The 111 Best Songs By The Cure

I imagine I'll inflict numerous hate email/comments about how wrong I am with this one.  But come on...it's the Cure.  Every song is great.  And each person has their own relationship with this epic band.  So take it with a grain of salt.  And before you say...you don't know the Cure...just know...I've been listening to this band religiously since 1983.  So suck on that...and yeah...I'm old.  Again, thank you to Chain of Flowers for the live tracks.

Here are the 111 Best Cure Songs:

1. Lovesong (Disintegration)
2. Disintegration (Disintegration)
3. Just Like Heaven (Kiss Me)
4. A Night Like This (Head on the Door)
5. A Forest (Seventeen Seconds)
6. Pictures of You (Disintegration)
7. Primary (Faith)
8. Like Cockatoos (Kiss Me)
9. Homesick (Disintegration)
10. 10:15 Saturday Night (Three Imaginery Boys)
11. Kyoto Song (Head on the Door)
12. How Beautiful You Are (Kiss Me)
13. The Figurehead (Pornography)
14. In Your House (Seventeen Seconds)
15. Cut (Wish)
16. Last Dance (Disintegration)
17. Push (Head on the Door)
18. Same Deep Water As You (Disintegration) 
19. Jumping Someone Else's Train (Boys Don't Cry)
20. Prayers For Rain (Disintegration)
21. Trust (Wish)
22. Harold and Joe (Never Enough B-Side)
23. Charlotte Sometimes (Single)
24. From The Edge Of A Deep Green Sea (Wish)
25. Close To Me (Head on the Door)
26. A Strange Day (Pornography)
27. A Short Term Effect (Pornography)
28. Play For Today (Seventeen Seconds)
29. Plainsong (Disintegration)
30. Watching Me Fall (Bloodflowers)
31. A Chain of Flowers (Kiss Me B-Side)
32. Closedown (Disintegration)
33. The Walk (Japanese Whispers)
34. Let's Go To Bed (Japanese Whispers)
35. All I Want (Kiss Me)
36. Apart (Wish)
37. Siamese Twins (Pornography)
38. Fascination Street (Disintegration)
39. Babble (Disintegration B-Side)
40. All Cats Are Grey (Faith)
41. If Only Tonight We Could Sleep (Kiss Me)
42. Object (Three Imaginery Boys)
43. Plastic Passion (Boys Don't Cry)
44. Bloodflowers (Bloodflowers)
45. Scared As You (Wish B-side)
46. One Hundred Years (Pornography)
47. Doing the Unstuck (Wish)
48. Numb (Wild Mood Swings)
49. Killing An Arab (Boys Don't Cry) 
50. 39 (Bloodflowers)
51. Anniversary (The Cure)
52. Lullaby (Disintegration)
53. In Between Dreams (Head on the Door)
54. The Hanging Garden (Pornography)
55. A Japanese Dream (Kiss Me B-Side)
56. I'm Cold (Three Imaginery Boys B-Side)
57. Faded Smiles (Three Imaginery Boys Reissue)
58. Open (Wish)
59. Want (Wild Mood Swings)
60. Underneath The Stars (4:13 Dream)
61. Cold (Pornography)
62. The Baby Screams (Head on the Door)
63. Fear of Ghosts (Disintegration B-Side)
64. A Foolish Arrangement (Wish B-Side)
65. All Kinds of Stuff (Digital Single)
66. Doubt (Faith)
67. Fire in Cairo (Three Imaginery Boys)
68. Untitled (Disintegration)
69. It's Not You (Three Imaginery Boys)
70. The Empty World (The Top)
71. End (Wish)
72. Treasure (Wild Mood Swings)
73. Torture (Kiss Me)
74. Three Imaginary Boys (Three Imaginery Boys)
75. It Used To Be Me (Wild Mood Swings B-Side)
76. Play (Wish B-Side)
77. Snow In the Summer (Kiss Me B-Side)
78. Icing Sugar (Kiss Me)
79. Temptation Two (Pornography reissue)
80. Birdmad Girl (The Top)
81. Twilight Garden (Wish B-Side)
82. This Morning (The Cure B-Side)
83. Just One Kiss (Let's Go To Be B-Side)
84. Shiver And Shake (Kiss Me)
85. One More Time (Kiss Me)
86. Out of Mind (Disintegration B-Side)
87. The Exploding Boy (Head on the Door B-Side)
88. Shake Dog Shake (The Top)
89. Play With Me (Three Imaginery Boys Reissue)
90. Burn (The Crow)
91. The Promise (The Cure)
92. The Upstairs Room (The Walk B-Side)
93. Man Inside My Mouth (Head on the Door B-Side)
94. 2 Late (Disintegration B-Side)
95. The Big Hand (Wish B-Side)
96. Fight (Kiss Me)
97. Ocean (Wild Mood Swings B-Side)
98. Maybe Someday  (Bloodflowers)
99. Switch (4:13 Dream)
100. Taking Off (The Cure)
101. The Catepillar (The Top)
102. It's Over (4:13 Dream)
103. Last Day of Summer (Bloodflowers)
104. Why Can't I Be You? (Kiss Me)
105. M (Seventeen Seconds)
106. Your God Is Fear (The Cure - B-side)
107. Labyrinth (The Cure)
108. Six Different Ways (Head on the Door)
109. Freakshow (4:13 Dream)
110. Us or Them (The Cure)
111. Carnage Visors (The Soundtrack)

Buy The Cure's 20th anniversay 3-disc remasters reissue of Disintegration...now!!

The Unknown: The Cure's Disintegration Alternate Rarities & Disintegration Live in Dalla

Not only is the Cure's Disintegration one of the best Cure album (honestly, it's really just the best).  Not only is it one of the greatest alternative albums of the 80s.  Not only is it one of the 10 best albums of the past 30 years.  It is one of the greatest albums of all time.  Don't take my word for it...even South Park agrees.  And South Park doesn't like anything.  If they're praising something instead of insulting it...then it has to be good.

I once heard a drunk guy claim that the Cure's Disintegration was the alternative Dark Side of the Moon.  And instead of blowing him off for being crazy...I thought about it...and agreed.  It is that good.

This week the Cure sets to release their pivotal musical zenith in a 3CD set.  A remastered version, a disc of rarities, and the full version of Entreat, which has only been available in an abridged version on Import.  But that's not all.  Robert Smith himself has a gift for all the loyal fans.  He has posted 2 free extra Disintegration albums.  A second album of rarities and another live concert from the Prayer Tour, this one in Dallas.

Is there ever such a thing as too much Cure?  The answer is always no.

Here are two free albums from the Cure.  These are not my links...so I'm sending you to the Chain of Flowers blog who is hosting them.

Alternate Rarities

Live in Dallas 1989

Buy the mega 3CD Disintegration set, digitally, now!

The 11 Best Songs By Scott Weiland

For six seasons, the TV show Lost survived on viewers being unable to understand the show.  Being unable to see what was coming next, kept the show fresh and exciting.  You never knew who would die, you never knew if they were really alive or dead, or if they were all dead the whole time!  In a world of generic, same old shit, it was nice to have something that always left you guessing, even until the bitter end.  And frankly, long past it.  It was a personal favorite, and I'm sad to see it go.  But it went out on top.  Unlike 24, which overstayed its welcome and I just wanted to go away.

Here are the 11 best songs by Scott Weiland:

1.  Somethings Must Go This Way (Happy in Galoshes)
2.  Mockingbird Girl (12 Bar Blues)
3.  But Not Tonight (Not Another Teen Movie)
4.  The Man I Didn't Know (Happy in Galoshes)
5.  Where's The Man (12 Bar Blues)
6.  Missing Cleveland (Happy in Galoshes)
7.  Reel Around the Fountain (Happy in Galoshes)
8.  Tangle With Your Mind (Happy in Galoshes)
9.  Son (12 Bar Blues)
10.  Barbarella (12 Bar Blues)
11.  Pictures and Computers (Happy in Galoshes)

Buy Stone Temples Pilots' new self-titled albun, now!!

The 11 Best Songs By Stone Temple Pilots

STP was always the red-headed step-child of 90s alternative rock.  When they first came out, they were belittled for being a Pearl Jam knock-off.  Despite the negativity, Core was a hit.  But it was their follow-up, Purple, where they stood up for themselves.  That album, in my opinion, is one of the most underrated albums of the 90s.  It belongs up there with the likes of Ten, Nevermind, Siamese Dream, Dirt, and Badmotorfinger.  Fifteen years later, the music is still as sharp and as exciting as it was in its prime.  And I still can't get over that awesome riff in Vasoline.

Their new album, re-establishes their rock star nobility.  After giving it a few spins, it's easily the best thing they've done since Tiny Music.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By The Stone Temple Pilots:

1.  Trippin on a Hole in a Paper Heart (Tiny Music)
2.  Vasoline (Purple)
3.  Big Empty (Purple)
4.  Sex Type Thing (Core)
5.  Army Ants (Purple)
6.  All in The Suit That You Wear (Thank You)
7.  Interstate Love Song (Purple)
8.  Big Bang Baby (Tiny Music)
9.  Unglued (Purple)
10.  I Got You (No. 4)
11.  Andy Warhol (MTV Unplugged - Purple B-Side)

Buy Stone Temple Pilots new self-titled album...now!!!

The 11 Best Songs By The Black Keys

Today marks an epic day in my childhood memories.  Both Empire Strikes Back AND Pac-Man turn 30 today.  It's very hard to think of these two major institutions having such influence 30 years later...Star Wars is still as big as ever...and Pac-Man pretty much helped pave the wave for all great video games to come.  If you haven't stopped by Google today.  I highly suggest you do for a quick trip down memory lane.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By the Black Keys:

1.  Set You Free (Thickfreakness)
2.  Strange Times (Attack and Release)
3.  I Got Mine (Attack and Release)
4.  10 A.M. Automatic (Rubber Factory)
5.  Things Ain't Like They Used To Be (Attack and Release)
6.  I'll Be Your Man (The Big Come Up)
7.  Midnight Her Eyes (Thickfreakness)
8.  So He Won't Break (Attack and Release)
9.  Thickfreakness (Thickfreakness)
10.  Just Got to Be (Magic Potion)
11.  Hurt Like Mine (Thickfreakness)

Buy the Black Keys awesome new album, Brothers now!!

The 11 Best Songs By Band of Horses

 Instead of commenting on something today, I'd rather share a short video with you.  It's about a music collector that kicks all of our asses.  If you think you own a lot of music, he has more.  He has more than me.  He has more than you and me...combined!  Check it out.

I don't know how to imbed video cause I'm old...so here;s the link
 
Here are 11 Best Songs By Band of Horses:

1.  Wicked Gil (Everything All the Time)
2.  The Great Salt Lake (Everything All the Time)
3.  Cigarettes, Wedding Bands (Cease To Begin)
4.  The First Song (Everything All the Time)
5.  Detlef Shrempf (Cease To Begin)
6.  Weed Party (Everything All the Time)
7.  Window Blues (Cease To Begin)
8.  Our Swords (Everything All the Time)
9.  Is There A Ghost (Cease To Begin)
10.  Monsters (Everything All the Time)
11.  Islands on the Coast (Cease To Begin)

Buy Band of Horses new album, Infinite Arms...now!!

The 11 Bad Religion Songs of the 00s

When people talk about bands who survive the test of time, rarely is Bad Religion mentioned.  With 4 of the 5 original members still in the band.  That's unheard of.  But 30 years in, the band is still cranking out much anticipated music.  It's a band that doesn't get the respect it deserves.  To thank its fans for 30 years of loyalty...the band is giving away a free live album celebrating their 30 years of music.

Go here to get the live album for free.

To celebrate the band celebrating...I've come up with a list of the past decade salute to BR.  Sure, the music doesn't match the 80s BR or even the early 90s material.  But it's much better than the late 90s output and shows that the band still has creative juice left in them.

Here are the 11 Best Bad Religion Songs of the 00s:

1.  The Defense (Process of Belief)
2.  Heroes & Martyrs (New Maps of Hell)
3.  Broken (Process of Belief)
4.  God's Love (The Empire Strikes First)
5.  Ephiphany (Process of Belief)
6.  New Dark Ages (New Maps of Hell)
7.  The Empire Strikes First (The Empire Strikes First)
8.  Sorrow (Process of Belief)
9.  Won't Somebody (acoustic) (New Maps of Hell)
10.  Los Angeles Is Burning (The Empire Strikes First)
11.  The Grand Delusion  (New Maps of Hell)

Get Bad Religion's new album, 30 Years Live for FREE!!

The 11 Best Songs By LCD Soundsytem

I bought myself a new record player this weekend.  I had one which fizzed out a few years ago...and never bothered to replace it.  Didn't think I needed to.  But after spending most of the day listening to my vinyl collection, I'm once again hooked.  It is true that a brand new vinyl played on by a brand new stylus is better quality than a CD.  And it's true that 90% of the people who listen to both won't hear the difference.  I try to describe it to people like the difference between pan&scan and letterbox...but even more slight.

There is something undeniable that vinyl has that CDs and digital are missing.  It's called dedication.  Listening to a record requires attention.  Listening to a CD or digital...you can skip around...listen to part of a song...you barely ever absorb an artist's intention to make an album.  With a record, you can't escape it.  A record creates a connection between an artist and a listener that doesn't exist with any other medium.  I miss records.  And I'm glad to be back in the game.

Here is the 11 Best Songs By LCD Soundsystem:

1.  Someone Great (Sound of Silver)
2.  Tribulations (LCD Soundsystem)
3.  Losing My Edge (Non-Album Single)
4.  Daft Punk Is Playing in My House (LCD Soundsystem)
5.  All My Friends (Sound of Silver)
6.  Time To Get Away (Sound of Silver)
7.  Great Release (LCD Soundsystem)
8.  North America Scum (Sound of Silver)
9.  45:33 (45:33)
10.  Disco Infiltrator (LCD Soundsystem)
11.  Jump Into The Fire (B-Side)

Buy LCD Soundsystem's new album, This Is Happening.

The 11 Best Songs By Gang Starr

This has been a weird year for music deaths.  It seems like there's a new death every couple weeks.  And it's not minor players or older musicians.  Each of them has been a pivotal member of their musical legacy.  Alex Chilton was Big Star.  Mark Linkous was Sparklehorse.  Jay Reatard was his own sound.  Malcom Maclaren helped invent hip-hop.  Dio had a solo career and was the other face of Black Sabbath.   Add to the list Guru...without Guru, there is no Gang Starr.  A very underrated hip-hop band.  Also, his side project Jazzmatazz was one of the first to fuse hip-hop and jazz.  An innovator, a talented MC, a legend.

RIP Guru.

This list is only a sample of all the great music Guru made with Gang Starr and in no way a definitive account.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Gang Starr:

1.  Skills (The Ownerz)
2.  Code of The Streets (Hard To Earn)
3.  Work (Moment of Truth)
4.  Blowin' Up The Spot (Hard To Earn)
5.  Tonz O Gunz (Hard To Earn)
6.  Battle (8 Mile)
7.  Mass Appeal (Hard To Earn)
8.  Execution of A Chump (Step Into The Arena)
9.  In This Life... (The Ownerz)
10.  Moment of Truth (Moment of Truth)
11.  Jazz Music (No More Mr. Nice Guy)

Buy albums from Gang Starr's catalogue now!

The Unknown: Jack White's The Upholsters

I had a discussion with my friends about the lowliness of the music industry.  Many of them think that the internet is the reason for the downfall.  Though I will admit it adds to the problems...I don't think it is the problem.  One of the biggest problems in my opinion is that music today (popular music, that is) really sucks.  Okay, some decent bands sneak through...but think about the last decade...the 00s.  Now, see how many great bands...and I mean truly great bands...debuted in the 00s.  The White Stripes, you say?  Nope, came out in the 90s.  Ryan Adams?  Nope, 90s.  Wilco, Foo Fighters, Radiohead, Green Day, Incubus, Weezer, Beck, Modest Mouse, Muse, QOTSA, Death Cab For Cutie...all 90s.  Right now...the best I can come up with who debuted in the 00s are The Killers, Coldplay, Linkin Park, Kings of Leon and Jack Johnson.  Five artists...that's all.  If you've only found five artists with genuine talent over the past decade...maybe the problem isn't the downloaders...maybe it's you. 

Here is Jack White's The Upholsters:

1.  Apple of My Eye
2.  I Ain't Superstitious
3.  Pain

Buy Jack White's new album with the Dead Weather, Sea of Cowards.