More than a year after it was first announced, it appears the double-vinyl release of The Cure’s expanded Entreat Plus live album finally will see a U.S. release on Record Store Day — although it’s not an exclusive RSD release, meaning it could be available at non-participating or non-indie stores and will be sold online.
The eight-track Entreat live album — recorded at London’s Wembley Arena in July 1989 — originally was released as a promo-only CD in 1990, and later was issued commercially in Europe. It was expanded in 2010 to flesh out the album to replicate a full live performance of 1989’s Disintegration and included as one of the three CDs in that album’s expanded reissue.
The tracks were remixed in 2009 for the CD reissue by Robert Smith — a sonic makeover that some fans have complained dampens Boris Williams’ drumming. A U.S. vinyl release had been announced for early 2011, although that never materialized. Entreat Plus was released in Europe in a very limited marble-vinyl format; you can see the record label’s unboxing video here.
Neither the band nor Rhino Records have announced the April 21 U.S. 180-gram vinyl release, but as fansite Chain of Flowers notes, it’s popping up at a number of online retailers. That includes the late, lamented The Ideal Copy, which is essentially re-opening to fulfill old pre-orders of the long-delayed release — and take news ones, too.
Check out The Cure’s official (U.K.-only) Record Store Day releases via our round-up.
Tracklist: The Cure, Entreat Plus
Live at Wembley July 1989 — remix July 2009
LP 1
A1. “Plainsong”
A2. “Pictures Of You”
A3. “Closedown”
B1. “Lovesong”
B2. “Last Dance”
B3. “Lullaby”
B4. “Fascination Street”
LP 2
A1. “Prayers For Rain”
A2. “The Same Deep Water As You”
B1. “Disintegration”
B2. “Homesick”
B3. “Untitled”
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Record Store Day 2012: The Cure, Morrissey, PiL, Devo, The Fall, Kate Bush, The Clash
- Video: Unpacking The Cure’s ‘Entreat Plus’ limited-edition 2LP marble-vinyl set
- The Cure’s expanded ‘Entreat Plus’ live album to be released on double vinyl in January
Honestly, if this album is produced by the same outfit that put out the rest of their catalog on vinyl, then I say don’t bother. Their vinyl releases are terrible. All of them have static popping continuously throughout. They unfortunately must have used the cheapest wax on the planet. (On a side not, I’ve been playing vinyle for 30 years and have good equipment…just trying to head off the inevitable “vinyl expert” troll that will say its me, not the vinyl.)
What about the WISH re-release? At the beginning they were supposed to release something like 3 a year. I just don’t understand the delay with this band’s stuff.
A lot of on going remaster and repackage projects have been suspended or stopped due to the continued crash of physical CD sales. This is what happened to the Siouxie And The Banshees. They were coming out two at a clip but Budgie reported the label pulled the plug due to lack of demand…etc. This may not be the case with The Cure, but I wouldn’t be suprised.