Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Reeves in East Nashvillian magazine






















Very nice article on Reeves in East Nashvillian. An excerpt:

     In the spring of 2012, another old friend, Robert Smith of The Cure, asked him to join the band’s summer tour as a second guitarist, and that led to an invitation at the end of the tour to join the legendary group full-time.
     “When everything happened with The Cure, it all happened so fast. The nature of the music business is not a straight line — at its best, it’s like a sine wave; it has peaks and valleys. To get back on the merry-go-round in my 50s was kind of a surprise, because I was just trying to find a way to gracefully ride out to my death,” he says, laughing.
     “I joined one of the coolest bands ever, one of the most identifiable and idiosyncratic bands — they sound like nobody else. For them to welcome me into that, and to welcome whatever sonic variation I can bring to the band, is really nice.
     “Whatever I brought to it, I’ve made a conscious effort to support the vocals, which I don’t think always happened in the band. I’m pretty comfortable in my own skin. I’m not trying to prove something, I’m just trying to do the right thing for the music. But it is nice to catch a smile from Robert onstage when I try something that I’m not sure if I’m getting too weird, or not weird enough, or just trying something out,” he adds. “It has been very welcoming.”
     When he’s not busy with The Cure, Gabrels is immersed in other projects. Fantastic Guitars, a record he did with Bill Nelson of Bebop Deluxe fame, was released in July, and his fifth solo album, Reeves Gabrels & His Imaginary Friends, is scheduled to drop in October.
     “I don’t do the solo thing because I’m not satisfied with what I’m doing with [The Cure],” Gabrels says. “I do the solo thing because I’ve always done my own thing.”

8 comments:

  1. When a musician does his/her job, then no one can complain. But when a new band member sounds band and sloppy, plays awfully and with no respect for the ex band member he/she is replacing, then the problems begins. And critics are worse when that musician's style doesn't fit the band...

    Reeves is doing a very good job in The Cure... so he must have a very little percentage of complains. This time Robert hired a real musician with a similar musical background as him. That is how things work better.

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  2. Pearl did a better job, he just has back with David Bowie! everyone says that Pearl is the best guitarist of the cure!

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    1. Now you see, eric, that was a reasonable post. Nothing wrong with liking Pearl more, or Perry more, but no need to be so nasty towards Reeves or anyone else.

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  3. I think it's really interesting what Reeves says about seeing his job on stage as supporting Robert's vocals. I'm not sure if this is what he means, but I love the way he starts the solo on From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea, coming in on the same note as Robert's low scream and following it as it ascends before launching into the solo proper. It's incredibly satisfying and uplifting to listen to. I saw them play at the Albert Hall this year and Robert gave Reeves the A Night Like This solo, which I thought he did something really dark and brooding with.

    I'm not a great fan of Wrong Number, but I do like the way Reeves plays it, inventive and weirdly synthetic, like a guitar made of bubble gum.

    I could be imagining all this but there doesn't seem to be the tension musically between Robert and Reeves on stage that I thought I heard between Robert and Pearl. Robert talks about him and Pearl glowering at each other as teenagers as they played Grinding Halt - with Pearl pushing a prog rock style whereas Robert was committed to a spikier post punk sound, I think that tension never fully left them. There's a moment in the Paris 08 film where Pearl starts to rock out and improvise on The End of the World and Robert seems to give him a sharp look.

    I'm not a big fan of those rock trills that both Pearl and Reeves launch into occasionally, I prefer the originality and simplicity of Robert's solos, but obviously Robert isn't against The Cure having a rock out every now and then or he wouldn't have written It's Over.

    Personally, I really love the Wish line up live, the Paris album is endlessly listenable to with its three guitar parts, and new improvisations on old songs like In Your House and The Figurehead.

    But with so many line ups over the years, and so many recordings, there's a Cure for everyone :-)

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  4. I hope to just realize that Robert change the line-up with someone who plays escuser my language plays anything! it can shocked fan! I personally have always liked Reeves! but presently has heard live it makes me pissed turn of solo songs with scary sound! respect for the original songs would be appreciate

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  5. All I can think about is how f'n hard it must have been for Reeves to jump into the band on such short notice. This isn't some small town band, it's the fucking Cure. I'm not sure how much notice he received before getting on stage, but If I remember, it wasn't more than a few weeks or so. Just imagine sitting around the house and getting a call from Robert asking you to be the second guitarist and realizing they have a regular set list of over 40 - 50 songs with another 150 if they feel like breaking out the old stuff. Imagine the pressure to jump onstage in front of an audience of 20,000 - 50,000 people and play all those songs. Nobody will ever be a perfect replacement for any of the other players in the band, but Reeves pulled it off without fault or failure. If David Bowie and Robert Smith have you on speed dial to be their guitarist and anyone in this silly little forum (meant with all due respect, because I really like this virtual place) thinks Reeves doesn't belong in The Cure, then your just an idiot. I think there are four other guys that are actually in the band that would completely disagree with you as well.

    Change happens...just accept it and be happy we have great music being played!

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  6. Do you think I think every true fan without crazy! I cross that Perry would have done much better than Reeves! an old American guitarist ended up in an English band really know the right things! just watched the improvised solo disgusting that says it all! I not remember that The Cure plays and performs just happy song! so there is nothing to be cheerful sir!

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