The Cure - Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me

Released in 1987, at the height of the compact-disc revolution, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me is the prototypical CD album. Cure architect Robert Smith knew that the newly popular format could handle almost twice as much music as records, and he wasn't about to waste the space. Unfortunately, many of Kiss Me's 17 tracks sound more like B-sides. The cream is certainly worth culling, however; "Catch," "How Beautiful You Are," and the alternative-rock staple "Just Like Heaven" are among the Cure's finest moments. "Hot Hot Hot!!!" and "Why Can't I Be You?" reveal that underneath all the dyed-black hair and glum stares lay a fervent dance band. Who knew? --Bill Crandall Amazon.com

Classic Cure

The Cure is one of the rare few bands that has been around for twenty some years and not look or sound like some outdated dinosaur like every hair metal band who are trying to resurrect their sagging careers in recent years. One of my all time favorite albums is by The Cure (i.e DISINTEGRATION). I am finally getting around to check out the band's other albums, prior and after DISINTEGRATION.

KISS ME, KISS ME, KISS ME is my first foray into the band's past. Having loved PORNOGRAPHY, DISINTREGATION, and BLOODFLOWERS so much, it was a bit hard for me to letting go of the band's dark, atmospheric sounds on those albums but I eventually did. KISS ME, KISS ME, KISS ME is am unforgettable mix of post punk, pop, and hints of goth. The version I have is the original recording so the production value is awful. I like how diverse KISS ME, KISS ME, KISS ME is from the post-punk sounds of the opening track "The Kiss" to the Middle Eastern-tinged "If Only Tonight We Could Sleep". My only other quibble with the cd is that it is a little long for my tastes. Songs like "The Snakepit" (one of my least favorite tracks) could have been edited down to three and a half minutes as opposed to over six minutes of incessant droning. For all its minor flaws, KISS ME, KISS ME, KISS ME is still a great piece of work by one of the greatest bands ever to walk the face of the earth...The Cure. This album is definitely worth checking out for new fans of The Cure. September 22, 2007

I wanna hold you like a doll...

I followed the infectious scent of Just Like Heaven (the greatest pop song ever written) to this album, and found myself listening to one of the greatest records I've ever heard. A few of my favorite songs on this record are as follows:

Torture
If Only Tonight We Could Sleep
Why Can't I Be You
Just Like Heaven
All I Want
Shiver and Shake

There's just so much mood and euphoria in these songs. The greatness of Just Like Heaven spills over into all the other compositions. Love it! Always will.

July 19, 2006

In response to SRS

"Breathe" and "A Chain Of Flowers" are available on the Join The Dots boxset.

"Hey You!!!" will be released with all its brothers and sisters in August 2006 as the next reissue campaign from Rhino (US) and Fiction/Uni (UK) takes place. They are releasing the deluxe editions of The Top, The Head On The Door, and Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me. They corrected the omission of "Hey You!!!" so we have the full album as it should be. Why it took them this long, I have no idea. Prince's 1999 cd suffered the same fate (Warners omitted "DMSR" to make the 74 min disc, but corrected it in 1991 when the capacity was increased).

OK, I should write a review...

KMKMKM came out the summer I moved from my childhood home. I remember the video of Robert Smith dressed like a bear or something in the video for "Why Can't I Be You?" and I recall falling in love with the song. I went out, bought the cassette, and the rest is history. This shows The Cure in all facets of their career...moody, gloomy, depressing, happy, poppy, dancey, quirky, rhythmic, tribal, etc. Take all of The Cure's works prior to 1987, mix it up onto a double album, and you have this one. Essential...even the filler is enjoyable if you are real Cure fan. June 10, 2006

Problematic

Firstly, the CD is still missing Hey You, even though modern CD players can play 80 minute discs. Further, it's missing the songs Breathe and A Chain of Flowers, which are B-sides that should have been included since they're better than songs that made the cut like Torture, Fight, and The Perfect Girl.

This CD desperately needs to come out in remastered form (no clipping or compression in the remastering process, please) with Breathe, A Chain of Flowers, and Hey You. May 6, 2006

Overkill

Double albums are usually the bane of artistry. Sure, it gives bands the opportunity to vent everything in their collective spleens at the moment it was recorded but all too often they succumb to indulgence. In this, the Cure are not immune. There are simply too many songs here that are just "OK" or mediocre and they bring down the album as a whole. Had the album been cut in size by half, this would be a much stronger collection.

HIGHLIGHTS:
For the most part, it's the singles that fare best here. "Catch" is a delicate ballad carried along on a modest string (or at least synth string) arrangement. "Why Can't I Be You?" is 3 minutes of dizzy ecstasy helped along by a zippy horn arrangement. ("Everything you do is simply delicate/Everything you do is quite angelicate/Why can't I be you?") "Just Like Heaven" is the Cure at its most erotic ("'Show me how you do that trick/The one that makes me scream' she said") while "Hot! Hot! Hot!" is a bit more coy with its passion. ("Hey hey hey!!/But I like it when that lightning comes/Hey hey hey!!/Yes I like it alot") "How Beautiful You Are" is Smith venting his disgust at a former (girl?)friend when she encountered impoverished gypsies in the street. ("How Beautiful" was the thoughts of the gypsies reflected in their eyes while her reaction was 'I hate these people staring/Make them go away from me!'")"The Perfect Girl" is probably the best of the album tracks, a could've been single with a great keyboard riff.

LOWS:
Sure the riffing is loud on "The Kiss" but the song just never really goes anywhere. "Shiver and Shake" later in the album is a much better distillation of Smith's anger. ("You're just three sick holes that run like sores") "Fight" DOES sound like the Cure's attempt at writing a "pump your fist" arena rocker and as such it's a poor fit for the band.

BOTTOM LINE:
Not essential. Most of the best tracks here are on GALORE or GREATEST HITS. Bigger Cure fans can get it and burn the best stuff (2,5,6,8,10,11,14,and 16) onto their own CD-R anthology. March 8, 2006

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