I was much more excited about Rhino’s Cure reissue series before they came out. So far, the band’s first seven albums (from 1979’s Three Imaginary Boys through 1987’s Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me) have been given the deluxe make-over. Rhino is doling them out in sets of three, and the good stuff has almost all been picked through (although Disintegration will be the one to wait for, but after that it’s all downhill- is anyone honestly looking forward to Wild Mood Swings?). I’m kind of let down by the whole lot of them. No significantly expanded artwork to speak of. The deluxe digipaks are cool, I guess, but I’m left wanting more. And the bonus rarities discs aren’t very exciting and feel a bit thin, given the fact that the Join the Dots b-side box set pretty much covered all the good stuff. So, we’re left with home recorded demos, instrumental versions, and live leftovers. Lots and lots of live leftovers. The live sound quality improves on an even keel with the band’s rise in popularity, of course. Some of those early live cuts on the Three Imaginary Boys and the 17 Seconds bonus sets are actually pretty rough. Worth the 25 bucks a piece? Probably not, unless you’re an obsessive collector.