Customer Reviews

Freakshow (Mix 13) Single

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

After hearing "The Only One," a pleasant enough song that's a clear rehash of other Cure singles, "Freakshow" really surprised me. It's a very adventurous, unique single that works within the Cure's sound but with a welcome new energy. It's most similar to "The Man Inside My Mouth" or other goofier mid-80's Cure songs, but it mostly sounds unlike anything they've done. A great, catchy song!

The B-side is well-matched, and it's also a great song. I'd given up on Cure B-sides, which haven't been exciting since Wild Mood Swings, and reached a low with the crap that backed their self-titled album. But "All Kinds of Stuff" actually has a tune! Good times.

After giving us a dose of familiar, lush Cure-pop with 'The Only One' last month, The Cure head into a more danceable and rhythmic direction with 'Freakshow'. All 2:32 long of this song are packed with energy and drive as opposed to the laconic and wistful singles of yesteryear (and yestermonth, actually). To a point one could almost say 'Freakshow' has a definite jazzy, R&B vibe to it without having to sound like either genre directly. The rhythm section (long-time bassist Simon Gallup and drummer Jason Cooper) keep a groove-heavy, stop-start beat while Porl Thompson's wah-wah treated lead guitar nimbly weaves in and out of the mix. Smith's vocals are the icing on the cake; as frenetic and herky-jerky as the rhythm. The b-side, 'All Kinds Of Stuff' is an upbeat rocker, that while not quite as frantic as say 'Shiver And Shake' is a close cousin to 'Cut' from the 'Wish' album. The b-side explores more angsty territory ("So maybe I took too much/ Maybe I lost my touch/ Maybe I'm all kinds of stuff/ Maybe...") and backs it up with a fast tempo and more fierce guitar playing.

'Freakshow' is now appearing in The Cure's current tour as an encore, usually played with older classics like 'Why Can't I Be You?' and 'Close To Me' to favorable, but still mixed reactions by the fans. Smith seems to be making the statement that this single easily stands up to his best dance hits, which it does.

How do you think fans who bought 'Pornography' felt when they heard 'Lets Go To Bed' about six months later? How did fans react to 'The 13th' after a four-year hiatus from recording new material? 'Freakshow' shows that this aging group of alternative rockers still have a few pleasant surprises and are more than willing to throw us a curveball every now and then.

Freakshow, the second single in the Cure's set of four heralding the arrival of their 13th album, is a very nice song, and reminiscent of the funky sounds of the band that we haven't heard done well since The Head on the Door and Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. Both the single and the b-side are fast pieces, the disc itself clocking in at six minutes for two songs. The guitar on both tracks is excellent and very wah-ful, which is a clear indicator of the importance of Porl's return to the lineup. The lyrics in Freakshow continue Robert's fascination with romance and sexuality seen in The Only One and NY Trip, though the b-side takes a darker turn, sounding akin to an outtake from their 2004 self-titled album. Though some fans may prefer the poppier sound of The Only One to this single, I find that Freakshow has a kind of excitement and ballsiness that Robert Smith hasn't shown in a long time. The singles have gone from good to great so far, so keep an eye out for the third single due in July.

First of all I am that kind of Cure fan that literally loves everything they do, although I love Disintegration, Wish, and Head on the Door more than their other albums... As soon as I put this disc on I was floored by how infectiously groovy it is, it made me instantly start shaking my hips and waving my arms. It's a crazy little wild dance frenzy hit that doesn't rely on tiresome electronic beats, blips, and samples to get your butt shakin'.

This is a great song like in the past 84-86's.... with great wha-wha guitars and great drumming lines.... very good style-sounding song....

"I can't believe it
I must be dreaming
She turns
The lights up
Says she is leaving
This is a freakshow
And I am beaten
She spins
The world round
I have to stop"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2dzAFCP4UY

NICE!! From a long time Cure fan: I'M happy with Freakshow. It isn't epic, but epic for The Cure is so much higher than most other bands. If this was a single from a random band, I would have given it an easy 5. I could have used two b-sides, but still, Freakshow is nice, light, quirky, and very very charming pop. The B-side, "All kinds of Stuff" is a more classic The Cure noise pop with roots from Disintegration (best album ever).

Is Freakshow different from what The Cure has released in the past? Yes and no. It has the same danceable feel that the song "The 13th" from the album "Wild Mood Swings" has and is reminiscent of one of the few good songs from the album "The Top," or even "Why Can't I Be You?" from the band's famous "Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me" album. Beyond that, the similarities end.
Definitely different from the material on their self-titled album (which is in my top 3 favorite Cure albums), Freakshow shows-off a happy side of Robert Smith and crew that hasn't been seen since "The Lovecats" in 1983.
Of course I can see why people complain about how this is such a violent shift from the band's past music, but remember: After the bleak album "Pornography," The Cure released the singles "Let's Go To Bed," "The Lovecats," and "The Walk," three of the happiest, care-free sounding Cure songs in the band's catalog.
As far as b-sides go, "All Kinds Of Stuff" is one of the better ones throughout the band's career. It follows in the same vein as the title track, however it's more straight-forward and guitar-driven.
All in all, it DID take me a few listens to fully appreciate the song, but, now that I have, I can't get enough of it and I eagerly look forward to the 13th of July, August, and, of course, September.

At last we're having a new cocky brave stylish song by The Cure. It's good to know that they still have the guts to try new sounds (like they used to do back in the days - before Disintegration) even at the risk of displeasing purist fans who just want them releasing morose gloom and doom music. Excellent.

This is somewhat different than anything I have heard put out by the Cure in the past but from the beginning I liked it! It is very fun! Took a while to figure out all of what he is saying, but even now that I do know and can sing along I still like it:) The Cure Rules!

I am thrilled that once again the Cure have some life in their songs - I'm enjoying this new single more than the first one because it's a bit of a departure from the last couple releases and that's a good thing. I found 'Bloodflowers' and 'The Cure' such a stale period of The Cure's career. Freakshow is a fine toe tapping gem with cowbell and all. Truly not disappointed and even more so looking forward to the release of the new cd in September.