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June 27, 2007
Retrohump Day: Three Imaginary Clips
The only time I've been able to include early footage of the Cure in this column was to point out how disappointing it was, so I'm grading slightly on a curve. Not for the material, mind you. I will argue to my last breath that the Three Imaginary Boys era was the band's finest. Even without the extra pop hits that were shoehorned into the American version, Boys Don't Cry, it's gotta be the desert island Cure record. When they start aping Joy Division more directly on albums like Pornography you lose so much charm that any increased depth or texture just isn't worth the trade off. The later syrupy pop hits don't have enough edge to them to rate higher. It's an easy call.
Good concert footage from these years is still kind of scarce, though. So, you'll have to deal with a really dumb decision to edit this 1980 Boston concert in a "psychedelic" fashion.
It's as inappropriate and annoying as it sounds.
the Cure - "Fire in Cairo"
(Boston, 1980)
This clip proves the musical quality of the performance, amping up the intensity and the synth level on a mellow classic. But it's here that the lameness of the "groovy" vid manifests itself most clearly. For one, we're robbed of getting a sociological survey of what a Cure audience circa 1980 actually looked like. Did the make-up and the tear stained eyes come first, or did Rob dictate that himself? Are these shiny happy pop kids drunk on the sharp hooks, or intuitively depressive proto goths? I'd like to know.
I'd also like to know if there's a false ending right before the final minute, or if the video effects master tacked on :50 seconds of recycled footage. The fact that I'm guessing is pretty damning, visually.
the Cure - "Killing an Arab"
(Boston, 1980)
This performance destroys the flabby Paris show that was mentioned earlier as a disappointment. It's as aggressive and nervous as the subject matter demands. The acid casualty light show isn't quite as distracting in this one either.
the Cure - "Three Imaginary Boys"
The title track from TIB is my very favorite song of the band's entire career, so I'm thrilled that pre-00's footage of it is finally available. But thanks to the contextless YouTube post, we have no clue what year this might be. Since Smith doesn't yet resemble Edward Scissorhands, it has to be relatively early. The size of the crowd and venue suggest that they probably have a few albums under their belt, however. Anyone out there feel qualified to offer an educated guess?
As to the footage, it's pretty unambiguously great. I could do without the mic echo probably, but when the lights go down and the goosebump epidemic that is the late guitar solo kicks in, all is most definitely well.
the Cure - "Three Imaginary Boys"
Posted by Jeff Klingman at June 27, 2007 05:10 PM
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Comments
Hi!
Thanks for the videos! Great stuff!
Can't agree with you on TIB, but I see your point. My desert island Cure record is Disintegration, how original right? But if i could bring just one recording instead of one album it would be the Trilogy DVD they released a few years back : The Cure at their top as a live band playing Pornography, Disintegration and Bloodflowers in their entirety! Simply amazing! If you don't like this, you just don't like The Cure, plain and simple!
The Three Imaginary Boys footage is from The Cure in Orange video. Filmed in France during the Head on the Door tour in the mid-80's. Robert Smith's first appereance with short hair in about 10 years!
Posted by: earthling at June 27, 2007 09:15 PM
Ah! So it was a return to the clean cut look. A fake out!
Thanks for the clarification...
Posted by: Jeff K at June 27, 2007 09:29 PM
