The Cure Album: “Show”

Some reviewers might think it's edgy -or that it makes for good writing- to insult a body of work as heavy-handedly as the editorial reviewer for amazon.com did.

But now that the uninformed, self-righteous bunk is all over-- let's go ahead and tell the truth about this amazing live performance. Please keep in mind that I usually *hate* concert recordings....

With regard to the "disposable product" comment, all I have to say is this: a friend gave me this album for my birthday in 1994. I have listened to it more than once a week for a decade.

In other words, it stayed interesting through middle school, high school, college, and my first year of marriage. I listened to it this morning. I'm still finding new things to love about this album. And last time I looked, there wasn't a Fat Bob in sight.

If you love music that melds ethereal, mellow, Gibson archtop sound (a characteristic of classic New Order and Smiths) with driving pop rhythm-- buy Show. If you want a great CD for long car trips, buy it. If you want to stay calm in DC traffic at rush hour.... you get the idea.

A host of beautiful but not so well-known songs is offered with a few safe hits for good measure. If you're bored with overplayed Cure, this is a refreshing experience. If you just want the hits, well... this album is a great tool for broadening your taste. Don't ever settle for just the greatest hits.

And don't worry. Show isn't just for die-hard fans. I learned to love this band working my way back from it. I wasn't the only one.... my parents, who are 60, discovered them as well.

If you buy this performace in any format, you will not be disappointed.

It make me sick to think that people who clearly know nothing about the Cure are reviewing their albums for the general public. This album is a great one for those of us who love the Cure and generally enjoy live performances that don't sound exactly like the albums. The setlist is great, ranging from the poppier "Friday I'm In Love" to the more intense "Fascination Street", with classics like "The Walk" and "Just Like Heaven" thrown in for the not-quite-yet fans. The band is a little older, a little more mature, and knows a little more about what makes their music so great. This is probably also the best lineup the band has ever had. One of the things that makes the Cure so wonderful is all of the different instruments and sounds that don't quite seem like they should fit together but do beautifully. This album is no exception. Each member knows their part to play, and it comes together "just like a dream". I recommend this album especially for anyone who gets excited about live performances. It's not quite as good as actually seeing them live, but nothing is. Buy it. And while you're at it, buy every Cure album ever cut. You may soon find it's "never enough".

without knowing much about the cure, i would say that this cd alone is enough to make me a real fan. having heard their "greatest hits" album, i would say that with the exception of "just like heaven", the real electrifying experience comes from hearing them live. "lullaby" was done absolutely perfectly--you can literally feel the song, its macabre rhythms, robert smith's genuinely eerie vocals, the sound effects of the "spiderman"...the concert was simply great art. the darkness of their music is chiefly what appeals to me, but the musicianship is so flawlessly done that even a naive listener like myself is amazed. buy this show.

I picked up this CD way back in the summer of '98 when I was 14 at my local Wal-Mart, not knowing a single song off of it. When I put it on, I was completely blown away. The album opens with an amazing redition of "Open" with soaring, dreamy guitars and pulsing drums as well as awesome lyrics. It then goes into other awesome hits such as the romantic "Pictures of You" the tragic beauty of "Trust" and the uplifting, joyous romps "Just Like Heaven" and "Doing the Unstuck". This album is good all the way through and there is absolutely no need to use the "skip" button on your CD player. The artwork in the booklet is very well done too, its very creative and artsy and has great photos of all the 5 members of the band (Rob Smith, Porl Thompson, Perry Bamonte, Simon Gallup and Boris Williams) as well as a sweeet fold-out poster of the whole band performing live on the stage. Last night I was listening to this CD on my bed and looking through the booklet and it was a great experience. Listening to the songs (which sound WAY better than the CD versions) and hearing the crowd cheer give you the feeling of actually being there for the concert. This CD is way better than other historic live albums such as the "Wishkah" one from Nirvana and the recent Skinny Puppy one recorden in Germany. After 4 long years this album has been with me through good times and bad and will continue to be one of my favourites; it'll probably be pretty much the same for you.

My only complaint about this CD is that it didn't include "Fascination Street". But it's still great tho. The live version of "Pictures of You" is incredible. I saw the Cure in concert on this tour (not in Auburn Hills, Michigan tho) and the stage lighting was way kewl.