Join the Dots: B-Sides & Rarities is a box set of The Cure, released on 26 January 2004, by their former record label Fiction. (Elektra and Rhino co-released the compilation in North America.) This box set is a four-disc compilation of B-sides and rarities, digitally remastered by Chris Blair at Abbey Road Studios from their original tapes. The box set includes all B-sides by the band, apart from a number of remixes, as well a number of unreleased songs and songs that had been out of physical circulation for years. Many of the songs had not appeared on CD before. The set includes a booklet with track-by-track commentary and an extensive overview of the band's history up to 2004, followed by an extensive list of The Cure's discography.
| Join the Dots: B-Sides & Rarities | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Box set by | ||||
| Released | 27 January 2004 | |||
| Recorded | 1978–2001 | |||
| Length | 4:54:58 | |||
| Label | Fiction (UK) Elektra/Rhino (US) | |||
| Producer | The Cure, Robert Smith, Phil Thornalley, Chris Parry, Steve Nye, Mike Hedges, Dave Allen, Steve Lyon (Mixing), Paul Corkett | |||
| The Cure chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 69/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Blender |  [3] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[4] |
| The Guardian | [5] |
| NME | 6/10[6] |
| Pitchfork | 6.8/10[7] |
| Rolling Stone | [1] |
| Stylus Magazine | A−[8] |
| Uncut | [1] |
| Yahoo! Music UK |   [9] |
The B-side "I'm Cold" features singer Siouxsie Sioux on backing vocals; the collaboration came at the time when The Cure were supporting Siouxsie and the Banshees on their 1979 British tour.
Some of the B-sides released between 1982 and 1983 were first compiled on the Japanese Whispers compilation album issued in late 1983.
The boxset includes an early version of "Lament", initially recorded with Siouxsie and the Banshees's bassist Steven Severin in August 1982, to be released as a free single for Flexipop magazine.
Track listing
editDisc 1 (1978–1987)
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "10:15 Saturday Night" | Michael Dempsey • Robert Smith • Lol Tolhurst | "Killing an Arab" (1978) | 3:43 |
| 2. | "Plastic Passion" | Dempsey • Smith • Tolhurst | "Boys Don't Cry" (1979) | 2:16 |
| 3. | "Pillbox Tales" | Dempsey • Smith • Tolhurst | "Boys Don't Cry" re-release (1986) (Originally recorded in 1979) | 2:56 |
| 4. | "Do the Hansa" | Dempsey • Smith • Tolhurst | "Boys Don't Cry" re-release (1986) (Originally recorded in 1979) | 2:40 |
| 5. | "I'm Cold" | Dempsey • Smith • Tolhurst | "Jumping Someone Else's Train" (1979) | 2:49 |
| 6. | "Another Journey by Train" | Simon Gallup • Matthieu Hartley • Smith • Tolhurst | "A Forest" (1980) | 3:06 |
| 7. | "Descent" | Gallup • Smith • Tolhurst | "Primary" (1981) | 3:09 |
| 8. | "Splintered in Her Head" | Gallup • Smith • Tolhurst | "Charlotte Sometimes" (1981) | 5:17 |
| 9. | "Lament" | Smith | Flexipop bonus 7" (1982) | 4:36 |
| 10. | "Just One Kiss" | Smith • Tolhurst | "Let's Go to Bed" (1982) | 4:10 |
| 11. | "The Dream" | Smith | "The Walk" (1983) | 3:12 |
| 12. | "The Upstairs Room" | Smith • Tolhurst | "The Walk" (1983) | 3:31 |
| 13. | "Lament" | Smith | "The Walk" (1983) | 4:25 |
| 14. | "Speak My Language" | Smith • Tolhurst | "The Love Cats" (1983) | 2:43 |
| 15. | "Mr. Pink Eyes" | Smith • Tolhurst | "The Love Cats" (1983) | 2:45 |
| 16. | "Happy the Man" | Smith | "The Caterpillar" (1984) | 2:47 |
| 17. | "Throw Your Foot" | Smith | "The Caterpillar" (1984) | 3:33 |
| 18. | "New Day" | Smith • Tolhurst | "Close to Me" (1985) | 4:10 |
| 19. | "The Exploding Boy" | Smith | "In Between Days" (1985) | 2:54 |
| 20. | "A Few Hours After This..." | Smith | "In Between Days" (1985) | 2:28 |
| 21. | "A Man Inside My Mouth" | Smith | "Close to Me" (1985) | 3:07 |
| 22. | "Stop Dead" | Smith | "Close to Me" (1985) | 4:02 |
Disc 2 (1987–1992)
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "A Japanese Dream" | Gallup • Smith • Porl Thompson • Tolhurst • Boris Williams | "Why Can't I Be You?" (1987) | 3:29 |
| 2. | "Breathe" | Gallup • Smith • Thompson • Tolhurst • Williams | "Catch" (1987) | 4:48 |
| 3. | "A Chain of Flowers" | Gallup • Smith • Thompson • Tolhurst • Williams | "Catch" | 4:55 |
| 4. | "Snow in Summer" | Gallup • Smith • Thompson • Tolhurst • Williams | "Just Like Heaven" (1987) | 3:27 |
| 5. | "Sugar Girl" | Gallup • Smith • Thompson • Tolhurst • Williams | Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me bonus 7" (1987) | 3:23 |
| 6. | "Icing Sugar (Remix)" | Gallup • Smith • Thompson • Tolhurst • Williams | Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me bonus 7" (1987) | 3:23 |
| 7. | "Hey You!!! (12" Extended Mix)" | Gallup • Smith • Thompson • Tolhurst • Williams | "Hot Hot Hot!!!" (1987) | 4:08 |
| 8. | "How Beautiful You Are... (Bob Clearmountain Remix)" | Gallup • Smith • Thompson • Tolhurst • Williams | Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me radio sampler (1987) | 4:25 |
| 9. | "To the Sky" | Gallup • Smith • Thompson • Tolhurst • Williams | Stranger Than Fiction label sampler (1989) | 5:15 |
| 10. | "Babble" | Gallup • Roger O'Donnell • Smith • Thompson • Tolhurst • Williams | "Lullaby" (1989) | 4:18 |
| 11. | "Out of Mind" | Gallup • O'Donnell • Smith • Thompson • Tolhurst • Williams | "Lullaby" (1989) | 3:51 |
| 12. | "2 Late" | Gallup • O'Donnell • Smith • Thompson • Tolhurst • Williams | "Lovesong" (1989) | 2:41 |
| 13. | "Fear of Ghosts" | Gallup • O'Donnell • Smith • Thompson • Tolhurst • Williams | "Lovesong" (1989) | 6:51 |
| 14. | "Hello, I Love You (Psychedelic Version)" | Densmore • Krieger • Manzarek • Morrison | Previously unreleased | 6:04 |
| 15. | "Hello, I Love You" | Densmore • Krieger • Manzarek • Morrison | Rubáiyát: Elektra's 40th Anniversary | 3:31 |
| 16. | "Hello, I Love You (Slight Return Mix)" | Densmore • Krieger • Manzarek • Morrison | Rubáiyát: Elektra's 40th Anniversary | 0:13 |
| 17. | "Harold and Joe" | Gallup • Smith • Thompson • Williams | "Never Enough" (1990) | 5:09 |
| 18. | "Just Like Heaven (Dizzy Mix)" | Gallup • Smith • Thompson • Tolhurst • Williams | "Close to Me" re-release (1990) | 3:43 |
Disc 3 (1992–1996)
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "This Twilight Garden" | Perry Bamonte • Gallup • Smith • Thompson • Williams | "High" (1992) | 4:45 |
| 2. | "Play" | Bamonte • Gallup • Smith • Thompson • Williams | "High" (1992) | 4:36 |
| 3. | "Halo" | Bamonte • Gallup • Smith • Thompson • Williams | "Friday I'm in Love" (1992) | 3:47 |
| 4. | "Scared as You" | Bamonte • Gallup • Smith • Thompson • Williams | "Friday I'm in Love" (1992) | 4:12 |
| 5. | "The Big Hand" | Bamonte • Gallup • Smith • Thompson • Williams | "A Letter to Elise" (1992) | 4:53 |
| 6. | "A Foolish Arrangement" | Bamonte • Gallup • Smith • Thompson • Williams | "A Letter to Elise" (1992) | 3:51 |
| 7. | "Doing the Unstuck (Saunders 12" Remix)" | Bamonte • Gallup • Smith • Thompson • Williams | Previously unreleased | 5:55 |
| 8. | "Purple Haze (Virgin Radio Version)" | Jimi Hendrix | Previously unreleased | 3:18 |
| 9. | "Purple Haze" | Jimi Hendrix | Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix (1993) | 5:22 |
| 10. | "Burn" | Bamonte • Gallup • Smith • Williams | The Crow: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1994) | 6:37 |
| 11. | "Young Americans" | David Bowie | 104.9 XFM compilation (1995) | 6:23 |
| 12. | "Dredd Song" | Bamonte • Jason Cooper • Gallup • O'Donnell • Smith | Judge Dredd soundtrack | 4:25 |
| 13. | "It Used to Be Me" | Bamonte • Cooper • Gallup • O'Donnell • Smith | "The 13th" (1996) | 6:50 |
| 14. | "Ocean" | Bamonte • Cooper • Gallup • O'Donnell • Smith | "The 13th" (1996) | 3:29 |
| 15. | "Adonais" | Bamonte • Cooper • Gallup • O'Donnell • Smith | "The 13th" (1996) | 4:11 |
Disc 4 (1996–2001)
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Home" | Bamonte • Cooper • Gallup • O'Donnell • Smith | "Mint Car" (1996) | 3:24 |
| 2. | "Waiting" | Bamonte • Cooper • Gallup • O'Donnell • Smith | "Mint Car" (1996) | 3:34 |
| 3. | "A Pink Dream" | Bamonte • Cooper • Gallup • O'Donnell • Smith | "Mint Car" (1996) | 3:44 |
| 4. | "This Is a Lie (Ambient Mix)" | Bamonte • Cooper • Gallup • O'Donnell • Smith | "Gone!" (1996) | 4:32 |
| 5. | "Wrong Number (P2P Remix)" | Smith | "Wrong Number" (1997) | 8:14 |
| 6. | "More Than This" | Smith | The X-Files: The Album (1998) | 5:11 |
| 7. | "World in My Eyes" | Martin Gore | For the Masses | 4:52 |
| 8. | "Possession" | Bamonte • Cooper • Gallup • O'Donnell • Smith | Previously unreleased | 5:17 |
| 9. | "Out of This World (Oakenfold Remix)" | Bamonte • Cooper • Gallup • O'Donnell • Smith | Previously unreleased | 7:01 |
| 10. | "Maybe Someday (Hedges Remix)" | Bamonte • Cooper • Gallup • O'Donnell • Smith | "Maybe Someday" promo single (2000) | 4:59 |
| 11. | "Coming Up" | Bamonte • Cooper • Gallup • O'Donnell • Smith | Bloodflowers (Australasian version) (2000) | 6:27 |
| 12. | "Signal to Noise (Acoustic Version)" | Bamonte • Cooper • Gallup • O'Donnell • Smith | Previously unreleased | 3:36 |
| 13. | "Signal to Noise" | Bamonte • Cooper • Gallup • O'Donnell • Smith | "Cut Here" (2001) | 4:07 |
| 14. | "Just Say Yes (Curve Remix)" | Bamonte • Cooper • Gallup • O'Donnell • Smith | Previously unreleased (Originally made in 2001) | 3:18 |
| 15. | "A Forest (Plati and Slick Version)" | Bamonte • Cooper • Gallup • O'Donnell • Smith | Previously unreleased (Originally made in 2001) | 6:41 |
Charts
edit| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[10] | 60 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[11] | 46 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[12] | 29 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI)[13] | 50 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[14] | 98 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[15] | 13 |
| US Billboard 200[16] | 106 |
References
edit- ^ a b c "Critic Reviews for Join The Dots: B-Sides And Rarities, 1978-2001". Metacritic. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
- ^ True, Chris. "Join the Dots: B-Sides & Rarities, 1978-2001 - The Cure". AllMusic.
- ^ http://www.blender.com/guide/reissue/51943/join-dots-b-sides-rarities-1978-2001.html[dead link]
- ^ Endelman, Michael (5 March 2004). "Join the Dots: B-Sides & Rarities 1978 -- 2001 Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
- ^ Sweeting, Adam (29 January 2004). "CD: The Cure, Join the Dots: B-Sides and Rarities 1978-2001". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
- ^ Fitzpatrick, Rob (30 January 2004). "Album Reviews - The Cure : Join The Dots - B Sides & Rarities". NME. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
- ^ Ott, Chris (29 February 2004). "The Cure: Join the Dots: B-Sides and Rarities 1978-2001: The Fiction Years". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
- ^ Parrish, Peter (1 March 2004). "The Cure - Join The Dots: B-Sides & Rarities 1978-2001 - Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 9 May 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
- ^ Gill, Jaime (4 February 2004). "The Cure - 'Join The Dots (b-sides and rarities 1978-2001)'". Yahoo! Music UK. Archived from the original on 5 August 2004. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – The Cure – Join the Dots - B-Sides & Rarities, 1978%3E2001 (The Fiction Years)" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – The Cure – Join the Dots - B-Sides & Rarities, 1978%3E2001 (The Fiction Years)" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – The Cure – Join the Dots - B-Sides & Rarities, 1978%3E2001 (The Fiction Years)". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
- ^ "Italiancharts.com – The Cure – Join the Dots - B-Sides & Rarities, 1978%3E2001 (The Fiction Years)". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
- ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ "The Cure Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
