The Cure ‘Wish’ – review of certified producer

Introduction
In this article, I want to review an album which is quite old, but I think it is still ‘in time’. Even today it does not sound like some old record taken from the archive of phonography. This is the album which contains a lot of very good, timeless tunes. In my opinion this is the last really outstanding album of The Cure.


Its release was supported by unforgettable world tour. Unfortunately, it was the last time, when we were able to see three great musicians on the same stage: Porl Thompson – guitar, Perry Bamonte on keyboard and above it all incomparable Boris Williams on drums.

I will be reviewing this album track by track under the criteria of: artistic quality, emotional message, performance, but also I want to write about musical production. I got music producer qualifications, so I hope that I am allowed to do that.

‘Open’ ‘opener’.
Snare sounds too obvious and flat. Guitars layered, but overall sound is not convincing. There are many records like this one. For me rather demo, not a song for the album.
This song is about a man who when is under the influence, changes from withdrawn to too cordial. Colleagues from industry with their alcohol smelling breath complement your commercial potential. And you cannot walk away, you must socialize. Thanks to that, you can get better connections, maybe contract with more zeros. Don’t even think about going. How can you be so not thankful. People do so much for you, you egoist.

‘High’ You feel much better. This song was released on single, so you can hear here a bit extra work on mixing or mastering. This is optimistic tune, praising happy and quiet life. That is how I feel it. Sonically this is bright version of ‘Pictures Of You’. Many years it has been auto-plagiarised with song ‘The Only One’.

‘Apart’ is a monumental composition, which may fit well on ‘Disintegration’. The problem with this song is that, this is not about decay, growing old and cold. Don’t dare even think here about so extreme like death. This track is just pure tearjerker for teenagers and other young at heart and soul. Boys / girl walked away. It could be so beautiful – family, children, supporting family for the rest of your life and playing silly social role. But it’s all gone !

‘From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea’
Knowing ‘stormy nighttime sea’ version from ‘Show’ this one here sounds very ‘roomy’. Robert has mentioned in interviews that sea is very important inspiration for him. So this composition is a tribute to this driving force.

Next song, I usually skip on the CD.
‘Wendy Time’ is simply awful. Title, melody bring me a picture of the kitchen song performed by the table with apple cake, next to the fridge and dishwasher. So I am not interested in message conveyed in lyrics when music is so unbearable. Even though, checking lyrics I see that I do not miss much if not listening to this little nightmare.

‘Doing The Unstuck’
Once more bad production, much worse sound that on the concert in Detroit. But lyrics are fine. Be happy on this day, simply without any reason. Go crazy, dance, even go mad.

‘Friday I’m In Love’
Of course, this is a hit, with messed up chords. Not that easy to cover, especially for guitarists. You can see here that it was written by the artist, not someone who went through professional music training in music school. Quite nice sounding.

‘Trust’
‘Apart’ in optimistic version. They split but after some time, eventually get together.

‘A Letter To Elise’
Very nice, even moving. Good sound. English is my second language so I will not (and do not want to) change old habits. I still perceive songs like some Latino person. First I must be touched by music and then I start to analyze lyrics. Aha, this one is about Kafka letters to his mistress. Fine.

‘Cut’
Another song which sounds better on ‘Show’. Paper card box snare and uninspiring guitars.

‘To Wish Impossible Things’
Starring into the starry sky at night. Nice sound of violin instrument, which cannot be found on live version. I have achieved everything in my life and now there is nothing I could more wish. I am too old and too degenerated for that.

‘End’
And this is the last one on the ‘card box’ sounding album. Listen to live version instead. This is a song about The Cure fans. Personally many of those people had a putting off effect on me. That is why I became fan of this great band quite late. I find annoying in them, their mindless lack of criticism, bad sense of humour and no distance to themselves and their idols. But when you belong to the herd, you must obey the rules.

Smith sings here that he is professional artist, who simply must fulfill his commitments for the publisher / record company. So he must write another album where he will moan about sea, night, dreams, burning eyes, heart on fire and of course about evanescence.
But dear fans, I am not a patch for all your problems. Buy an album, ticket for my gig and at the end of the day, we walk away separate ways.

Conclusion
It does not matter that the songs are good, if they are recorded not to the highest artistic standards. Even though the studio was expensive, even for The Cure, then who cares. Garage sound, flat, almost like Nirvana’s ‘In Utero’. Compositions from ‘Wish’ album are played in full glory on ‘Show’ and ‘Paris’. Having those two albums, ‘Wish’ can thrown away or sold for food in your next, local second hand shop. Unless, someone has fallen in love with ‘Wendy Time’ or get addicted to violin on ‘To Wish Impossible Things’.

Artistically, this album is recommended to all emo-goths who do not like dig to deep in dead bodies and psychosis. ‘Wish’ represents delicate emotions, nothing extreme, just in few moments a bit daHk, but in overall aspect very pleasant and safe. Sweet dreams.

The Cure ‘Concert 1984’ review of certified producer

Introduction
This album even in moment of its release was not predicted to be opus magnum for The Cure. ‘Concert’ is rather a sonic postcard, which tries to prove to everyone around: look people, we still exist. We are not just a 2-piece studio project. We are the Band and we can play proper gigs even with ‘session musicians’, without some of the musically important members from the past.

Unfortunately, this release has no chance to be great with this compromising line-up. Phil Thornalley can learn songs and play them without mistakes, but nothing more than that. He will not make out of it anything remarkable.

Andy Anderson is a good drummer. He may play unforgettable parts but not in songs from ‘dark trilogy’. Once he plays too fast, once a bit too slow. He does his best to do the job but that is not enough. Such music is not his preferred style.
On the keyboards, we have ‘easily replaceable’ Lol Tolhurst, because there was no place behind other instruments.

Aha. Also we have rising star: Porl Thompson. Apart from saving Lol on keyboard, he plays saxophone. We can barely hear his characteristic guitar, but that will come later.

1) ‘Shake Dog Shake’
Album starts from short ‘hello’. Then comes known from ‘The Top’ drum intro on toms. Never liked this song. Pseudogothic. Properly played and this is it.

2) ‘Primary’ is ok, but more fire we can feel in version from ‘In Orange’, but especially on ‘Show’. Lively tempo, drums are ok, but guitar should do a bit more effort in this piece.

3) ‘Charlotte Sometimes’
80’s sounding version, nothing can beat ‘Paris ’93’. Keyboard riff, probably played by Porl, because Lol would not be able do that on his own.

4) ‘Hanging Garden’
Lol plays here single notes. Nothing more would fit in here. Let him play those powerful accents. The rest of the band is fine.

5) ‘Give Me It’
Finally mad Porl on saxophone ! Thornalley bass is playing safe, ordinary notes. There is no place for this beautiful punch, which we can hear in Simon Gallup’s versions of this tune.

6) ‘The Walk’
Keyboard parts sound here like played by guitar. No, this is not guitar, but that would be very interesting.

7) ‘One Hundred Years’
Drums are too fast, so the atmosphere and weight of the whole softens. There were many better versions of this one.

8) ‘A Forest’
Just like ‘100 Years’. Well played, but not well performed.

9) ’10:15 Saturday Night’
Thornalley was a ‘good student’. He has learned a ‘moving wardrobe doors’ bass solo, instead developing something even better than that.

10) ‘Killing An Arab’
And the last song. Still played as ‘Arab’ not politically correct ‘another’.

Conclusions
Being myself a musician and leading a band, I can understand Robert’s  struggle when searching for not just good but also passionate players. It is not easy to find, even if you have worldwide access to the instrumentalists.

Talent, character, charisma is not something you can learn. But even though, this album should be longer and contain the entire concert, with its strong points and weak moments. On the bootlegs from that period, I have heard quite good versions of songs not released officially, like ‘The Top’ (gloomy and wise song with great message- ‘top is the place where nobody goes’) played next to ‘A Forest’.
Also Andy Anderson as a drummer performed much better new songs which were not ‘rock obvious 4/4’, like all those swings and jazzy tunes: ‘The Lovecats’, ‘The Caterpillar’ or ‘Bananafishbones’.
Cassette version of ‘Concert: The Cure Live’, at least compensates that feeling of insatiability with some interesting recordings from early Gallup era plus ‘Forever’ messy jam.

Overall, this album sounds correct but too safe. Well-learned album parts and nothing beyond that. Play a gig, collect the money and go home. For such band like The Cure, there is a demand for different members. People who are a bit mental, not daddies and this can be heard here.

The Cure, Depeche Mode, Queen – not exactly British bands

London and the UK – center of the music world
While living overseas, you have a different view of the UK music scene. You see only those acts who made it through and became worldwide stars. So when staying abroad, you think that almost every band in the UK is equally genius, like those acts you knew before. At least, you hope that their way of seeing things is similar to yours. Something you have been missing while living back home, where most of the bands were heavy metal or Pink Floyd wannabes.
Before you came here, you have perceived UK as the Mecca of best music in the whole world. Your music. Not so much money driven like in the US, no village country, no macho hard rock or ‘gangsta’ rap. You love many bands who come from there, they are your idols and shaped you and your own music.

You think perception here must be unique. Only in the UK, the best song ever written: Queen’s ‘Innuendo’ reached number 1 in charts. Same thing happened with another personal Top 10: U2’s ‘The Fly’. And so what ?!

Once you come here and start living for a certain time, you find out things are not the way you were expecting. You find out that overall majority of UK scene is not like those few acts you adore. Most of the music here is not like The Cure, Depeche Mode or Queen. Mentally those three artists are exceptions, overseas bands with British personnel. This is not something which exists on every corner in Camden or Islington.

Of course being a musician and having too many local competitors is also not good. But at least you hoped that fans will be shaped in that sensibility. Unfortunately, you see that majority is mentally ‘locally first’. They see the world in narrow way and above it all they suffer from lack of true expression.

Real British artists
British perception of music has nothing to with seriousness of ‘Enjoy The Silence’ or ‘One Hundred Years’. Is much closer to Oasis rough and muddy ‘Supersonic’, Blur’s shallow rhyming (rhyme for rhyme for better rhyme) ‘Girls and Boys’ or The Smiths over-intellectualism like in ‘This Charming Man’. Even New Order sticks to that formula very well. That is why they are better understood locally not globally. Those acts perfectly represent British ’emotionalism’.
Above it all flies the spirit of grandfather of ‘poseurism’. His name is David Bowie. No – ‘Blackstar’ does not touch me. This is not ‘Innuendo’. It sad to see ‘Lazarus’ (sounding like The Cure’s ‘The Drowning Man’) – old man dying, hiding in the closet. But despite understanding message, I do not feel affected by that. I imagine people who will read that shouting at me. ‘How dare you’, ‘your’ Dave Gahan covered ‘Heroes’, Robert Smith played at DB’s 50th Birthday, Queen recorded with him ‘Under Pressure’. He is an icon !

Yes he is: like a picture in fashion magazine with lifeless models on the catwalk. Because of its shallowness until the very end, 90% of Bowie’s music is for me indigestible. He followed trends or at least own intellect, instead gut feeling. Now I can understand why he is so respected in the UK. He represents all what the British music stands for.

Successful artist on the UK market tends to trivialize everything and everyone and lyrics are full of idioms and not dominated by vowels. Problems shown in The Smiths songs cannot be understood in Brazil or China. Instead of that it emphasizes a perspective of the person who can rely on Birth Certificate for their entire life (no need for passport to travel across the seas, because sand is the best in Bournemouth or Blackpool, who needs to go to Spain then ?).

Love is cheesy
I remember when I was singing in the studio my old, heartfelt tune called-‘French Song’. The guys working there were looking at me like I am standing naked. Do you really mean what you say ? Oh common. Be more eloquent, intellectual, not so obvious. It is not cool.
 

Openly expressing emotions (I am not talking about over-expressing), honesty, telling the truth is not welcomed here. In art as well. I agree on that with Dmochowski (book -‘Zmagania o Beksinskiego’ – ‘Struggles For Beksinski’). He has observed similar trend in France. What a contrast between The Cure’s openness in ‘Lovesong’ and another ‘locally first’ band Franz Ferdinand with their shallow ‘Love Illumination’.
Darkness ? – mate, hope this is not for real ?
You may find a dark mysticism in this land of fog (or rather humidity), with too many old buildings. That is so stereotypical like seeing typical Englishman as a gentleman looking like Sherlock Holmes.
Maybe the landscapes around can inspire you to write some more sinister material, but after finishing this you can hide it in your drawer. Oh no ! Wait ! Release your doom and gloom, but do not not perform it too seriously. If I can give example here. It should be much closer to ‘Dracula’ from Hammer horrors than to Werner Herzog’s ‘Nosferatu’. Something which relies on convention not romanticism. You have to control yourself. Stick to the rules, do not go mad or be too true.

All of this because of the lack of forests
Maybe this is caused by lack of forests, not much free wild areas. Almost everything green is someone’s private property. That means less of freedom and more control imposed on your behavior. You can watch it through the fence, but unless you will not buy it for yourself you cannot lose yourself there. How can you be tribal and primal, if you never gathered around the fire, hunted on animals (instead you buy overpriced meat in shops). You are not allowed even eat a fish you caught or pick up a mushroom ! Do not go to the forest, instead go to the pub with their greedy prices on beer and food.

Maybe this is because of ‘stiff upper lip’ ?
In some situations such approach is good, it makes you stronger (think Churchill and Blitz). But in life you may also experience moments of breakdowns happening one by one. In such extreme time is much better to bend a little than to stand still and then completely fall apart.
Also being too stiff can be ridiculed without any mercy, just like it is shown in Monty Python sketches.

At least Joy Division is respected
Surprisingly Joy Division is recognized here with their black and white,’salt and vinegar’ but honest music. But new local acts did not learn anything from Ian Curtis, Hook and the rest.
What we have now on the top ? White Lies, Editors, Interpol (US band but well-adopting here). All of them can be compared to boys-bands forced to play like Joy Division. They would not give their life or even little blood for their art. Do they believe in anything ? Do they reject everything like post-punk nihilists from late 70’s – early 80’s ? No, they balance safely to reach their paying and nostalgic target.

Conclusion
So my personal, almost 40-years old approach as an artist and music listener is: not to throw away my old idols and own songs. But when making new music I want to think differently. Follow the crowd and join the right party.

In many UK reviews my own music has been described as ‘heartfelt’. Initially, I enjoyed that euphorically. More recently, I have learn how to decode this. It is a nice gesture, but open heart = naive and will not sell you here.

Another word: ‘unique’ makes you feel even better. I worked for that since when I was teenager. Read it as: ‘stay away from the freaks’.

So at least for a while, I do not want to be freak and naive. Even if not in music, I am adapting such distanced approach to everything I do. Deep inside I can be true, but who needs truth nowadays ?