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63 of 64 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nicely Presented, Nearly Complete, February 10, 2004
This review is from: Join the Dots: B-Sides & Rarities 1978-2001 (Audio CD)
This pretty terrific box of b-sides and rarities was originally issued in the UK and has now been released here in America. Though it's a welcome collection anywhere, it was intended for a British audience, so space is consumed by songs which most US fans have already, while some material that's probably easier to obtain in England is sadly excluded. For example: 10:15 Saturday Night, Plastic Passion, Just One Kiss, The Dream, The Upstairs Room, Lament, and Speak My Language have all been available for years in America on such albums as Japanese Whispers and Boys Don't Cry. While stuff like Curiosity, Carnage Visors, and the club mix of the Boys Don't Cry single were only briefly available in America (generally on cassette) and at stiff import prices. Maybe these gems will appear as bonus tracks on the forthcoming reissues, but it's an expensive hassle to rebuy albums you've had and played for years just for a handful of otherwise ungettable tunes that could easily have been included here. So much exquisite care went into the liner notes and packaging of this four-disc set that it might have been worth the extra time to prepare a US version to satisfy Cure completists on this side of the pond. I also think there are some rare but useless songs on this compilation that again just fill space. Do we really need multiple versions of mediocre covers like Hello I Love You and Purple Haze? And the remixes are almost all inferior to the originals. My complaints are kinda nit-picky, but since only hardcore fans will likely purchase this box set, buyers should probably be aware of them. In sum, Join The Dots is a highly enjoyable release that needlessly falls just short of perfection.
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46 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Lesser known facts...., January 29, 2004
This review is from: Join the Dots: B-Sides & Rarities 1978-2001 (Audio CD)
Being a fan of the Cure since I first heard the Concert and Curiousity cassette in late 1984, I have always searched out the more difficult to find material, B-sides, concert bootlegs, etc. If, like me, you like that sort of thing, you won't want to miss "Join the Dots." And don't get me wrong, no one I know loves this band as much as I do. So first the good news: It is a treasure trove of rare tracks. And as other reviewers have noted, the sound is greatly improved on the earlier B-sides that were put on the cassette version of Standing on a Beach back in 1986, especially "I'm Cold" one of my personal favorites. And now the bad : Their are several B-sides here that are readily available ( the Japanese Whispers set for starters ) and a few live B-sides I was hoping for that are not ( the incredible "Faith" from the Charlotte Sometimes 12" single, and the cuts from the UK multi pack of the "Hanging Garden"). Maybe those will be included in next year's set of re-releases. I dock this one point for the covers included. The Cure have never been a covers band in my opinion. I have heard them tackle Hendrix before ( "Foxy Lady" on the "Three Imaginary Boys " cd, which Robert Smith either didn't want to, or just couldn't bring himself to sing, as that vocal was done by then bassist Michael Dempsey )and wasn't too impressed. The covers I found here are ill-conceived and poorly excecuted. Most especially the anemic version of Bowie's Young Americans. I shuddered when I first heard it, and skip it when it comes on my cd player. In fact I will more than likely burn the 4 disc set down to my favorite tracks, which will fill maybe 3 discs, and keep the originals in a safe place. One last note, the book that comes with "Join the Dots" actually makes me re think my 4 star rating, and give it 4 1/2 stars. It is invaluable for the Cure fan. Thanks for taking the time to read my review. J
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24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Treasure for Cure Completists, March 4, 2004
This review is from: Join the Dots: B-Sides & Rarities 1978-2001 (Audio CD)
If you are not a big Cure fan then go away. This is not for you. If you are keep reading. It's great to finally have all of those wonderful B-sides and rarities in 1 place. And it's about time those great songs from the b-side of the 'Staring at the Sea' tape got remastered (wasn't that outtake collection called 'Standing on a Beach'). You'll also get lots of remixes and covers. Having 3 versions of The Doors' cover "Hello I Love You" seems excessive but I'd rather have more than less - wouldn't you? They also have the Bowie cover "Young Americans". Wondering why they didn't include Hendrix' "Foxy Lady" though. Do you realize The Cure has done 3 Hendrix covers (Hey Joe, Foxy Lady and Purple Haze)? The most pleasant surprise was the inclusion of the painfully hard-to-find "To the Sky" from the b-side of the 'Concert' live tape release. The biggest disappointment is the non-inclusion of the excellent "Forever" from that same release. Why o' why can they not release this on CD?! And I'll bet you that it doesn't find it's way onto any of the upcoming studio remasters because it wasn't a b-side from any particular release. Also missing are "Carnage Visors" and "Curiousity". Still the collection is nearly complete and long overdue. The packaging is very nicely done. It looks like a long, thin hardcover book (I didn't just say long, thin and hard did I?) and includes loads of color photos spanning the band's history. Also includes a narrative history that I plan to read soon. OK now, less reading... more buying.
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