Unit - 3
The Cure - Robert Smith
Dr. Krishna Sunder A.
Assistant Professor
Department of English
K.A.H.M. Unity Women’s College, Manjeri
Who is Robert Smith ?
Robert Smith is the co-founder, lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter, and the only continuous member of the iconic English rock band “The Cure”. Formed in Crawley, England in 1976, The Cure has navigated various musical landscapes, primarily identified with post-punk, gothic rock, and alternative rock. Smith has been the driving creative force behind The Cure since its inception. He's the unmistakable voice, the distinctive guitarist, and the writer behind the band's vast and influential catalogue.
Summary
The chapter is about the rock punk band named “The Cure” founded by Robert Smith. The band was formed in the year 1976 and since then many members came in and left the group. But Smith was the only member to remain strong within the group since then. The band used dark lyrics and experimental music in England during the early years. The very latest album by the band is titled as “The Song of the Lost World” which was released in November 2024.
As the interview begins, Smith is late for the interview as he was drinking late with his friends on the day before. His hotel room is also not very clean when the interviewer Whistle Test comes. He tells he was with his friend and band mate Tholhurst who is another member of the group. Smith says that “The Cure” had had wild nights, fun and excitement throughout all these years.
He talks about the evolution of his band and how the band has evolved through all these years. His band songs had strange names and captured the attention of the readers easily. His band-mates Sioux and Banshees later moved out of the band and started their own enterprises. His very famous album “The Head on the doors” became very popular in USA and had a huge fan following there. Another album titled as “Killing an Arab” created great controversies. But Smith says that he took the idea from Albert Camu’s novel “The Stranger” and that the song lyrics or name had nothing to do with racism or Arabs. But many believed Smith was promoting violence. He then talks about the recording and shooting of another video named “Kiss me” from France. He also mentions the Glove project with Steve Severin which was something they had planned for a while.
He then discusses the challenges of being a celebrity and adds that his team members are good in handling disagreements these days. He also worries about making it big in the U.S. He finally concludes the interview by talking about the need of a new guitar. This speaks volumes about his passion and enthusiasm for music.
Answer the following in two or three sentences
1. What reason does Smith give for the Band’s Success?
Ans : Robert Smith who headed the band “The Cure”, said that the Band’s success comes from its tenacity and its authenticity. He also adds that they always had been true to themselves. The band was also recognised for its sound. Even when people did not understand it, thy enjoyed it and he calls this the success story of his band.
2. How does Smith want live albums to be ?
Ans : Robert Smith prefers live albums to sound rough and authentic. He says he wants to add a live element to the performance through the lyrics as well as the rhythm.
3. Which album does he refer to as “Commercial suicide”
Ans : The cure’s “”Disintegration Album” is called as the commercial suicide. This album was considered as the biggest landmark in the career history of this band.
4, How long had he been playing in a group when the interview was shot ?
Ans : Robert Smith's first band was in 1972, called the Obelisk, with his schoolmates. When the 1984 interview was shot, he had been playing in a group for approximately 12 years.
5.Why does he say that time is getting close ?
Ans : He says so because he feels he's getting too old, though he clarifies it's more of a realisation about the changing nature of his career. He also mentions that having played in a group for about nine years, he doesn't expect to continue for another nine.
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6. Explain the Glove Project
Ans : The Glove was a collaboration between Robert Smith of The Cure and Steven Severin of Siouxsie and the Banshees. They released one album, Blue Sunshine, in 1983. Smith and Severin started the project during a stressful period for both their bands. Smith and Steven found that they had mutual interests. The name "The Glove" came from the "murder mitten" in the Beatles' animated film Yellow Submarine. Smith played guitar and was initially intended to sing on all tracks.Smith describes this phase as "cultivated madness”.
7. How does Smith respond to the question about continuing in the vein of Love Cats ?
Ans :While Robert Smith is the primary songwriter and creative force behind The Cure, "Love Cats" is specifically a song by the band."Love Cats" was a significant commercial hit for The Cure, reaching the top 10 in the UK. Despite "Love Cats" being commercially successful, Robert Smith doesn't see himself continuing in that vein. He describes the song as a one-off experiment, inspired by a strange idea and recorded in Paris.
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