WINNER - Battle of the New Wave Bands

Drum Roll please .....  and the Winner of the New Wave Bands contest ..... by the closest of margins...... is THE CLASH!

The outcome was always in doubt and not determined until the final vote was cast.

Two distinct camps were forged throughout the contest, the synth-goth-emo crowd up against diehard punk rockers.  Depeche Mode, New Order, Cure and Smiths crowd vs. the Ramones, Sex Pistols, Clash and Undertones fanatics.  Kinda like Disco vs. Rock in the 70s.

New Wave music is a vibrant diversified genre, and in light of the narrow victory, I am comfortable recognizing the Finalists as Winners in distinct sub-genres as follows:

The CLASH - Winner in Punk Rock category
The CURE   - Winner in Goth Pop category

Thanks goes out to all the loyal fans of New Wave music who cast votes in every Round!  Without your regular participation this contest would not have been possible!!


P.S.  I am currently ON VACATION but will amend this post with additional materials on the Clash upon my return, i.e. Ranking of their albums and Top 25 Clash songs.

Battle of New Wave Bands - Finalists (Round 5)

The final championship match-up has been confirmed!  The voting was equally split until the very end!!

The two Final Bands standing are:

The Cure (58%)                                   vs.                           The Clash (58%)




The Cure Studio albums

 (courtesy Wikipedia)

• Three Imaginary Boys (1979)
• Seventeen Seconds (1980)
• Faith (1981)
• Pornography (1982)
• The Top (1984)
• The Head on the Door (1985)
• Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (1987)
• Disintegration (1989)
• Wish (1992)
• Wild Mood Swings (1996)
• Bloodflowers (2000)
• The Cure (2004)
• 4:13 Dream (2008)

The Clash Studio albums

 (courtesy Wikipedia)

• The Clash (1977)
• Give 'Em Enough Rope (1978)
• London Calling (1979)
• Sandinista! (1980)
• Combat Rock (1982)
• Cut the Crap (1985)

Simply select the ONE band that is best representative of the New Wave genre and ethos.


Deadline:    Friday April 25th 5pm EST.

Thanks for your ongoing participation throughout the Battle of the Bands!

Make this Final Vote Count.  I suspect a Winner will not be evident until the final submission!

Battle of the New Wave Bands - Final Four (Round 4)

The Final Four have been determined!!!

After a tight even split of votes in the early going, clear favorites emerged in the end.  Below are the winners (and margin of victory) of the four brackets, and the Final Four match-ups:

    

              

A)  The Cure  (64%)              vs.               D)  Talking Heads  (73%)

   

B) The Smiths  (55%)             vs.               C)  The Clash  (64%)

The Final Four are all giants that left an indelible imprint during their heyday:

A)  The Cure debuted in 1976 and Robert Smith created a series of dark, brooding records that planted the seed for goth rock.  Top LP's included Three Imaginary Boys (1979), Head on the Door (1985) and Disintegration (1989).  Controversial song 'Killing an Arab' was based on Camus classic novel 'The Stranger'.

B)  The Smiths were another brooding, melancholy UK band that featured Morrissey, a celibate ironic crooner and Johnny Marr, guitarist extraordinaire.  Formed in 1982 the band released five albums before disbanding in 1987, with high-points being 'Queen is Dead' LP and the haunting 'How Soon is Now' single.

C) The Clash were formed ironically after Joe Strummer saw the Sex Pistols in concert during 1976, but quickly became the definitive UK punk band.  Hard rocking, passionate with a leftist political ideology, their motto was 'the only band that matters'.  Musically the Clash evolved to explore dub reggae, rockabilly and soul/blues in their pinnacle 'London Calling' 2-LP record.  'Clampdown' and 'Guns of Brixton' still resonate.

D) Talking Heads got it's start early opening for the Ramones in the seminal CBGB punk club.  David Byrne came from the art school New York scene, and brought theatrical intellectual edge to the band.  And music that morphed from punk pop to a funk/R&B unique rhythmic hybrid.  Ten LPs were released over a 12 year career, with the first four essential listening.  'Pyscho Killer' and 'Life During Wartime' are personal favorites.


Simply send a Comment  (enter Name only in Name/URL drop-down option) to this post with your selections.  

DEADLINE for Votes:  Friday, April 18th 10 pm.  

Battle of the New Wave Bands - Elite 8 (Round 3)

We are now down to the remaining Elite 8 bands, all influential in their own right.  Several were near-unanimous selections, namely the Cure, Police, Clash and New Order.  Depeche Mode came soooo close to upending the Ramones, but the last vote cast decided the winner!

Now for Round 3, the selections become that much more difficult but the actual voting process is simple: select one winner for each of the four brackets, ie

A)  Cure vs Police

B)  Ramones vs. Smiths

C)  Clash vs. New Order

D)  Sex Pistols vs. Talking Heads

Simply send a Comment  (enter Name only in Name/URL drop-down option) to this post with your selections.  As a reminder, when voting take into account the Band's legacy to the New Wave genre and their entire body of work.

The winners for Round 3 will be announced in this coming weekend, so DEADLINE is Friday April 11th, 10 pm EST. 

GOOD LUCK and MAKE YOUR VOTES COUNT!

A) El Mocambo			B) CBGB
1. English Beat	4. Cure (91%)		1. Ramones
4. Cure		1. Ramones (55%)	4. Depeche Mode
2. Blondie	3. Police (82%)		2. Smiths
3. Police		2. Smiths (64%)	3. Joe Jackson
D) 100 Club			C) Roxy
1. Sex Pistols	1. Sex Pistols (73%)		1. Clash
5. Duran Duran		1. Clash (91%)	5. Pretenders
2. Elvis Costello	3. Talking Heads (64%)		2. New Order
3. Talking Heads		2. New Order (91%)	6. Undertones

Battle Of The New Wave Bands - Sweet Sixteen (Round 2)

The results for Battle New Wave Bands (Round 1) have been tallied and 32 core acts have been reduced to 16 worthy of consideration for little of Most Popular New Wave Band as selected by your Votes.

Simply send a Comment  (enter Name only in Name/URL drop-down option) to this post with your selections, ie A) 1, 3   B) 1, 2  etc......

As a reminder, when voting take into account the Artist/Band's legacy to the New Wave genre and their entire body of work.

The winners for Round 2 will be announced in one weeks time, so DEADLINE is Sunday April 6th, 6 pm EST.   Good Luck and make your VOTES Count!

A) El Mocambo			B) CBGB
1. English Beat	A Winner 1 vs 4		1. Ramones
4. Cure		B Winner 1 vs 4	4. Depeche Mode
2. Blondie	A Winner 2 vs 3		2. Smiths
3. Police		B Winner 2 vs 3	3. Joe Jackson
D) 100 Club			C) Roxy
1. Sex Pistols	D Winner 1 vs 5		1. Clash
5. Duran Duran		C Winner 1 vs 5	5. Pretenders
2. Elvis Costello	D winner 2 vs 3		2. New Order
3. Talking Heads		C Winner 2 vs 6	6. Undertones

FULL REVIEW - The Cure, 'Three Imaginary Boys' (1979, Fiction)

LP - Side 1

1. 10.15 Saturday Night

2.  Accuracy 

3.  Grinding Halt 

4.  Another Day 

5.  Object 

6.  Subway Song

LP - Side 2

1.  Foxy Lady

2.  Meathook 

3.  So What  

4.  Fire in Cairo 

5.  It's Not You  

6.  Three Imaginary Boys   

7.  The Weedy Burton 

Album Art Cover

The first thing that strikes one when considering Cure’s 1979 debut UK LP ‘Three Imaginary Boys’ is the bizarre album cover depicting a lamp, fridge and vacuum cleaner.   What the heck?  As it turns out, the Cure had no say in the cover ‘art’ or in the song selections (ie Hendrix’s Foxy Lady).  Producer Chris Parry made those decisions with Robert Smith’s consent.  In addition, the vinyl cover and disc label had no song listing, but rather pictograms of each song (in random order) were included on LP back cover.  Good luck figuring out what song was what, especially in pre-Internet days. Finally, the inner sleeve also had strange photo of a house and colour-coded credits / references.  Very unique and strange packaging for a debut LP!

Band and Music

Let’s shift to the band and music.  Robert Smith is the Cure, but he began by playing piano, and assumed role of frontman/guitarist only when the lead vocalist of Easy Cure resigned in 1977. Michael Dempsey is the bassist (but left due to concerns of musical direction in subsequent LPs ie the ‘Dark Trilogy’), and Lol Tolhurst was the drummer (until fired for alcohol/drug abuse during ‘Disintegration’ recording sessions).  A band with three boys!!!  This record is a fascinating primer for the Cure and the musical genres and themes that follow throughout the 1980s.  The music is tight and varied, while the lyrics address themes of depression, sexual tension, existentialism… just your average teenage concerns.

Comparison to ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ LP

The Cure’s US debut LP is ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ in 1980 featuring a number of similar tracks from ‘Three Imaginary Boys’, although in different track sequence, in addition to three previously released singles; the controversial Killing an Arab based on Albert Camus’ novel ‘The Stranger,’ Boys Don’t Cry and Jumping Someone Else’s Train.  The cover art of 'Boys Don't Cry' is the pictogram for Fire in Cairo from the back cover of ‘Three Imaginary Boys’ LP.

In my opinion, ‘Three Imaginary Boys’ is the definitive debut LP by the Cure and the more consistent in terms of song selection and sequence of the two LPs.

Original Vinyl LP – Side 1

We are introduced to The Cure’s debut LP with the atmospheric opening track 10:15 Saturday Night. It was the B-side of their single Killing an Arab, based on Albert Camus’ novel ‘The Stranger.’  It was also released as a single in France, with Accuracy as the B-side.  The song starts with a low sound that builds in intensity (guitar riff) and eases into a steady bass line.  Can you hear that slight sigh of breathe towards the end?  Good use of musical pacing and lyrics to convey emotional pain, longing and isolation.  With Cure lyrics, often there are two streams of meaning.  Is this song simply about the anxiety of waiting for your loved one and not knowing where they are?  Is it a deeper existential wail? Is it like ‘Waiting for Godot’?  You decide. 

“And the tap drips
Drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip”

The second track Accuracy has a groovier bass driven sound.  The lyrics are cryptic (are you surprised?) but hint at a player, a manipulative seducer, who practices his art of deception to perfection.  But there is a sinister threat uttered:

“Look into my eyes / We both smile / I could kill you / Without trying”

Grinding Halt is next track, an upbeat bopping song despite its minimalist pessimistic lyrics:

                “No sound / No people / No clocks / No people…. Stopped / Short / Grinding halt”

Is the world coming to an end?  Should we be worried or rejoice?  Is this similar to R.E.M.’s  ‘It’s the End of the World (I Feel Fine)’ or with a dark edge.   Well, the song ends with the sound of the vinyl record slowing to an abrupt stop.  My interpretation is apathy rather than fear.

Next up is Another Day, a slow brooding song that speaks to the paralyzing power of boredom and depression often experienced at that impressionable age.  Waking up, waiting for the new day to end, even before it has begun:

“The eastern sky grows Cold / Winter in water colors / Shades of grey”

The fifth track is Object, a song with a driving sound and interesting use of echo.  The tone is one of a conflicted seducer or one being seduced?  A sad statement of sexist objectification of desire at the expense of a meaningful relationship.  Getting to really know and respect someone is much harder than simply getting laid. The words are macho but hint at pain of rejection and hurt. 

“You know you turn me on / Eyes so white and legs so long
But don't try to talk to me / I won't listen to your lies”

Side 1 ends with the creepy horror vignette Subway Song.   Packed in the brief 2:00 minutes is an vivid atmosphere of approaching doom, with very few words. There is a Cabaret feel to it, with fingers clicking, toes tapping (tip top tip top), and a harmonica.  The music fades….. you think the song is over… then the terrible SCREAM (via distorted reverb) or the CRASH of the train running over the victim? MURDER she wrote!  Full lyrics below:

“Midnight in the subway / She's on her way home
She tries hard not to run /  But she feels she's not alone
Echoes of footsteps / Follow close behind
But she dare not turn around  / Turn around”

Original Vinyl LP – Side 2

Side 2 begins with a sound check.  Yes and the band are jamming to Foxy Lady by Jimi Hendrix.  How did it make this album?  Blame it on the producer!  Robert Smith was not happy with this song’s inclusion.  But upon careful (and repeated listening), the selection works.  This version is edgier, less distinct (Michael Dempsey is actually singing) interpretation.  It belongs on this album.  Sorry Robert Smith, you have been over-ruled!  (Lyrics not re-printed due to copyright by a guitar legend).

After the shock of a Hendrix jam session, we move into an original Easy Cure (1977) composition Meathook.  The sound is cool, assured with neat bass pattern.  But the lyrics are anything but clear.  What is going on here?

“That butcher man was some...  Lady
He really stole my heart
He hung me up on his meat hook
A real piece of...  Slaughterhouse art”

The third track on Side 2 is So What, a song with anxious singing and non-stop rambling words.  Sounds to me like the barrage of advertising and consumerism we are exposed to on a daily basis.  The chaos and noise of modern life.  I can’t get no …. Satisfaction!

Fire in Cairo is a wonderfully crafted catchy ‘pop’ song that could have easily been a single.  It is a seductively suggestive love song, wonderfully depicting the fire of passion:

“Shifting crimson veil, Silken hips
Slide under my hand, Swollen lips
Whisper my name, and I yearn
You take me in your arms, And start to burn”

The repetition is alluring:  F-I-R-E-I-N-C-A-I-R-O,  F-I-R-E-I-N-C-A-I-R-O.  But in the end is it real or a dream?   “Then the heat disappears / And the mirage Fades away”

The next track is It’s Not You, an upbeat tune with a pronounced guitar riff.  The lyrics are straight-forward:

“Well I'm tired of hanging around / I want somebody new
I'm not sure who I've got in mind / But I know … That it's not you”

The debut LP ends with the title track Three Imaginary Boys, a haunting evocative (early gothic?) and complex composition.  The music is even-paced, hypnotic as if under a trance!  The themes explored are depression, loss, existential angst, fear of being alone.  Comprehensive choice of words are deployed to convey these feelings: “footsteps, shadows, statues, echoes, scared, empty feeling, heart beats, nighttime, disappearing, moon, cracked reflection, whispers, silence, pressing.”  

“Scared of what the morning brings / Waiting for tomorrow …. Never comes”

Who are the Three Imaginary Friends? The song appropriately ends with the plaintive cry “Can you help me?”

This would be the end of the record, but for a hidden thirteenth track, now referred to as the Weedy Burton.  Personally, the 1:04 minute instrumental bar song doesn’t add a thing to the flow of the record. In fact, it sounds as if someone left the tape running. The producer’s in-side joke perhaps???

Assessment

What an audacious debut LP!  From the strange cover art, the missing track listings, hidden track, Hendrix sound check track, but assured and varied musicianship…..to the broad existential themes, hints at the ‘darker’ gothic records to come, and their decision to be anti-celebrities (no band photos during their first 4-5 LPs), the Cure staked their claim as a band that could not easily be labeled.   An incredible accomplishment.

Rating

LP Rating:                  5/5

Vinyl Rating:              NM

Dedication

I would like to thank a work colleague, Julie Proulx, for graciously donating her vinyl records for my discovery and review.  'Three Imaginary Boys' was amongst those records, as well as the near complete vinyl Cure collection.   As I learned, Julie is a knowledgeable Cure fan.  I must admit, I had not had the pleasure of listening to the first 4-5 Cure records, being exposed to the Cure largely during the mid 1980s (Love Cats, The Walk, In Between Days).  This is the main reason for this blog.  Exactly to re-discover great music I had missed the first time around.  Thanks once again Julie!!!!