If you have any suggestions that you think I've overlooked, feel free to post your favorite Cure songs in the comments ( :
Originally called The Easy Cure, the band formed in 1976. Since 1979, a total of 13 people have played with The Cure, with Robert Smith being the only constant. Several have returned after leaving.
Beautiful sonic sound and guitars. Seventeen Seconds (1980) was featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. The album reached number 20 on the British album charts. Due to budgetary restraints, the record was recorded and mixed in seven days costing between £2000 and £3000, which resulted in the band working 16 or 17 hours a day to complete the album. In 2000, Q magazine placed Seventeen Seconds at number 65 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever.
In Your House - The Cure
A Forest - The Cure
Play For Today - The Cure
Album: Faith (1981)
When The Cure was first formed, Smith did not intend to become the lead vocalist; he began singing after the original singer left the band, and fell into the role somewhat by default, since no better replacement appeared.
Robert Smith: “It was never the point of the group, it never has been and never will be, to be successful. But the point of the group was that I can do what I want. And I think people just like that”
Faith (1981) is generally a brooding, atmospheric, and sombre album, although it has a flash of anger in the form of the song "Doubt", and some edge in the driving single "Primary". It is often seen as the mid-point in a 'Dark Trilogy' that begins with Seventeen Seconds and ends with Pornography. At least two songs on the album, "All Cats are Grey" and "The Drowning Man", are inspired by the Gormenghast novels of Mervyn Peake.
It is the first album by The Cure to feature baritone guitar/six-string bass. The front cover, designed by former and future member Porl Thompson, is a picture of Bolton Priory in the village of Bolton Abbey in the fog.
All Cats Are Grey - The Cure
(Atmospheric, reminds me of the Lost in Translation soundtrack)
Other Voices – The Cure
The Funeral Party - The Cure
(Love the sound...so dreamy)
Album: Pornography (1982)
Despite the acclaim and the brilliance of below tune, this is actually one of my least favorite Cure albums to listen to.
Robert Smith: “I’ve been in five bands, all with the same name, that’s the way I look at it”
A Strange Day – The Cure
What do you guys think? Do you own any The Cure albums? Have you seen them live? Which is your favorite record by the group? Check back next week for part 2 where I look at their 80s work!
Robert Smith quotes from:
The Story Of The Cure - Much More Music (2000)
The Cure on That Was Then… This Is Now (1988, BBC documentary)
Out of the Woods - The Cure (2004) (Chrome Dreams)
The Cure is among one of my all-time favorite bands. In fact, I saw them back in 2000 at the start of their U.S. tour. Great show.
ReplyDeleteSo far, I've managed to review every studio album, compilations, and live albums (except for the new one) in my music blog which is currently in suspension due to lack of interest in writing about music.
@thevoid99: Experiencing The Cure live is on my to-do-list. I actually only started listening to them seriously this year, so I'm a novice in terms of their music.
DeleteThank you for pointing me in the direction of you review collection, and I may end up quoting you in these Cure appreciation posts ( :
I'm probably a complete cliche but Lullaby is my favorite song by them, as well as the music video. Love this band and that posts just reminds me how long it was since I last listened to them. I only listen to soundtracks and Lana del Rey nowadays, really need to check out some of the music I used to listen to.
ReplyDelete@Sati: The Lullaby music video strikes me as having a Tim Burton-esque atmosphere, I hadn't watched official video before, so thanks for the info! You have good taste, because that song is from arguably The Cure's finest album Disintegration (1989)
DeleteThis is when The Cure was at its best, in my opinion. Seventeen Seconds and Boys Don't Cry are a couple favorites of mine, but I never really got into their output after this, outside of Disintegration. I can only handle so much of Robert Smith's mopey-ness. :)
ReplyDelete@Eric: Seventeen Seconds is among my favorites too. Faith (1981) I find haunting also. Robert Smith's distinctive vocal is naturally mopey, so I wouldn't listen to their music all day either ( :
DeleteThat said, I would welcome a new album of more optimistic songs ala "Friday I'm in love" to kick start their career again (I think Robert Smith could experiment a bit more with his voice), or a compilation of existing upbeat tracks. See this thread, What are your favorite happy The Cure songs :
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100130055214AA1EzPL
Then again, if the band go all out with that direction, perhaps they wouldn't sound like The Cure anymore, and betray existing fans?
The Cure is a band that I've never really got into. I'm not sure why, and it's a little strange, but they are a band that I wouldn't consciously choose to listen to, yet I seem to always enjoy listening to them when it's someone else who puts them on.
ReplyDelete@Bonjour Tristesse: I don't love everything The Cure have put out. In the next 3 weeks, I'll be sharing some of the hits and not-so-famous tracks I like.
DeleteI think you need to have a melancholy side to your personality to really get into this band, and not everyone has that.
The Cure is my favorite band. The somber sound and Robert´s desolate voice, his oniric and cryptic lyricism fascinated me since the first time i heard'em. It was (and still is) a big influence in me. I dressed like them almost my whole adolescence. I remember all their posters in my teenage room. ..
ReplyDeleteWhen The Cure came to Argentina in 1987, there`s a big buzz around. They're one of the first bands play here after the infamous Falkland’s ( Malvinas for us) war. (Strange enough, Siouxsie and the Banshees was the first one and Robert play guitar many times with them) At this time, I was very young and because of that, I couldn’t go. I was devastated. In addition, The support band was La Sobrecarga (Accion y reaccion) an amazing band that I was a huge fan (in fact, one of my tattoos is the design cover of their first album, Sentidos Congelados).
In these shows, a series of disastrous events like poor organization, bad publicity tricks and stuff, make things out control. A huge riot with extensive damages and security staff with severe injuries was the tragic conclusion. Things really get out of control and a frightened Robert Smith even stop to play. A spectacular event turned into something tragic and almost sinister.
Robert swore never return to my country. And that's true. We never have another chance to see The Cure play live again.
I have all his records and the whole picture is complete: Even now, when I hear The Cure, I feel deeply touched.
Years passed....but Fascination and Love are endless. So The Cure.
@Analía: The Cure is your favorite band, didn't know that. Today I'm going to blog about the next phase of their career(1983-1987)
DeleteI like how the band have experimented with different sounds over the years, I've been enjoying the early atmospheric records Seventeen Seconds (1980) and Faith (1981). Pornography (1982) is a bit too loud for my taste.
That's too bad things got out of control and there was a riot in your country...I can tell The Cure have had a big impact on your youth!