It is great to be back in the
swing of things. All the music I heard in Italy was their version of ‘tourist
pop.’ This was basically English and American music from the 1970s and 1980s (a
lot of Queen and – oddly – ELO). It was OK, but I missed the variety of my own
music collection.
Here’s the latest.
Disc 672 is…. Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
Year of Release: 1987
What’s up with the Cover? To paraphrase Billy
Idol: lips without a face got no human grace. Lips that close up just are not
sexy.
How I Came To Know It: I think I bought this on a sale rack one day. Turns out
it was the 2006 re-mastered version that was supposed to come with a second
disc of bonus material. No wonder it was on the sale rack.
I’m not
bothered by it though – I’m happy with just the original album anyway, and it
turns out I got it at a bargain.
How It Stacks Up: The Cure have thirteen studio albums, but we only
have three of them, all later offerings. In addition to “Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss
Me” we have 1989’s “Disintegration” and 2000’s “Bloodflowers.” I prefer both of
those records to “Kiss Me.” We also have the famous compilation album “Standing
on the Beach” which has music from their career from 1979 to 1986, but that
doesn’t stack up.
Since
this is the last review of Cure albums I own, the official recap is also called
for, so here it is:
- Disintegration: 3 stars (reviewed at Disc 465)
- Bloodflowers:
3 stars (reviewed at
Disc 224)
- Kiss
Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me: 2 stars
(reviewed right here)
“Disintegration” and “Bloodflowers” are tied
for first – I like them both equally, but that just makes for a bad list.
Rating: 2 stars
A single listen to “Kiss Me, Kiss
Me, Kiss Me” simply didn’t let me get a handle on this music, nor did it draw
me in sufficiently to go through it a second time. There just wasn’t enough
here to grab my interest.
This is not a bad Cure album by
any stretch. It has all of the things that make their music so interesting and
unique. Atmospheric organ and synth blend nicely with understated guitar riffs.
The various parts come together seamlessly to create a melodic symphony of
different sounds. Robert Smith’s voice is big and full of angst, perched on top of a layer-cake of sound that is perfect for anyone wanting to
feel a little pale and wan.
For all that, there these just
weren’t enough tracks that stood out for me. Those that did stand out tended to
do so because they were a bit different, like the funk-inspired “Hot! Hot! Hot!” but even though it
caught my ear, it didn’t make me want to hear it again.
The biggest challenge facing “Kiss
Me” is its size. This is a double album of material; 18 songs and over 75
minutes of music. While the songs are serviceable enough, there aren’t enough
high points or internal flow to sustain the momentum a record that big needs.
When I did get to a song that struck my fancy it felt like I’d had to wait too
long for it to happen.
On the plus side, one of those
high points comes early, with “Catch,”
a whimsical and self-deprecating memory of first love. The song makes me think
of Sheila for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the lyrics feature a girl who ‘used to fall
down a lot” and Sheila is known to take a face-plant from time to time.
Secondly it is clearly about someone the singer thinks of fondly and often –
just like I think about Sheila.
Other standouts include “Just Like Heaven” which has the classic Cure
sound, a kind of twirling melody that makes you imagine you’re spinning around
on a sunlight square on an autumn morning, scattering flocks of pigeons as you
dance.
On the other end of the spectrum, “If Only Tonight We Could Sleep” is
classic fodder for urban fantasy types that spend their weekends playing “Vampire:
the Masquerade.”
“If only tonight we could sleep
In a bed made of flowers
If only tonight we could fall
In a deathless spell”
I’m not judging LARPers, mind you –
I would totally spend an evening trying out “Vampire: the Masquerade” if I had the
chance. The song is not nearly as promising, however. The first half is
dominated by this goofy sitar that is trying way too hard to sound otherworldly
and dissonant. Instead, it comes off like a combination of bad community
theatre and that brown acid the crowd was warned about at Woodstock. Don’t
settle for songs like this, Masqueraders. You deserve better.
Most songs on “Kiss Me” are fine,
however, and there are a few real standouts as well – I can understand how a
lot of people were really drawn to this record. For me, it needs to be cut down
by at least two-thirds before it captures my attention. For those looking to
get into the Cure, I would recommend going either earlier in their career, or
trying the later albums I’ve previously reviewed. This middle ground stretches
too far into the distance, without providing enough landmarks to mark the
journey.
Best tracks: Catch, Just
Like Heaven, Like Cockatoos, The Perfect Girl,
Gratuitous
Italy Pictures:
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| Me and my gal in the Bobboli Gardens, in Florence; she did not fall down once on our entire trip! |
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| In the Uffizi Gallery, Florence - one of the most amazing pieces of sculpture I've ever seen. |
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