The Cure âTorn Down: Mixed Up Extrasâ 2018 (Record Store Day 2018 exclusive, limited release). Yesterday, April 21st, was Robert Smithâs 60th birthday (b. 1959). Iâve been hanging onto this 2 LP colored vinyl/picture disc filled with 18 tracks culled from The Cureâs discography beginning at their first album - and remixed by Robert Smith himself - since last year in anticipation of his big day (which I missed because we were visiting family for Easter).Â
Side A begins with the title track from Three Imaginary Boys (their debut, 1979), âThree Imaginary Boys (Help Me Mix),â which is sparse and alien as compared to the gothy original, followed by a much less urgent âM (Attack Mix)â off of Seventeen Seconds (1980), dreamy âThe Drowning Man (Bright Birds Mix)â from Faith (1981) and the goth-goes-psychedelic âA Strange Day (Drowning Waves Mix)â pulled from Pornography (1982). Early Cure is my favorite Cure so the remixes are super-cool but also weird to my ears since Iâm so used to the originals.Â
Side B continues with The Cureâs earlier recordings and also more material Iâm most familiar with: a barely brightened version of âJust One Kiss (Remember Mix)â from Japanese Whispers (a singles comp released in â83), a really heavy take on âShake Dog Shake (New Blood Mix)â from The Top (1984, and in my opinion one of their more under-appreciated LPâs), âA Night Like This (Hello Goodbye Mix)â from The Head on the Door (1985) which is one of the more bizarre remixes (to me, anyway) -- itâs got this funky, pop beat with 80â˛s era saxaphone thatâs jarring me a ton since this particular song (and album) was instrumental to teenage goth despondency (one reviewer I read said Smith, âturns it into a strange blend of yacht rock and acid jazz, with trademark levels of angst thrown in for good measureâ) -- and an electronica goes carnival funhouse version of âLike Cockatoos (Lonely in the Rain Mix)â from Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (1987, this was the first Cure release I bought on CD back in the day, when vinyl was on its way âoutâ hahaha).Â
Side C kicks off with a track from Disintegration (1989, I think this was the last Cure LP I bought for many, many years): âPlainsong (Edge of the World Mix)â followed by âNever Enough (Time to Kill Mix)â from Mixed Up (1990, a remix album, which this 2018 release is the sequel to; âNever Enoughâ was the only new track on the LP), âFrom the Edge of the Deep Green Sea (Love in Vain Mix)â from Wish (1992) and âWant (Time Mix)â off of Wild Mood Swings (1996).Â
Side D has âThe Last Day of Summer (31st August Mix)â from Bloodflowers (2000), âCut Here (If Only Mix)â from the 2001 compilation Greatest Hits (one of two new tracks among a bunch of their earlier singles), âLost (Found Mix)â from The Cure (2004) and concludes with âItâs Over (Whisper Mix)â off of 4:13 Dream (2008). Since Iâve only half-heartedly listened to The Cureâs releases post-1989 I donât have much to say about any of the remixes since I donât really know the originals but some of the tracks on the final side remind me a lot of what David Bowie was doing in his later years.
Overall this is a really beautiful release - the vinyl is particularly mesmerizing as it spins on the turntable - and while I might not agree with all of the remixing (itâs not my place, really, to agree or disagree), it is certainly interesting to hear how Robert Smith reimagines his compositions from the past 40 years.
