The Cure Half-Assed Album by Album Thread

[JGJR]

The Top

The album begins with a similar dark vibe to Pornography, but the quirky and even flat-out poppy Cure soon emerges from the darkness. This one is much more in line with the formula for later LPs - some darkness and depression balanced by bright moments. Yeah, that good old bipolar Cure formula. The problem with this thread is that I’m starting to realize that I like this band a lot more than I thought I did, which means I want to buy a whole bunch of Cure records. Maybe I’ll limit myself to CDs...

This one was always under my radar for some reason. When I owned every Cure album on CD this was the only one I never owned.

It's always been one of my favorites; maybe their most underrated Lp. "Birdmad Girl," "Dressing Up" and "The Empty World" are so so good. As for heaviness, wait until you get to the opening track of Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me. But I like the heavier songs on this one a lot, especially "Piggy in the Mirror."

[patient_ot]

The Top

The album begins with a similar dark vibe to Pornography, but the quirky and even flat-out poppy Cure soon emerges from the darkness. This one is much more in line with the formula for later LPs - some darkness and depression balanced by bright moments. Yeah, that good old bipolar Cure formula. The problem with this thread is that I’m starting to realize that I like this band a lot more than I thought I did, which means I want to buy a whole bunch of Cure records. Maybe I’ll limit myself to CDs...

This one was always under my radar for some reason. When I owned every Cure album on CD this was the only one I never owned.

It was never well distributed in the U.S. The copies sold here were usually West German import copies, and not all stores stocked them. It's a weird album with some great moments.

[version sound]

The Head on the Door

Ok, we are well into the Cure’s classic albums run. This one is an exemplary mix of the darkness and light that they developed on previous albums. Very solid album from start to finish.

[JGJR]

The Head on the Door

Ok, we are well into the Cure’s classic albums run. This one is an exemplary mix of the darkness and light that they developed on previous albums. Very solid album from start to finish.

Another one of my most-listened to Cure albums. How great is "The Baby Screams?"

[xxxMidgexxx]

Three Imaginary Boys

I listened to this tonight for the first time (that I can remember). Its not bad at all. There's a lot of good stuff on this. 'Object' is a VERY cool.
Who knows, I guess since it was remastered in 2005, it sounds REALLY good in my expensive headphones.

[JGJR]

Three Imaginary Boys

I listened to this tonight for the first time (that I can remember). Its not bad at all. There's a lot of good stuff on this. 'Object' is a VERY cool.
Who knows, I guess since it was remastered in 2005, it sounds REALLY good in my expensive headphones.

Not bad? It's only one of the best debuts ever. I love "Object," but my favorite is "Fire in Cairo."

[patient_ot]

The Head on the Door

Ok, we are well into the Cure’s classic albums run. This one is an exemplary mix of the darkness and light that they developed on previous albums. Very solid album from start to finish.

Probably my most played Cure album for the last several years.

[JGJR]

The Head on the Door

Ok, we are well into the Cure’s classic albums run. This one is an exemplary mix of the darkness and light that they developed on previous albums. Very solid album from start to finish.

Probably my most played Cure album for the last several years.

I say this often (including earlier in this thread), but I think it's one of their best. I particularly love "Kyoto Song,", "Six Different Ways" and "The Baby Screams." I heard "Six Different Ways" and "Push" playing at a pizza place in suburban Atlanta recently, FWIW.

[xxxMidgexxx]

Three Imaginary Boys

I listened to this tonight for the first time (that I can remember). Its not bad at all. There's a lot of good stuff on this. 'Object' is a VERY cool.
Who knows, I guess since it was remastered in 2005, it sounds REALLY good in my expensive headphones.

Not bad? It's only one of the best debuts ever. I love "Object," but my favorite is "Fire in Cairo."

There are some meandering songs without hooks that don't do it for me on this. That said, it is going to be hard for me to ingest this whole album and give it the attention that I might have in the 80's (actually late 70's). I don't have the time for repeated listening unless an album completely kicks my ass. There's too much new music that I want to get to. C'est le vie.

[JGJR]

Three Imaginary Boys

I listened to this tonight for the first time (that I can remember). Its not bad at all. There's a lot of good stuff on this. 'Object' is a VERY cool.
Who knows, I guess since it was remastered in 2005, it sounds REALLY good in my expensive headphones.

Not bad? It's only one of the best debuts ever. I love "Object," but my favorite is "Fire in Cairo."

There are some meandering songs without hooks that don't do it for me on this. That said, it is going to be hard for me to ingest this whole album and give it the attention that I might have in the 80's (actually late 70's). I don't have the time for repeated listening unless an album completely kicks my ass. There's too much new music that I want to get to. C'est le vie.

I've loved (most of) this album since I was 15, though back then I only had the U.S. version. I don't think I even heard the original UK Lp until I found a CD of it in the late '90s. I likely heard Jawbox's version of "Meathook" years before I heard the original.

[version sound]

Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me

The first “real” Cure record I ever owned (the absolute first was Staring at the Sea), and it’s still my favorite, maybe for that reason. There are a few songs I don’t totally love (like “Hot, Hot, Hot”), but it’s pretty much excellent from start to finish, which is an real accomplishment, given that it’s a double LP.

[patient_ot]

Kiss Me X 3 has never been one of my top favorites from the Cure. I should listen to it more often though. There's some great stuff on it but it's way too long IMHO. The long album thing worked better on Disintegration, I think.

[gregpolard]

Great album (KM,KM,KM)

[version sound]

Disintegration

Everyone’s favorite Cure record*, and with good reason. It’s a fucking great record. It may be more balanced toward the dark and depressive side, but that’s why every lovesick teen treasures it so. What more need be said? Ok, I’ll say one more thing because I always have to: the version on Apple Music is way too fucking loud. It’s rare that I can I hear how loud and unpleasant a remaster is on a streaming service, which means this one is pretty bad. This record deserves better.










*Countdown to Cure nerd objections in 5...4...3...2...1

[patient_ot]

Disintegration

Everyone’s favorite Cure record*, and with good reason. It’s a fucking great record. It may be more balanced toward the dark and depressive side, but that’s why every lovesick teen treasures it so. What more need be said? Ok, I’ll say one more thing because I always have to: the version on Apple Music is way too fucking loud. It’s rare that I can I hear how loud and unpleasant a remaster is on a streaming service, which means this one is pretty bad. This record deserves better.










*Countdown to Cure nerd objections in 5...4...3...2...1

The original CD is phenomenally good. It has amazing dynamics and headroom. Like most of the Cure remasters I don't like the one for this album either - completely unnecessary. Maybe it was made for cheap earbuds and other crappy gear.

Don't bother with the album on vinyl either. The original LP is too long for a single LP and had to be truncated even with DMM. All of the reissues use the remastered WAV files as a source.

[version sound]

I was lucky enough to find a nice copy of the unremastered CD in the “library” (the bookcase downstairs where people leave books and other stuff they don’t want) in my building, so that’s at least one Cure release I have covered.

[scannest]

Never a big Cure fan, but I've been listening along with this thread at home. I'm now convinced that the Cure are absolutely one of the great singles bands of all-time. I don't mean singles-distinct-from-LP's, I mean I love all the singles they chose off their full-lengths while not loving any record in its entirety.

[version sound]

Funny, I like a lot of their singles, but especially on later records, they are just as likely to be the tracks I don’t like as much as the rest of the album. None are bad, but some are a little too poppy for me.

[version sound]

Wish

Around the time of this record, they were touring with Ride, and the British music press strongly intimated that this was their shoegaze record, or at least a direct reaction to what those bands were doing. With 20/20 hindsight, it’s clear that was a bunch of nonsense. This record is pure classic Cure from start to finish. If Disintegration was their Goo, this follows nicely as their Dirty. Not quite as great as its predecessor, but still pretty damn great.

[lewdd]

I've lost track of this thread being away from home for most of April. Here are the # of songs I really like from each album so far.

Three Imaginary Boys - 4
Seventeen Seconds - 2
Faith - 3
Pornography - 0
The Top - 0
The Head on the Door - 5
Kiss Me - 8
Disintegration - 5
Wish - 4

Looks like by volume of songs I like that Kiss Me is also my favorite Cure record. I had the cassette when it came out.

[JGJR]

Wish

Around the time of this record, they were touring with Ride, and the British music press strongly intimated that this was their shoegaze record, or at least a direct reaction to what those bands were doing. With 20/20 hindsight, it’s clear that was a bunch of nonsense. This record is pure classic Cure from start to finish. If Disintegration was their Goo, this follows nicely as their Dirty. Not quite as great as its predecessor, but still pretty damn great.

It's ridiculous to think of it as a shoegaze record, but I've always heard elements of late '80s/early '90s type stuff like The Wonder Stuff, House of Love, the non-shoegaze side of Boo Radleys, and even a tiny bit of Madchester in there. It's definitely a little informed by what was going on then. Your overall conclusion is the same as mine, though. It's not only a classic Cure record, but the last one that could be described as such IMO and the end of a great run. I like the Goo/Dirty -> Disintegration/Wish SAT analogy, too.

[patient_ot]

Wish

Around the time of this record, they were touring with Ride, and the British music press strongly intimated that this was their shoegaze record, or at least a direct reaction to what those bands were doing. With 20/20 hindsight, it’s clear that was a bunch of nonsense. This record is pure classic Cure from start to finish. If Disintegration was their Goo, this follows nicely as their Dirty. Not quite as great as its predecessor, but still pretty damn great.

I never thought of it as "shoegaze" though maybe there are some elements of that, especially on the first track. The end of their classic run for me, definitely.

[version sound]

This was the last Cure record I heard. I hope I’m pleasantly surprised by what follows, but I’m kind of doubting it...

Lew, ZERO songs on Pornography??? And you have the temerity to call yourself a goth?

[lewdd]

After looking up that big word that you used, I never declared that I was goth. I don't mind whatever track(s) from that album that were on Staring at the Sea. Just not enough to want to listen to them on a playlist with other more up tempo tunes of theirs.

[JGJR]

After looking up that big word that you used, I never declared that I was goth. I don't mind whatever track(s) from that album that were on Staring at the Sea. Just not enough to want to listen to them on a playlist with other more up tempo tunes of theirs.

I think that's just "The Hanging Garden." Pornography is definitely not a "singles" album and one I really have to be in the mood for, but man, what a statement. It's definitely not an immediate album, either, at least it wasn't for me.

[version sound]

Of course I was joking, Lew. You might be the least goth guy on the board.

[lewdd]

Of course I was joking, Lew. You might be the least goth guy on the board.

I'm not sure of that either. I did like several bands on that video that Midge posted a few months back.

[version sound]

Wild Mood Swings

I was dragging my heels on this one. I’ve never heard anything past Wish before, and have never really read anything that made me want to. The good news is that this record is not bad at all, it’s more or less what I would have expected, given when it came out. That said, the only song that feels dated is “Club America” which kind of sounds like their attempt at a poppy grunge tune. The rest is classic Cure to a fault. Almost too classic, in fact. A lot of the songs sound like rearranged and re-recorded versions of old Cure classics. There is a weird uncanny valley where the song sounds very familiar even though you’ve never heard it before. I know this was a pretty universally disliked record, so hopefully it only gets better from here, right?