caen prayer
07/07/1989
plainsong
pictures of you
closedown
the kyoto song
a night like this
just like heaven
last dance
fascination street
cold
charlotte sometimes
the walk
a forest
inbetween days
the same deep water as you
prayers for rain
disintegration
sound/quality change
lullaby
remix version/performance
close to me
let's go to bed
why can't i be you?
medley
hot hot hot!!!
a strange day
three imaginary boys
boys don't cry
sound/quality change
play for today
sound/quality
10.15 saturday night
killing an arab
the cure plays another prayer tour show, tonight in caen...

and this is an excellent audience recording, if this one is just a little bit cleaner--a touch more bass/low end, just a little more...and it's perfect...an excellent recording for a 1989 audience. really good on most sounds, nice mix and vocals are good. turn up the bass on the stereo and listen!

and the prayer tour continues to be really good listening...the performances are almost always stellar, and when the recording is at least good--the shows are great to listen to. things start off great w/"plainsong" and "pictures of you" here, robert stays on top of things both vocally/lyrically and w/some nice six string bass work--excellent. "closedown" follows and is just as good w/more nice six string bass  =)

more strong performances come quickly ("the kyoto song" "a night like this" "just like heaven") and all sparkle...even if they don't offer anything new--they sound good and are performed really well. "last dance" is at least as good here as it is on "entreat," really good mood...and then "fascination street" comes next--aggressive and energetic.

"cold" and "charlotte sometimes" are both nice changes of mood, going back into 1982 w/a more stark sound--but then the mood changes again w/the single, "the walk," and then again, with the midset performance of "a forest." it's good, but doesn't really take off until the middle of the song...but when it does take off--it's great. good guitars, good drums and really great interaction from everyone to push it in different directions...it turns out really well. then it's a quick upbeat single ("inbetween days") before getting darker...
"the same deep water as you" sets the mood for the next twenty minutes...ending the set w/"the same deep water as you," "prayers for rain" and "disintegration." the first song is good and clean (this recording keeps a pretty good quality sound--excellent!)...things have gone dark and grey, and then it's "prayers for rain." everything is working--the mix, the band, the performances and especially robert's aggressive take on the vocals...really good!! and then "disintegration" comes next...there are some changes in the sound quality here during the intro (unfortunate!!) and then the recording sounds muffled for the rest of the song  =\  it's a shame, cause "disintegration" is always really hard and it's a great end to the first set.

but luckily--the sound is fixed for the encores, because there's a very unique almost remix-live version of "lullaby," at the very start!! it's extremely interesting and strange--strange, in the best way--to hear the band play around w/it live on stage....and it's not some simple extended parts here and/or there, it's a totally unique performance of "lullaby" that you won't find anywhere else. roger incoporates some of the remixes' more pronounced keyboard sounds--different to the normal performances/versions, and it's cool!!

following that little bonus are more familiar takes of "close to me" and "let's go to bed." both fun.  and like most prayer tour shows, this performance of "why can't i be you?" takes trips in the middle thru other songs like "purple haze" "everybody wants to be a cat" and "the lovecats" before it ends in mad choruses!

more singles and fun w/"hot hot hot!!!" next, and then back into the grey w/"a strange day" and "three imaginary boys." both are very strong--but the next one, "boys don't cry," is kinda muffled due to another change in recording sounds/quality...as is "play for today," but things get back to the higher quality sound to end the night w/the one-two punch of "10.15 saturday night" and "killing an arab." excellent stuff, probably a change in mood from the somewhat standard prayer tour closers "homesick" and "untitled."
"killing an arab" feels really charged, w/stinging guitar work and screaming vocals....

so like any prayer tour show/recording, if the sound quality is good or better...it's almost a sure must have show for curefans--and this one is great, not only does it feature great songs and tight prayer tour quality performances--it's got fab sound...and a totally unique performance of "lullaby." another must have show!
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