Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
Untitled | |
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Blender | [2] |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [3] |
Pitchfork Media | 9.4/10[4] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [5] |
Slant Magazine | [6] |
Stylus Magazine | A–[7] |
Uncut | [8] |
The Village Voice | B[9] |
Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me is the seventh studio album by British alternative rock band The Cure.
Released in 1987, this album helped put The Cure into the American mainstream, becoming their first album to reach the Billboard Top 40 (achieving Platinum certification). It was also a big international success, as was its predecessor, The Head on the Door, reaching the Top 10 in numerous countries.[10]
History
Though a double album, it was released as a single CD, and single cassette. One track, "Hey You!!!", was omitted from the original CD release (due to the 74:33 Red Book time restriction on the CD format at the time) to fit the album on one disc, but was included on all cassette releases. A limited vinyl edition came with an extra six-track 12" (orange vinyl, featuring the songs "Sugar Girl", "Snow In Summer", "Icing Sugar", "A Japanese Dream", "Breathe" and "A Chain Of Flowers").
Robert Smith has stated that he wrote the song "Shiver and Shake" about Lol Tolhurst's diminishing role in the band.[11] This is also the last studio album band member Porl Thompson played keyboards on; he played guitar only on all subsequent studio releases. Special guest Andrew Brennan played the saxophone on "Hey You!!!" and "Icing Sugar."
Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me continues to dominate the band's live set; the 2008 4Tour included performances of "The Kiss", "Torture", "Catch", "Why Can't I Be You?", "How Beautiful You Are", "Just Like Heaven", "Hot Hot Hot!!!", "If Only Tonight We Could Sleep", and "Shiver and Shake" at various shows.
2006 re-release
The album was re-released in August 2006. The first disc includes "Hey You!!!", which had been omitted from the previous CD issue. The second disc is composed of demos and live versions of the songs on the first disc, including a recording of "Why Can't I Be You?" from the final show of the Kissing Tour at the Wembley Arena. It was released 8 August 2006 in the U.S. and 14 August 2006 in the UK.
Robert Smith stated on his website that there were so many missing tracks that he made three discs. One had the original album, one had demos of the B-Sides and unreleased tracks, and one had alternate tracks of the songs from the album. After discussing it with family and friends, he decided that the latter of the extra discs was more qualified to be released. He said it wasn't impossible that the other disc may show up in a leak or another release.[1]
Live performances
In April 2014, the Cure announced that in late 2014 they would be performing The Top, The Head on the Door and Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me in their entirety as part of their 3rd Trilogy tour.[12]
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Robert Smith; all music is composed by The Cure (Smith, Simon Gallup, Porl Thompson, Lol Tolhurst, and Boris Williams)
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "The Kiss" | 6:17 |
2. | "Catch" | 2:42 |
3. | "Torture" | 4:13 |
4. | "If Only Tonight We Could Sleep" | 4:50 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Why Can't I Be You?" | 3:11 |
2. | "How Beautiful You Are" | 5:10 |
3. | "The Snakepit" | 6:56 |
4. | "Hey You!!!" | 2:22 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Just Like Heaven" | 3:30 |
2. | "All I Want" | 5:18 |
3. | "Hot Hot Hot!!!" | 3:32 |
4. | "One More Time" | 4:29 |
5. | "Like Cockatoos" | 3:38 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Icing Sugar" | 3:48 |
2. | "The Perfect Girl" | 2:34 |
3. | "A Thousand Hours" | 3:21 |
4. | "Shiver and Shake" | 3:26 |
5. | "Fight" | 4:27 |
The track "Hey You!!!" was omitted from the original CD release, as CDs of the time could only hold 74 minutes of music. When the album was reissued in 2006, the song was included, as CD technology had improved to allow run times up to 80 minutes.
2006 deluxe edition
Disc one
The first disc contains the original album, as above, including "Hey You!!!". The track listing on the Amazon.com website omits "Torture," but it is, in fact, Track 3 of the disc for a total of 18 tracks.[13]
Disc two: Rarities 1986–1987
- The Kiss (RS Home Demo 3/86) Instrumental – 3:40
- The Perfect Girl (Beethoven St. Studio Demo 6/86) Instrumental – 3:26
- Like Cockatoos (Beethoven St. Studio Demo 6/86) Instrumental – 2:11
- All I Want (Beethoven St. Studio Demo 6/86) Instrumental – 3:33
- Hot Hot Hot!!! (Beethoven St. Studio Demo 6/86) Instrumental – 3:49
- Shiver and Shake (Jean Costas Studio Demo 8/86) Instrumental – 2:55
- If Only Tonight We Could Sleep (Jean Costas Studio Demo 8/86) Instrumental – 3:16
- Just Like Heaven (Jean Costas Studio Demo 8/86) Instrumental – 3:26
- Hey You! (Jean Costas Studio Demo 8/86) Instrumental – 2:32
- A Thousand Hours (Miraval Studio Guide Vocal/Rough Mix 10/86) – 3:27
- Icing Sugar (Miraval Studio Guide Vocal/Rough Mix 10/86) – 3:20
- One More Time (Miraval Studio Guide Vocal/Rough Mix 10/86) – 4:36
- How Beautiful You Are ... (Live Bootleg - County Bowl Santa Barbara 7/87) – 5:22
- The Snakepit (Live Bootleg - County Bowl Santa Barbara 7/87) – 7:30
- Catch (Live Bootleg - NEC Birmingham 12/87) – 2:32
- Torture (Live Bootleg - NEC Birmingham 12/87) – 4:04
- Fight (Live Bootleg - Bercy Paris 12/87) – 4:30
- Why Can’t I Be You? (Live Bootleg - Wembley Arena London 12/87) – 7:43
Personnel
Line-up
- Robert Smith – guitar, keyboards, vocals
- Simon Gallup – bass guitar
- Porl Thompson – guitar, keyboards, saxophone
- Lol Tolhurst – keyboards
- Boris Williams – drums, percussion
- Roger O'Donnell – keyboards on live songs from the deluxe edition
Guest musician
- Andrew Brennen – saxophone on "Icing Sugar" and "Hey You!!!"
Production
- David M. Allen, Robert Smith – production
- Sean Burrows, Jacques Hermet – assistant production
- Bob Clearmountain – mixing on "Just Like Heaven"
Charts
Album
Year | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|
1987 | US Billboard 200 | 35 |
UK Albums Chart | 6 | |
Australia Top 40 | 9 | |
Austria Top 40 | 4 | |
France Top 50 | 2 | |
Germany Top 40 | 4 | |
Sweden Top 40 | 13 | |
Switzerland Top 40 | 3 |
Singles
Year | Single | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|---|
1987 | "Just Like Heaven" | Hot Dance Music/Club Play | 28 |
Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | 27 | ||
The Billboard Hot 100 | 40 | ||
"Why Can't I Be You?" | Hot Dance Music/Club Play | 27 | |
Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | 8 | ||
The Billboard Hot 100 | 54 | ||
1988 | "Hot Hot Hot!!!" | Hot Dance Music/Club Play | 11 |
Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | 50 |
Sample
References
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me – The Cure". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
- ^ Wolk, Douglas (20 September 2005). "Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me". Blender. Archived from the original on 23 November 2005. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-857-12595-8.
- ^ Abebe, Nitsuh (25 August 2006). "The Cure / Robert Smith: The Top / The Head on the Door / Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me / Blue Sunshine". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
- ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 205–06. ISBN 0-743-20169-8.
- ^ Walsh, Barry (3 September 2004). "The Cure: Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
- ^ Inskeep, Thomas (20 November 2006). "The Cure – The Top / The Head on the Door / Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me – Review". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
- ^ "The Cure – Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me CD". CD Universe. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (28 July 1987). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
- ^ Hit Parade
- ^ Shakin' All Over
- ^ CBS
- ^ Amazon.com