Cuckoo (album)

Cuckoo
Cuckoo
Studio album by Curve
Released	13 September 1993
Recorded	December 1992 – March 1993
Studio	Todal (London)
Genre	Shoegaze
Length	45:46
Label	Anxious ; Charisma ;
Producer	Curve; Flood ; Steve Osborne ;
Curve chronology
Singles from Cuckoo
	"Blackerthreetracker"; Released: 23 August 1993; "Superblaster"; Released: 8 November 1993;

Last updated January 10, 2025

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[2]
Chicago Tribune	^[3]
Entertainment Weekly	B+^[4]
Los Angeles Times	^[5]
NME	5/10^[6]
The Philadelphia Inquirer	^[7]
Q	^[8]
Select	5/5^[9]
Vox	6/10^[10]

Cuckoo is the second studio album to be released by the British alternative rock band Curve. It was released on 13 September 1993 and was issued by Anxious Records and Charisma Records. It was less commercially successful than the band's previous releases.

Release

Cuckoo was released in the United Kingdom on 13 September 1993 by Anxious Records,^[11]^[12] and in the United States on 21 September 1993 by Anxious and Charisma Records.^[11]^[13] Two singles were issued from the album: "Blackerthreetracker" (which featured the Cuckoo song "Missing Link" as its lead track)^[11] on 23 August 1993,^[14] and "Superblaster" on 8 November 1993.^[15] In the UK, Cuckoo underperformed commercially compared to previous Curve releases,^[16] peaking at number 23 on the UK Albums Chart.^[17] Several months after the album's release, Curve disbanded, though they would reform in 1996.^[16]

In the August 1996 issue of Select magazine, Curve frontwoman Toni Halliday said: "I still think our second album was our best. It got to the point where Dean didn't want to tour. We did reach that point of hedonistic head-fuckery, glugging JD, hollering 'Where's the schnozz?' You finally get that out of your system and think, 'This is sad.' We couldn't have gone on like that."^[18]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Dean Garcia and Toni Halliday

No.	Title	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Missing Link"	Curve Flood	4:59
2.	"Crystal"	Curve Flood	4:02
3.	"Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus"	Curve Flood	4:36
4.	"All of One"	Curve Flood	4:19
5.	"Unreadable Communication"	Curve Steve Osborne	5:51
6.	"Turkey Crossing"	Curve Osborne	4:53
7.	"Superblaster"	Curve Flood	4:01
8.	"Left of Mother"	Curve Flood	4:10
9.	"Sweetest Pie"	Curve Flood	3:59
10.	"Cuckoo"	Curve Osborne	4:56
Total length:			45:46

25th Anniversary Expanded Edition - Disc Two
No.	Title	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Missing Link (Single Mix)"	Curve Flood	4:23
2.	"On The Wheel"	Curve Flood	6:04
3.	"Triumph"	Curve Flood	4:54
4.	"Superblaster (Single Mix)"	Curve Flood	4:02
5.	"Low And Behold"	Curve Flood	4:20
6.	"Nothing Without Me"	Curve Osborne	3:16
7.	"Missing Link (Screaming Bird Mix)"	Curve Flood Trent Reznor	6:28
8.	"Rising (Headspace Mix)"	Curve Flood The Future Sound Of London	9:25
9.	"Half The Time (Honey Tongue Mix)"	Curve Flood The Drum Club	6:20
10.	"Rising (Original Mix)"	Curve Flood	4:15
11.	"Half The Time (Original Mix)"	Curve Flood	4:05
Total length:			57:32

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.^[19]

Curve

Dean Garcia – bass, guitar, drum programming
Toni Halliday – vocals

Additional musicians

Flood – electronics
Sally Herbert – violin on "Superblaster" and "Left of Mother"
Alex Mitchell – guitar
Steve Monti – drums on "Crystal", "Superblaster" and "Sweetest Pie"
Alan Moulder – guitar
Steve Osborne – guitar
Debbie Smith – guitar

Production

Darren Allison – mixing (assistant)
Curve – production
Flood – production
Alan Moulder – mixing
Steve Osborne – production on "Unreadable Communication", "Turkey Crossing" and "Cuckoo"

Design

Andrew Catlin – band photography
Flat Earth – sleeve design, cover photography
Vaughan Matthews – cover photography

Charts

Chart (1993)	Peak position
European Top 100 Albums ( Music & Media )^[20]	77
UK Albums (OCC)^[17]	23
UK Independent Albums (OCC)^[21]	2
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)^[22]	18

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References

↑ Halligan, Benjamin (2013). "Shoegaze as the Third Wave: Affective Psychedelic Noise, 1965–91". In Goddard, Michael; Halligan, Benjamin; Spelman, Nicola (eds.). Resonances: Noise and Contemporary Music. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 57. ISBN 978-1-4411-1054-1.
↑ Simpson, Paul. "Cuckoo – Curve". AllMusic . Retrieved 26 December 2015.
↑ Webber, Brad (11 November 1993). "Curve: Cuckoo (Virgin)". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved 3 May 2021.
↑ "Curve: Cuckoo". Entertainment Weekly . No. 194. 29 October 1993. p. 65.
↑ Hochman, Steve (21 November 1993). "Curve, 'Cuckoo,' Anxious/Charisma". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 3 May 2021.
↑ Dalton, Stephen (11 September 1993). "Revolting Clocks". NME . Retrieved 26 December 2015.
↑ Wood, Sam (14 December 1993). "Curve: Cuckoo (Anxious/Charisma)". The Philadelphia Inquirer .
↑ Aston, Martin (October 1993). "Curve: Cuckoo". Q . No. 85. p. 105. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
↑ Collins, Andrew (September 1993). "The Lunatic Fringe". Select . No. 39. pp. 86–87. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
↑ O'Brien, Lucy (October 1993). "Sand Blasted". Vox . No. 37. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
1 2 3 Sexton, Paul (9 October 1993). "Virgin Execs See Straight Path to Success for Curve" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 105, no. 41. pp. 1, 119. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
↑ "Ad Focus" (PDF). Music Week . 11 September 1993. p. 10. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
↑ Cuckoo (liner notes). Curve. Anxious Records / Charisma Records. 1993. 7243 8 39061 2 3.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
↑ "Single Releases" (PDF). Music Week . 21 August 1993. p. 23. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
↑ Curve. "Superblaster single". Bandcamp . Retrieved 3 May 2021.
1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Curve". AllMusic . Retrieved 3 May 2021.
1 2 "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
↑ Male, Andrew (August 1996). "Didn't We Used to Be Famous?". Select . No. 74. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
↑ Cuckoo (liner notes). Curve. Anxious Records. 1993. ANXCD 81.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
↑ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 10, no. 40. 2 October 1993. p. 12. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
↑ "Independent Albums" (PDF). Music Week . 2 October 1993. p. 20. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
↑ "Heatseekers Albums". Billboard . 9 October 1993. Retrieved 3 May 2021.

External links

Cuckoo at Discogs (list of releases)
Cuckoo at MusicBrainz (list of releases)

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[1] Halligan, Benjamin (2013). "Shoegaze as the Third Wave: Affective Psychedelic Noise, 1965–91". In Goddard, Michael; Halligan, Benjamin; Spelman, Nicola (eds.). Resonances: Noise and Contemporary Music. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 57. ISBN 978-1-4411-1054-1.

[2] Simpson, Paul. "Cuckoo – Curve". AllMusic . Retrieved 26 December 2015.

[3] Webber, Brad (11 November 1993). "Curve: Cuckoo (Virgin)". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved 3 May 2021.

[4] "Curve: Cuckoo". Entertainment Weekly . No. 194. 29 October 1993. p. 65.

[5] Hochman, Steve (21 November 1993). "Curve, 'Cuckoo,' Anxious/Charisma". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 3 May 2021.

[6] Dalton, Stephen (11 September 1993). "Revolting Clocks". NME . Retrieved 26 December 2015.

[7] Wood, Sam (14 December 1993). "Curve: Cuckoo (Anxious/Charisma)". The Philadelphia Inquirer .

[8] Aston, Martin (October 1993). "Curve: Cuckoo". Q . No. 85. p. 105. Retrieved 26 December 2015.

[9] Collins, Andrew (September 1993). "The Lunatic Fringe". Select . No. 39. pp. 86–87. Retrieved 26 December 2015.

[10] O'Brien, Lucy (October 1993). "Sand Blasted". Vox . No. 37. Retrieved 26 December 2015.

[Sexton-11] 1 2 3 Sexton, Paul (9 October 1993). "Virgin Execs See Straight Path to Success for Curve" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 105, no. 41. pp. 1, 119. Retrieved 3 May 2021.

[12] "Ad Focus" (PDF). Music Week . 11 September 1993. p. 10. Retrieved 3 May 2021.

[13] Cuckoo (liner notes). Curve. Anxious Records / Charisma Records. 1993. 7243 8 39061 2 3.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[14] "Single Releases" (PDF). Music Week . 21 August 1993. p. 23. Retrieved 3 May 2021.

[15] Curve. "Superblaster single". Bandcamp . Retrieved 3 May 2021.

[Erlewine-16] 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Curve". AllMusic . Retrieved 3 May 2021.

[UK-17] 1 2 "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 May 2018.

[18] Male, Andrew (August 1996). "Didn't We Used to Be Famous?". Select . No. 74. Retrieved 3 May 2021.

[19] Cuckoo (liner notes). Curve. Anxious Records. 1993. ANXCD 81.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[20] "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 10, no. 40. 2 October 1993. p. 12. Retrieved 28 May 2021.

[21] "Independent Albums" (PDF). Music Week . 2 October 1993. p. 20. Retrieved 28 May 2021.

[22] "Heatseekers Albums". Billboard . 9 October 1993. Retrieved 3 May 2021.

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v t e Curve
Toni Halliday Dean Garcia
Albums	Doppelgänger Cuckoo Come Clean Gift The New Adventures of Curve
Compilations	Pubic Fruit Radio Sessions Open Day at the Hate Fest The Way of Curve Rare and Unreleased
EPs and singles	"Blindfold" "Frozen" "Cherry" "Faît Accompli" "Horror Head" "Blackerthreetracker" "Superblaster" "Pink Girl With the Blues" "Chinese Burn" "Coming Up Roses" "Perish" "Want More Need Less"
Related articles	FatLip Recordings SPC ECO KGC