Blue Sunshinerelease date: Aug. 23, 1983
format: vinyl (SHE LP 2) / digital (2006 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]
producer: Merlin Griffiths, Robert Smith, Steven Severin
label: Polydor / Wonderland - nationality: England, UK
Studio debut and only album by collaboration project The Glove consisting of guitarist and vocalist Robert Smith - founding member of The Cure, and guitarist in Siouxsie and the Banshees [SATB], briefly in '79 and then again from '82-84 - here together with bassist Steven Severin of Siouxsie and the Banshees. The album was made in between albums so to speak. The Cure released its fourth studio album Pornography (May 1982) as its final epic gothic rock-shaped release after which the band underwent a major transformation experimentating with electronic dance and synthpop and eventually releasing The Top (May 1984). SATB released its fifth studio album A Kiss in the Dreamhouse (Nov. 1982), sacked its prolific guitarist John McGeoch and then hired / pursuaded Robert Smith to act as substitute for the rest of an album tour. Subsequently, Smith then agreed to stand-in as the band's new guitarist for a number of new recordings - the first being Dear Prudence (single) (Sep. 1983) culminating with the album Hyaena (Jun. 1984).
Blue Sunshine is a highly experimental synthpop album where you find similarities with contemporary songs by The Cure and sound-bits on the '84 album by SATB, only this is much more extreme.
I immediately purchased the album and frankly found it quite good. The production sound is in many ways ahead of its time, although, it wasn't copied nor sat any new standards in terms of style-innovation. It's quite obvious how Smith and Severin brought some of their ideas to the table when going to the studio to record new albums with either The Cure or SATB. Every now and then, I return the album and I'm always baffled about how well it actually works.
Recommended.
[ collectors' item ]
