The Head on the Door

Infobox Album
Name = The Head on the Door
Type = Studio album
Artist = The Cure


Released = 13 August 1985
Recorded = Angel Studios, London, 1985
Genre = Post-punk, Alternative rock
Length = 37:46
Label = Fiction Records (UK)
Elektra Records (U.S.)
Producer = Robert Smith and David M. Allen
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:eitxlfde5cqw link]
* Pitchfork Media (8.7/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/37816/The_Cure_The_Glove_The_Top_The_Head_on_the_Door_Kiss_Me_Kiss_Me link]
* Robert Christgau (B) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=the+cure link]
Last album = "The Top" (1984)
This album = "The Head on the Door" (1985)
Next album = "Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me" (1987)
Misc = Singles
Name = The Head on the Door
Type = studio
single 1 = In Between Days
single 1 date = July 9, 1985
single 2 = Close to Me
single 2 date = September 17, 1985

"The Head on the Door" is the sixth studio album by British alternative rock band The Cure, released in 1985 (see 1985 in music).

Overview

This album follows the return of Simon Gallup and the official re-induction of Porl Thompson as a band member (he made a small contribution to "The Top" but wasn't an official band member until the album's tour). This is also the first Cure album with drummer Boris Williams, who had previously worked with the Thompson Twins. Special guest Ron Howe from Fools Dance plays a saxophone solo on the track "A Night Like This."

On the recent 2008 '4 Tour' The Cure played "Inbetween Days", "Kyoto Song", "The Blood", "Push", "The Baby Screams", "Close to Me", and "A Night Like This" at various concerts.

"Sinking" was last played as part of the 2004 Curiosa Tour.

"Six Different Ways", and "Screw" have not been played since the 1985/86 Head Tour.

2006 re-release

In 2006, the album was re-released by Universal on their Fiction Records/Warner Bros./Rhino Records labels, digitally remastered with various demos and live tracks from the era. Included are demos of the four b-sides from the era ("The Exploding Boy", "A Few Hours After This", "A Man Inside My Mouth", and "Stop Dead") and four songs that were never released. The remaining tracks are demos or live versions of all 10 songs from the first disc. It was released August 8 in the U.S. and August 14 in the UK.

One of the four new songs, "Mansolidgone" is similar both musically and lyrically to another demo, "A Hand Inside My Mouth" (not to be confused with "A Man Inside My Mouth") which appeared on "The Top" Deluxe Edition. The lyrics to both songs, and the uncovered demo "Lime Time" have lyrics which would be later used in the songs "Inbetween Days" and "Six Different Ways."

Track listing

All songs written by Robert Smith.

Original 1985 release

# "In Between Days" – 2:57
# "Kyoto Song" – 4:16 "produced by Smith, Allen and Howard Gray"
# "The Blood" – 3:43
# "Six Different Ways" – 3:18
# "Push" – 4:31 "produced by Smith, Allen and Gray"
# "The Baby Screams" – 3:44
# "Close to Me" – 3:23
# "A Night Like This" – 4:16
# "Screw" – 2:38
# "Sinking" – 4:57

2006 "Deluxe Edition"

Disc one

;Original album, as above

Disc two

# "Inbetween Days" (Instrumental Demo) – 1:25
# "Inwood" (Instrumental Demo) – 2:18
# "Push" (Instrumental Demo) – 2:31
# "Innsbruck" (Instrumental Demo) – 2:37
# "Stop Dead" (Demo) – 3:21
# "Mansolidgone" (Demo) – 4:06
# "Screw" (Demo) – 3:09
# "Lime Time" (Demo) – 2:56
# "Kyoto Song" (Demo) – 4:28
# "A Few Hours After This..." (Demo) – 4:36
# "Six Different Ways" (Demo) – 3:00
# "A Man Inside My Mouth" (Demo) – 3:00
# "A Night Like This" (Demo) – 4:08
# "The Exploding Boy" (Demo) – 3:06
# "Close to Me" (Demo) - 4:03
# "The Baby Screams" (Live) – 3:46
# "The Blood" (Live) – 3:34
# "Sinking" (Live) – 5:06

Personnel

The Cure

*Robert Smith - vocals, guitars, keyboards
*Lol Tolhurst - keyboards
*Porl Thompson - guitars, keyboards
*Simon Gallup - bass guitars
*Boris Williams - drums, percussion

Additional personnel

*Ron Howe – saxophone on "A Night Like This"

Charts

Album