Killing An Arab', which closes out this set. A crucial one for diehard fans and curious listeners alike.