The Cure Survivor - Bloodflowers

[bono_212]

PLEASE VOTE FOR YOUR THREE FAVORITES

Sorry again for the delay, gang. Almost done with the semester

So, after a riveting round of Wild Mood Swings we are left with the Tier 3 survivor looking something like this:

Want (6 Votes)
Mint Car (5 Votes)

They will join:

Boys Don't Cry
10:15 Saturday Night
Jumping Someone Else's Train
Killing an Arab

Oh wow, we hadn't had a tier 3 album in a while!

So, now we arrive at the very last Tier 2 album, Bloodflower

PLEASE VOTE FOR YOUR THREE FAVORITES

After this, we're down to only two albums left!

 

[bono_212]

Gut reaction is "Out of This World", "Maybe Someday" and "There Is No If..." but I need to give it a spin to be sure.

BTW, poll is open for two days. I'll run the self-titled over the weekend and then we'll finish with 4:13 Dream Monday and Tuesday. I'll probably only be running the Join the Dots and B-Side rounds for 24 hours.

 

[the tourist]

I've never heard Coming Up. Was it on a special release?

 

[bono_212]

According to Wiki: (Bonus track on the Australian and Japanese versions of Bloodflowers. It also appears on all vinyl versions and Join the dots box set.) Where it is apparently track 6.

I assumed since there are a few Aussies and Audiophiles voting, it's better safe than sorry. I can still put it in the appropriate Join the Dots round if necessary.

 

[bono_212]

Good Lord, what an album! I listened to it TOO much after I first heard it and got a little sick of it. Now it's been a year or so since I last heard it, and the break has proved to be QUITE a refresher.

Not sure what to vote for, still though. Every song between "Maybe Someday" and "The Loudest Song" is excellent. Plus the title track. Guh!

 

[Danny Boy]

I assumed since there are a few Aussies and Audiophiles voting, it's better safe than sorry.

I bought the Australian release just to get this bonus track. Not in my top three, though.

Also, thought this was a good place for this in case no one has ever seen it. Behold early internet music videos:

The Cure - Out Of This World - Animated Video (2000) - YouTube

 

[bono_212]

I almost feel like I had seen that somewheres before. That's actually pretty cool looking.

 

[the tourist]

This album was my first Cure album. It's only a hair behind Disintegration for me.

 

[Axver]

It's been so long since I've listened to Bloodflowers that I've forgotten pretty much everything about it.

 

[djerdap]

Bloodflowers, Watching Me Fall, 39

But I regret Maybe Someday not making it. The only really good album post-Wish.

 

[the tourist]

Wow. Only 7 votes so far?

 

[iron yuppie]

This album is at times strikingly beautiful. A lot of it bleeds together, though, so it is hard to pick favorites. I will say that Last Day of Summer is my favorite track here. I think Watching Me Fall and 39 will be my other choices.

 

[u2popmofo]

Random side note:

I remember when this album came out, looking at the song title "39" and thinking, "Wow, Robert Smith is old". I'm now only 4 years from that.

 

[bono_212]

Didn't even realize that's what it was referring to.

You know what troubles me? That he's NOW 51? It doesn't seem like 2000 could POSSIBLY have been that long ago.


I should probably vote.

 

[u2popmofo]

I should probably vote.

I can tell it's late, as I thought you were talking about the presidential election for about 5 seconds after reading this.

 

[bono_212]

Man, it must just be one of those nights. That for you and I made that stupid Bowie fuck up in RMT.

 

[u2popmofo]

From what I remember of interviews when Bloodflowers came out, a lot of the album was about turning 40 (39, The Last Day of Summer, Out of This World, etc).

 

[bono_212]

I've noticed recently that a lot of the album also appears to be about a dying relationship, which made me kind of sad for a second, because he and his wife have been together for friggin'ever. Then I remembered this album came out like 12 years ago, so either he's a masochist, or they worked things out.

 

[Danny Boy]

Has anyone heard Spilt Milk? It was a bonus track that was only available if you pre-ordered through CDNOW. Bob in full-on midlife crisis mode.

Spilt Milk- The Cure - YouTube

I don't think I ever know if I ever really want it
Could be why I'm never sure if I ever really got it
And I guess it's maybe easier not to think too much about it...

A house a car a family and friends
Yeah, it all means to justify the ends

But sometimes...I wonder...in the back of my mind
Sometimes...I wonder...if I'm wasting all my time
Sometimes...I wonder...if I'm putting off my real life...

What I could've done, where I could've been
When I should've gone, when I should've seen
Who I would've loved, how I would've dreamed
And if it's always always too late...

I don't think I ever know that I ever really need it
Could be why I'm never sure that I ever really feel it
And I think it's maybe easier to guess I really mean it...

A house! A car! A family and friends!
Yeah, all it means to justify the ends

But sometimes...I wonder...

A girl! A smile! A holiday and sex!
Yeah, all it takes to make sense of the rest

But sometimes...I wonder...in the back of my mind
Sometimes...I wonder...if I'm killing all my time
Sometimes...I wonder...if I'm giving up my real life...

What I could've done, where I could've been
When I should've gone, why I should've seen
Who I would've loved, how I would've dreamed
And if it's always always too late...

And every day that I let slide
Is one more day I never try
To break the world
To make my fate
And with every day that I let go
It's one day less I never know
If it's always
Always too late...

 

[bono_212]

Wow...that might be the clearest lyric Robert ever wrote.

 

[Axver]

So I gave this album a spin today and I'd forgotten just how 1. good and 2. consistent it is.

The latter's a problem from the tournament's perspective though, because I'm no closer to having an opinion on what the three best tracks are.

 

[bono_212]

It's like you and I had the same exact experience.

 

[the tourist]

It's a great album. I struggled in not voting for The Loudest Sound and Out of this World.

In fact, I'm going to listen to this now.

And every fucking time I listen to it, it reminds me of the happiness and gutwrench of my first relationship. It was right around that time that I got this record because it was new and I loved the single. And the whole thing just fucking applied over that span of a year.

 

[bono_212]

I strategically votes or I would have voted for The Loudest Sound.

 

[Axver]

Finally decided on a vote. Out of This World and Maybe Someday seem the strongest to me.

Third vote was a tough one. Could've chosen any out of Where the Birds Always Sing, 39, and Bloodflowers. Went with WTBAS just to avoid creating an awkward tie. But if another vote is cast that does create an awkward tie, Ashley, feel free to re-allocate my WTBAS vote to either 39 or Bloodflowers if it will break the tie.

 

[bono_212]

Oh wow, Maybe Someday kind of ran away with it there at the end.