2-CD: 982 183-1
RELEASED: 2005
LABEL: Fiction

Disc: 1
01. A Reflection
02. Play For Today
03. Secrets
04. In Your House
05. Three
06. The Final Sound
07. A Forest
08. M
09. At Night
10. Seventeen Seconds

Disc: 2
01. I'm A Cult Hero - Vinyl Single A Side By Cult Hero
02. I Dig You - Vinyl Single B Side By Cult Hero
03. Another Journey By Train (Instrumental Demo 1/80)
04. Secrets (Instrumental Demo 1/80)
05. Seventeen Seconds (Live In Holland 1/80)
06. In Your House (Live In Holland 1/80)
07. Seventeen Seconds (Live In Holland 1/80)
08. Three (Alt. Studio Mix 2/80)
09. I Dig You (Cult Hero-Live In The Marquee Club 3/80)
10. I'm A Cult Hero (Cult Hero-Live In The Marquee Club 3/80)
11. M (Live In Holland 5/80)
12. The Final Sound (Live In France 6/80)
13. A Reflection (Live In France 6/80)
14. Play For Today (Live In France 6/80)
15. At Night (Live In France 6/80)
16. A Forest (Live In France 6/80)

Digitally remastered 2-CD set compiled by Robert Smith. Features 15 tracks on CD for the very first time. Deluxe package contains a 20 page booklet including sleevenotes and lyrics with rare and previously unseen photographs. Originally released in 1980, Seventeen Seconds introduced the darker, emotionally weighty sound for which The Cure are now renowned. Features the classic single 'A Forest.' A bonus disc, Rarities 1979-1980, contains 15 tracks making their CD debut, including the vinyl-only sides 'I'm A Cult Hero' and 'I Dig You. Seventeen Seconds is The Cure's second album and was originally released in 1980. It is a very pivotal album in the band's history; it almost never happened because the band almost came to end. Robert Smith was growing at odds with bassist Michael Dempsey. At the same time he had met bassist Simon Gallup, who was in the band Magspies, and they were much more compatible musically. Smith and Gallup decided to record together along with local postman Frank Bell under the name Cult Hero. The two tracks from their single appear on the rarities disc here along with live performances of those songs. The Cure was on tour opening for Siouxsie and the Banshees when the latter's guitar player quit. Smith was enlisted to fill the role, playing in both bands each night. Following a gig on October 3 in Newcastle, Smith wrote many of the words that appear on Seventeen Seconds. He created demos and then played them for Dempsey who didn't like them. Smith then took them to Gallup who loved them. Gallup was asked to join The Cure as was his band mate keyboardist Matthieu Hartley. Although their debut album Three Imaginary Boys received critical acclaim, Smith was disappointed with elements of it and wanted to create something that he could be totally proud of. He says in the liner notes, 'I've always thought of Seventeen Seconds as our 'opening' album. It was the first record I felt was really The Cure.' Engineer Mike Hedges 'appreciated the musical direction ? morose, atmospheric and very different to Three Imaginary Boys. Seventeen Seconds is very good. The music and lyrics have matured and the mood of the entire album is balanced. The second disc, Rarities 1979-1980 starts with the aforementioned tracks by Cult Hero. The Cure rarities begin with a couple of home instrumental demos: 'Another Journey By Train' and 'Secrets.' The liner notes by Johnny Black are impressive and well written. They provide great biographical information about the band, the material and the recording process. Smith is quoted throughout, providing his insights as to what was happening.

Influences / Similar Artists:
Joy Division, Lowlife, The Sound, Echo & The Bunnymen