In 2001, The Cure released Greatest Hits, the compilation with which they ended their contract with Fiction Records. The first edition of the anthology was accompanied by Acoustic Hits, an acoustic reinterpretation of the band’s hits, including Boys Don’t Cry, Friday I’m in Love, A Forest, Just Like Heaven, Lullaby, and Lovesong, one of the simplest and greatest love songs of all time (just listen to the bass line). The bonus disc was not reissued until 2017 and has only recently landed on streaming platforms.
Acoustic Hits has undeservedly remained under the radar, or at least it has for me. I only recently discovered it thanks to YouTube12, where many of its beautiful sessions are available and of excellent quality.
True to form, I bought the album, and for the past few days, as I ride out this fourth goddam iteration of COVID, it’s been on heavy rotation.
Lately, I spend entire evenings watching old music videos from 80s and 90s classics - another sign of old age, I know. ↩︎
Only yesterday, I was moaning about algorithmic selection, and now I’m here celebrating it. Streaming and video platforms aren’t primarily social networks, so I think my point still stands. ↩︎