List | V/A | 'Fictional' CD 1995

'A Tribute To The Cure'

Track:	Name:	Artist:	Time:
1.	Friday I'm In Love	Automatic	3:43
2.	Lullaby	Sombre View	3:57
3.	Lovesong	Kiethevez	4:20
4.	The Walk	Vision System	4:09
5.	The Caterpillar	Blipp!	2:51
6.	Faith	Esrange	3:38
7.	In Between Days	Laura Effect	3:06
8.	Same Deep Water As You	Sombre View	7:47
9.	A Forest	Children Within	4:32
10.	A Foolish Arrangement	Kiethevez	4:37
11.	The Hanging Gardens	Close To Nature	4:53
	Total		47:33

Comments:

A Cure tribute from October Records, with synth pop versions of old Cure songs. Rumour has it they initially intended to do covers of old synth pop classics, but Energy Rekords beat them to it so Cure was chosen as the subject of the tribute instead.

Automatic starts the compilation with probably the best song on it, a bouncy blippy happy little tune that makes a perfect synth pop song. Very much unlike what this band sounded like back when they were known as Dead Eyes Open, although there are some similarities to So Happy. 'Lullaby' is musically almost identical to the original, only it's purely synthetic this time. Something that's really silly about this version is that the singer of Sombre View is trying so hard to sing like Robert Smith, it's only pathetic. 'Lovesong' is better; Kiethevez makes a seemingly own interpretation (I can't remember the original too well). It's dark and sad and generally depressing, just like it should be. I especially like that simple synth bassline. 'The Walk' is another nice and blippy song in this version, although the vocals are a bit weak and pale. Vision System sounds better doing their own songs, and they do them very well. More blips when Blipp covers 'The Caterpillar'; not as good as their own material, but still quite bouncy. The vocals are too weak though. I have never heard 'Faith' in the original version, but Esrange claims they've remade it quite a bit. It does sound a lot like on of their own songs, very slow and dark and with lovely synth sounds sweeping and blipping by. But, as with most bands on this compilation, the vocals don't quite sound as strong as I'd wish. 'In Between Days' is also quite blippy, but seems a little too slow or rigid, not enough groove in it. And the vocals... well, not exactly powerful. It's OK, but nothing more. Dennis may be good at running a record company, but he's not a great singer. Back to Sombre View again, and once again they seem to have replicated the original version with synths and losing points due to weak vocals. The violin wins back a point, though. I've never liked the vocals of Children Within, and this song does not change my mind. It's a pity the vocals are so bad, since the music is more than competent. Musically, this is one of the better cover versions, but vocally probably the worst. I wish they'd get another singer, I really do. For their own good. Another cover by Kiethevez, and this one I haven't heard in the original version. The song itself seems a bit weak, or maybe it's just this version, but the little synth bleeps are rather pleasing. Ending this compilation is Close To Nature, the only band that was new to me, with a very nice cover of 'The Hanging Gardens'. The vocals are clearly among the best of the album, which probably doesn't say very much given that most bands are rather weak in that aspect. The singer of this band doesn't seem to be afraid to let go a bit and put some power into the chorus, which lifts this song to one of the best of the CD. The near-goth-like vocals in the verse are also quite nice. The music is also rather well done and pleasing to the ear.

In short, it would seem most bands can't quite put enough power or emotion into these covers, and the end result is far too often a vocally weak and musically competent song. There are of course exceptions, like Automatic, Kiethevez and Close To Nature, but in general it's a bit dull. I'd rather listen to these bands doing their own songs, and if I'd have to pick a compilation with them I'd pick one of the Shot compilations instead of this one. It's an OK cover album, but not as good as it could have been.

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