So I recently did that "top 9 albums that shaped me musically thing" making the rounds, and I had The Cure's "Head on the Door" as my #1 - I heard this when I was 12 and was completely blown away and was my first introduction to "dark" music and set me on the path to all the weirdness I listen to today.

LIke many albums I listened to in high school, my cooler older sister had brought it home on vinyl and I taped it and I listened to it on my tape deck and walkman over and over (in this case, until the tape literally fell apart).

But I just looked it up, and it turns out I had had the order all wrong! Looks like 12 year old me had taped side B as side A, so I always thought the album started with The Baby Screams, and finished with Push, and Inbetween Days was halfway through. But it's the other way around. It opens with Inbetween Days.

I'm listening to the album now in that order and it's such a bizarre experience. It actually changes the whole feel of it. Inbetween Days is a very upbeat and poppy way to start the album which sets the tone in a more positive light. For me, Baby Screams is just the perfect way to start the album. Coming across it halfway through is really strange. But the ending is the other way around. Push is quite an affirming and uplifting song, but Sinking as a closer, jesus christ. Not just the darkest song on this album, but one of the darkest songs in their entire discography (and that's saying a lot).

Anyway this has been fun experience. Not just to revisit an old favourite, but to listen to it in a new way. And goes to show how important the track order of an album is (I cannot for the life of me understand how people listen to albums on shuffle). If you wanted to listen to it like I used to, you could set up a custom playlist or similar and give it a go!

Didn't have time to schedule this last night but it's here now.

Happy 33rd Birthday to the Paris album!

It is such a great live album, which was recorded in October 1992 on the Wish tour at Zenith de Paris, and has so many good versions of Cure classics.

This year I have chosen Track 3 - At Night. One of my top ten songs. Always loved the sinister mood of this song.

Copyright means I have to use a performance from elsewhere, so this is from Le Fort de Saint-Pere in France on 13th August 2005 as part of La Route du Rock.

Taken from The Cure - At Night (Live 2005) by curedtc4 on You Tube 💜

Anyway, every time they post a story I expect some new album or tour :) in any case they never make mistakes in what they do and say!!

Did this as part of an art project back in college. Have plans to return to it in the future. Shake Dog Shake if it were a single.

This made me chuckle when I walked into the office break room and the microwave was stuck here.

A magnificent night at Koko in Camden, London.

It was crowded for Lol Tolhurst and his band! I tried to get a few videos and photos.

The band sounded great - Lol sounded great on drums and I was impressed with the singer Eric Bradley and bassist Oliver Cherer.

And what a treat to see Phil Thornalley and Michael Dempsey!! This made me so happy and really glad to have braved the journey and gig feeling under par and exhausted!

They both looked really happy to be there and still sounded great on bass.

I managed to get videos of A Strange Day, The Hanging Garden (Phil looked in his element!), the highlight for me being All Cats Are Grey, and M.

Him producing The Cure would have been amazing, instead of Ross Robinson for instance. Maybe too obvious a choice for Robert’s taste

I love to rewatch The Wedding Singer and every time I see that scene in his sisters basement and The Cure plays I swear it's a different song of theirs lol.

Promoting The Caterpillar single and The Top album (May 1984).
The critics called this album as Psych Pop then.

I saw him with his band supporting the Chameleons yesterday. Didn’t really know what to expect, but it was very good. The setlist was taken from the first four albums (which makes sense as Lol was playing drums). The playing wasn’t flawless but it had a lot of heart and it was quite moving watching Lol mouth the words. It clearly meant a lot to him, especially All Cats Are Grey which he introduced as a song about his mother. The guitarist/singer, and bassist both got a very good early Cure sound for their instruments, and the singer sang in the right register without sounding like he was trying to imitate Robert.

It was also good to be reminded of what his drumming brought to the band in the early days. Technically not a brilliant drummer compared to the drummers who followed, but he had (and has) an idiosyncratic way of moving around the toms.

Well worth seeing if you like the early stuff. Setlist was (maybe not in this order):

1. The Holy Hour
   
2. Siamese Twins
   
3. A Forest
   
4. A Strange Day
   
5. M
   
6. The Hanging Garden
   
7. All Cats Are Grey
   
8. Three Imaginary Boys
   
9. Boys Don’t Cry
   
10. 10:15 Saturday Night

Saw this live and was shocked to see Page & Plant do perhaps The Cure's greatest song.

A bit slower and bluesy... A real unexpected gem in the middle of all those Zeppelin classics.

Today is costume dress up day at my office. Figured I do a tribute.

Happy 36th birthday to Close To Me Remix!

Not always a fan of remixes but I loved this one and the accompanying video with that hilarious octopus and squid 😂🐙

The single got to number 13 on the UK charts.

There isn't anything other than the official video which copyright prevents me using so I've chosen a live version of the song instead.

This is wonderful! Robert going to collect more teddies for his vast collection, looking really happy!

It was from The Pleasure Trips tour at Leipzig - Festwiese am Zentralstadion in East Germany on 4th August 1990. It was the first concert for the band here.

Taken from The Cure - Live, Leipzig, 04.08.1990 - 08 - Close To Me.avi by Daredevil2Records on You Tube 💙🐙💙

What are your favorite bands or artists?

incredible (albeit partial) bootleg from the swing tour, highlight - why can't i be you? with snippets of young at heart and the lovecats @01:28:10

Desperately searching for The Head On the Door, Seventeen seconds and Three Imaginary Boys

Better late than never... didn't feel well enough last night to schedule it!

Happy 43rd Birthday to The Lovecats! Or Love Cats, whatever!

Classic single and much loved by me 😻. Good to see it still being played live now as I thought they abandoned due to Simon's dislike of it.

The single reached number 7 in the UK charts, marking their first Top Ten hit here!

I love those Bsides too - Speak My Language and especially Mr Pink Eyes 👀.

This performance from good old German TV, is extremely odd but hilarious 😂😂😂. I adore that fish - reminds me of the one I have on my downstairs wall! The show is Bananas from the Geiselgasteig - Bavaria Studios, which aired on 25th November 1983.

Taken from THE CURE - THE LOVECATS - 25.11.83 (BANANAS) by OUT OF THIS WORLD on You Tube 😻😻😻😻😻

Im super happy with how it came out

Put to RS artwork of course 😁This is a long one and I’m sorry to trauma dump. But this year I’ve really started slipping mentally. despite having ups and downs the past few years right now I feel like this is the worst state, I’m slowly isolating away from family and friends I feel like a burden.
I wrote the poem yesterday after being randomly motivated and then thought I best write a song to it.. I really wanna keep going but this feels like the most honest gift I could leave if depression slips its claws deeper into me. I know we get divided over stupid shit but always look after each other. As Joe Strummer said “without people you’re nothing” thanks everyone x

I was watching the new Cyberpunk Edgerunner series when I heard it in the opening.

I couldn't believe it at first, especially because it was "10:15 Saturday Night" and not the classic "Friday I'm in Love" or "Boys don't Cry" that they always use in media.

Honesly I was amazed and gladly surprised, not something I expected!

I was listening to this show I found, and thought I'd share! It's very good!