Starting with an at-once hilarious and enlightening archival home movie clip showing the band in its earliest days with its original lead singer at an open-air performance in Robert Smith's hometown, Crawley -- the '70s hairdos and general clothing bespeak a time well before "goth" was invented... [+] Expand

Starting with an at-once hilarious and enlightening archival home movie clip showing the band in its earliest days with its original lead singer at an open-air performance in Robert Smith's hometown, Crawley -- the '70s hairdos and general clothing bespeak a time well before "goth" was invented -- Images is a fantastic collection of the band's videos up through 1986. As the title indicates, the tape is a companion to the Cure's excellent singles compilation of the same name; indeed, the close-up of an old man on the album's cover is echoed in the video for "Killing an Arab," where the title itself comes from. The earliest videos for the group veer between ham-handed dramatics and straightforward concert/rehearsal performances. Some, like the clips for "10:15 Saturday Night" and "A Forest," are just fine, interesting enough in showing Smith's earliest hairdos nothing like his later haystacks of fame -- and quite non-made-up appearance, as well as those of other members like Michael Dempsey, Lol Tolhurst, and Simon Gallup. Seeing Gallup disinterestedly toss off the famous bassline for "A Forest" is a scream. Others, like the wannabe spooky clips for "Charlotte Sometimes" and "The Hanging Garden," help give video in general a bad name (though admittedly some of Smith's haunted looks in the latter seem to testify to his state of mind at that point). Thankfully, the nutty household routines of "Let's Go to Bed" director Tim Pope entered the picture, following hard on his series of great Soft Cell clips. His string of innovative, funny, and entertaining creations became synonymous with the band, balancing out both melancholia and lighter impulses with skill. Such videos as the fluorescent colors and socks of "In Between Days," the goofy animals and greenhouse setting of "The Caterpillar," and the truly funny cramped-in-a-wardrobe-while-falling-into-the-ocean scenario for "Close to Me" helped win the band a larger fan base, not to mention becoming bona fide classics of the form. The images in the latter of the band playing alternate versions of their usual instruments while packed up tight are great -- Porl Thompson has to play a synth part on a comb! For this collection Pope also shot a few videos for early singles well after the fact. His 1986-era clip for "Boys Don't Cry," featuring three kids standing in on the instruments while the band itself plays behind a curtain, is a hoot, especially the real band's red lights in place of eyes. Scattered between all the videos are more archival home movie clips, from early festival appearances and TV appearances to triumphant headlining shows, not to mention some fun studio goofing around. The behind-the-scenes clips for "Charlotte Sometimes" alone are much more entertaining than the actual video itself. In all Images is a sometimes off but mostly fantastic collection of visuals, of appeal to both hardcore fans and general listeners alike, like its album equivalent. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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