The Cure

[Ryan]

Interesting question. For me, they both have equal aesthetic appeal and both have a huge back catalog with countless wonderful b-sides, and both can be fearful, melancholy, upbeat and fun. To me, though, The Cure win because of the sheer length of their set lists and changing things up, and (more recently anyway) adding more gems to the sets. Depeche always pretty much stick to the same formula and only do the change up thing to any great extent with Martin's solo songs. Maybe Robert can just remember lyrics better than Dave can...

[Your Name Here]

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[Ryan]

That song for me is very powerful, I don't think I could even hang out with somebody that didn't like that song. Maybe you know the answer to this, the song Chain Of Flowers the one on the box set Join The Dots sounds to me sounds like it came from the sessions of Disintegration am I right? I'm just guessing, I don't know but it sounds like its from that session.

A Chain of Flowers is the b-side to "Catch" from Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me, so it's from the KM 1987 sessions. Close to Disintegration, just before.

[frankie teardrop]

kiss me kiss me kiss me may not be my favorite record front to back, but it has some of the best b-sides... 'chain of flowers,' 'snow in summer,' 'breathe,' and especially 'to the sky' now if they play either of those last two i might just up and die.

[Uraki14]

Just going through my Cure misc/rarities folder... does anyone want anything from here? I haven't updated it in a long time:

Holy crap I would absolutely LOVE to have the TOP demos. I had them years ago and loved them more than the studio version. Of course I've lost them and haven't successfully found them online since. I'd also be curious to hear the Wish demos.

[Uraki14]

kiss me kiss me kiss me may not be my favorite record front to back, but it has some of the best b-sides... 'chain of flowers,' 'snow in summer,' 'breathe,' and especially 'to the sky' now if they play either of those last two i might just up and die.

Right there with you. Snow in Summer and especially To The Sky make me cry almost everytime. I'd love to get those live at some point.

Between The Cure and DM... I have to go with The Cure. I may be biased cause I've loved the Cure for over 10 years vs about 5 for DM, but I agree they are both absolutely amazing and have great albums/ unreleased stuff. As great as DM has always been I just don't feel their music has reached the epic heights the Cure achieved during their best years.

[frankie teardrop]

100% agreed. i've always loved DM, but won't ever go see them live again at this point. they definitely don't reach the emotional highs and lows that the cure does for me on a regular basis.

[r_z]

Ryan, how do those demos compare to the released studio versions? Any unreleased must haves among those?

[Shadaloo]

Ryan, I would like to get up in alllll of that, cept the Bloodsessions stuff which I've got.

Also, I have a flac audio rip of The Cure In Orange on my hard drive. Just sayin'.

And if I'd like DM to take one lesson away from Robert & Co, it's how to release an affordable B-Sides box set. I ain't having none o' that fifty CD-single six box nonsense.

[Your Name Here]

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[implanted_microchip]

I'm going to four Cure shows one in Vegas and three at the Hollywood bowl

I want to have your life

[Ryan]

I want to have your life

I want to have your body.

[Ryan]

Holy crap I would absolutely LOVE to have the TOP demos. I had them years ago and loved them more than the studio version. Of course I've lost them and haven't successfully found them online since. I'd also be curious to hear the Wish demos.

@r_z @Shadaloo - I think I'll just upload everything as one massive file and link you to it to make things easier. Where would be the best place to upload to?

[Your Name Here]

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[implanted_microchip]

The four Cure shows are therapy to rejuvenate my tortured soul

So ...

are you saying The Cure will be the cure for your problems?

[Ryan]

The most recent show in Dallas didn't have any set surprises and they cut It Can Never Be The Same.

[Your Name Here]

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[implanted_microchip]

Disintegration is definitely as perfect an album as you can get, no argument there at all. Homesick's always been my favorite part but it really is one of those albums where it's a start to finish journey that just flows in every direction and it's hard to think of in pieces for me. And I've definitely always loved that Robert Smith's lyrics are both extremely personal and vulnerable yet in a way that really lets you project yourself onto them and almost invites you to do so, that's a really delicate balance that not a ton of people achieve and I've always felt he doesn't get proper credit as a strong lyricist.

[Shadaloo]

@Ryan - dropbox would be cool if that's an option.

[Your Name Here]

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[Ryan]

Disintegration is definitely as perfect an album as you can get, no argument there at all. Homesick's always been my favorite part but it really is one of those albums where it's a start to finish journey that just flows in every direction and it's hard to think of in pieces for me. And I've definitely always loved that Robert Smith's lyrics are both extremely personal and vulnerable yet in a way that really lets you project yourself onto them and almost invites you to do so, that's a really delicate balance that not a ton of people achieve and I've always felt he doesn't get proper credit as a strong lyricist.

Homesick into Untitled is probably the best closer to an album ever.

[implanted_microchip]

Homesick into Untitled is probably the best closer to an album ever.

It took me ages to actually really open up to Untitled because I loved Homesick that much and would put it on repeat and felt like "well after that is there any point at all in more songs?" which is a feeling I can't really say any other album's been able to give me, and then finally one day I realized "Oh, there totally is because this is beautiful and wraps a neat little ribbon and bow around the whole package" and now I love Untitled. Homesick is just, what a mammoth of a song. Before any of the lyrics hit you you've already heard such a story told through music and are so cracked open emotionally that every verse just seeps right into you, it's such a masterpiece. Really in general Robert Smith manages to write a ton of 6 minute long songs that feel like they're only three.

And @Your Name Here Lovesong may be a "typical" song to reference but it's famous for damn good reason, it's a rare case where a hit single really is a phenomenal representation of a band and sound and the album it's from and is thoroughly deserving of being well-known. It's without a doubt one of my ultimate love songs and just hits every note it needs to without feeling trite or cheap in any way, instead it comes off as extremely sincere and valid. Also I feel like it alters the whole album a lot, since it's really this sort of glimpse of light in an otherwise extremely dark sea that the rest of the record builds and it shows more of an emotional range, without feeling out of place. There's a real lush quality about it that you can definitely just sort of fall into and get lost in.

I've always gotten the most intense chills at the point on the album where the thunder sound hits and it's like there's this emotional floodgate that comes bursting open that's been building the entire album. It really is a master class in pacing and making an album build up and climax rather than sort of front-load with all the heavy hitters and then taper off (which even a ton of amazing bands end up doing all too often). There's a ton anybody sequencing or putting together an album can learn from it, it's just amazingly crafted stuff.

[Your Name Here]

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[halo eighteen]

I wonder if there will be a Trent sighting at any (or all?) of the Bowl shows? He was apparently at the 2008 show.. a surprise guest performance would just be too much hah.

Looking at these setlists is pure heaven.

[Ryan]

Soundcheck (by crew): Lullaby, Charlotte Sometimes, A Forest, Prayers For Rain, Lovesong

Soundcheck (by band): Out of This World, Watching Me Fall, A Letter to Elise, The Snakepit, 39, Bloodflowers, If Only Tonight We Could Sleep, The Perfect Girl, Freakshow, (I Don't Know What's Going) On,

[Your Name Here]

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[Ryan]

Setlist: Out of This World, Watching Me Fall, Pictures of You, Closedown, High, Lovesong, Push, In Between Days, Just Like Heaven, A Letter to Elise, The Snakepit, Lullaby, Fascination Street, Want, Shake Dog Shake, 39, Bloodflowers

1st encore: Other Voices, The Drowning Man, Charlotte Sometimes, Primary

2nd encore: If Only Tonight We Could Sleep, Catch, The Perfect Girl, Why Can't I Be You?

3rd encore: Hot, Hot Hot!!!, (I Don't Know What's Going) On, Let's Go To Bed, Close to Me

4th encore: Step Into the Light, Never Enough, Burn, It Can Never Be The Same

5th encore: A Forest, Boys Don't Cry

[Ryan]

What does everyone think they'll play at the three consecutive LA shows?

[Shadaloo]

Maybe they're planning on an impromptu The Top/Head On The Door/KMKMKM trilogy series. >_>

...nah. They'd make an event out of that, announce it beforehand.

Maybe just everything we've seen so far plus extras? Rob said they had what, ninety tracks ready? A few more new ones, I hope.

[thevoid99]

What does everyone think they'll play at the three consecutive LA shows?

Funeral Party!!!!