Author Archives: Olivia

The Cure-The Head On The Door.

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This album has the very first track by The Cure I remember hearing,Close To Me. The albm was released a year before I was born but I remember the first time I saw the video to Close To Me. I was in awe, and yes I did believe for many years that The Cure would be in my wardrobe every single time I opened it. Some believe in Narnia, I chose The Cure.

The Head On The Door saw the return of Simon Gallup, and personally this is why I feel this album is bloody brilliant. I have a few t-shirts of The Cure, and one of them is the artwork of this record. It’s just awesome. I love how trippy the artwork is, much like the album.

The Head On The Door has an extremely dreamy feel to it, 6 albums in and the band are just as strong as ever on this record. With previous album the tone was dark; musically and lyrically. With this record, the lyric matter may have been dark but musically it just sent you off in a dream world. You felt spaced out and quite happy. This record is the one you can fall in love with someone to. This is the album that fulls your bones full of love and joy. There’s just something about the record that brings you so much joy. I can listen to certain songs by The Cure and just smile like a mental bugger, and they are mainly found on this record. If I was to fall in love, I’d probably associate this album with that person. However, that would only be if they were a fan of The Cure and a decent person.

Just listening to songs such as Six Different Ways, it’s hard to see why anyone couldn’t love The Cure. There’s so much going on in one song. There’s so much love and pain in the songs; but the joyful music disguises it so well. It masks the pain in sucha clever way. I could easily turn this into how people do it with their feelings, but I’d bore you even more and I’d just rant like a nutter so I shall spare you.

Push is a beauty of a song. It’s about Robert Smith wearing a dress on a train. I’d love to see Robert Smith on a train, or a bus even. There’s hints of rejection in the song, that is just so painfully yet beautifully written. “A smile to hide the fear away.” You don’t have to be  man wearing a dress on a train to fully feel that line at all. Anyone can.

You can associate any feeling possible to each album by The Cure. I associate happiness with this record, how could you not? Okay so the lyrics may be dark, they always are I suppose but the music just lifts up your spirits and makes you feel less shite about life. It’s just a brilliant record that you could easily argue as being the best album by The Cure. The Cure defined my childhood, teenage years and adulthood; and it all started with Close To Me.

 

Friends-I’m His Girl.

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I’ve reserved a lot of love (and obsession) for this song for a while now. Let me tell you why the video to I’m His Girl is amazing.

IN THE OPENING SHOT YOU CAN SEE A NENEH CHERRY TAPE!!!!! I was in love with her when I was about 5 years old. It was pure love, it still is. One of the best artists EVER. Highly original, totally underrated.

Now, with my love for Neneh out of the way…Enjoy the video:

I love Dev Hynes a lot. From Test Icicles to his Team Perfect project with Florence to Blood Orange. The guy is a fucking hero. He is a genius, you cannot deny that. His latest project, Blood Orange (Coastal Grooves is a highlight of the year for me) makes you feel like you are in New York in the 80s. The video to this song by Friends makes you feel EXACTLY the same. If I’m not mistaken, the band are from Brooklyn. Basically, they HAVE to be your new favourite band.

The vocals are perfect, the video is amazing, the song is stunning. It’s just a glorious piece of music.

The Cure-The Top.

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The Top is an album by The Cure that I’m not entirely fussed on. However, I don’t like being a cock about music so I’ll be a decent person and be nice. I can be nice. Nice is a terrible word, and a terrible thing to be. The word has no meaning. I’ve basically done myself no favours with this opening paragraph. Basically, I’m not a fan of their fifth album but I’ll do my best to be positive about it because I don’t like negative vibes. There. That’s better.

The Top could pretty much be seen as a Robert Smith solo album. He plays pretty much every instrument on this record aside from the drums. It is also the first album without his chum, Simon Gallup. He left the band after a wee fight. No, it wasn’t over eyeliner. Don’t be daft.

Personally, I’ve found the previous four albums easy to listen to; even if they were utterly dark. But this one, I don’t know. It doesn’t move me like the others did. Maybe it’s because for so long all my attention was aimed at Seventeen Seconds and Faith, I didn’t really allow myself to enjoy the rest of the albums properly. But, when you have such an emotional connection witha record it is hard to part yourself from it and love another just as much. I was going to make some kind of comparison to relationships, then decided not to. I think my description is easy to understand, I don’t need to expand on it I don’t think.

One of my favourite things about this record is the haunting guitar and twisted lyrics of Shake Dog Shake. “As stale and selfish as a sick dog, spurning sex like an animal of god. I’ll tear your red hair by the roots,and hold you blazing.” It is such a fucked up verse, and I love it dearly. I love the way it just warps your mind and takes over your thoughts. It’s such a bloody powerful song. So dark, so twisted.

Although this record is not my favourite, I can fully appreciate that is still is a solid record. I cannot say that it is bad, because it isn’t. I’m just not a fan of the sound on it. I prefer the drunken, dark side to The Cure that is found on the second and third record. One song that has this same feel on The Top is Wailing Wall. I love how creepy it sounds and how perverse Robert Smith’s voice is. I don’t mean it in a “come here little boy, I have some Haribo in my van” kind of way. I mean it in a deviant, creepy sense. It’s such a menacing song. Robert doesn’t sing songs, he tells stories. That is evident on this track. Probably my favourite on the album.

It is bloody hard to write ill of The Cure, and I feel bad for not loving this record as much as I love others. I can’t like everything, no one can. That’d be silly. Others may regard it as their best work, and I can honestly see the genius within it; but my heart belongs to their other records.

The Cure-Pornography.

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Album number 4 by The Cure. It opens with the amazing line, “It doesn’t matter if we all die.”  My wonderfully morbid side adores this line. It is a brilliant opening line. One Hundred Years is a fantastic opening song. It’s 6 minutes of utter brilliance. Find me a better opening line to a song, then we’ll talk. Actually, we won’t talk. Mainly because you’ll find a better opening line and I’ll be left feeling like a dickhead again. Just accept it’s a wonderful opening line, yeah? Good.

I could quite happily write thousands of words about One Hundred Years, but if you’ve heard the album you will know that no words can actually describe just how perfect this song. Robert’s voice sounds so dramatic and intense.  Honestly one of the best tracks by The Cure ever.

Pornography sparked The Cure “look.” You know; the big hair, black clothes and smeared make-up. Let’s be honest though, only Robert Smith could pull off having his lipstick like that. Anyone else just looks like they’ve had a rough night and forgot their bus pass.

I still hold Seventeen Seconds higher than all albums by The Cure, but there is something about their fourth record that is so dark; you feel so numb after hearing it. I’m in a good mood right now, but I know as soon as I finish playing the album I’ll feel like someone has killed my dog. I don’t have a dog, but you know what I mean. It has a way of just ridding you of positive feelings and causing a wave of darkenss to take over. Personally, I love it. I love that a record can make you feel like that. I love that this record can make you feel so dark and morbid. I think it’s utterly fascinating.

The Figurehead oozes desperation and despair. Two things that many do not always appreciate in music due to it sounding so fucking self-indulgent. Not with The Cure. Not at all. It’s  a painful song to listen to, espcially if you’ve ever had your heart ripped out and your self-worth  shat on. We’ve all been there, but Robert portrays it in a way that doesn’ t make you feel alone. See, when you get hurt- you become wrapped up in it. You convince yourself that you’re the only one to have ever felt like that. You’re not. You’re really not, and records like this just prove exactly that. Pain is pain. We all feel it. You cannot escape it, it will happen. Just get on with your life, and let fate drag you along for the ride. “I will never be clean again.” It’s so painful and heartbreaking to hear. The way he sings this just makes you ache everywhere; from the inside out.

Pornography was the first album by The Cure where they used a keyboard and if you look closely enough at the album front cover, it is the first album by the band to not have used their logo that was present on previous records.

This album is not for the faint hearted or for those who cannot handle feeling sad. However, it is up there with one of the best records ever created and also one of the best albums by The Cure.

The Cure-Faith.

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Third album. See, I’m doing good. I’m onto the third album and I have yet to get bored. Although, I suppose you are….whoever you are.

Dark, sombre, chilling,genius- these are just some words that one could use to describe The Cure’s third album. It is painfully dark and wonderfully haunting. They say you should never judge a book by its cover. With an album, you can probably get away with it. Especially with this record. The cover to Faith is grey, foggy and eerie. Listen to the album, and it gives off exactly the same atmosphere. The Cure are one of the few bands that always have brilliant artwork with their albums. As someone who loves buying CDs/records and going through the artwork as I listen to the album, The Cure, I find are a brilliant band to do this to. There aren’t many around, this is why I treasure (oh look, a bad pun) The Cure so much.

I adore The Drowning Man. Hands down, favourite track off the album. The title alone is morbid. “I would have left the world all bleeding, could I only help you love.”  Not only is the such a sad line, it is beautiful too. For some reason I can find beauty and the good in sadness- I have no idea why, I don’t want to know why. If I knew why, I probably wouldn’t be able to function. I like the idea of darkness and a bit of chaos; there’s something quite comforting about it. I don’t know, I’m going off topic again.

Faith is regarded as the centre point of the “Dark Trilogy”- starting with Seventeen Seconds and ending with Pornography. Well, the darker the better I say!

As someone who has a weird curiosty with the subject of death, I’m obviously going to be drawn to the track The Funeral Party. I can only imagine the hardcorefans of The Cure wanting this playing at their funeral, good on them. Bloody good song. It doesn’t sound like your stereotypical song by The Cure, it is more slowed down than most and it is possibly their saddest track. I’d honestly say it is on a par with Treasure; it is that sad. The lyrics are wonderful, even the title is genius. “Two pale figures,ache in silence.” What a gorgeous way to start a song. This is sheer poetry, fuck it; Robert Smith is a poet. Of all the albums by The Cure, Faith shows how much of a lyrical genius Robert Smith is. He’s a bloody poet. A true Romantic. Although it is a sad song, you can find strength and comfort in it. Death comes to us all; whether you’re the one dying or the one left without a person- we all experience it. This song can give you the strength to overcome the pain of dealing with the loss of someone.

One thing I always take from listening to The Cure, especially with this record is their ability to get inside your head and vocalise how you feel. The dark feelings you cannot tell your best friend are sung by Robert Smith and you do not feel so horrible about having such dark feelings. What makes us human and in touch with how we feel is not being afraid to feel. This is what I believe, and I believe it because of The Cure and Robert Smith’s words. Where would I be without them, without this record? I don’t know. I’m not willing to know.

 

My Secret Friend.

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What happens when two of the most groundbreaking and astounding artists get together? Well, they make THE best music video ever. Seriously, this video is just everything you want in a music video. It doesn’t have to go over the top with special effects to carry the song nor does anyone have to prance around a bit naked for it to grab your attention.

Chris Corner is a genius. If you cannot see this, then you’re a twit. Imogen Heap is one of the best singers ever. EVER. Again, if you cannot see this you are a twit.

This video is just a stroke of genius. It is utterly fantastic. Chris dresses as a woman, Imogen dresses as a bloke. It’s glorious. The way it is shot just blows whatever is currently left of my mind. It is also going to stop me from doing anything I should be doing because it is that good. I’ll just keep watching it. Maybe weep because nothing will ever be as brilliant as this video.

The Cure-Three Imaginary Boys.

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I loved listening to Seventeen Seconds and writing about it; so I have now decided to do the same for every album by The Cure. If you’d like to place your bets on how long it takes before I change my mind, then go for it. I’m doing it for many reasons- one being I’d like to see if I can actually do it without being distracted and changing my mind. However, hardly anyone reads the nonsense I write so no one will notice if I stick at this or not. Now, with that out of the way, let’s discuss one of the most phenomenal debut albums of all time.

Three Imaginary Boys is THE essential album by The Cure isn’t it? It has to be. I know every single album is bloody amazing, but this one is stunning from start to finish. When you listen to it, you find it hard to believe that this is their first record. It picks up where Punk left off; it’s a slowed down version of Punk. A lot of Punk tracks were short, aggressive and fast. The Cure are about as aggressive as a goldfish. That’s why I love them so much, they made it okay for you to be delicate and vulnerable. I’m a stupidly shy person, and talking to people sometimes baffles me. The Cure made me (and still do) feel okay with how I am. As did/do Morrissey, which given the history between Robert Smith and Morrissey is a bit odd, but I love them both the same. The Cure’s music is a cure. It is a cure to loneliness, fragility, poor self-worth and longing. You get people who say, “Oh I know how you feel.” They don’t. Robert Smith does, and it is evident on every single bloody song.

Three Imaginary Boys is a masterpiece, deny that and you are a silly billy really. Another Day is so poetic and woeful. I love it so much. “The sun rises slowly on another day.” Robert just sounds so fed up singing this line, as someone who carries a tiny bif of frustration towards daily life; I just love this line so much. The bass in this song is so chilling, it lingers in your ears for a while after you’ve stopped listening. You can just picture a young Robert Smith looking out of the window writing this, singing this to himself. I love how the guitar throughout (especially at the end) has a drunken effect.

Object gives off a more Punk feel than any of the other tracks. By Punk, I mean it feels like a song by the Buzzcocks; so not really Punk. Post-Punk if you will. Unlike albums released after, The Cure didn’t get a say in the tracklisting of their debut album. Ever since, Robert Smith has been given creative control over what tracks goes on each album before it is released. The company also decided on the artwork too. To have your first EVER album released and you find out the songs you hated that you recorded are put on it  must be beyond frustrating. Robert has stated many times that he hates the songs Foxy Lady (Hendrix cover) and Object, and didn’t want them on the album.

Meathook has a slight reggae feel to it, the guitar is just brilliant on this one. But let’s be honest here, although the band didn’t get a say on what was put on this album; every track is wonderful making it one of the most important debut albums of all time. Not only is it such an important record, it is highly influential too. This album started a sound that many tried to copy, but only The Cure could well and truly carry. It is THEIR sound, many just tried to be like all too often. No other band has made such a wonderful debut. No other band has created a sound like this. There is no other band quite like The Cure.

Sons Of An Illustrious Father.

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You know that feeling you get when you see or hear something beautiful, and it makes your eyes water and all you can say is “Oh…fuck.” Well, that pretty much happened when I went back and listened to Sons Of An Illustrious Father again. They come from New York, so I’m obviously going to reserve a lot of love for them. Certain places just produce the most amazing sound, and New York is easily one of them. The calibre of talent that has come from and comes from New York is just out of this world. It should be a crime to be this amazing.

Let’s start with a track from their self-titled album. A song that very nearly reduced me to tears because of how fucking brilliant it is. Moonshiner is incredible, literally out of this world. If Sofia’s vocals do not move you at all or make you feel it right in your gut; then you could be a souless being. It’s okay, keep listening- you’ll feel it soon enough. The power and fury in her voice is just like Janis Joplin’s, it is so raw and so damn passionate. When she hits those notes, my lord. It just goes right into you. It goes so deep into you, it delves right into your soul. It wakes you up. It makes you feel so alive.

I’d be inclined to just write about Sofia because her voice is one of the best voices I have heard in a long time. Maybe I’ll do it later, to stop myself from doing the things I should be doing.

One thing that I love about this band is that some of them play the banjo. They don’t overkill it like some bands (Mumford and whoever.) Basically, SOAIF are one of THE most underrated bands around and they posses suchgreat musicianship that is hard to find in a lot of bands nowadays. They have this grand sound that shoukd, by rights, make them one of the biggest bands around. However, we are constantly told to listen to meaningless drivel that is all over wanky radio stations. My solution? Don’t give into the hype the media feeds you, find something with spirit and passion- go listen to SOAIF.

Their music mixes the essence of Punk with a Folky vibe. It is truly magnificent. Their second full length album, One Body will be out 9th November. Going by the track, Glass Nor Stone; it is probably going to be one of the best things we’ll have heard this year. The band have a number of tracks now on their soundcloud page.

Bauhaus.

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If I had any form of musical ability and decided to start a band my only influence would be Bauhaus. Why? Because everything I adore about music is found in this band. The are all too often labelled as Goth Rock. Personally, I disagree. I’d label them as fucking out of this world. Sadly, that’s not a genre. If it was, I’d throw a few in that genre.

Bauhaus formed in sunny Northampton (no idea if it is sunny there, I thought I’d be kind) way back in the late 70s. Their first album was released if I’m not mistaken, in 1980. In Flat Field will always be one of the most fantastic and inspiring debut albums of all time. Is it their best work? Well, Bauhaus NEVER made a poor record, EVER. Every album is just perfect. The production has always been tight and the musicianship just stunning. When the debut album was released, many just slated it. I have no idea why. I guess maybe they thought it was “cool” to slay a band that was doing something different. Thing is, they gave off negative feedback to the ones started for a genre of music that has inspired so many. More fool them. Every track on their debut grabs you by the fucking throat them just cradles you in a strange, comforting way.

I want to discuss the importance of their third album, The Sky’s Gone Out- more importantly the track Exquisite Corpse. Easily my favourite track EVER by the group. The way Peter Murphy sings “Life is but a dream” acapella at the start of the track, then the drums kick in HARD. Then we get everything else pouring in; it’s just mind-blowing. Then it goes quite a minute or so in- then it kicks in again with keyboards. It’s just so damn perfect. It’s over 5 minutes of sheer Heaven. I just want to listen to it over and over, all the time. I could never ever get bored of this song.

Peter Murphy is such a fascinating person on so many levels. He is a stunning front-man; totally underrated. I have no idea why this is so. He just delievers every single song with such passion, fury, lust and power. His voice is incredible and distinctive. He is the blueprint of what a front-man should be. Many have regarded him as the Godfather of Goth. Maybe this is the case. He is just the definition of a true front-man. Those cheekbones, his stage presence- he is a work of art. His solo work is wonderful too.

If it wasn’t for Bauhaus, I honestly have no idea what kind of music I’d be into. They introduced me into so many different bands. They didn’t just change my life, they inspired something. They still do now. Maybe I’d still be a lost cause if it wasn’t for them; or maybe I still am one. I have no idea, all I know is that Bauhaus are that glimmer of hope I cling onto when there isn’t much else to grip.

 

I’m not sorry for writing about Lana Del Rey….again!

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It seems a girl can’t post a video of herself singing without some fuckwit laying into her. It’s like, it’s cool to hate someone for no reason. Why? Why would you exhaust yourself in such a way? Why would you write such cruel, vile words about a person you do not know? What drives a person to do it? Probably the fact that they’re a twit or something.

Lana Del Rey has divided pathetic hipster blogs and credible (if any are left) publications. You have one side that see she is talented. Then you have the other side that just unleash so much hate. It’s extremely pathetic. They keep going on and on about her appearence and her mouth. Look, the only thing you should be concerned with in regard to her mouth is what comes out of it.

This week Video Games was released. Personally, I’m still obsessed with Blue Jeans and Yayo. I love the vulnerability in Lana’s music and voice. Her voice makes you tremble and just melt. Honestly, when I listen to her music I can’t focus. It’s like I shut down and I’m in awe of what I’m hearing. I know I’ve written a lot about her, but that’s because I’m one of the few who have NOTHING bad to say about her, and I believe everyone deserves a chance, y’know? Is she a gimmick? I don’t know nor do I care. To me, she’s evidently someone with so much talent and we’re just seeing the start of it. She’s going to be huge. You can ignore now, but she’s going to be huge. I don’t want to hear Adele bang on about her ex-boyfriend. It means nothing to me, it’s boring. We’ve now been blessed with Lana Del Rey. She’s got this presence that just draws you in; and you know what? I don’t think she realises just how talented she is. I hope she does, because she is truly wonderful.

It’s been a long time since a singer has had this hold over me. I cannot describe. Her music is like being in love. You feel it in your soul and nothing in the world can compare to it. I read an article recently where Lana said that the negative press does get to her and made her question why she put the videos up of her singing. This is just fucking WRONG. It shouldn’t be like this, but some people can only function if they are hating on someone else. I guess it’s because they are bored and feel the need to try shock others by being hurtful. Thing is, they’re not shocking anyone. They just come across as a massive wanker. Of course everyone is allowed their own opinion; but if you’re going to be negative do it about the music not what she looks like. It just proves that you’re an immature fuck who cannot form sentences when you focus on appearence rather than the sound.

There’s a lot of heart and soul in Lana’s music; that’s lacking in a lot of music right now. You may hate it, you may love it. Either way you cannot deny that she can bloody well sing. Don’t believe me? Check this out:

She’s the second most beautiful person my eyes have ever seen. Who’s the first? I can’t possibly tell you, that’s a secret.