Mixed Up

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Lore & Background

Most of the songs on Mixed Up are extended mixes. Several had been previously released on 12" singles, but some are completely remade, with Smith recutting vocals due to the original tapes not being available. The record closes with the extended version of a new single, "Never Enough". The remix of "Pictures of You" was originally released under the title "(Strange Mix)". As the original master tapes could not be found, "A Forest" and "The Walk" are not remixes, they are re-recordings. The Cure also released some other new mixes as the B-sides of the singles from Mixed Up: the first single, "Never Enough", featured a remix of "Let's Go to Bed", titled "Let's Go to Bed" (Milk Mix) on the 12", cassette and CD versions, as well as a new song, "Harold and Joe", while the second single, "Close to Me" (Remix) contained "Just Like Heaven" (Dizzy Mix) on all formats and "Primary" (Red Mix) on the 12", CD and cassette versions as B-sides; the third single, "A Forest" (Tree Mix), contained the original version of the song and "In Between Days" (Shiver Mix) only on 5-inch CD as B-sides.

In Their Own Story

Ira Robbins of Entertainment Weekly saw the band as trying to stay relevant and their "attempt to join in the trendy dance style known as house music", and thought some of the songs were poor choices, saying they "really don't need the rhythmic charge they get from added drum tracks." and concluded "Fans will need the one new song, 'Never Enough', and two rerecorded oldies, but Mixed Up is a pause that confuses in a career otherwise known for rampant creativity." Stephen Thomas Erlewine described the remixes as "quite radical" and "leaving only the bare bones of the original song." He felt that the album featured "enough oddities and rare tracks" to satisfy fans, but was "too specialized for casual listeners." Steve Lamacq of NME said, "I can see Cure purists, the Smith disciples who enjoy his searching lyricism and uneven vocals, hating this record intensely. A weird, teasing record which marks the latest contrary twist in the band's history."

Reader's Guide

Mixed Up was released on 20 November 1990 by Fiction Records. On 21 April 2018, Mixed Up was released as a 2-LP remastered deluxe edition. The accompanying statement read: "Robert Smith has remastered The Cure's remix album from 1990. Now presented for the first time as double picture disc set in a gatefold sleeve with a download voucher." A 3-CD remastered deluxe edition of Mixed Up was released on 15 June 2018, and included the original album, a second disc of remixes from 1981 up to 1990, while the third disc would contain a new remix album called Torn Down (2018). In an interview with BBC Radio 6, Robert Smith confirmed that this release marks the continuation of The Cure's deluxe edition re-release campaign, and that the deluxe edition of Wish had been completed and would follow. CD editions do not include "Why Can't I Be You?" (Extended Remix), this was due to the 74-minute (later 80-minute) limit necessary to be compliant with the Compact Disc standard.

Did You Know?

• The remix of 'Pictures of You' was originally released under the title '(Strange Mix)'.
• As the original master tapes could not be found, 'A Forest' and 'The Walk' are not remixes but re-recordings.
• CD editions do not include 'Why Can't I Be You?' (Extended Remix) due to the 74-minute (later 80-minute) limit of the Compact Disc standard.
• The third single from Mixed Up, 'A Forest' (Tree Mix), contained the original version of the song and 'In Between Days' (Shiver Mix) only on 5-inch CD as B-sides.
• A 3-CD remastered deluxe edition released on 15 June 2018 included a third disc containing a new remix album called Torn Down.