The Cure, oh how I love thee……
Now mind you “Seventeen Seconds” is one of my top ten albums of all time. I slept, woke, ate, walked, and breathed this album for an entire summer. I was young, troubled and in love with everyone but my self. Hearing it again is painful but in a strange happy way.
The first thing I noticed listening to the new release from Rhino was how they re-mastered it and vastly improved the quality but also sped it up. I then pulled out my vinyl copy, beat up and stained, placed it ever so gently on my very old turntable thus realizing my equipment was not up to par, not to mention the vinyl should have been held together with duct tape it was so old and tore up. Bottom line here is if you own this already in any of the old formats this release is of much better quality and condition. A must have for any music collection.
On with the review, “Seventeen Seconds” will always stand the test of time. This album was the Cure’s sophomore effort but actually the debut of what became “THE CURE”. While “Three Imaginary Boys” was a catchy pop record that opened doors for Robert Smith to begin his adventure in the music industry, “Seventeen Seconds” was the sound that he created and that changed the musical landscape forever. This was the first album for Smith and Gallup and solidified a foundation for the future Cure. Simple, raw and clear Robert’s vocals/guitars and Simon’s bass are a movement that is progressive and soothing. Other members Lol Tolhurst and Matthieu Hartley completed this zygote of the epic Cure that became and is now.
Amazingly the songs end odd and abruptly but meld into the next with effortless ease. A song like “A Forest” will be a classic for the rest of existence. Even my 9 year old neighbor knows this is the Cure. “Play for Today” is another case of Robert’s synchronic lyrics and guitar with Simon’s bass at perfect pitch.
These songs have sounds that move the aural depths inside even the least “goth” person alive. “M” and “In Your House” are a Cure fans secret pleasures especially played live. When the Cure play live and either of these songs are played it’s like a big Cure orgasm, all moody and black with big red gushes of love.
The second CD of this set is the goldmine for a Cure-a-holic with rarities by the Smith/Gallup one off project Cult Hero. The two songs “I’m a Cult Hero” and “I Dig You” are included here in both the studio versions and live versions for the listener’s pleasure. “I Dig You” was always a favorite on the home made cassette for the obscure friend from “another town”. The home demo’s of “Another Journey By Train” and “Secrets” are very raw and can’t be played too loud. In contrast all the live tracks are amazingly clear, bringing the listener right back to the time and place with audience participation revving up the intros and exits. Robert’s howling and meowing on “Three” are at their finest, this mix is another must have for the Cure fan. “Seventeen Seconds” and “In Your House” live are remarkable with lyrical changes in patterns.
The album as a whole is a like a complete novel. The second CD is an epilogue that brings the package to completion. Listening to this album over and over, not wanting to miss a note or a beat. It becomes burned into the memory like an old fairytale. The story begins with an instrumental intro and ends with one big statement.
“Seventeen Seconds A Measure of Life”. |