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| The Cure Discography Run
I must fight this sickness. Find a Cure (Discography Run). | | 1 |  | The Cure
Killing an Arab (Single)
December 1978 | Small Wonder | 4.0 | ๐
1. Killing an Arab (4.5/5) ๐
2. 10:15 Saturday Night (3.5/5) ๐
How topical!
Anyway, we very well could have went with one of the cure's bootlegged demos to open the list, but I decided against it for my own sanity. Plus, it just feels right starting with this one. "Killing an Arab" is just such a classic punk track, it's undeniable. However, the B-side ("10:15 Saturday Night") is actually the weaker of the two in my eyes. This might be shocking to some people, as it's generally considered to be one of their best tracks, but I just don't completely vibe with its primitive, "pop rock n' roll" stylings. Cool guitar solo, though. While not their most groundbreaking release in my eyes, Killing an Arab still lays a great foundation for the Cure's long history to rest upon. | | 2 |  | The Cure
Three Imaginary Boys
May 1979 | Fiction | 3.8 | โ
1. 10:15 Saturday Night (3.5/5)
2. Accuracy (3.5/5)
3. Grinding Halt (4.5/5)
4. Another Day (4/5)
5. Object (4.5/5)
6. Subway Song (3.5/5)
7. Foxy Lady (4/5)
8. Meat Hook (3/5)
9. So What (3.5/5)
10. Fire in Cairo (3.5/5)
11. It's Not You (5/5) ๐
12. Three Imaginary Boys (3.5/5)
13. The Weedy Burton (3/5) ๐
Finally rechecking this album after so many years, and with a new remaster! Maybe that's unfair, but I really want to give these older albums their fair shake. Plus, spoilers, I have to relisten to most of these songs again anyway. I remember being pretty underwhelmed by this one when I first checked it, and honestly, my opinion has only slightly improved over the years. But going back to this new-wavy Cure was still a treat. Pop punk belter "It's Not You" sounds as fresh today as it did back then. On the other side of the coin, "The Weedy Burton" was a dopey... dub rock(?) track that feels very dated to my modern ears. Still, a great first album! | | 3 |  | The Cure
Grinding Halt (Single)
May 1979 | Fiction | 3.8 | ๐
1. Grinding Halt (4.5/5) ๐
2. Meat Hook (3/5) ๐
I debated on whether I should just leave these first singles out of the discography run, as most of them are just tracks straight off of their first album or Boys Don't Cry, but if I'm going to do this, I may as well rate all these singles, right? "Grinding Halt" was one of the better tracks off Three Imaginary Boys, so it's shouldn't be surprising that it easily beats "Meat Hook." According to my stupid rating system, I must bestow the entire thing a 4.0. But make no mistake: it's only because I like "Grinding Halt." | | 4 |  | The Cure
Boys Don't Cry (Single)
June 1979 | Fiction | 4.5 | ๐
1. Boys Don't Cry (5/5) ๐
2. Plastic Passion (4/5) ๐
Our first real taste of jangle/indie pop Cure. And all the way back in 1979! Yeah, "Boys Don't Cry" was one of the first Cure songs I ever heard, and I loved it from day one. Classic breakup song; maybe one of the best. Knowing that, there was just no way "Plastic Passion" would compare. Still a good song, but it just can't beat the A-side. No hard feelings. | | 5 |  | The Cure
Jumping Someone Else's Train (Single)
November 1979 | Fiction | 3.8 | ๐
1. Jumping Someone Else's Train (5/5) ๐
2. I'm Cold (2.5/5) ๐
I'd hate to continue the love train, but "Jumping Someone Else's Train" is also one of my favorite early Cure tracks. If the Cure became a dance-punk band, you would not hear me complaining, that's all I'm saying. B-side "I'm Cold" is a waste of a perfectly good Siouxsie Sioux; aimless little rollickin' rock tune that it is. The difference in quality has never been so stark. Well, aside from a Fall remix maxi-single or something, but it's still pretty bad here.
Also, this is my 22,000th rating. Yippee! | | 6 |  | Cult Hero
I'm A Cult Hero
December 1979 | Fiction | 3.3 | ๐
1. I'm a Cult Hero (3.5/5) ๐
2. I Dig You (3/5) ๐
"What the heck is this," you ask? Well, apparently, Robert Smith wanted to replace bassist Michael Dempsey with a new guy (longtime Cure bassist Simon Gallup). So, he decided to release a weird single with him to see if they meshed well... but also decided to include his mailman on lead vocals? I honestly didn't even know this existed until just now. "I'm a Cult Hero" is fun, silly, B-52s D side, but far from essential. It only narrowly edges out "I Dig You" to me. I won't make a habit of including every Cure-related release on this list, but I was just so intrigued by this one, I had to make its existence known. You could've just held an interview for the position, Smith, you know that, right? | | 7 |  | The Cure
10:15 Saturday Night (Single)
1979-1980(?) | Polydor | 3.5 | ๐
1. 10:15 Saturday Night (3.5/5) ๐
2. Accuracy (3.5/5) ๐
I don't actually know when this single was released, as it has two different release dates, so I'm just going to squeeze it in here. Two tracks off of Three Imaginary Boys, no surprises here. Out of the two tracks, I think I have to give it to "10:15 Saturday Night," but I like "Accuracy" just as much. I would love to say that the repetitive nature of this list is only earlier on, but there's about 6 versions of "Killing an Arab" we still have to get to. | | 8 |  | The Cure
Boys Don't Cry
February 1980 | PVC / Fiction | 4.0 | โ
1. Jumping Someone Else's Train (5/5)
2. Boys Don't Cry (5/5) ๐
3. Plastic Passion (4/5)
4. 10:15 Saturday Night (3.5/5)
5. Accuracy (3.5/5)
6. Object (4.5/5)
7. Subway Song (3.5/5)
8. Killing an Arab (4.5/5)
9. Fire In Cairo (3.5/5)
10. Another Day (4/5)
11. Grinding Halt (4.5/5)
12. World War (3.5/5) ๐
13. Three Imaginary Boys (3.5/5)
The age old question: Three Imaginary Boys or Boys Don't Cry? If you don't know, these two albums are basically the same, aside from a few tracks. So which do I like better? Well, it's close, but the title track ("Boys Don't Cry") is just so damn good that it bumps this up. Funny that another new addition, "World War," is actually my pick for weakest track. But even that one is pretty good. If you don't want to go find the singles, this would be a good one to check out. | | 9 |  | The Cure
A Forest (Single)
April 1980 | Fiction | 4.5 | ๐
1. A Forest (4.5/5) ๐
2. Another Journey By Train (4.5/5) ๐
Here's where the Cure really started to steep themselves in gothic influences. Even just going by the album art from Boys Don't Cry to this, you can see the stark shift. Bright, vibrant colors to a black-and-white negative. Surprising even myself, I actually prefer instrumental new waver "Another Journey By Train" to the A-side ("A Forest"). I know, I know. I'm such a contrarian, it even annoys me sometimes. Another good single by the Cure, and a good teaser for what's to come. | | 10 |  | The Cure
Seventeen Seconds
April 1980 | Fiction | 4.0 | โ
1. A Reflection (3.5/5)
2. Play for Today (5/5) ๐
3. Secrets (4/5)
4. In Your House (3.5/5)
5. Three (3/5)
6. The Final Sound (3/5) ๐
7. A Forest (4.5/5)
8. M (4.5/5)
9. At Night (4.5/5)
10. Seventeen Seconds (4/5)
This relisten of Seventeen Seconds has been a long time coming. I think it must be literal decades since I last heard this in full. This is the proper, depressed Cure started to a lot of people. Slow goth guitars and loud, snappy drums. While I did enjoy this listen enough to bump my rating up, it's still a very uneven album, with some very high highs ("Play for Today") and some middling mids ("The Final Sound"). Honestly, if you cut the filler tracks, this would probably be the best thing they've released up to this point. Alas, it will just have to be a really great Cure album instead of an amazing one. | | 11 |  | The Cure
Primary (Single)
March 1981 | Fiction | 3.8 | ๐
1. Primary [Extended Mix] (4.5/5) ๐
2. Descent (3/5) ๐
The first (and only) single off the Cure's third album, and the first single by the band to be an extended mix of a song. Honestly, I think "Primary [Extended Mix]" is a little too long, but still a damn great tune. Love those driving baselines and Smith's shouty vocals. The rather slow, plodding "Descent" drags this down a lot, but it's a fine instrumental ditty. Faith, much like Seventeen Seconds, is an album I've not listened to in a while. So I'm excited to get into it. If it maintains the quality of the title track here, then consider me hyped for the relisten. | | 12 |  | The Cure
Faith
April 1981 | Fiction | 4.8 | โ
1. Holy Hour (4.5/5)
2. Primary (5/5)
3. Other Voices (4.5/5)
4. All Cats Are Grey (4.5/5) ๐
5. The Funeral Party (5/5) ๐
6. Doubt (5/5)
7. The Drowning Man (5/5)
8. Faith (4.5/5)
The Cure continue their descent into the dark on Faith, morphing into the death-obsessed band of goth rockers we all know and love. No doubt about it: this here's the best Cure record thus far. I don't know if it's just the remaster talking, but this is way better than I remembered it being. It's the moody, chilling, build-up-heavy Cure that I love, mixed with the punk rock Cure that I also love. "The Funeral Party" is otherworldly; like a foggy, dream pop waltz. I guess "All Cats Are Grey" takes the weakest track spot, but only because the rest is so damn amazing. Why this has the least ratings of their first three records, I will never understand. Underrated, by all of us. | | 13 |  | The Cure
Charlotte Sometimes (Single)
October 1981 | Fiction | 4.9 | ๐
1. Charlotte Sometimes (5/5) ๐
2. Splintered in Her Head (5/5) ๐
Recorded a few months after Faith's release, Charlotte Sometimes is the Cure's first single that would not end up being put on an album at some point. Which is a shame, because both of these songs are premium Cure. You can really see where Pornography got it start here, with the noisy, tribal-drum-filled "Splintered in Her Head." I don't really even want to put "Charlotte Sometimes" as the weakest, but for the sake of consistency on this list, I will. Near-perfect single right here. After Faith blew me out of the water, I was interested to see if everything released after it would pale, but nope. We're still good.
I'm gonna have like 7 Cure 5.0s after this list is over, aren't I? | | 14 |  | The Cure
One Hundred Years (Single)
1982 | Fiction | 5.0 | ๐
1. One Hundred Years (5/5) ๐
2. The Hanging Garden (5/5) ๐
One Hundred Years is probably one of the more common choices for favorite Cure single, and it's hard to argue with that opinion/fact. Released in promotion for Pornography, you've got a crushing existential goth nightmare song about the banality and inanity of life and another about animals fucking. Fun times! Both "One Hundred Years" and "The Hanging Garden" show up on their next album, so I don't want to spoil anything. I'll just say that the former is slightly better than the latter, if only for the bleak lyrics and iconic drums. But I basically love them both equally. | | 15 |  | The Cure
Pornography
May 1982 | Fiction | 4.9 | โ
1. One Hundred Years (5/5)
2. A Short Term Effect (4.5/5)
3. The Hanging Garden (5/5)
4. Siamese Twins (4.5/5) ๐
5. The Figurehead (5/5)
6. A Strange Day (5/5)
7. Cold (5/5)
8. Pornography (5/5) ๐
Once upon a time, I actually had Pornography at a 5.0. I don't exactly remember why, but I bumped it down a few years ago. Was it overplay? Was it contrarianism? Who knows? Whatever the reason was, I was obviously wrong. I'll go against the grain and call the title track ("Pornography") my favorite. An abrasive collage of noise is the perfect end to an album like this. "Siamese Twins" is just a touch too slow and bare for my tastes, but still excellent. The first in the Cure's "trilogy" (with Disintegration and Bloodflowers), according to the band. I never bought into the idea, personally, but I cannot deny that this is my all-time favorite Cure album. The logical progression from Faith, and the perfect album for the lonely misanthrope in all of us. | | 16 |  | The Cure
A Single
July 1982 | Fiction | 4.8 | ๐
1. The Hanging Garden (5/5)
2. One Hundred Years (5/5) ๐
3. A Forest [Live] (4.5/5) ๐
4. Killing an Arab [Live] (4.5/5)
Another one I was going to leave off, until I realized there were live versions. Yes, we're finally getting some live tracks on this list. I tend to prefer live versions over the studio tracks, but will that be the case with the Cure? Not really, if this is to go off of. Sounds pretty close to the album versions, really. Nothing wrong with that, though. Of course, "One Hundred Years" is (again) my pick for favorite. "A Forest [Live]" is about on-par with the original, so I'll just give it the weak spot. A fun release, with "The Hanging Garden" up at the forefront. As much as I like all these songs, this single (that's basically an EP) probably isn't one to go out of your way for. | | 17 |  | The Cure
Lament (Single)
September 1982 | Flexipop | 4.9 | ๐
1. Lament [Flexipop Version] (5/5) ๐๐
Look, I can explain.
This version of "Lament"/"La Ment" is actually different than other versions, apparently. And if I wanted to listen to it, it was either this, or the 70-track B-sides compilation. For my own sanity, I decided to just suck it up and put the single-sided flexidisc version on the list. Dumb site rules be damned. I don't think I've ever heard this song before, so this is completely new to me (I think). And man, I kind of love it. I don't know if this is considered a classic in the Cure's canon, but its definitely captured my heart. The backing recorder(?) is a weird choice, but it contrasts with the darkwave synth instrumental well. So yeah, "Lament [Flexipop Version]." Great track! And I guess it's also the weakest track, because again, there's only one song on this. I did not think this list format through enough, apparently. | | 18 |  | The Cure
Let's Go to Bed (Single)
November 1982 | Fiction | 4.3 | ๐
1. Let's Go to Bed (3.5/5) ๐
2. Just One Kiss (5/5) ๐
After Pornography, the question on every Cure fan's mind was simple: where do we go from here? And with Let's Go to Bed, they got their answer. Apparently, we were going back to new wave. It would be so easy to call this a "sellout" move (even though they were already on a major label's sublabel), but it makes sense if you think about it. Pornography was rock bottom, at least tone-wise. The only way to go was a little lighter. And if that was the goal, I think this single succeeds. "Just One Kiss" is the gothic rock we came to expect from the group, just with a few shards of glass picked out. The synthpop funk boogie of "Let's Go to Bed" is surprisingly tolerable, but far cry from their best work. While Lament was released first, I feel Let's Go to Bed is the true, marked shift into a new era of the Cure. Whether this is a good thing...
Well, we'll just have to wait and see. | | 19 |  | The Cure
The Walk
July 1983 | Sire | 3.7 | ๐
1. The Upstairs Room (4/5)
2. Just One Kiss [Extended Version] (5/5)
3. The Dream (2/5) ๐
4. The Walk (2.5/5)
5. La Ment (5/5) ๐
6. Let's Go to Bed (3.5/5)
Alright, this is getting out of hand.
So, we have all the previous singles, plus this mini-LP, and then this and ANOTHER single are all compiled together on Japanese Whispers? I'm going around in circles! At least the music's (mostly) good. It was nice to hear "La Ment" again; still a near-perfect song to my ears. However, "The Dream" sees my worst fears about post-Pornography Cure come true. With a farty mid-80s synth line and some of the most dated production on a Cure track I've heard. Easily their worst song to date. The stark difference between the highs and lows on this mini-LP fill me with dread. It really does feel like coming off a high after their previous output. But hey, we're all allowed a couple of stinkers. And overall, The Walk still comes out alive, a few scratches notwithstanding. | | 20 |  | The Glove
Blue Sunshine
August 1983 | Polydor | 3.3 | โ
1. Like An Animal (3.5/5)
2. Looking Glass Girl (3.5/5)
3. Sex-Eye-Make-Up (3.5/5)
4. Mr. Alphabet Says (4/5) ๐
5. A Blues In Drag (2.5/5) ๐
6. Punish Me With Kisses (3/5)
7. This Green City (3.5/5)
8. Orgy (3.5/5)
9. Perfect Murder (2.5/5)
10. Relax (3.5/5)
This will be our 2nd and final foray into the Cure Cinematic Universe. There are more side projects I could put on here, but I had to cut it off somewhere. The creation of this album is fascinating to me, but for the sake of time, I'll spare you the details. Google it. Blue Sunshine is definitely a curiosity, with its blend of neo-psych, pop rock, art pop, and new wave flavors. And what comes out is a mish-mash of neat ideas, but not really anything that I'd call essential listening. "Mr. Alphabet Says" is a solid baroque poppy track. While the instrumental ambient piano of "A Blues in Drag" just dragged on. A fun interlude between albums, but not really much more. I'm sure it was fun to make. | | 21 |  | The Cure
The Lovecats (Single)
October 1983 | Fiction | 2.7 | ๐
1. The Lovecats (3/5) ๐
2. Speak My Language (2.5/5) ๐
I hate to be down on this. Really, I do. If anyone can appreciate theater camp, it's me. But the Cure's take on... I don't even really know what to call this, actually. Swing? Sophisti-Pop? Whatever it is, I just can't take it. I guess the titular "The Lovecats" would be my pick, but it's only barely better than the boggy "Speak My Language." The Lovecats is just another step down on a long spiral staircase for the Cure. I wish I could see what others see in this. | | 22 |  | The Cure
Japanese Whispers
December 1983 | Fiction | 3.4 | ๐
1. Let's Go to Bed (3.5/5)
2. The Dream (2/5) ๐
3. Just One Kiss (5/5)
4. The Upstairs Room (4/5)
5. The Walk (2.5/5)
6. Speak My Language (2.5/5)
7. La Ment (5/5) ๐
8. The Lovecats (3/5)
Let's drop the act. That "we'll just have to wait and see" bit earlier? I knew what was coming, make no mistake. The Cure weren't exactly in the best place in 1983. Bassist Simon Gallup up and left after Pornography, Robert Smith was deep in depression and drug addiction, and the music just wasn't up to snuff. Japanese Whispers compiles their post-Pornography output into one, very uneven package. Some consider this to be the "lost Cure album," and... I'm sorry, I really don't see why you'd want this disjointed mess of songs to be considered an album. It erratically jumps between classic tracks to some of their worst material; it feels like getting whiplash. "La Ment" good, "The Dream" bad. It's a compilation, man. Just accept it. | | 23 |  | The Cure
The Caterpillar (Single)
March 1984 | Fiction | 3.5 | ๐
1. The Caterpillar (4/5) ๐
2. Happy the Man (3/5) ๐
3. Throw Your Foot (3.5/5)
The Cure make a lateral move, from lovecats to caterpillars. They love their animals, don't they, folks? But what about the songs? Honestly, not bad! But not that great, either. "The Caterpillar" is a particularly Rugrats-ian tune that I appreciate for it's folky/jangly pop stylings. And I can see the appeal of a track like "Happy the Man," but it just registered as okay mid-tempo new wave to me. I want to clarify that my doom and gloom in previous writeups is relative to the Cure at this stage in their career. Going from two albums that I would consider classics, to stuff like this, just feels like a serious step down. Or, an unserious step down, I should say. For what it is, The Caterpillar is a fine track. And honestly, it makes me excited to check the Top again. Re-evaluation time? | | 24 |  | The Cure
The Top
May 1984 | Fiction | 3.4 | โ
1. Shake Dog Shake (2.5/5) ๐
2. Birdmad Girl (4/5)
3. Wailing Wall (4/5) ๐
4. Give Me It (3.5/5)
5. Dressing Up (3/5)
6. The Caterpillar (4/5)
7. Piggy in the Mirror (3.5/5)
8. The Empty World (3/5)
9. Bananafishbones (3.5/5)
10. The Top (2.5/5)
I'm glad I went out of my way to check all of those pre-Top singles, because they really put this album into perspective. Smith himself considers this more a solo record, and considering what he was putting out in 1983-84, it makes sense how The Top turned out so messed up. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but... this isn't that bad. Music snob cred down the drain. "Wailing Wall's" Middle-Eastern influenced vibe really works in its favor. Meanwhile, opener "Shake Dog Shake's" hard rock is a bad first note. Look, I was down on this record as much as any Cure fan before this discog run, but I can't deny my true feelings. Nowhere near their classics, but a more cohesive album than Japanese Whispers. | | 25 |  | The Cure
Concert - The Cure Live
October 1984 | Fiction | 4.1 | ๐
1. Shake Dog Shake (3/5) ๐
2. Primary (4.5/5)
3. Charlotte Sometimes (5/5)
4. The Hanging Garden (5/5) ๐
5. Give Me It (3.5/5)
6. The Walk (3/5)
7. One Hundred Years (4.5/5)
8. A Forest (4.5/5)
9. 10:15 Saturday Night (3.5/5)
10. Killing An Arab (4.5/5)
We've finally made it to our first Cure live album! I'm not checking all of the live stuff, because again, I don't think I could physically handle that. But I couldn't very well skip their first(?) official live record, could I? Thankfully, their weaker songs are improved in a live setting and being recorded like a bootleg, but I wouldn't say their better songs do. "The Hanging Garden" actually beat out "One Hundred Years" as my favorite on this, which was a shock to me. Meanwhile, "Shake Dog Shake" taking last place definitely wasn't that shocking. I'd say that while I liked this, this one isn't a must-listen unless you're a Cure superfan. | | 26 |  | The Cure
In Between Days (Single)
July 1985 | Fiction | 4.6 | ๐
1. In Between Days (5/5)
2. The Exploding Boy (5/5) ๐
3. A Few Hours After This (4/5) ๐
From the opening notes of In Between Days, you can already tell something's changed. Even with my newfound appreciation for The Top, I still yearned for the Cure I knew and loved. Little did I know that we were going even further back. The triumphant return of jangle pop Cure! "The Exploding Boy" is a blast of exuberant energy; the fresh air that this band desperately needed. The symphonic "A Few Hours After This" is pretty great, but feels a little corny and dated. But man, this is such a good single overall. If I went with the 7" version over the 12", this definitely would've been one of my favorite singles they've put out. Oh, well. Onward, to The Head on the Door! | | 27 |  | The Cure
The Head on the Door
August 1985 | Fiction | 3.5 | โ
1. In Between Days (5/5) ๐
2. Kyoto Song (3.5/5)
3. The Blood (3.5/5)
4. Six Different Ways (2/5)
5. Push (3.5/5)
6. The Baby Screams (4/5)
7. Close to Me (4/5)
8. A Night Like This (4/5)
9. Screw (1.5/5) ๐
10. Sinking (3.5/5)
This is another one I don't really go back to, aside from a few songs. And after this relisten, I kind of remember why. While The Head on the Door does feel like the band is getting back on track (with Simon Gallup returning and In Between Days as the single), this is a lot more uneven than I remembered it was. Like, A LOT more. It opens with the absolute banger "In Between Days," but also has tracks like "Screw." Infected with the alt dance bug, shame. I always pictured this album as a leap above The Top in my head, but it's more like a single toe up. Still a pretty decent record, but I gotta bump it down. Considering how generous I've been with these bumps so far, it's a little concerning that THIS one was the one to drop. | | 28 |  | The Cure
Close to Me (Single)
September 1985 | Fiction | 3.2 | ๐
1. Close to Me [Extended Version] (4/5) ๐
2. A Man Inside My Mouth (3/5)
3. Stop Dead (2.5/5) ๐
Honestly, I would say "Close to Me" was my 2nd favorite track off of The Head on the Door. Something about it's simple instrumental really drew me in. Well, this extended version adds in horns, which kind of throws that out the window. I think the addition kind of makes it a little more cluttered, but I still like "Close to Me [Extended Version]." Maybe a little less than the original version. "Stop Dead" just sounds like the most standard new wave you've ever heard. Could've been made by any band, which is something you should never say about the Cure. Good choice of A-side, in my opinion, but the B-sides just aren't good enough to keep it up. | | 29 |  | The Cure
Half an Octopuss
September 1985 | Fiction | 3.1 | ๐
1. Close to Me (4/5) ๐
2. A Man Inside My Mouth (3/5)
3. New Day (3/5)
4. Stop Dead (2.5/5) ๐
I very well could've just put both Half an Octopuss and Quadpus on this list (they're basically the same aside from one song), but I decided to go with Half an Octopuss, if only because this as a new track on it. So, yeah, "Close to Me" wins, "Stop Dead " loses. Again. BUT, the real reason I wanted to talk about this was the new track, "New Day." While I don't think it's particularly amazing, the story behind it kind of is. Apparently, after recording it, Smith passed out on the way to his hotel and had to be taken to the hospital. It's a messy, messy song, with Smith wailing his heart out, probably exhausted. With all this, it makes sense that 1986 would be... quiet. Too quiet. | | 30 |  | The Cure
Boys Don't Cry (New Voice - Club Mix) (Single)
April 1986 | Fiction | 4.6 | ๐
1. Boys Don't Cry [Resung & Club Mixed February 86] (4.5/5) ๐
2. Pillbox Tales (5/5) ๐
3. Do the Hansa (4.5/5)
Yep, aside from their (incredibly popular) singles compilation, Staring at the Sea, this is the only notable release the Cure put out in 1986. I usually hate it when bands re-record their big hit years later, but this also has re-recorded versions of their old 70s punk tracks that were only available as bootlegs before this. "Pillbox Tales" is a great, high-energy Cure tune that makes me wish I put a few bootlegs on this list. The remixed of "Boys Don't Cry" isn't bad, but I'm taking points off for the weird reverb effect they do halfway through. Unnecessary. Still, a good advertisement for the singles compilation. Good reminded that there's never a bad time to listen to "Boys Don't Cry." | | 31 |  | The Cure
Why Can't I Be You? (Single)
April 1987 | Elektra | 3.3 | ๐
1. Why Can't I Be You? (3.5/5) ๐
2. A Japanese Dream (3/5) ๐
Bad synth horn alert! The first single off of Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me is certainly a clear push towards pop rock for the Cure. Normally, I would be pushing against this, but I actually like the cheesy funk rock of "Why Can't I Be You?" Or, maybe I like it in spite of the cheese. On the other hand, "A Japanese Dream" is pretty bland. I'm glad I decided on the normal 7" for this single, because I don't think I could handle a 6-minute version of either of these tracks. Considering how bloated Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me is, I'm not really sure I'm excited to hear 18 tracks of this. But I'm going to withhold judgement until I actually relisten to it. | | 32 |  | The Cure
Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
May 1987 | Fiction | 3.6 | โ
1. The Kiss (4/5)
2. Catch (3.5/5)
3. Torture (3.5/5)
4. If Only Tonight We Could Sleep (3.5/5)
5. Why Can't I Be You? (3.5/5)
6. How Beautiful You Are (4.5/5)
7. The Snakepit (3/5)
8. Hey You !!! (3/5)
9. Just like Heaven (5/5) ๐
10. All I Want (4/5)
11. Hot Hot Hot !!! (3/5)
12. One More Time (4.5/5)
13. Like Cockatoos (4/5)
14. Icing Sugar (4/5)
15. The Perfect Girl (2.5/5) ๐
16. A Thousand Hours (3.5/5)
17. Shiver and Shake (4/5)
18. Fight (2.5/5)
Long tracklist, short blurb. How can you not pick "Just like Heaven" as the best track? Can't be done. Weakest is "The Perfect Girl," mostly because it sounds like a Kid Rock cover. Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me ended up being only slightly better than I remembered it being. Shitty synth trumpets drag it down a lot, but it's varied enough that it makes for a good listen. Maybe just pick out the better songs for your playlist. | | 33 |  | The Cure
Catch (Single)
June 1987 | Fiction | 3.6 | ๐
1. Catch (3.5/5) ๐
2. Breathe (3.5/5) ๐
I'm sorry, just cannot get over how bad the synth instruments sound. It takes what should be a excellent B-side ("Breathe"), and drags it way, way down. Oh, well. I have a tolerance for cheese like this, so the songs still end up in the green. "Catch" is a fine song, but I prefer the faux-orchestral sound of "Breathe" just a tiny bit more. Not really much more to say, really. | | 34 |  | The Cure
Just Like Heaven (Single)
October 1987 | Fiction | 4.0 | ๐
1. Just Like Heaven (5/5) ๐
2. Snow in Summer (3.5/5) ๐
Firmly believe that this should've been the lead single. "Just Like Heaven" is just a perfect slice of jangle pop goodness. Definitely deserves to be considered one of their best songs. While I like "Snow in Summer," I just really wish they splurged for a real orchestra. I'm sorry for harping on this. I'm not usually one to WANT big, showy, bombastic orchestras in pop songs, but if that's what they were going for, why skimp out with these synth keyboard presets? Whatever, man. | | 35 |  | The Cure
The Cure in Orange
November 1987 | PolyGram Video | 4.1 | ๐
1. Introduction
2. Shake Dog Shake (3/5)
3. Piggy in the Mirror (3.5/5)
4. Play for Today (5/5) ๐
5. A Strange Day (4.5/5)
6. Primary (5/5)
7. Kyoto Song (3.5/5)
8. Charlotte Sometimes (5/5)
9. In Between Days (5/5)
10. The Walk (3/5)
11. A Night Like This (4.5/5)
12. Push (4/5)
13. One Hundred Years (5/5)
14. A Forest (4.5/5)
15. Sinking (3.5/5)
16. Close to Me (4/5)
17. Let's Go to Bed (3.5/5)
18. Six Different Ways (2/5) ๐
19. Three Imaginary Boys (3.5/5)
20. Boys Don't Cry (5/5)
21. Faith (5/5)
22. Give Me It (4/5)
23. 10.15 Saturday Night (3.5/5)
24. Killing an Arab (4.5/5)
25. Sweet Talking Guy
Longer tracklist, shorter blurb. This is the Cure's concert film, recorded in 1986. No surprises here: this is a great setlist. Lots of highlights to pick from, but I'll go with "Play for Today." Worst is definitely "Six Different Ways." Overall, a good mix of classics and then-recent cuts. Great for the Cure fan in your life. | | 36 |  | The Cure
The Peel Sessions
1988 | Strange Fruit | 4.1 | ๐
1. Killing an Arab (4.5/5)
2. 10.15 Saturday Night (3.5/5) ๐
3. Fire in Cairo (3.5/5)
4. Boys Don't Cry (5/5) ๐
Oh no, the Cure have entered the "rereleasing Peel Sessions" era of their career! They're done for! Kidding, kidding. Yeah, this is a recording from December 1978 done for John Peel's famous radio show. Always an interesting curio to see bands in their earliest incarnation getting their first public showing, but I never consider these Peel Sessions to be mandatory listening to anyone except the most die-hard fan. These versions are basically the same as the studio recorded versions, so no surprises for best ("Boys Don't Cry") and weakest ("10.15 Saturday Night") here. This being the only noteworthy thing the band would release (aside from the "Hot Hot Hot!!!" single, which I didn't put on this list since it's just two album tracks), I felt obligated to at least write something about it. | | 37 |  | The Cure
Lullaby (Single)
April 1989 | Fiction | 4.5 | ๐
1. Lullaby [Remix] (4.5/5) ๐
2. Babble (4.5/5)
3. Out of Mind (4.5/5) ๐
4. Lullaby [Extended Remix] (4.5/5)
What's this now? The Cure open 1989 with a single off their new, upcoming record. Like a lot of new wave/post-punk acts, the Cure seem to have found a place in the late-80s/early-90s alternative scene and have fully embraced it. A return to their darker, depressive roots after years of relative pop success. And even as someone who has enjoyed their lighter work, I welcome this. "Lullaby [Remix]" is a slow art rocker that clearly sets the tone of the next record. As any good single should. I'll pick the heavy rocker "Out of Mind," but all of the tracks here are quality. I was already excited to recheck Disintegration, but now I'm hyped. | | 38 |  | The Cure
Fascination Street (Single)
April 1989 | Elektra | 4.5 | ๐
1. Fascination Street [Remix] (4.5/5) ๐
2. Babble (4.5/5)
3. Out of Mind (4.5/5) ๐
4. Fascination Street [Extended Remix] (4.5/5)
Well, this is embarrassing! Apparently they put the same two B-sides on the following single. But luckily for me, "Fascination Street [Remix]" is such a good song, I can fill this entire blurb with praise with it. While I don't think it's as good as some of their greatest tracks from earlier in the decade, I still think it's a step up from what they were putting out on their last few albums ("In Between Days" and "Just Like Heaven" excluded). "Out of Mind" still my pick for weakest, but again, it's not even close to a bad song. We're 2 for 2 on the singles. But now, it's time for the album in full. What will happen? Read on to find out. | | 39 |  | The Cure
Disintegration
May 1989 | Elektra | 4.8 | โ
1. Plainsong (4/5) ๐
2. Pictures of You (5/5)
3. Closedown (5/5)
4. Love Song (5/5)
5. Last Dance (4.5/5)
6. Lullaby (4.5/5)
7. Fascination Street (5/5)
8. Prayers for Rain (5/5)
9. The Same Deep Water as You (5/5)
10. Disintegration (5/5) ๐
11. Homesick (4/5)
12. Untitled (5/5)
I'll admit, I've denied this album the top spot for a long time (I had it at a 4.0 before this). And while I still think Pornography beats this out, it's only barely. I'm saying it: this is an amazing album and I was underrating it. It's the perfect blend of their newer goth pop sound with their earlier depressive, post-punk chaos. It meshes so perfectly. Robert Smith aimed to make the Cure's defining masterpiece with this album, and he succeeded. "Disintegration" just flies by; maybe one of their best songs. Call it blasphemy, but "Plainsong" is the weakest to me. Those synth instruments, man. Put those toys away! It's hard to picture anything topping this, but we'll see... | | 40 |  | The Cure
Lovesong (Single)
August 1989 | Elektra | 4.9 | ๐
1. Lovesong [Remix] (5/5)
2. Lovesong [Extended Remix] (5/5) ๐
3. 2 Late (5/5)
4. Fear of Ghosts (4.5/5) ๐
Wait, is it "Love Song" or "Lovesong?" I'm not stupid, okay? They switch between the two all the time. Not that it really matters, I'm just asking. Anyway, this is the 3rd single released for Disintegration, and it's a good pick. I have to give it to "Lovesong [Extended Remix]." I usually don't like the longer versions as much, but this one actually adds to the cyclical nature of the original. I almost don't want to give out an award for weakest, but I'll give it to "Fear of Ghosts." But only because the songs that precede it are gems. Another testament to Disintegration's quality, and another fine addition to the Cure's backlog of songs for eyeliner-wearing romantics. | | 41 |  | The Cure
Pictures of You
March 1990 | Elektra | 4.5 | ๐
1. Pictures of You [Remix] (5/5) ๐
2. Last Dance [Live] (4.5/5)
3. Fascination Street [Live] (4.5/5)
4. Prayers for Rain [Live] (4/5) ๐
5. Disintegration [Live] (4.5/5)
There are 6 different tracklists for this one release, so I'm just going to use the one with the most "new" material. That being a bunch of live tracks. Best goes to " Pictures of You [Remix]." I actually was thinking that "Pictures of You" would've made a way better opener for Disintegration than "Plainsong," but I'll save it for my Cure fanfiction. This version of "Prayers for Rain [Live]" loses a lot of the menace the album version had, so I have to say it's the weakest. Another great single off of a great Cure album. Almost sad to see it end here, but we're not quite done with Disintegration just yet. | | 42 |  | The Cure
Entreat
September 1990 | Fiction | 4.2 | ๐
1. Pictures of You [Live] (4.5/5)
2. Closedown [Live] (4/5)
3. Last Dance [Live] (4.5/5)
4. Fascination Street [Live] (4.5/5)
5. Prayers for Rain [Live] (4/5)
6. Disintegration [Live] (4.5/5) ๐
7. Homesick [Live] (3.5/5) ๐
8. Untitled [Live] (4/5)
Oopsie! I didn't realize that not only are these the same versions on the Pictures of You single, but there's also an expanded/remastered version of this exact release from 2010. I could just delete this, buuuuuut whatever. These are all live versions of Disintegration tracks, and I have to go against the grain here: I think these versions are weaker than the studio versions. Still great, but I wouldn't really call these must-listens like a lot of Cure fans do. "Disintegration [Live]" is best, "Homesick [Live]" is weakest. If you just really want more Disintegration, this will do you. | | 43 |  | The Cure
Never Enough (Single)
September 1990 | Fiction | 2.0 | ๐
1. Never Enough [Big Mix] (2/5)
2. Harold and Joe (2.5/5) ๐
3. Let's Go to Bed [Milk Mix] (1.5/5) ๐
4. Never Enough (2/5)
Oh, sweet Jesus.
So here's a hypothetical for you: you're a post-punk-turned-alternative-rock band in 1990 and you just released what many consider to be your best record the year prior. What do you do? Well, make some shitty alt dance, of course! You're unbelievable, UNGH! Like the Fall before them, the Cure have fallen prey to the 90s remix beast. I hate this. "Harold and Joe" is the least offensive to my ears. I wasn't even the biggest fan of the original, but "Let's Go to Bed [Milk Mix]" is almost too much to bear. Just awful. Please don't let Mixed Up just be 12 tracks of this, I beg of you. | | 44 |  | The Cure
Close To Me ยท Remix (Single)
October 1990 | Fiction | 2.7 | ๐
1. Close to Me [Closer Mix] (3/5)
2. Just Like Heaven [Dizzy Mix] (3.5/5) ๐
3. Primary [Red Mix] (1.5/5) ๐
Another single off the Cure's remix album. Yay. I really don't get why you'd listen to these slowed versions over the originals. They don't even make good music to dance to! "Just Like Heaven [Dizzy Mix]" is fine in a "cover-band-version" sort of way, but far from the original version in quality. "Primary [Red Mix]" is just bad, man. Why are we doing this? I'm just trying to get through this putrid phase of their career, honestly. | | 45 |  | The Cure
Mixed Up
November 1990 | Fiction | 2.8 | ๐
1. Lullaby [Extended Mix] (3.5/5)
2. Close to Me [Closer Mix] (3/5)
3. Fascination Street [Extended Mix] (3.5/5)
4. The Walk [Everything Mix] (2.5/5)
5. Lovesong [Extended Mix] (5/5) ๐
6. A Forest [Tree Mix] (3/5)
7. Pictures of You [Extended Dub Mix] (2/5)
8. Hot Hot Hot!!! [Extended Mix] (2.5/5)
9. Why Can't I Be You? [Extended Mix] (3.5/5)
10. The Caterpillar [Flicker Mix] (2.5/5)
11. In Between Days [Shiver Mix] (1.5/5) ๐
12. Never Enough [Big Mix] (2/5)
The only Cure album that I skipped back in the day. Why? Because I hate alt dance shit. This just seemed unnecessary, really. I will say, finally listening to it, it's not horrible. But only because they do so little with a lot of tracks. "Lovesong [Extended Mix]" is apparently a remix, but it just sounds like the album version extended; naturally my pick for best track. But then you get something like "In Between Days [Shiver Mix]." Again, unnecessary. Wish can't come soon enough. | | 46 |  | The Cure
High (Single)
March 1992 | Fiction | 4.5 | ๐
1. High (4.5/5)
2. This Twilight Garden (4.5/5) ๐
3. Play (4.5/5)
4. High [Higher Mix] (4.5/5) ๐
1991 saw no major Cure releases. I guess they didn't want to go up against the greatest band of all time: Nirvana. Don't quote that, it's a joke. Anyway, there was a promotional single that was also released, but for the sake of simplicity, we'll call this the first Wish single. It seemed that the Cure had once again slipped into jangle pop mode, as they often do. A little sunshine after the storm, I suppose. And honestly, I kind of love all four songs here. Even the remix! "High [Higher Mix]" might be better than the normal version, actually, but both are great. Tough choice, but "This Twilight Garden" will be my pick for weakest. I had a feeling my opinions on Wish would improve with this most recent relisten, and this single is the first sign that I might be correct. | | 47 |  | The Cure
Wish
April 1992 | Fiction | 4.3 | โ
1. Open (4/5)
2. High (4.5/5)
3. Apart (3.5/5)
4. From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea (4.5/5)
5. Wendy Time (3.5/5)
6. Doing the Unstuck (5/5)
7. Friday I'm in Love (4.5/5)
8. Trust (5/5) ๐
9. A Letter to Elise (4.5/5)
10. Cut (4.5/5)
11. To Wish Impossible Things (5/5)
12. End (3/5) ๐
Well shit, now my Songs of a Lost World review is out of date. Wish usually wound up near the middle of my Cure ranking, but my eyes have been opened. This may not be my favorite by them, but it is a damn great alt rock record. People compare it to the Head on the Door a lot, but this is so much better to me. Smith has said "Trust" might be one of the best Cure songs and I think I might agree. I rarely call a slow burner ballad my favorite, but that instrumental is immaculate. "End" (and "Wendy Time," for that matter) feel out of place on this album, and really has that early-90s alt sludge stink on it. But even with those, this is a top 5 Cure album (so far). | | 48 |  | The Cure
Friday I'm in Love
May 1992 | Elektra | 4.5 | ๐
1. Friday I'm in Love (4.5/5)
2. Halo (5/5)
3. Scared as You (5/5) ๐
4. Friday I'm in Love [Strangelove Mix] (3.5/5) ๐
You know, it's kind of funny that I didn't even mention "Friday I'm in Love" in my Wish blurb, seeing as it's probably the Cure's best known single. But, that's what these entries are for, I guess. Yes, I'm one of those people who aren't sick of that damn song, and I probably never will be. Why not a 5.0? This might be the dumbest thing I've ever said, but... I feel like it should be like 1.05x faster. Yes, I know the song was originally supposed to be even slower than the studio version and that little of a change seems really pedantic, but seriously: go on YouTube and try it on 1.05x speed. Now that my rant's over, my actual favorite on this is actually the unassuming "Scared as You." And I think the "Friday I'm in Love [Strangelove Mix]" is just a touch too much, but it's an okay version. Another good single! | | 49 |  | The Cure
A Letter to Elise
October 1992 | Fiction | 4.0 | ๐
1. A Letter To Elise (4.5/5)
2. The Big Hand (4/5)
3. A Foolish Arrangement (4.5/5) ๐
4. A Letter To Elise [Blue Mix] (3/5) ๐
Big debate over which Wish single is the best, and I have to be honest: while I like "A Letter to Elise," I agree with Smith that "Doing the Unstuck" would've made a way better 3rd single. "A Letter to Elise" is still a great song. Even if it's a little too maudlin at times, that's kind of what I come to the Cure for, so who am I to complain? That said, all of these Wish B-sides have been incredibly good. I know it wasn't finished in time, but "A Foolish Arrangement" should've been on the album proper. Man, I really should've gotten that 30th anniversary remaster on CD. Sorry, sorry, just a bit of miser's remorse. Weakest track is, you guessed it, "A Letter To Elise [Blue Mix]." Stop making dance versions of your songs. Nobody wants that shit. Overall, this is still a good single to cap off Wish's chart run. We're moving on! | | 50 |  | The Cure
Show
September 1993 | Elektra | 4.1 | ๐
1. Open [Live] (3.5/5)
2. High [Live] (4.5/5)
3. Pictures of You [Live] (4.5/5)
4. Lullaby [Live] (4.5/5)
5. Just Like Heaven [Live] (5/5) ๐
6. A Night Like This [Live] (4/5)
7. Trust [Live] (4.5/5)
8. Doing the Unstuck [Live] (5/5)
9. Friday I'm in Love [Live] (4.5/5)
10. In Between Days [Live] (4.5/5)
11. From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea [Live] (4.5/5)
12. Never Enough [Live] (1.5/5) ๐
13. Cut [Live] (4.5/5)
14. End [Live] (2.5/5)
Nothing like a live album to assert your dominance after a great studio album. This is pretty much what you'd expect from the Cure live: mostly weaker than the album's cut. Don't get me wrong: I'd still kill to go to a Cure concert in this era. Being in the audience makes it 100x better. "Just Like Heaven [Live]" just never gets old. Might be becoming one of my favorite Cure songs, as plebian an opinion that may be. "Never Enough [Live]'s" true terribleness shines through here. Bleh. Cut that out and this is great. | | 51 |  | The Cure
Sideshow
September 1993 | Elektra | 3.4 | ๐
1. Tape (Intro) [Live] (2/5) ๐
2. Just Like Heaven [Live] (5/5) ๐
3. Fascination Street [Live] (4.5/5)
4. The Walk [Live] (2.5/5)
5. Let's Go To Bed [Live] (3/5)
I guess Robert Smith and Co. agreed with me that "Just Like Heaven [Live]" is great, because they put the same version here. And thank god, because aside from that and the live version of Fascination Street, this isn't really worth looking at. I usually have a rule about not rating intros, but... "Tape (Intro) [Live]'s" 3 minutes long. If it's track length, I'm rating it. And it sucks. I totally get why they kept this as a bonus EP instead of putting these tracks on Show. Luckily, it has two great songs to keep its head above water. I'd say this one's strictly for the Cure completionists. | | 52 |  | The Cure
Paris
October 1993 | Fiction | 4.3 | ๐
1. The Figurehead [Live] (5/5)
2. One Hundred Years [Live] (5/5) ๐
3. At Night [Live] (4.5/5)
4. Play for Today [Live] (5/5)
5. Apart [Live] (4/5)
6. In Your House [Live] (3.5/5)
7. Lovesong [Live] (4.5/5)
8. Catch [Live] (3.5/5)
9. A Letter to Elise [Live] (4.5/5)
10. Dressing Up [Live] (3/5) ๐
11. Charlotte Sometime [Live] (5/5)
12. Close to Me [Live] (4/5)
Man, the Cure really likes France. Or, does France really like them? Either way, a band after my own heart. Yes, we've got another live album. I just have to say, what a setlist! And the performances are a lot stronger here than they were on Show/Sideshow, in my opinion. "One Hundred Years [Live]" is just excellent; a great version of a fan favorite. "Dressing Up [Live]" is still not my favorite Cure song, even if I have a newfound appreciation for The Top. Overall, I really liked this. Definitely could see this being my favorite Cure live record after all is said and done. | | 53 |  | The Cure
Lost Wishes
November 1993 | Fiction | 4.3 | ๐
1. Uyea Sound (5/5) ๐
2. Cloudberry (4.5/5)
3. Off to Sleep... (3.5/5) ๐
4. The Three Sisters (4/5)
This is a pretty unique release in the Cure's catalog, as it's the first time they've just outright released instrumentals. No vocals, very unpolished, and originally only available via mail order. And... this is so pretty good! This takes the dream pop sound on Wish and turns it up to 11. It's almost new age-y, which might turn some people off without Smith's yelps overtop them, but I dunno, I really dug this. "Uyea Sound" is the bones of a song that would eventually end up on 4:13 Dream, and it's wonderful. While I still like it, "Off to Sleep...'s" plink-plonking piano bugs me more than hooks me. Still, this is a worthwhile release and I'm glad it was properly released instead of just sitting in a few early-90s Cure fans' attics as a limited edition cassette. | | 54 |  | The Cure
The 13th (Single)
April 1996 | Fiction | 3.9 | ๐
1. The 13th [Swing Radio Mix] (3.5/5) ๐
2. It Used to Be Me (4/5)
3. Ocean (4/5) ๐
4. Adonais (4/5)
Well, look who finally showed up! Yeah, the Cure were having a blast recording their follow-up to Wish, so 1994-1995 were pretty empty release-wise. With guitarist Porl Thompson out of the band, drummer Boris Williams out for good, lineup shakeups, and longtime producer David M. Allen getting the boot, the Cure were ready for a new direction. And "The 13th" was the general public's first taste. And let me tell you, it's not what anyone was expecting. Salsa rock? It's just a really odd direction. So, is it weird that I don't hate this? No, the whole single isn't like that. Really, it matches the album: wildly different moods track-to-track. I'm a sucker for the live orchestra sound on "Ocean." "The 13th [Swing Radio Mix]" itself isn't my favorite, but it's not bad. Is the hate for Wild Mood Swings overblown? Let's find out! | | 55 |  | The Cure
Wild Mood Swings
May 1996 | Fiction | 3.6 | โ
1. Want (5/5) ๐
2. Club America (3.5/5)
3. This Is a Lie (4/5)
4. The 13th (3.5/5)
5. Strange Attraction (3/5) ๐
6. Mint Car (3.5/5)
7. Jupiter Crash (3.5/5)
8. Round & Round & Round (4.5/5)
9. Gone! (3/5)
10. Numb (3.5/5)
11. Return (3.5/5)
12. Trap (4/5)
13. Treasure (3/5)
14. Bare (3/5)
This is it, folks. This was the moment the Cure had officially lost the sauce for a lot of people. But with an open mind and heart, I've given it another go, and this is way better than its reputation would have you believe. Yes, it's too long, has no cohesion, and could've used a few swaps with the B-sides, but I came out of this liking it a lot. With the horns and genre-hopping, it reminds me a lot of mid-90s TMBG (which is a good thing). "Want" was a song I forgot rocked so hard; how was this one not a single? Even my pick for weakest ("Strange Attraction") is tolerable. I guess you could say I've swung in this album's favor!
Sorry... | | 56 |  | The Cure
Mint Car (Single)
June 1996 | Fiction | 3.8 | ๐
1. Mint Car [Radio Mix] (3.5/5) ๐
2. Home (3.5/5)
3. Waiting (4/5)
4. A Pink Dream (4/5) ๐
You can't go wrong with a good jangle pop/pop rock tune for your 2nd single. At least, that's what I thought, but apparently, the listening public of 1996 was not feeling this or any other singles from this album. Which is a shame, because it's a pretty good song. I like all of the songs here, actually. "A Pink Dream" is just a fun, energetic tune with some bittersweet lyrics. "Mint Car [Radio Mix]," though I like it, is the weaker of the 4 tracks. I have to admit, even as Wild Mood Swings' newest, strongest soldier, leaving some of these tracks on the cutting room floor was a big mistake. Still, it makes me glad that I'm doing this list, because I probably wouldn't have given these songs a shot if I wasn't doing this. Good single! | | 57 |  | The Cure
Strange Attraction (Single)
October 1996 | Elektra | 2.2 | ๐
1. Strange Attraction [Adrian Sherwood Album Mix] (3/5)
2. The 13th [Feels Good Mix] (1/5) ๐
3. This Is a Lie [Ambient Mix] (4/5) ๐
4. Gone [Critter Mix] (1.5/5)
5. Strange Attraction [Strange Mix] (1.5/5)
My least favorite track on Wild Mood Swings ended up as the 3rd single. Just my luck. And instead of some cool B-sides, we get remixes. Gross! It's not all bad: "This is a Lie [Ambient Mix]" is pretty good stripped-down version, if not a little unnecessary. But "The 13th [Feels Good Mix]" might be the worst remix so far. Why take a salsa-ish track and make it generic dance music? It just doesn't make sense. It evens out to a pretty poor affair in the end. Hard to really recommend this one to anyone but the biggest Cure defender. | | 58 |  | The Cure
Gone! (Single)
December 1996 | Fiction | 2.4 | ๐
1. Gone! [Radio Mix] (3/5)
2. The 13th [Feels Good Mix] (1/5) ๐
3. This is a Lie [Ambient Mix] (4/5) ๐
4. Strange Attraction [Strange Mix] (1.5/5)
Well, if I didn't have much to say about the last single, this one's definitely not going to leave me with much more. This one has, count 'em, 3 repeat tracks on it. Same best track and worst track for this release as the last single ("This is a Lie [Ambient Mix]" and "The 13th [Feels Good Mix]," respectively). After defending Wild Mood Swings so much earlier, it feels bad to leave it on such a sour note, but it's just not a good choice as a single. Seriously, why not "Want," "Round & Round & Round," or even "Trap?" And leave the remixes off next time, please. | | 59 |  | The Cure
Five Swing Live
June 1997 | Fiction | 3.5 | ๐
1. Want (4.5/5) ๐
2. Club America (3/5) ๐
3. Mint Car (3.5/5)
4. Trap (3.5/5)
5. Treasure (3/5)
A much-shorter Cure live release than I'm used to, but there's nothing wrong with that. Apparently this was only available on the band's website. Couple that with the fact it was all tracks from Wild Mood Swings, and this might be one of the Cure's most obscure official releases. How is it? These were recorded towards the end of the tour for the album and yeah, you can kind of tell. Just some standard live takes. Nothing really all that special to my ears. "Want" still remains a gem from this era, while "Club America" isn't really anything I'd go back to. Not a bad release, but I don't blame anyone that doesn't like Wild Mood Swings for giving this a pass. | | 60 |  | The Cure
Wrong Number (Single)
November 1997 | Fiction | 1.3 | ๐
1. Wrong Number [Single Mix] (1.5/5) ๐
2. Wrong Number [Analogue Exchange Mix] (1.5/5)
3. Wrong Number [P2P Mix] (1/5) ๐
4. Wrong Number [Crossed Line Mix] (1.5/5)
5. Wrong Number [ISDN Mix] (1/5)
You may've noticed that I skipped over the Cure's soundtrack singles from around this time. Do I have a reason for doing that? Not really. I just thought it would be better to just stick to the main releases. I'm not gonna go rate the Crow soundtrack just for "Burn" or "Dredd Song" from that Judge Dredd movie, even if I like them. But, just so I can say I did:
Burn (4.5/5)
Dredd Song (3.5/5)
With that out of the way, this single is to support the Galore singles compilation that came out in 1997. And boy, it's laughably bad. "Wrong Number [Single Mix]" is the least terrible. "Wrong Number [P2P Mix]" is the most terrible. If any song didn't need 5+ versions, it'd be this one. Easy skip for me. | | 61 |  | The Cure
Bloodflowers
February 2000 | Fiction | 4.0 | โ
1. Out of This World (3.5/5)
2. Watching Me Fall (4/5)
3. Where the Birds Always Sing (4/5)
4. Maybe Someday (4/5)
5. Coming Up [Bonus Track] (3.5/5)
6. The Last Day of Summer (4.5/5)
7. There Is No If... (3.5/5)
8. The Loudest Sound (3.5/5) ๐
9. 39 (4.5/5)
10. Bloodflowers (5/5) ๐
Spilt Milk (4.5/5)
Bloodflowers: a return to form or a halfhearted retread? I think I lean more towards the former. Having now listened to more Cure than most people do in their entire lives, this band's jumped from mania to depression more times than you'd think. And this most recent dip has brought us some of Smith's strongest work in a while. "Bloodflowers" is one of my new favorite late-era Cure songs; classic. While I've come around on "The Loudest Sound," I'm still not into the odd beat it has. Simply put, this is prime moody Cure. Get on it. | | 62 |  | The Cure
Maybe Someday (Single)
February 2000 | Polydor / Fiction | 2.8 | ๐
1. Maybe Someday [Radio Edit] (4/5) ๐
2. Maybe Someday [Hybrid Mix Radio Edit] (2/5) ๐
3. Maybe Someday [Dance Mix] (2/5)
4. Maybe Someday [Acoustic Mix] (3/5)
Bloodflowers technically doesn't have any "real" singles, but this is one of the promo singles released for it. I probably should've just skipped these, but this one has some new mixes on it, so why not? Besides, how could I have ever lived without these shit dance mixes? "Maybe Someday [Radio Edit]" is just the original shortened, so I'll give it the pass. The fail will have to go to "Maybe Someday [Hybrid Mix Radio Edit]." Not the worst Cure remix collection, as at least it's remixing a good song this time, but still pretty unnecessary. | | 63 |  | The Cure
Cut Here (Single)
October 2001 | Fiction | 2.5 | ๐
1. Cut Here (2.5/5)
2. Signal to Noise (3.5/5) ๐
3. Cut Here [Missing Mix] (1.5/5) ๐
4. Cut Here [CD Rom Video]
Another compilation single? Oh dear. I don't want to be too hard on this one, as it's written in dedication of someone, but... did this really need an alt dance beat under it? Good intentions, but any weight this would've had is cut short by the baggy. The B-side ("Signal to Noise") is actually pretty decent, though, so there's that. "Cut Here [Missing Mix]" makes about as much sense as the original version (which is none), but goes even further with the dance stuff. Seriously, why would you pick this song to make a club track out of? Makes no sense to me, but I'm sure it does to Robert Smith, and that's all that matters. | | 64 |  | The Cure
Just Say Yes (Single)
2002 | Fiction | 2.0 | ๐
1. Just Say Yes (1.5/5) ๐
2. Just Say Yes [Acoustic Version] (2.5/5) ๐
Love and hate go hand in hand. While I like most of the Cure's work, that doesn't mean that they are above making a stinker or two; a fact that I hope I've made clear over the course of this list. I say all this because this is often called one of the worst Cure songs by fans. And far be it from me to go against the grain. Yeah, "Just Say Yes" is crap. I can only assume the popularity of the Mixed Up remix album led to the song's creation, because any other explanation wouldn't be enough to justify this baggy mess. "Just Say Yes [Acoustic Version]" is slightly better, but still not really that good. It's hard to take this seriously, as it's just another promo single, but it's a total skipper. | | 65 |  | The Cure
Trilogy
June 2003 | Eagle Vision | 4.6 | ๐
1-8. Pornography Set (4.9/5) ๐
9-20. Disintegration Set (4.8/5)
21-29. Bloodflowers Set (4.2/5)
30-31. Encore Set (4/5) ๐
Shaking things up this entry. Since I've heard most of these songs five times over at this point and I'd run out of room if I listed out every song, I'm just gonna rate the sets as a whole. This collects the famous 2002 live sets with the three "trilogy" albums played in their entirety. I've already brought up the trilogy before, and while I still think it's a little silly and gimmicky, I can't deny these are three great albums that sound great live. I have heard bits and pieces of this before, but this is the first time I've heard it in full. The "Pornography set" is obviously my favorite, but the whole package is excellent. Even the two Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me tracks they did for the "Encore" set were good. I'm glad I finally checked this, because it feels like a good lead in into their next album.
Wait, what? | | 66 |  | The Cure
The Cure
June 2004 | Geffen | 3.1 | โ
1. Lost (3/5)
2. Labyrinth (2.5/5)
3. Before Three (3/5)
4. Truth Goodness and Beauty [Bonus Track] (3/5)
5. The End of the World (3/5)
6. Anniversary (3.5/5)
7. Us or Them (2/5) ๐
8. Fake [Bonus Track] (3.5/5)
9. alt.end (2.5/5)
10. (I Don't Know What's Going) On (3/5)
11. Taking Off (3.5/5)
12. Never (3/5)
13. The Promise (3.5/5)
14. Going Nowhere [Bonus Track] (4/5) ๐
Yup! Despite Bloodflowers being promoted as the Cure's last, they returned in '04 with a new record. A "nu-metal" record. Yikes! Kidding (sort of). I was looking forward to rechecking this one; if ANY Cure album was ready for a re-evaluation, it's this. I gave it a fair shot, but even divorced from the context of the mid-00s, this still isn't great. But still better than I remembered! "Going Nowhere" was a surprising hidden gem. And while I may not hate "Us or Them," yeah, it's embarrassing. A big step down from their last, but not a complete fall. Not over-or-underrated. Just... rated! | | 67 |  | The Cure
The End of the World (Single)
July 2004 | Geffen | 3.5 | ๐
1. The End of the World (3/5) ๐
2. This Morning (4/5) ๐
3. Fake (3.5/5)
You'll have to forgive me, this album cycle for the Cure was unusually messy. On top of having 6 different versions of the album, all with different tracklists, the singles have very few new tracks for me to talk about. Whatever, at least this one does. And that new track ("This Morning") actually might be one of my favorite B-sides from the album. "The End of the World" seems to be the single most people remember from this album, and while I don't really think its pseudo-indie-rock sound really works, I will give them props for trying. It's certainly one of the better songs from the album, so not a bad pick for a first single. Definitely check out the B-sides, though. That's where the good stuff is. | | 68 |  | The Cure
alt.end (Single)
October 2004 | Geffen | 2.7 | ๐
1. alt.end (2.5/5)
2. Why Can't I Be Me? (2/5) ๐
3. Your God Is Fear (3.5/5) ๐
So internationally, the Cure's self-titled actually only has 2 singles, but us in the US got this as a bonus single, I guess. I probably should've left this off, but I'm a semi-completionist. As long as it's not that much effort. I'm gonna save my thoughts for the real single, so "Your God Is Fear" good, "Why Can't I Be Me?" bad. Why? Read on! | | 69 |  | The Cure
Taking Off (Single)
October 2004 | Geffen | 3.0 | ๐
1. Taking Off (3.5/5) ๐
2. Why Can't I Be Me? (2/5) ๐
3. Your God Is Fear (3.5/5)
4. Taking Off [video]
Thanks for reading on. Okay, real single time. I fully know "Taking Off" is a blatant retread of their janglier singles ("Just Like Heaven," "Friday I'm in Love"), but I don't know, I just think on such a dour album like the self-titled, it's a nice breath of fresh air. Case in point, "Why Can't I Be Me?", which... is a reference to a previous song. Hmm. If you weren't aware, Robert Smith was plagued with writer's block for most of the 2000s. Look it up online, and you can see articles about how their next album at the time (2008's 4:13 Dream) was delayed because Smith couldn't come up with good lyrics. And "Why Can't I Be Me?" is directly about this. I hate to be down on it for that reason, but it's just not as inspired as their early work. And even with my new appreciation for the self-titled, that's kind of sums up this era of Cure for me. | | 70 |  | The Cure
Love (Single)
December 2005 | Amnesty International | 3.0 | ๐
1. Love (3/5) ๐๐
"Another single track single?" Yep, get over it. The limitations of this dumb list format have reared their ugly head yet again.
This is actually a cover of a song off John Lennon's John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band, which I just so happened to relisten to in full pretty recently. Lucky me! Not my favorite off that album, but I certainly prefer it to this version, which is heavier and adds an echoey Robert Smith onto it. Kind of has a different vibe from the quiet original. So, "Love" is both the best and worst track. Shocking, I know. | | 71 |  | The Cure
Festival 2005
December 2006 | Geffen | 3.9 | ๐
1. Open (4/5)
2. Fascination Street (4.5/5)
3. Alt.End (3/5)
4. The Blood (3.5/5)
5. A Night Like This (4/5)
6. The End of the World (3/5)
7. If Only Tonight We Could Sleep (3.5/5)
8. The Kiss (3.5/5)
9. Dog Shake Dog (2.5/5)
10. Us or Them (2.5/5)
11. Never Enough (2/5) ๐
12. The Figurehead (4.5/5)
13. A Strange Day (4.5/5)
14. Push (3.5/5)
15. Just Like Heaven (5/5) ๐
16. In Between Days (4.5/5)
17. From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea (4/5)
18. The Drowning Man (5/5)
19. Signal to Noise (3.5/5)
20. The Baby Scream (3.5/5)
21. One Hundred Years (4.5/5)
22. Shiver and Shake (4/5)
23. End (3/5)
24. At Night (4.5/5)
25. M (4.5/5)
26. Play for Today (4.5/5)
27. A Forest (4.5/5)
28. Plainsong (3.5/5)
29. Disintegration (4.5/5)
30. Faith (4/5)
Even longer tracklist, even shorter blurb. Another concert video. Sounds like it was recorded on a phone. ๐for "Just Like Heaven," ๐ for "Never Enough." Not the best live record, but still fun. | | 72 |  | The Cure
The Only One (Single)
May 2008 | Polydor | 3.8 | ๐
1. The Only One [Mix 13] (4/5) ๐
2. NY Trip (3.5/5) ๐
Welcome readers to our first 4:13 Dream single! We've finally made it! The Cure pulled out all the stops for this album, with 4 singles and a remix EP, so we've got a lot to cover before we even get to the album proper. And I've got to say, I'm already liking this a lot. I feel bad for calling their last single a rip-off of their more popular jangle tracks, because "The Only One [Mix 13]" is almost exactly Just Like Heaven. But the Cure have about 5 songs that sound like that, so I'm not gonna complain just because this is the most recent one; it's still good. I'm a sucker for a good jangle pop track, sue me. B-side "NY Trip" is also pretty good funky track; a rarity for this band. Is this the start of the 4:13 Dream redemption? We'll just have to wait and see! | | 73 |  | The Cure
Freakshow (Single)
June 2008 | Polydor | 3.5 | ๐
1. Freakshow [Mix 13] (3.5/5) ๐
2. All Kinds of Stuff (3.5/5) ๐
In the reviews for this single on RYM, several people compared the A-side to something the band would've done on Wild Mood Swings. Considering the fact that I think that album is underrated... it's looking more and more like a re-evaluation is coming. But I'm getting ahead of myself. The strange, messy dance-punk number "Freakshow [Mix 13]" is actually kind of a fun jam. A little bit of energy does a song good, that's all I'm saying. "All Kinds of Stuff," even though it's my pick for weakest, is on-par with the single for me. Look, I'll probably always prefer my deathly-serious goth Cure over silly Cure, but I can't lie, I'm actually kind of liking this odd vibe they're going for here. Bring on the weird, I say! | | 74 |  | The Cure
Sleep When I'm Dead (Single)
July 2008 | Geffen | 3.3 | ๐
1. Sleep When I'm Dead [Mix 13] (3.5/5) ๐
2. Down Under (3/5) ๐
Alright, at least me liking this one makes a little sense. Yes, the Cure are doing mid-2000s indie post-punk. Something no one asked for, and yet, this is the single that I actually remember from the album. How very typical of me. It might be blasphemy, but I think I like "Sleep When I'm Dead [Mix 13]" more than the psychy jangle of "Down Under." The latter definitely feels a little less inspired than the former, at least to my ears. Both aren't my favorite tracks so far, but still no bad tracks so far. I'm surprising myself with each passing release! When will the buck stop? | | 75 |  | The Cure
The Perfect Boy (Single)
August 2008 | Polydor | 3.5 | ๐
1. The Perfect Boy [Mix 13] (3.5/5) ๐
2. Without You (3.5/5) ๐
Our last single sees the trend of progressively weaker singles, which is a little worrying. But, even at their supposed weakest, the Cure still can get a good B-side to carry them past the post ("Without You"). "The Perfect Boy [Mix 13]" is perfectly serviceable, but is definitely the weakest single they put out for the album. Which is weird to say, since this seems to be considered the best rated on RYM. Maybe they're all bumping it up a few points for "Without You."
Bonus 4:13 Dream Single/B-Side Ranking:
1. The Only One
2. Without You
3. NY Trip
4. Freakshow
5. All Kinds of Stuff
6. Sleep When I'm Dead
7. The Perfect Boy
8. Down Under | | 76 |  | The Cure
Hypnagogic States
September 2008 | Geffen | 2.2 | ๐
1. The Only One [Remix 4] (1.5/5) ๐
2. Freakshow [Wolves At The Gate Remix] (2.5/5)
3. Sleep When I'm Dead [Remix 4] (2.5/5)
4. The Perfect Boy [Remix 4] (2/5)
5. Exploding Head Syndrome [4 Single Remix] (2.5/5) ๐
The Lord giveth, and he taketh away. Just when I thought the Cure could go one album cycle without a dud, they put out another remix collection. Fellas, the album wasn't even out yet at this point! You could've waited before getting the guy from 30 Seconds to Mars to mess with your stuff! It's not completely unsalvageable, though; "Exploding Head Syndrome [4 Single Remix]" takes all 4 singles and makes it into a 21-minute behemoth. Still not good, but considering how boring/bad Cure "remixes" usually are, I'll take it. "The Only One [Remix 4]" is pure garbage and is only saved from a 1/5 because it has Cure DNA. These would've been fine as bonus tracks on a compilation, but having their own dedicated release just feels... wrong. | | 77 |  | The Cure
4:13 Dream
October 2008 | Polydor | 4.0 | โ
1. Underneath the Stars (5/5) ๐
2. The Only One (4/5)
3. The Reasons Why (4.5/5)
4. Freakshow (3.5/5)
5. Sirensong (4/5)
6. The Real Snow White (4/5)
7. The Hungry Ghost (5/5)
8. Switch (4/5)
9. The Perfect Boy (3.5/5) ๐
10. This. Here and Now. With You (4/5)
11. Sleep When I'm Dead (3.5/5)
12. The Scream (4/5)
13. It's Over (3.5/5)
I know it's going to sound like a lie, but I've never considered 4:13 Dream to be the worst Cure album. It was towards the bottom of the list, sure, but not the very bottom. But you have to understand: for a very long time, people really did think this was the end. I certainly did. Maybe it was bias that made me rate this so low, but 17 years apart has done this album a lot of favors. The world and I owe you an apology, Robert Smith: this is a great album. "Underneath the Stars" is up there with some of their best songs, full stop. This album's so good, "The Perfect Boy" is the lowlight. Forgive me, Cure. I kneel. | | 78 |  | The Cure
Entreat Plus
December 2010 | Rhino | 4.3 | ๐
1. Plainsong [Live] (4/5)
2. Pictures of You [Live] (4.5/5)
3. Closedown [Live] (4/5)
4. Lovesong [Live] (5/5) ๐
5. Last Dance [Live] (4.5/5)
6. Lullaby [Live] (4.5/5)
7. Fascination Street [Live] (4.5/5)
8. Prayers for Rain [Live] (4/5)
9. The Same Deep Water as You [Live] (4.5/5)
10. Disintegration [Live] (4.5/5)
11. Homesick [Live] (3.5/5) ๐
12. Untitled [Live] (4/5)
What's better than Entreat? Entreat Plus! Again, I couldn't decide whether to leave this off or the original, so we're just doing the same thing again. But this time, it's all of Disintegration played live. Relistening to this, I still think the album versions are better, but it isn't by much. You know I would've been crying in the Wembley Arena nosebleeds. "Lovesong [Live]" is the closest to capturing the album version, so I'll give it the top spot. Poor "Homesick [Live]" takes the worst spot (again). I'm rating this higher than the original, if only because it's complete. | | 79 |  | The Cure
Bestival Live 2011
December 2011 | Sunday Best | 3.8 | ๐
1. Plainsong (4/5)
2. Open (3.5/5)
3. Fascination Street (4.5/5)
4. A Night Like This (4/5)
5. The End of the World (3/5)
6. Lovesong (4.5/5)
7. Just Like Heaven (4.5/5) ๐
8. The Only One (3.5/5)
9. The Walk (2.5/5)
10. Push (3.5/5)
11. Friday I'm in Love (4/5)
12. In Between Days (4.5/5)
13. Play for Today (4.5/5)
14. A Forest (4/5)
15. Primary (4/5)
16. Shake Dog Shake (2.5/5)
17. The Hungry Ghost (4/5)
18. One Hundred Years (4/5)
19. End (2.5/5)
20. Disintegration (4.5/5)
21. Lullaby (4.5/5)
22. The Lovecats (2.5/5) ๐
23. The Caterpillar (3.5/5)
24. Close to Me (4.5/5)
25. Hot Hot Hot!!! (2.5/5)
26. Let's Go to Bed (3/5)
27. Why Can't I Be You? (3.5/5)
28. Boys Don't Cry (4/5)
29. Jumping Someone Else's Train (4/5)
30. Grinding Halt (4.5/5)
31. 10:15 Saturday Night (3.5/5)
32. Killing Another (4/5)
Longest tracklist, shortest blurb. Singles and fan favorites live. Sounds muddy. + for "#7," - for "#22." It's fine. | | 80 |  | The Cure
Hello Goodbye (feat. James McCartney) (Single)
September 2014 | Arctic Poppy | 2.1 | ๐
1. Hello Goodbye (2/5) ๐๐
Phew! Glad to be able to speak again. So yet again, for what feels like the 4th time, the Cure have basically entered hibernation. After 4:13 Dream was bullied out of the charts, very little new material cropped up in the years that followed. Reports of a new album made from the cut tracks from their last album (to be titled "4:14 Scream") never came to fruition. Fuck you, Geffen Records. So after 6 years of waiting, the band returned! With another Beatles-related cover... And this one is pretty awful. The original isn't my favorite Beatles track, but after this, I feel bad for everything I've never said about it. "Hello Goodbye" is good and bad, but mostly bad. I'm sure it was fun to record, but never has there ever been a Cure track worth skipping more than this one. | | 81 |  | The Cure
Torn Down
April 2018 | Elektra | 2.6 | ๐
1. Three Imaginary Boys [Help Me Mix 2018] (2/5)
2. M [Attack Mix 2018] (2.5/5)
3. The Drowning Man [Bright Birds Mix 2018] (3/5)
4. A Strange Day [Drowning Waves Mix 2018] (3.5/5)
5. Just One Kiss [Remember Mix 2018] (4/5) ๐
6. Shake Dog Shake [New Blood Mix 2018] (2/5)
7. A Night Like This [Hello Goodbye Mix 2018] (2.5/5)
8. Like Cockatoos [Lonely in the Rain Mix 2018] (3/5)
9. Plainsong [Edge of the World Mix 2018] (3/5)
10. Never Enough [Time to Kill Mix 2018] (1.5/5) ๐
11. From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea [Love in Vain Mix 2018] (3/5)
12. Want [Time Mix 2018] (3.5/5)
13. The Last Day of Summer [31st August Mix 2018] (2.5/5)
14. Cut Here [If Only Mix 2018] (1.5/5)
15. Lost [Found Mix 2018] (2.5/5)
16. It's Over [Whisper Mix 2018] (2.5/5)
My Cure apathy was high in 2018, so I skipped this one. Having now listened to it, yeah. "Just One Kiss [Remember Mix 2018]" is good, "Never Enough [Time to Kill Mix 2018]" is bad. Take us home, boys. | | 82 |  | The Cure
Songs of a Lost World
November 2024 | Polydor | 4.5 | โ
1. Alone (4.5/5)
2. And Nothing is Forever (4/5)
3. A Fragile Thing (4/5)
4. Warsong (5/5)
5. Drone:Nodrone (4/5) ๐
6. I Can Never Say Goodbye (4.5/5)
7. All I Ever Am (5/5) ๐
8. Endsong (5/5)
As I write this in January 2025, Songs of a Lost World is still fresh in my mind. But it's different now. I am not the same man that checked this the first time. I've now relistened to almost everything this band's ever recorded, delved deep into their history, and typed more about them than I ever thought I would. I wouldn't call myself an "expert," but I'd like to think I've passed Cure 101. So going into this, big questions were on my mind. Have my feelings about this changed for the worse? Does me liking 4:13 Dream now make this less of a triumph?
And the answer is: no.
I love it even more.
"All I Ever Am" is just a perfect tune, while even my least favorite track ("Drone:Nodrone") has grown on me. I'm sticking to my guns: this is one of their finest. | | 83 |  | The Cure
A Fragile Thing
November 2024 | Polydor | 3.6 | ๐
1. A Fragile Thing [Radio Edit] (4/5)
2. A Fragile Thing [RS24 Remix] (3/5) ๐
3. A Fragile Thing [Live Troxy London MMXXIV] (3.5/5)
4. A Fragile Thing (4/5) ๐
So, you thought we were done here, huh?
Well, so did I. But then I saw that they released, get this, a remix EP. Some things never change. As tempting it is to leave this list off on a high, high note, we did it for all their other albums. It has to be done. Best track is the album version of "A Fragile Thing." Not my favorite off the album, but still a banger, and makes sense as a single/EP release. "A Fragile Thing [RS24 Remix]" continues the tradition of pointless remixes of good Cure songs, but I don't know, maybe I'm getting sentimental, but it's not THAT bad. With the streaming age in full-swing (and maybe even in its death throes, we'll see), the age of releasing a bunch of singles with B-sides has been made obsolete. But even if it's just a few different versions, it's nice to see. | | 84 |  | The Cure
Songs of a Live World: Troxy London MMXXIV
December 2024 | Polydor | 4.1 | ๐
1. Alone [Live Troxy London MMXXIV] (4.5/5)
2. And Nothing is Forever [Live Troxy London MMXXIV] (4/5)
3. A Fragile Thing [Live Troxy London MMXXIV] (3.5/5) ๐
4. Warsong [Live Troxy London MMXXIV] (4.5/5)
5. Drone:Nodrone [Live Troxy London MMXXIV] (3.5/5)
6. I Can Never Say Goodbye [Live Troxy London MMXXIV] (4/5)
7. All I Ever Am [Live Troxy London MMXXIV] (4.5/5)
8. Endsong [Live Troxy London MMXXIV] (4.5/5) ๐
Alright, one more, then I'm done.
This is the recorded version of the debut live show that premiered alongside the album. I watched it live, like everyone else in the world, but it only got a physical release a month later. Not much to say: it's great, but I still like the album version. "Endsong [Live Troxy London MMXXIV]" takes my top spot. I actually think "A Fragile Thing [Live Troxy London MMXXIV]" is the weak link here, though, sorry. You know, this is closer to my original rating for the album. Everything worked out in the end! | | 85 |  | The Cure
Mixes of a Lost World
June 2025 | Polydor | 1.8 | ๐
1. I Can Never Say Goodbye [Paul Oakenfold 'Cinematic' Remix] (2/5)
2 .Endsong [Orbital Remix] (1.5/5)
3. Drone:Nodrone [Daniel Avery Remix] (2.5/5)
4. All I Ever Am [Meera Remix] (1/5) ๐
5. A Fragile Thing [รme Remix] (1.5/5)
6. And Nothing Is Forever [Danny Briottet & Rico Conning Remix] (2/5)
7. Warsong [Daybreakers Remix] (1/5)
8. Alone [Four Tet Remix] (2/5)
9. I Can Never Say Goodbye [Mental Overdrive Remix] (1.5/5)
10. And Nothing Is Forever [Cosmodelica Electric Eden Remix] (1/5)
11. A Fragile Thing [Sally C Remix] (2.5/5)
12. Endsong [Gregor Tresher Remix] (2/5)
13. Warsong [Omid 16B Remix] (1.5/5)
14. Drone:Nodrone [Anja Schneider Remix] (1/5)
15. Alone [Shanti Celeste 'February Blues' Remix] (1.5/5)
16. All I Ever Am [Mura Masa Remix] (1.5/5)
17. I Can Never Say Goodbye [Craven Faults Rework] (2/5)
18. Drone:Nodrone [Joycut 'Anti-Gravitational' Remix] (1.5/5)
19. And Nothing Is Forever [Trentemรธller Rework] (1/5)
20. Warsong [Chino Moreno Remix] (3/5) ๐
21. Alone [Ex-Easter Island Head Remix] (1/5)
22. All I Ever Am [65daysofstatic Remix] (3/5)
23. A Fragile Thing [The Twilight Sad Remix] (3/5)
24. Endsong [Mogwai Remix] (2/5)
I hope you enjoyed Songs of a Lost World, because the Cure have decided to release remixes of all the tracks! 24 steaming piles of remix, all for our listening displeasure. Awesome. At least they waited until AFTER the album came out this time. No surprises here, this ranges from tolerable to pretty bad. I do like the Chino Moreno Remix for "Warsong" fine enough. "All I Ever Am [Meera Remix]" is baffling to me though; I literally couldn't tell what song it was remixing until I looked at the title. Unless you have a completionist's compulsion to check it, I would say this is a pretty definitive skip. | | 86 |  | The Cure
Easy Cure 1st Demo (1977-1978)
๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ-๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง
And, finally, we're done! What a ride this has been. It took a while, but it was definitely worth it, in my opinion. So many Cure songs that I've never heard are now in my repertoire and my playlist. Call it Stockholm Syndrome, but this whole experience has made me a Cure fan all over again. I never hated them or anything like that, but I definitely pigeonholed them as a legacy band before. Now? I can point to a good song from basically every year they were active. I commented it somewhere, but I'll say it here for posterity: they really are more than just Pornography and Disintegration. Even albums I wrote off long ago have found a place in my heart. I urge everyone to give those "lesser" Cure albums another shot. I can't guarantee you'll have an epiphany like me, but it certainly can't hurt.
Also, if some of these write-ups seem way too short, it's not because I didn't have anything to say. Sputnik just won't let me. | | 87 |  | The Cure
Happily Ever After
๐
๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ง๐ค๐ข๐ง๐
๐ฅ 1. Pornography (9.8/10) ๐ฅ
The head of the pack. Still my favorite, even after all these years.
๐ฅ 2. Disintegration (9.5/10) ๐ฅ
The fan favorite. Obvious pick, but for a very good reason.
๐ฅ 3. Faith (9.5/10) ๐ฅ
The dark horse of this list. Went from an album I would've skipped to one of my favorites.
4. Songs of a Lost World (9.0/10)
5. Wish (8.6/10)
6. Bloodflowers (8.1/10)
7. 4:13 Dream (8.1/10)
8. Seventeen Seconds (7.9/10)
9. Three Imaginary Boys (7.5/10)
10. Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (7.3/10)
11. Wild Mood Swings (7.2/10)
12. The Head on the Door (6.9/10)
13. Japanese Whispers* (6.9/10)
14. The Top (6.8/10)
15. The Cure (6.1/10)
*Alright, fine. | | 88 |  | The Cure
Staring at the Sea
๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ๐ง
These are all tracks that I don't really see people talk about very often. Not my favorites, but all of these songs deserve some more love.
1. It's Not You
2. The Funeral Party
3. Splintered in Her Head
4. Lament
5. Just One Kiss
6. Wailing Wall
7. The Exploding Boy
8. Pillbox Tales
9. How Beautiful You Are
10. One More Time
11. 2 Late
12. Doing the Unstuck
13. Trust
14. Scared as You
15. A Foolish Arrangement
16. Uyea Sound
17. Ocean
18. Adonais
19. Round & Round & Round
20. A Pink Dream
21. Burn
22. The Last Day of Summer
23. Bloodflowers
24. Spilt Milk
25. Going Nowhere
26. This Morning
27. Without You
28. Underneath the Stars
29. The Hungry Ghost
30. All I Ever Am | | 89 |  | The Cure
Galore
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ
The Cure are not infallible. Just like the Fall, they have their fair share of shit. So, for your listening displeasure, the worst Cure songs, in very rough order. Excluding remixes, because that would be too easy. I rated all of these tracks a 2/5 or below.
1. Screw
2. Wrong Number
3. Just Say Yes
4. The Dream
5. Six Different Ways
6. Never Enough
7. Tape (Intro) [Live]
8. Us or Them
9. Why Can't I Be Me? | | 90 |  | The Cure
Greatest Hits
๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฌ
There are over 200 songs on this list, so culling it down to 15 is almost impossible. So we'll just say that these are great songs, not in any order, that everyone should hear by the Cure. Suffice it to say, all of these are 5/5s.
1. Boys Don't Cry
2. The Funeral Party
3. Splintered in Her Head
4, One Hundred Years
5. Pornography
6. Lament
7. The Exploding Boy
8. Lovesong
9. Disintegration
10. Doing the Unstuck
11. Trust
12. Bloodflowers
13. Underneath the Stars
14. All I Ever Am
15. Endsong | |
SandwichBubble
11.17.24 | Was halfway through relistening to Three Imaginary Boys and thought: Why not do another embarrassing discog run?
Will go through this a lot slower than I usually do.
๐โโโ
๐๐ | Feather
11.18.24 | Godspeed sandwich | mkmusic1995
11.18.24 | Absolute unit of a task. Good luck! | foxblood
11.18.24 | who allowed all these singles in the db lol | SandwichBubble
11.18.24 | Don't think about it.
That rule's kind of silly, anyway. | kkarron
11.18.24 | that's a buttload of cure | SandwichBubble
11.18.24 | And this isn't even everything! List is missing the bootlegs and extra live albums and later compilations and later singles and probably a lot of other stuff.
Definitely have my work cut out for me. Only slightly regretting it, though. | foxblood
11.18.24 | It totally is a silly rule but it's funny to encounter the ones that are there. There are lots of 'singles' that feature exclusive b-side tracks or mixes that make them feel more like tiny eps than a single, those especially seem fine | SandwichBubble
11.18.24 | Agreed. Some of these are just two album tracks, but a lot are like you said: b-sides that I would have to listen to anyway on a bloated b-sides compilation. I personally would rather just listen/rate the original releases.
And before I incriminate myself further, I would just like to say that most of these were added by someone else, so I'm only partially to blame. | SandwichBubble
11.19.24 | Just had an epiphany with Faith. Went from a 3.5 to a 5.0.
This bodes poorly for my objectivity. | JohnnyoftheWell
11.19.24 | Lfg
Faith has been creeping like mad recently, think it's bumped off 17S and Head on the Door to land at my #2 Cure, and I honestly care more to hear it end to end than Disintegration these days even if it doesn't have the same firing power on a song to song level. V based recognition, defs the sleeper in their discog | SandwichBubble
11.19.24 | I think I might feel the same way after all this, with it being in my top 3, at least. Having Faith at a 5.0 completely throws off the loose Cure discog ranking I had in my head (where I had it at like 7th or 8th or something), so who knows where we go from here.
Exciting things are happening on the Cure Discography Run list. | MetalMarcJK
11.19.24 | The Glove...bleah! | mryrtmrnfoxxxy
11.20.24 | Faith 4.8, very cool. Boys don't cry is my fav | MetalMarcJK
11.20.24 | IโM A CULT HERO!
My old friend Ross produced their self-titled album. He and I were both metal heads, but we loved the Cure. | MetalMarcJK
11.20.24 | The first CDs I ever bought were Disintegration and the Fascination Street, Lovesong, and Pictures Of You singles. | SandwichBubble
11.20.24 | I think the only cure I owned was Boys Don't Cry and Kiss Me x3. And I either lost or sold them both. I probably replayed the first two tracks of Boys Don't Cry like 500 times in my car. | Icebloom
11.20.24 | Fun list
Should revisit Faith, don't remember much about it except for Funeral Party | SandwichBubble
11.20.24 | Funeral Party is definitely the one I remembered, but it's got some great songs. The Drowning Man is a new favorite, love the the continuous flow of the verses. | gabba
11.20.24 | I read that thereโs a masterโs thesis on the metaphor of drowning in The Cureโs music, would be really interesting to see what was cooking there. Definitely a topic worth sinking into. | SandwichBubble
11.20.24 | You'll never see Robert Smith on a boat, that's for sure. | LightAndGlass
11.20.24 | I'm going to have fun reading all of this and checking back in. I agree that Faith has shot way up my album rankings in the past year. I'm a little salty over your rating for 10:15 Saturday Night though because I love that song and think it's one of their best early tunes. | SandwichBubble
11.20.24 | Hey, a 7/10 is nothing to sneeze at. That'd be a lot of other bands' best song. It's all relative. | Icebloom
11.20.24 | Interesting fav song choice for Pornography. My top 3 would be Figurehead, Hundred Years and Cold I think. Agreed that it's pretty much a perfect album! | SandwichBubble
11.20.24 | Yeah, all the 5/5s are basically neck and neck for me.
Loose Pornography ranking, subject to change:
Pornography
One Hundred Years
The Figurehead
The Hanging Garden
A Strange Day
Cold
A Short Term Effect
Siamese Twins | gabba
11.21.24 | T/T from Pornography is desevedly chosen as favorite. The line โone more day like today and Iโll kill youโ pops into mind way too often when thereโs a need for handling everyday frustrations. The live version from the Trilogy tour is amazing too, such a powerful delivery 20 years after the studio release!
https://youtu.be/3q2WO_3DHpg | SandwichBubble
11.21.24 | Might be my favorite Cure song, if there are no surprise favorites later on.
Also shit, I forgot to add the trilogy live video to the list. That's a must-listen for this.
Don't want to "spoil" myself, so I'm not gonna check that right now, but thank you for the reminder. | gabba
11.21.24 | Cheers! Do you plan to rate the video of In Orange or the audio only? I had it on VHS, probably my all-time favorite live footage by any band, so I wouldnโt miss out on that.
Interesting that you find Siamese Twins too slow, it just has the perfect pace for me. Iโve always felt the same way towards The Funeral Party though. I get why they made it this slow, but it just drags a bit too much to my taste. | SandwichBubble
11.21.24 | I'll watch both, since they're on YouTube. Not sure how I'm gonna tackle them, but I'll figure it out somehow.
I think Funeral Party has more interesting stuff going on in it than Siamese Twins, but again, I gave the latter a 9/10. This "best/worst track" list format falls apart when the albums are consistently amazing. | Demon of the Fall
11.21.24 | I should probably do a (less hardcore) version of this at some point (new year?)
This is quite the undertaking. Kudos. | SandwichBubble
11.21.24 | List's a little inflated because of my insistence on listening to the individual singles.
If I may suggest a shortened version for the sane people:
All studio albums
The Cure in Orange and Trilogy (if you like live albums)
Join the Dots (if you want the b-sides/singles) | LightAndGlass
11.21.24 | A Strange Day is my favorite off Pornography and a contender for my favorite Cure song. It's hard to pick one but it's at least in the top 5 for me. I love the lead guitar melody so much. | SandwichBubble
11.21.24 | Any song off Pornography would make a good favorite Cure song, honestly. No wrong answers. | SlothcoreSam
11.21.24 | You know what's worse than Killing an Arab? Faith!
Great in-depth Cure discog run. I hope this becomes a regular.
Do "Crass" the record label, which will include the band, next. Pretty Please!
| SandwichBubble
11.21.24 | Goddamn it. That's an amazing idea. If I do this again, that's definitely next. Another thing to make plans for.
Fuck yI mean, thank you for the suggestion. | zakalwe
11.21.24 | This is thorough
๐ | SandwichBubble
11.21.24 | As thorough as I can be without driving myself insane.
I do have to go back and add the Trilogy concert video, though. Shame on me for forgetting. Just a little bit of madness is alright, I guess. | Drifter
11.21.24 | the only person i know for sure to report singles in the database is get low so dont let him see this! | SandwichBubble
11.21.24 | Sorry, I can't join in on the snitch witch hunt. You see, I was recently featured on the "Sputnik Positivity" list series. You understand. | artiswar
11.21.24 | I appreciate your thoroughness but this is pretty unnecessary. You're going to have your work cut out for you even if you stick to just the main albums | SandwichBubble
11.22.24 | You're lucky I was recently featured on the "Sputnik Positivity" list series. | widowslaugh123
12.10.24 | Agreed hard with plainsong being the worst | SandwichBubble
12.10.24 | It really could've benefitted from a real orchestra playing it, just like a lot of the songs from around this time. Nowhere as bad as it was on Kiss Me x3 though. | artiswar
12.10.24 | can you hurry up and get to Bloodflowers so we can slit our wrists together | SandwichBubble
12.10.24 | All in due time. Remember, these flowers will never die! :) | SandwichBubble
01.25.25 | 4:13 Dream rated above Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me and The Head on the Door. So this is how I find out I'm stupid. | artiswar
01.25.25 | do you stand by that? I honestly didn't even listen to 4:13 the singles were so off-putting to me | SandwichBubble
01.25.25 | Honestly, even though I like them, the singles are the worst songs on the album. I stand by the rating, but I might just be insane.
Check the opener at the very least ("Underneath the Stars"). | artiswar
01.25.25 | ok I might give it a run | SandwichBubble
01.25.25 | And if you hate it, you can berate me for wasting your time. Win win. | artiswar
01.25.25 | there are multiple Cure albums I really dislike so it's not like it will be shocking or anything | SandwichBubble
01.25.25 | After this run through, they've got no bad albums to me, just less good ones. They've got plenty of bad singles, though. No doubt. | artiswar
01.25.25 | I liked Underneath The Stars but the sparkles were a little much
I love most Cure to death, mostly just don't like Moodswings, Kiss, Top and Wish that much | SandwichBubble
01.25.25 | You can never have enough Cure sparkles. Disintegration's infested with them.
Mood Swings and Kiss Me are still towards the bottom for me, I get that. So was Wish, but it really clicked for me this go around. Might be in my top 5 now. | artiswar
01.25.25 | why do they keep using that sparkle sound effect???? This is less bad than I expected, feels kind of like S/T pt 2 | artiswar
01.25.25 | if Wish was an EP with just the moody stuff it would be god-tier | SandwichBubble
01.25.25 | They do overuse the hell out of it. They're getting their money's worth.
It's weird, I thought their self-titled was their weakest, but 4:13 hooked me. Half of this feels like an improvement on that heavier sound they tried there to me. | artiswar
01.25.25 | I was a kid when S/T dropped and it was like one of the first records I ever purchased and a lot of weird shit was happening in my life. A tourist from Poland was living at my family's place and getting me into all kinds of music. It was a very strange time. So that album hit me different than probably most people | SandwichBubble
01.25.25 | Understandable. I feel that way about Pornography. I listened to it so much, I convinced myself I didn't like it as much as I did.
The self-titled's got some good songs on it, but the bonus tracks definitely should've been on the album proper. "Going Nowhere" at the very least should've been on it. | artiswar
01.25.25 | I wish every album I liked just had like 5 b-sides released afterward | SandwichBubble
01.25.25 | That's the Cure difference.โข
A lot of their weakest albums for me have some great B-sides. Wild Mood Swings, for example. Don't get their process, but I'm sure it makes sense to them. | artiswar
01.25.25 | I didn't even know that had b-sides. As much as I shit on that album, it does have some good hits like even their weakest albums do. Mint Car | SandwichBubble
01.25.25 | "Ocean," "Adonais," and "Waiting" are prime Cure from that era. Really a shame they're stuck on that insanely-long b-sides album. Very listener unfriendly. | artiswar
01.25.25 | you're the first person in like 18 years to finally got me to jam 4:13... It was bad. Not nearly as bad as I expected. It just felt like S/T b-sides.
The Real Snow White was probably the only song I'd keep | artiswar
01.25.25 | "insanely-long b-sides album" Join the Dots? I still have to check that. I think I heard half of it before | SandwichBubble
01.25.25 | Damn, I've failed you, Robert Smith. At least you gave it a shot.
And yeah, Join the Dots. This list would be like 40 entries long instead of 80 if I just listened to that instead. | artiswar
01.25.25 | The Scream and it's Over were pretty good too. But yeah I'm never revisiting this album ever. I'll stick to the good shit | SandwichBubble
01.25.25 | I'm defending Mt. 4:13 Dream 'til I die. Or until I change my mind about the album again, whichever comes first.
The Scream's definitely a banger, though. | artiswar
01.25.25 | you like 4:13 but not S/T? | SandwichBubble
01.25.25 | I definitely prefer 4:13, but the self-titled's still alright. Just not my thing, aside from a few choice cuts. | artiswar
01.25.25 | they feel joined at the hip. What are your choice cuts | SandwichBubble
01.25.25 | Going Nowhere (bonus track), Anniversary, Taking Off, and The Promise made it to the prestigious work playlist. Better than winning a Grammy. | artiswar
01.25.25 | The Promise is such a great late-stage Cure track. Such a great closer
I used to wander around the neighbourhood at 4am jamming Faith and 17 Seconds back in the day. Met a lot of odd people. So many interesting memories with this band | gabba
01.25.25 | Great write-ups Sandwich! I just realized I need to check those b-sides from Wild Mood Swings onwards. Even though I started to appreciate the s/t on the whole after I jammed it earlier this week (thrice!), I still think it is a tad weaker than 4:13 Dream. But now I have to put Wild Mood Swings at the bottom of my The Cure album list (instead of the s/t), which is painful given it also hosts awesome tracks like Want, Jupiter Crash & Bare - a very underappreciated track imo. Still, Iโd never ever rate 4:13 higher than Kiss Meโฆ or The Head on the Door, that feels like eating an ice cream by starting at the tip of the cone. | SandwichBubble
01.25.25 | @artiswar that is the proper way to listen to those albums
@gabba thanks! If I've learned anything doing this list, it's that Cure B-sides are mostly essential (unfortunately).
And yeah, my ranking is completely ass backwards, I'll admit that much. But the track ratings don't lie and neither do I. If I was worried about not looking like a fool, I would've left 4:13 Dream at a 2.5. | gabba
01.25.25 | Just be yourself Sandwich, thatโs the only way to go. And 4:13 Dream is never 2.5, Iโll stand by that. | SandwichBubble
01.25.25 | Some people really need to go back to scripture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NCnVpGU_sE
I'm glad I'm me, but it will never not be funny that I'm rating what's widely considered to be one of their worst albums above something that has "In Between Days" on it. I really hope we get a 4:13 Dream deluxe/outtakes release someday. | zakalwe
01.25.25 | This is insanity | SandwichBubble
01.25.25 | We're all mad here, this is a safe space.
Look, all I'm saying is that the post-2000s albums aren't that different in quality to what a lot of people consider to be their mid-tier stuff. Forget what the experts said: time really does heal all wounds. | SandwichBubble
01.28.25 | Aaaaaaaand we're done. | widowslaugh123
01.28.25 | Hell yeah | kkarron
01.28.25 | Now that's some good work. | gabba
01.28.25 | And now finally we have a comprehensive compendium for the band! Reading this was so much fun, whatever you'll do next I'll stay tuned. | SandwichBubble
01.28.25 | Thank you, all. Be sure to share this on Facebook so grandma sees it.
And remember: the Cure have no bad albums.
| zakalwe
01.28.25 | This would break an ordinary man | SandwichBubble
01.28.25 | I'll be honest, hearing Shake Dog Shake 5000 times over the course of this list got me very close to breaking. But I'm stronger for it. It builds character. | Demon of the Fall
01.28.25 | me: I really should listen to some more of The Cure soon. Nope, haven't touched them since
sammich: casually runs through everything they've ever done in 2.5 months(?)
fair play you mad bastard! | SandwichBubble
01.28.25 | The hidden trade off being I've listened to nothing but the Cure for 2.5 months. Not a bad thing, but I'm even more out of the current moment loop than I was.
I said it earlier, but if anyone is interested in doing something similar to this (you poor soul), I would suggest using the Join the Dots compilation instead of rating each single like I did. |
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