Remix, Remaster, Reissue

I have mixed opinions on re-issues, sometimes they’re good, and worth it, other times it really does seem like cashing in. In the digital age, it’s great to be able to get our mitts on b-sides and demos and unreleased material that’s not always easy to get a hold of. On the other hand it can be quite dull, particularly if the demos sound like weak versions of the final tracks, or live versions that don’t stand out much,you have to ask yourself, what is the point in buying it.

Thankfully The Cure are a band where re-issues work in their favour. The original CD versions of ‘Faith’ and ‘Pornography’ suffered from sounding weaker and quieter than the cassette and vinyl versions, and with unreleased tracks and the instrumental film soundtracks to their tour films, Carnage Visors and Airlock.

Earlier this year, The Cure bestowed upon us the 3 CD deluxe edition of 1990s Mixed Up. Which served up the singles ‘Never Enough’ and under the sea ‘Closer Mix’ of ‘Close To Me’.

CD1 – Mixed Up
Mixed Up itself is a strange beast, drawing together 12″ mixes of Lullaby, Love Song and the near 9 minute long version of Fascination Street, which was released in the US. Also included are a re-recorded, more modern sounding, ‘Everything Mix’ of The Walk. The original master tapes had been lost. There is also the boring ‘Tree Remix’ of  A Forest.

There’s also the 12″ mix of Hot! Hot! Hot! which is one of my personal highlights of Mixed Up. Sadly the album stumbles a bit, with the pretty awful ‘Dub’ mix of Pictures of You, which the baggy bass and drums just don’t seem to sit comfortably in. The ‘Flicker’ mix of The Caterpillar and the ‘Shiver Mix’ of Inbetween Days feel they are lacking something, at least they tried something different but along with the mix of a Forest feel like these tracks are dragging down the album somewhat.

CD 2 – Remixes 1982-1990
This is where the dusty gems are hidden.
There are mainly 12″ mixes, but the things is The Cure do good do a good 12″ mix. There’s of Let’s Go To Bed and in particular Just One Kiss to remind you of why you want to be listening to The Cure.

Close To Me features again, along with the 1986 re-recorded mix of Boy’s Don’t Cry. The fun doesn’t stop there, Why Can’t I Be You? which originally only appeared on the Cassette and Double Vinyl of Mixed Up, but now available to everyone along with 12″ mix of it’s b-side A Japanese Dream. There’s finally a place to the full extended single mix of Pictures Of You (my vinyl copy kept skipping).

There’s also the b-side mixes from Close To Me and Never Enough, which comprise of the ‘Milk Mix’ of Let’s Go To Bed, ‘Dizzy Mix’ of Just Like Heaven and the ‘Red Mix’ of Primary. Rounded off by what I was once led to believe was the ‘demo’ version of The Love Cats, it sounds better than the original and is actually the ‘TC and Benny Mix’.

CD 3 -Torn Down
Robert Smith decided to remix one of his favourite tracks from each Cure album. The result is Torn Down, which is very much a mixed bag.

Three Imaginary Boys (Help Me Mix)
The original drums and bass are out the window, with a underwater arpy sounding synth plodding away in the background, with the guitar over the top. An interesting way to go about it.

M (Attack Mix)
Similar approach to the previous mix, but sounds less claustrophic and depressing.

The Drowning Man (Bright Birds Mix)
Here’s one of the reasons you should buy this album, tracks like this one. This sounds like it could easily have been an unreleased mix of the song from the time of Faith. Different piano and strings along with the odd effect really add to the atmosphere of this song.

Strange Day (Drowning Waves Mix)
Another one of those tracks that is worth buying this for, there’s additions of background synths of a 1985ish era that remind me of A-Ha for some reason.  It just adds something extra to the tune.

Just One Kiss (Remember Mix)
This is an interesting alternative mix or the track, it doesn’t take anything away from it, but it doesn’t add that much either. That’s not a bad thing.

Shake Dog Shake (New Blood Mix)
A bit boring really, similar to the previous track. I’ve never really been that partial to this song though.

A Night Like This (Hello Goodbye Mix)
Personally this is not my bag. The more pronounced saxophone on it, and the saw synth that is subtly in the background. Much prefer the original, this mix changes the atmosphere of the original song.

Like Cockatoos (Lonely In The Rain Mix)
This is different and unexpected, though the stabbing synth added to this, it could possibly do without. It makes it seem that Robert was running ideas a bit for mixes, following a similar pattern. It’s an enjoyable enough track though.

Plainsong (Edge Of The World Mix)
Plainsong is a track that would be very difficult to improve. This mix, changes the atmosphere from the original, and makes it sound brighter and happier, it’s not bad, it’s just different.

Never Enough (Time To Kill Mix)
Robert said he went back to the demo to create this, and it shows. The demo isn’t that far off the original and this feels more like a demo of Never Enough than a mix, you’re better off listening to the single version.

From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea (Love In Vain Mix)
It feels like there’s lots of extra strings in this and it works really well.

Want (Time Mix)
It’s like an angrier sounding version of Want, that isn’t quite as good as the original. It feels it’s been done in a rush, a bit copy’n’paste.

The Last Day Of Summer (31st August Mix)
Feels like an alternative mix of the album track, works well.

Cut Here (If Only Mix)
Looses some of the energy of the original, but doesn’t lose anything else.

Lost (Found Mix)
This is the title track on the self titled album ‘The Cure’, which was pretty samey and indisinct apart from ‘The End of The World’ and ‘Alt End’ the musical rehash of Seventeen Seconds’ track In Your House. I haven’t listened to the original in ages, and a quick visit to YouTube reminds me why, it’s fucking awful. Thankfully this mix sounds far better and less whiny.

It’s Over (Whisper Mix)
I did like 4:13 Dream, but I never listened to it that much. This album felt like The Cure were getting their mojo back, partly I’m sure to long time Cure guitarist Porl Thomson returning to the fold. Another quick trip to YouTube, tell me that, this is different in a good way to the original, which was also enjoyable.

All in all, the deluxe version of Mixed Up is worth any Cure fan picking up. Even though it suffers in places, at least The Cure have tried different things rather than just churning out the same old thing.