Eleven months from the release of their debut album, The Cure put out a follow up in the form of ‘Seventeen Seconds’. This album would be very different in tone from ‘Three Imaginary Boys’ and there was also be a new line up . Gone was bass player Michael Dempsey as he had not liked the direction in which band leader and main songwriter, Robert Smith was taking with the material he was writing. Smith wanted the sound of the band to become more minimal. Dempsey liked more ornate bass lines and these did not fit in with Smith’s vision. After hearing the demos for the next album, Dempsey left the band. His place was taken by two members of the Magazine Spies. These were Mattheiu Hartley on keyboards and Simon Gallup on bass.
This line up would last less than a year and ‘Seventeen Seconds’ is the only artefact from this period in the bands history. I must say that this is my favourite Cure album. It included ‘A Forest’, their first single to break into the UK singles charts top 40. It still sounds great to me to this day. This is also the second Cure album where I have tried to expand upon what had already been released when this album was given the Deluxe Edition treatment back in 2005.
Following the template I set last year with ‘Three Imaginary Boys’, Disc 1 includes the original album as well as the A and B-Sides to the singles released during this time. This includes the Cult Hero side project which was recorded ahead of the ‘Seventeen Seconds’ album as a way of seeing about the musical compatibility of Gallup and Hartley. There is also a Peel Session from 1980 as well as some alternative studio mixes and home demos.
Disc 1
- A Reflection – Seventeen Seconds Album
- Play For Today – Seventeen Seconds Album
- Secrets – Seventeen Seconds Album
- In Your House – Seventeen Seconds Album
- Three – Seventeen Seconds Album
- The Final Sound – Seventeen Seconds Album
- A Forest – Seventeen Seconds Album
- M – Seventeen Seconds Album
- At Night – Seventeen Seconds Album
- Seventeen Seconds – Seventeen Seconds Album
- A Forest (7’ Single Mix) – Single A-side
- Another Journey By Train – Single B-side (A Forest)
- I’m A Cult Hero – Single A-side (Cult Heroes Single)
- I Dig You – Single B-side (Cult Heroes Single)
- A Forest – Peel Session 03/03/1980
- Seventeen Seconds – Peel Session 03/03/1980
- Play For Today – Peel Session 03/03/1980
- M – Peel Session 03/03/1980
- Secrets – Home Demo
- Another Journey By Train – Home Demo
- Three – Alternative Studio Mix
- Another Journey By Train (AKA 44F) – Instrumental Home Demo
Disc 2 is a completely live affair. There seem to be a dearth of studio material at this point in the bands history. This might be down to the fact that ‘Seventeen Seconds’ was recorded on a minimal budget and there might not have been the time or the material for additional recordings. I have tried to mix this as though it was one gig even though the material comes from three. The Cult Heroes were seen as the warm up act, but did include members of The Cure backing up Horley postman, Frank Bell. The remainder of the material is mostly taken from a show that ended up being bootlegged as the ’Fading Roots’ LP. Two live tracks have also been taken for the 2006 ‘Seventeen Seconds’ Deluxe Edition.
Disc 2
- I Dig You (Cult Heroes) – Live London ??/03/1980
- I’m A Cult Hero (Cult Heroes) – Live London ??/03/1980
- Seventeen Seconds – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
- The Final Sound – Live Paris ??/06/1980
- A Reflection – Live Paris ??/06/1980
- Play For Today – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
- Three Imaginary Boys – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
- Fire In Cairo – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
- In Your House – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
- 10:15 Saturday Night – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
- At Night – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
- M – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
- Accuracy – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
- Boys Don’t Cry – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
- Plastic Passion – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
- Jumping Somebody Else’s Train – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
- Another Journey By Train – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
- Grinding Halt – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
- A Forest – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
- Three – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
- Killing An Arab – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
- A Forest – Standing On A Beach Version
Disc 2 is full of live songs except for the last song which is an unique version of ‘A Forest’ which was released on the single compilation, ‘Standing On A Beach’.
The front cover is the same as the one used on the 2005 Deluxe Edition reissue of the album.