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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Essential reissue for Cure enthusiasts, April 26, 2005
Out of the three reissues, this one has my vote for the most "revealing" of the three that just were released. The remastered sound of the original album is a great improvement over the original issue and reveals a lot more going on under the spare arrangements. If there's one thing about these reissues that is most noticeable, it's that the distant quality of Robert Smith's voice is enhanced and made even more ghost-like. The echoes ring out more, things are given much more space. 'Other Voices' and 'The Drowning Man' are the best examples of this. One of the biggest incentives to buy this is the full, remastered version of 'Carnage Visors' is present on the first disc.
The bonus material is first rate. These demos show the most of the developement process out of all of the reissues. Many of these discarded instrumental demos, specifically 'A Normal Story' would sound completely out of place on the album, being much too upbeat. The 'Doubt' and 'Primary' demo recordings are almost completely different songs, especially 'Primary' which in ways might be cooler than the album version. The live material shows the limitations that The Cure had as being a trio (as well as the keyboard sounds being, a bit cheesy to today's standards, or even compared to the album itself). The live version of 'The Drowning Man' sounds very strange, even filled with sound effects, but is a great performance from Smith. 'Forever' is another obscure Cure song that has been on a million and a half bootlegs, but has finally found the light of day here, given in a version not quite as good as some other ones I've heard. It's also a huge plus to have the 'Charlotte Sometimes' single here with the b-side version of 'Faith'.
This reissue, is nearly flawless, and is certainly essential to any Cure fan's collection. The sound quality is a substantial improvement over the original issue and the rare material is extremely fun.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sounds better than before, April 28, 2005
**This review reflects the Pornography and Seventeen Seconds re-releases as well, but mostly discusses Faith** Classic Cure remastered. Awesome. The middle of the three of their most morose works, Faith, is definitley their peak. The state of the band at this time influenced this record and especially Pornography, and thank goodness for it. The bass is thumping louder and the drums have more life to them. You have to hear it to know what I mean. Carnage Visors is the ultimate treat on this remaster. Its a 30+ minute soundtrack that The Cure did to an eerie student film of the same name that they played before shows to get the crowd in the right(or wrong) mood for what lied ahead. It has a brooding, menacing sound to it; It climax's towards the end too, starting off slowly with metallic guitars, thundering bass and macabre synths until ultimatley everything grow louder and more intense. A must hear for any Cure fan who loves the Faith album(or any of them). Even if you have the original album it is worth it to get this, there is a BIG difference in sound. The best part is that the new mastering doesnt hinder the music. It actually makes it better to listen to. The bonus songs truly are hit and miss, mostly quality-wise. The good studio songs that are on here for the first time are excellent. It's just too bad their are no vocals...for any of them...on any of the three recent remasters. But they are still good. The live stuff is so-so...quality is pretty sour and the "home demos" are about the same quality as the live stuff so ya know. This goes for Seventeen Seconds and Pornography(which has the best new sound!). These albums managed to pack an emotional punch when they were first released, and they still do the same thing to this day. The lyrics on Faith create a vision of desolation and despair, and the music guides these visions into your very heart. You can call it goth. I call it soothing. This album along with Pornography and Seventeen Seconds all have the same eerieness; The same chilling edge that makes these albums so timeless...and classic. They literally self-destructed for a short while during this time period, and these albums reflect the emotional tailspins and debauchery shown in Robert Smith's lyrics. Just read the lyrics to Doubt and you'll see what I mean. Do yourself a favor and pick this up. A great buy even if you have to shell out a lil' cash for it. Special note: All Cats Are Grey is somehow twice as intoxicating now...
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19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Utter Perfection, May 20, 2005
Sleek. Streamlined. Minimalist. Incredibly beautiful and surprisingly varied. Faith manages to capture the Cure at their creative peak. From start to finish, this album is nothing short of perfection. The words and vocals, the music, the production and engineering - they all fall right into place. Nearly all these songs can be considered Cure classics ( for the fans of the band who prefer the darker, more serious Cure to the upbeat, more pop oriented side). Primary. Other Voices. The Funeral Party. And my personal favourite The Drowning Man. All incredible. This remastered and expanded edition sounds terrific as well, which is icing on the cake. The original cd issue on the Elektra label just didn't sound quite right. There was distortion in many of the basslines, and the keyboards sounded hollow and tinny. This version corrects those mastering mistakes. The synths are warm and rich in tone, and the highs and lows in the mix are much easier on the ear. Granted, the subject matter isn't exactly "upbeat" but the messages are important, and certainly open to interpretation. Listen to the final, title track. The last words - "there's nothing left but faith" - can be seen as a sign of defeat or of hope, depending on how it is taken. The extras on the bonus disc are a revelation, tracking the evolution of the songs on Faith, from listening to the demos, the songs in their rawest form, to hearing the live versions, where they are performed with complete conviction, if not total technical proficiency. My favourite here has to be the often bootlegged, 10 minute version of the title cut "Faith" performed in Australia and originally featured on the b-side to the Charlotte Sometimes 12" single. "This is the last song it's called Faith" Robert says. Turn the volume up very loud and you can here one lone female scream, then the count-off "one, two, three, four" and the familiar beat kicks in, the mourful bassline, and Robert's signature guitar playing. This IS the Cure.
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