...Otherwise, you will miss out on some superb Cure favorites.

I am told by some musician friends of mine that rarely is a song truly finished by the time the tracks are laid and mixed for the original album recording. Often what happens is that there is a rush to produce an album in time for a release deadline. So months or even years later, after the band has had a chance to play it repeatedly in concert and fine-tune it, the song can finally reach its last transformation. Of course by then it's too late to change the debut recording.

The Cure; Mixed Up is a collection of eleven of The Cure's hits from the `80s; remixed, extended, and/or remade. Since I'm familiar with several of the originals from when they were radio hits I have a good comparison reference. There is a definite tendency to lay in more synth sounds in these versions. Some tracks are stretched out and punched up for better dancing rhythm (Lullaby, Hot Hot Hot! And Fascination Street), while others seem to be rearranged to be more full-bodied and moody for artistic purposes (the Walk, the Caterpillar, A Forest).

Whatever the intent, these remixes work very well for me. Although I love all the originals as only a longtime fan could, this album has its own merit as a different expression of the artists' visions. For instance, Never Enough conveys the tortured angst of addiction better through distorted vocals and frantic pacing; the Caterpillar has an added dimension that makes it seem fantastic in a fairy-tale way. In these cases I even find myself preferring the latter versions.

But what the heck, it's all the Cure -- reason enough to buy it!
-Andrea, aka Merribelle

Unlike most, I heard these versions before I heard the originals. Spacious, elegant and emotionally compelling, this music has been adapted for the dancefloor without sacrificing its rock appeal in the process. In fact, when I compare these magnificent versions of Pictures Of You, Inbetween Days and Close To Me to the originals, they sound almost flat and one-dimensional. I'm sure most Cure fans would disagree, but for me these extended mixes have an added charm and flow. The dance rhythms provide a hypnotic twist and do not in any way detract from the profundity of The Cure's music. Definitely my favourite Cure album.

I didn't used to be a fan of remixes, but these kinda grew on me. I got this around the same time the Galore compilation came out, & it was nice to hear the same songs I had grown to love through the years in different forms. Like other reviewers have pointed out, there are some mixes that compliment the song, & others that you just won't like as much as the original ("A Forest). I'd say my favorite extended mixes on here are "Fascination Street" & "Hot Hot Hot". The "Pictures of You" mix gives the song (1 of my most favorite Cure songs ever) a much different groovy but relaxing vibe, but I still long for the original. Yes, some of the mixes are kinda long, but most mixes are anyway. All in all, different mixes for different occasions... whether it's for driving late at night (esp. long roadtrips), dancing in a club, or played at the end of night (aka, LEAVE) at a club. However, you are NOT complete without at least one of the other best-of compilations of the originals...I suggest Staring at the Sea & Galore (or the 1st disc of "greatest hits" if you don't want to get both), & then go for the albums if you're new to the band or just haven't gotten around to it yet.

How much you like this album probably depends on WHICH type of Cure fan you are: type A or type B.

Type A fans cherish the band for their droning, morose "goth" side. They pick out dense songs like "A Forest" as their favourites. For them, the sheer idea of lengthened versions of these tunes will probably make them ecstatic with delight.

Type B fans love the band for their snappy pop hookmanship, seeing them as a band that would be all over Top 40 radio if their songs weren't too smart for mass consumption. They count songs like "Friday I'm in Love","Lovesong", "Why Can't I Be You?" and "Boys Don't Cry" among their fave Cure outings. For them, they probably are hoping that this takes some of the Cure tunes they like best and enhances their danceability.

If you're in type A, this album will probably appeal to you more than those in type B. Many of these song stay pretty faithful to the original renditions with the remixing primarily being to lengthen the originals and add a stray extra beat here and there.

HIGHLIGHTS:
"Hot! Hot! Hot!" probably benefits most from the reworking here, taking the dancefloor potential hinted at in the original and making it explicit. While I'm still not a fan of "The Walk", the energetic synth and electronic drum underneath make it a completely new song. It's very nearly Erasure sounding at times. "Lovesong" isn't any more danceable in its new version but they've cleverly lengthened it while introducing some new textures into its structure. I may nearly like it better than the original. "In Between Days" is another one that recrafts the tune so much that you'd think it had always been a club floor-filler.

LOWS:
"Lullaby" moves Smith's vocal further into the forefront making it "Lullas creepy tale of a mutated arachnid come to feast all the creepier. To its detriment, though, it simply goes on past its welcome. "Pictures of You" adds some synthesized hi-hat to the proceedings and stretches it out to near 7 minutes but doesn't really add anything new to the song. "Never Enough" is positively painful, layering squealing guitar feedback over a lurching funk rhythm. Ack.

BOTTOM LINE:
It's hit and miss. Not for Cure novices but if you're deep into their catalogue, it's probably worth having for the more interesting tunes here.

Mixed Up has some good moments to it. Some of the songs aren't my thing (whether these versions or the originals), but I do like a handful. "Fascination Street" and "Love Song" still sound cool remixed. The main reason I like having this album is because of "The Walk" and "A Forest." Those two songs alone are why I'm glad I got Mixed Up. They are re-recorded and are so much better than the original versions. I actually heard them on here for the first time before I heard them on Staring at the Sea in their original form. The Cure vastly improved those tunes by re-recording them (they're more layered, exciting, and colorful). Mixed Up is worth a listen.