Wikipedia

4:13 Dream

4:13 Dream is the thirteenth studio album by English rock band the Cure, released on 27 October 2008 by Suretone and Geffen Records. The album was preceded by four singles, all of which were released on 13th of each month, starting in May with "The Only One" and ending in August with "The Perfect Boy".The band also released a remix EP in September, also on the 13th, titled Hynagogic States (2008).[4]

4:13 Dream
A crude drawing of two faces on a colorful background
Studio album by
the Cure
Released27 October 2008
Recorded2006–2008
Genre
Length52:28
Label
Producer
The Cure chronology
The Cure
(2004) 		4:13 Dream
(2008) 		Bestival Live 2011
(2011)
Singles from 4:13 Dream
  1. "The Only One"
    Released: 13 May 2008
  2. "Freakshow"
    Released: 13 June 2008
  3. "Sleep When I'm Dead"
    Released: 13 July 2008
  4. "The Perfect Boy"
    Released: 13 August 2008

Production

edit

The thirteenth studio album by the Cure was originally intended to be a double album; however, frontman Robert Smith confirmed in interviews that this idea was scrapped, despite the fact that 33 songs had been recorded.[5][6] Therefore, at least 20 additional songs were recorded for the album that did not make the final cut, with four being used for B-sides.

Smith has said, "Compiling a single CD album required a different approach (for one thing there was no longer the time to 'spread out' and connect the different moods as I had originally intended) and as a consequence a number of (my favorite!) slower songs and instrumental pieces were left unfinished and unreleased."[7] Smith attested that the album would mostly comprise the upbeat songs the band recorded, while the darker songs may be released on another album.[citation needed]

Some songs featured on the album were recycled demos from earlier album sessions. One from the 1990s and two from the 1980s, including "Sleep When I'm Dead", which was originally written for the 1985 album The Head on the Door.[8][9]

Smith co-produced the album with the assistance of Keith Uddin. Apart from the four band members and Uddin, no one was allowed in the recording sessions, in order to limit distractions. Smith said the band no longer screamed at each other over disagreements and that "The feeling in the studio [was] electric ...".[9]

Promotion

edit

On 6 October 2007, the Cure played the first song from the upcoming album, "The Only One" (then titled "Please Project") at the Download Festival in Mountain View, California as part of their 4Tour.[10] Following this, the band slowly introduced other songs from the album.[citation needed] In order to finish recording 4:13 Dream by early 2008, they delayed their North American tour by eight months. Later in the tour, the band performed the songs "Underneath the Stars", "The Perfect Boy", "Sleep When I'm Dead", "Freakshow" (then titled "Don't Say Anything"), "The Only One" (then titled "Please Project") and "It's Over" (then titled "Baby Rag Dog Book") at various shows. Although rumoured to appear on the album from early reports,[citation needed] another song, "A Boy I Never Knew", was omitted from the final track listing.

On 1 May 2008, the Cure posted a bulletin on their MySpace page saying that the thirteenth day of each month leading up to the release of the album (May, June, July and August) would see the release of a single, including a B-side from the album recording session that would not make the final cut.[citation needed] The four outtakes used were: "NY Trip", "All Kinds of Stuff", "Down Under" and "Without You".

The first single, "The Only One", was released on 13 May, followed by "Freakshow" on 13 June, "Sleep When I'm Dead" on 13 July and "The Perfect Boy" on 13 August.

On 21 August the title of the album was announced online as 4.13 Dream,[citation needed] corrected three days later to 4:13 Dream.[citation needed] The official track listing was first revealed on the band's official website on 15 September.[citation needed]

Smith also mentioned the "dark album" companion piece, and jokingly stated that he would like to have it released by his next birthday (21 April 2009).[citation needed]

On 11 October, the Cure performed 4:13 Dream in its entirety at a free performance in the Piazza San Giovanni in Rome that was recorded for the MTV Live concert series. The album's release date was delayed yet again, and was ultimately released on 27 October.

Release

edit

On 1 May 2008, the Cure posted a bulletin on their MySpace page in which they confirmed that the album would be released on 13 September.[citation needed]

On 16 July, Robert Smith announced that the album's release date would be pushed back to 13 October,[citation needed] and in September's place, an EP was released, entitled Hypnagogic States, containing remixes of the four singles from 4:13 Dream.

4:13 Dream was released on 28 October 2008.[11] It debuted at No. 16 on the Billboard 200, selling about 24,000 copies in its first week of release.[12]

Critical reception

edit
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?6.8/10[13]
Metacritic69/100[14]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [15]
The A.V. ClubB[16]
Entertainment WeeklyB[17]
The Guardian     [18]
NME8/10[19]
Pitchfork6.7/10[20]
Q     [21]
Rolling Stone     [22]
Spin     [23]
The Times     [24]

4:13 Dream earned a score of 69 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on "generally favorable reviews".[14] NME – which had awarded the band the 'godlike genius' title earlier that year – praised it as a quintessential Cure record,[19] but other journalists criticised the album's production[25][26] and its overly comfortable[20] and lightweight[15] songwriting.

Evening Standard gave the album an 8.0 score and stated: "This is a big guitar record: the six-string blizzard of It’s Over and the wah-wah squalls of Switch are particularly notable."[27]

Barry Walters of Spin praised "this 30-year-old band’s densest and most detailed effort ever. At times, it sounds as though a dozen or more simultaneous guitars are tangling with Smith’s iconic teased-hair tendrils, each one snarling and strumming and buzzing away at him as equally psychedelic vocal effects twist his familiar squeal into uncommon swirls." Walters added, "4:13 Dream is the rare Cure effort that takes a middle path neither dominated by dirges nor flooded in syrup," and said "no single cut announces itself as a Cure classic. (The hypnotizing, Disintegration-echoing opener “Underneath the Stars” comes close.)" He concluded, "Dream immediately feels greater than its individual parts, and gradually insinuates itself. Even if he never wins back the Interpol/Bright Eyes bystanders he lost with 2004’s overly heavy, underachieving self-titled punt, Smith finally rewards long-time fans with a proper Cure album."[28]

"4:13 Dream is one of the best Cure albums in years…" declared Classic Rock. "What's really impressive about The Cure in 2008 is how alive they sound. 4:13 is a schizophrenic beast, unconcerned with current trends or former glories, and hellbent on making mischief of expectations."[29]

Post release

edit

In April 2014, Smith announced that the band would release an album called 4:14 Scream later that year, which would contain 14 of the outtakes from the 2007 recording sessions. Additionally, a limited-edition double album titled 4:26 Dream was also mooted, which would contain 26 non-album songs and/or remixes.[30] To date, these albums of outtakes remain unreleased.

An official remix of "It's Over" by Smith, the "Whisper Mix", appears on the 2018 release of Torn Down.

Track listing

edit

All tracks are written by The Cure

No.TitleLength
1."Underneath the Stars"6:17
2."The Only One"3:57
3."The Reasons Why"4:35
4."Freakshow"2:30
5."Sirensong"2:22
6."The Real Snow White"4:43
7."The Hungry Ghost"4:29
8."Switch"3:44
9."The Perfect Boy"3:21
10."This. Here and Now. With You"4:06
11."Sleep When I'm Dead"3:51
12."The Scream"4:37
13."It's Over"4:16
Total length:52:28

Personnel

edit

The Cure

Additional musicians

  • Smud – extra percussion
  • Catsfield Sub Rhythm Trio – handclaps

Production

  • Keith Uddin – producer, mixing, engineering
  • Matt Hendry – assistant engineer
  • Simon Wakeling – assistant engineer
  • Daren Butler – studio assistant
  • Brian Gardner – mastering

Charts

edit
Chart performance for 4:13 Dream
Chart (2008) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[31] 30
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[32] 28
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[33] 23
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[34] 10
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[35] 19
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[36] 38
French Albums (SNEP)[37] 8
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[38] 21
Irish Albums (IRMA)[39] 46
Italian Albums (FIMI)[40] 8
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[41] 32
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[42] 17
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[43] 9
Scottish Albums (OCC)[44] 52
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[45] 13
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[46] 36
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[47] 15
UK Albums (OCC)[48] 33
US Billboard 200[49] 16
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[50] 4
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[51] 6
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[52] 2

Certifications and sales

edit
Certifications and sales for 4:13 Dream
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Poland (ZPAV)[53] Gold 10,000*
United States — 97,000[54]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

References

edit
  1. ^ "Review The Cure 4:13 Dream". scenepointblank. 16 November 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ "The Cure - 4:13 Dream". UnderTheRadarNZ. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  3. ^ "The Cure - 4:13 Dream". UnderTheRadarNZ. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  4. ^ Jones, Chris. "BBC - Music - Review of The Cure - 4:13 Dream". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  5. ^ "The Cure Announce Return". MTV UK. 13 May 2008. Archived from the original on 28 July 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  6. ^ Cohen, Jonathan (9 July 2007). "The Cure Seeing Double on 13th Studio Album". Billboard. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  7. ^ Grow, Kory (1 April 2014). "Robert Smith Explains the Cure's '4:14 Scream' Album". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  8. ^ "Fall Music Preview". Rolling Stone. October 2008. p. 34. ISSN 0035-791X.
  9. ^ a b Crandall, Bill (18 June 2004). "The Cure's Discography: Robert Smith Looks Back". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  10. ^ Thompson, Paul (24 August 2007). "Pitchfork: The Cure Postpone Fall Tour Until Spring". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 21 December 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  11. ^ "The Cure's New Album "4:13 Dream" Available Now!". TheCure.com. 28 October 2008. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  12. ^ Hasty, Katie (5 November 2008). "AC/DC Fends Off High Debuts to Remain No. 1". Billboard. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  13. ^ "4:13 Dream by The Cure reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  14. ^ a b "Reviews for 4:13 Dream by The Cure". Metacritic. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  15. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "4:13 Dream – The Cure". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  16. ^ O'Neal, Sean (27 October 2008). "The Cure: 4:13 Dream". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 24 May 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  17. ^ Greenwald, Andy (22 October 2008). "4:13 Dream". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 25 October 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  18. ^ Lynskey, Dorian (24 October 2008). "Rock & pop review: The Cure: 4:13 Dream". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  19. ^ a b Robinson, Martin (24 October 2008). "The Cure: 4:13 Dream". NME. Archived from the original on 26 October 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  20. ^ a b Abebe, Nitsuh (31 October 2008). "The Cure: 4:13 Dream". Pitchfork. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  21. ^ Segal, Victoria (January 2009). "The Cure: 4:13 Dream". Q. No. 270. p. 113. ISSN 0955-4955.
  22. ^ Fricke, David (30 October 2008). "4:13 Dream". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  23. ^ Walters, Barry (December 2008). "Mr. Smith Regrets". Spin. Vol. 24, no. 12. p. 108. ISSN 0886-3032 – via Google Books.
  24. ^ Jelbert, Steve (25 October 2008). "The Cure: 4:13 Dream". The Times. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  25. ^ Young, Alex (30 October 2008). "The Cure – 4:13 Dream [review]". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  26. ^ Doran, John (27 October 2008). "Reviews 4:13 Dream The Cure". The Quietus. Archived from the original on 15 July 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  27. ^ "4:13 Dream by The Cure reviews | Any Decent Music". www.anydecentmusic.com. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  28. ^ "4:13 Dream by The Cure reviews | Any Decent Music". www.anydecentmusic.com. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  29. ^ Yates, Catherine (January 2009). "The Hard Stuff: Albums". Classic Rock. No. 127. p. 90.
  30. ^ Carter, Caitlin (1 April 2014). "Robert Smith clarifies statements about the Cure's '4:13 Dream', '4:14 Scream' releases, says three new albums are in the works". Music Times.
  31. ^ "Australiancharts.com – The Cure – 4:13 Dream". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  32. ^ "Austriancharts.at – The Cure – 4:13 Dream" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  33. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Cure – 4:13 Dream" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  34. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Cure – 4:13 Dream" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  35. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – The Cure – 4:13 Dream". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  36. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Cure – 4:13 Dream" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  37. ^ "Lescharts.com – The Cure – 4:13 Dream". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  38. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Cure – 4:13 Dream" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  39. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography The Cure". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  40. ^ "Italiancharts.com – The Cure – 4:13 Dream". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  41. ^ "Charts.nz – The Cure – 4:13 Dream". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  42. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – The Cure – 4:13 Dream". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  43. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  44. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  45. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – The Cure – 4:13 Dream". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  46. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – The Cure – 4:13 Dream". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  47. ^ "Swisscharts.com – The Cure – 4:13 Dream". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  48. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  49. ^ "The Cure Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  50. ^ "The Cure Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  51. ^ "The Cure Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  52. ^ "The Cure Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  53. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2008 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. 19 November 2008. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  54. ^ Lipshutz, Jason (3 February 2014). "The Cure Announces 14th Studio Album, Plans New 'Trilogy' Shows". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=4:13_Dream&oldid=1257789505"