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The
Cure
[the
cure website]
Boys Don't Cry 
It's like punk turned on its ear. I guess
it's post-punk. It's spare and dark and claustrophobic in
its spookiness. This is The Cure. I can't say the boys sound
terribly proficient, or even really familiar with their instruments
at times, but with the rolling bass lines and staccato guitar,
it certainly sounds relatively modern in its retro-ness. There's
some swinging Brit pop (a la Blur--but way before Blur) in
here too, which seems a little weird given their darker leanings,
but they're perhaps still feeling their way through things.
This was really their introduction to the US--and what a debut!
The thing is all sorts of cool. I mean "Killing An Arab?"
Whoa. It's sparse and angular and prickly, but has melody
and panache. I almost cry when I hear this thing--so f you! |
Disintegration 
This was actually one album after I really
stopped listening to The Cure. Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me
was my end point. They were just too much of a larger version
of their goofy self. Leave it to me to stop listening right
before the band becomes massively popular, and releases some
of its most memorable songs in its catalog. This is the one
that got Smith the Bentley and the cottage in the countryside
somewhere. The ubiquitous "Pictures of You" and "Lovesong"
are literally in every fifth commercial (even now in the later
half of the aughts). They've finally found the right balance
between gloominess and poppiness and have churned out some
really great pop songs here, full of feeling and love and
a tinge of sadness. It does sound like Smith is actually at
peace in some way, looking back on his life with some regrets,
but ultimately with some positive energy for once. What a
perfect album to help usher out the 80s. |
Faith 
My favorite track on this, and honestly
one of favorite Cure tracks is "Primary." If only the rest
of the album sounded like this one. Instead it sounds as if
the whole album is drowning. Maybe it was recorded at the
bottom of a pool or in a puddle of Robert Smith's tears. "Primary"
is pulsing and angry in its loveliness (and lovingness). The
rest of the album is kind of drab in comparison. I try to
imagine myself having any fun actually playing these songs
in the studio or in concert, and I just don't get it, really.
I guess it's an esthetic, but it's a weird one for me. I just
don't dig the dreary Cure, even though they're the mope rock
pioneers. Granted, the album is only eight tracks long, and
at least two of the songs aren't completely gray ("Doubt"
being the other one), so I guess their sadness quotient (1
out of four) isn't as high as it could be. |
Mixed Up 
I generally hate remix albums. I mean if
the thing sucked so bad to begin with, why do you need to
remix it? I mean I don't mind when somebody remixes shit and
throws it up online. I listen to it once, it's a novelty,
and I throw it in the recycle bin. To actually charge for
music I already have (don't get me started on Greatest Hits
albums) seems just a little dubious to me. As far as remix
albumas go, this isn't the worst one in the world, though.
I suppose if you had never heard The Cure before and bought
this album, you wouldn't be horrified. The originals are better,
of course, but whatever. |
Pornography 
When was it considered okay to only have
eight tracks on an album? Today that's called an EP, but what
the hell do I know; The Cure seemed to get away with it on
a regular basis. This is the one where I really start to hear
that "Robert Smith" voice. You know the one. The one that
whines and mopes and sounds like he's crying when he orders
fish and chips. I used to imitate that voice all the time
in college when just going about my regular day. It's fun,
you should try it. It's a little banshee for me, this album,
but it does engender the whole Cure aesthetic. I wish they
would find somebody, now that they have this more lush sound,
to twiddle the knobs a little and release them from the murk. |
Staring at the Sea: The Singles

There isn't a jukebox on earth) or at
least Manhattan) that doesn't have this album in it. It captures
the best of The Cure's earliest music, and is the best jumping
off point for the introduction to their "hits." I owned this
on tape years ago, and upgraded to CD years later when my
last tape deck went south. It certainly pours on the nostalgia
pretty thick, and is a quintessential album for any music-lover's
library. Granted, every retard and his brother also has this
thing, so beware when you're judging and sneering at someone's
collection (like I always do) when seeing this thing on the
shelf. Don't forget about "Lovecats." Ew. |
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