Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ideal intro to classic Cure, 1 May 2002
By A Customer
I'm an admirer of the Cure rather than a fully paid up fan, and don't own any Cure albums other than this, but among the 17 songs here are 5 bona fide masterpieces.I hadn't heard "Killing an arab" for 20 years, and for me it's the absolute best Cure song ever - the arabian-style guitar, the brilliant guitar work, the atmosphere, the desolate lyrics. "10:15 saturday night" is another work in the same mould - wonderfully atmospheric, brilliant guitar breaks. "A forest" must be the definitive Cure song - hypnotic bass, guitar and vocals and swooshy sound effects over a drum machine - a bit Doctor Who-ish in a way, and totally - well, yes - brilliant. Then there's "The love cats" - a song which is virtually impossible to sit still to. Double bass and piano - your grandma would love it too. Finally there's "Close to me", a song that's sounds as if it's been put together in the kitchen with string and sellotape, which is what gives it it's charm. There's a lot of other songs on this album, but for me it's those 5 that make this compilation a must have.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sometimes I Dream, 30 Jul 2001
"Staring at the Sea" is a collection of singles from the band's albums from "Three Imaginary Boys" (released in America as "Boys Don't Cry," with a few variations) in 1979 up through "Head on the Door" in 1985. This album provides a fine panorama of the Cure's progression from a power (punk) trio (Killing an Arab, Boys Don't Cry), through the heavily synthesized sounds of Faith (Other Voices), the gothic, drum machine of Pornography (The Hanging Garden), to the Cure's most complex (and commercially successful) arrangements in Head on the Door (Inbetween Days, Close to Me). New fans will instantly fall in love with Boys Don't Cry, Love Cats, Caterpillar, Inbetween Days and Close to Me. "Killing an Arab" was the band's first single, and despite its name, is merely an adaptation of Albert Camus' "The Stranger," not a reflection of any racial animosity. "Charlotte Sometimes" is a gem on this album. It was never released on a full-length album, yet it is a favorite of many Cure fans; the studio version is a bit sluggish, though, and fans will find that songs like "Let's Go to Bed," "The Walk," and "Charlotte" (though cleverly appealing as mid-80s antiquities) are literally transformed by the performances of these songs in the live CDs "Show" and "Paris." This compilation is outstanding, though. New fans are encouraged to check out "Galore," which is a collection of more recent singles that most people are more familiar with, but when you are ready to fall in love with the Cure, and you will, this album should immediately become part of your CD collection.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nuggets amongst the dirges, 6 Oct 2001
I'll admit, I'm not a committed Cure fan, but BLIMEY did they write some great songs! A lot of their album stuff, for which I just never had the patience and perseverance, is thankfully given another chance on this value-for-money compilation. How could anyone resist Love Cats, Let's Go To Bed or Inbetween Days? I've always loved Smith for his unnerving juxtaposition of the upbeat melody, the suicidal lyric and the frankly comedic video, mixed in various proportions according to the individual track recipe. Crazy, loveable, sexy and highly individual - I hate to break it to you but there'll never be another Cure. If you need proof it's Staring At The Sea.
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