Originally called the Easy Cure, the band was formed in 1976 by schoolmates Robert Smith (vocals, guitar), Michael Dempsey (bass), and Laurence "Lol" Tolhurst (drums). Initially, the group specialized in dark, nervy guitar pop with pseudo-literary lyrics.
The Cure's debut album, Three Imaginary Boys, was released in May 1979 to positive reviews in the British music press. Later that year, the group released "Boys Don't Cry" and "Jumping Someone Else's Train." That same year, The Cure embarked on a major tour with Siouxsie and the Banshees. During the tour, the Banshees' guitarist, John McKay, left the group and Smith stepped in for the missing musician. For the next decade or so, Smith would frequently collaborate with members of the Banshees.
Then came the 80's and you probably know the rest of the story. Robert Smith has been the only constant member of The Cure, but as long as he is around they will be darkside legends.
I got the amazing opportunity to see The Cure in concert in Chicago in 2008. My trip to Chicago was the ultimate...an afternoon with the Cubbies and a night with The Cure. They forgot to play a couple of my favs though.. "A Letter to Elise" and "Fascination Street", however they did play a wide variety of tunes and I'm serious when I say that every song was incredible.
Here is the setlist that I wrote down later that night:
Plainsong A Night Like This The Walk The End of the World Love Song Pictures of You Lullaby Sleep When I'm Dead Friday I'm in Love Inbetween Days Just Like Heaven Never Enough If Only Tonight We Could Sleep The Kiss The Lovecats Close To Me Why Can't I Be You? Boys Don't Cry 10:15 Saturday Night
I've mentioned more than once that The Psychedelic Furs are my all-time fav group. Well with that said, The Cure is probably number two on my list.
Posted by Riptide (Member # 457) on :
The Cure is my #1 group all these years, with Psych Furs, Bauhaus, Cocteau Twins, Eacho and the Bunnymen, No/JD rounding out the 2-6 position. I've collected their stuff for years, I have the most cd's from them. Something like 40+ cd's. My favorite albums of their's is probably Disintegration and Pronography with Wish and Seventeen Seconds being close. Disintegration along with New Order's Technique were pretty much my high school albums, with some Depeche Mode and Pet Shop boys thrown in.
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
Riptide.. you have incredible music knowledge! I'm just a novice, but Echo and the Bunnymen, Depeche Mode, and New Order are high on my list. My brother was a huge fan of The Pet Shop Boys.
Posted by logan5 (Member # 1467) on :
Great music. Great band.
Right at the end of the 80's, they, like Depeche Mode, had a really big mainstream US breakthrough. 'Disintegration' was their breakthrough, 'Violator' was Depeche Mode's. I associate the two albums with each other (which is no bad thing). I think in terms of production Disintegration was the best thing they ever did.
'A Forest', 'Charlotte Sometimes', 'In-between Days'; how many bands can actually touch the Cure?!
[ 16. July 2010, 18:42: Message edited by: logan5 ]
Posted by Pyromantic (Member # 7658) on :
no..wasn't a fan back then and I still don't really care for them now.
Posted by Secret Admirer (Member # 3574) on :
The Cure are amazing and have some stunning songs. However, I don't care to listen to their full albums, I just listen to my favorite songs. I'm the same way with New Order. I think both bands put out weak albums. But man o man, they put out some unbelievably great singles! That's not to say I don't like any of their albums. Some are better than others for sure.
I was too young to be a fan in the 80s though Posted by aTomiK (Member # 6575) on :
In the early 90s, my friend was crazy about The Cure. He bought all cdīs, music video collections and live videos. I believe that Wild Mood Swings (1996) was the last album he bought.
I liked the band too but it wasnīt ever THAT important for me. Today i donīt care much about The Cure anymore, but itīs a nice to hear a good tune every now and then. Most of their music videos were great!
Posted by mamamiasweetpeaches (Member # 1715) on :
I really wasnt into THE CURE in the 80s. Ill site two reasons:
1. I dont remember popular radio stations playing them and
2. I was more into metal at the time
But when I was 21 and started hanging out in bars I remember there was this one bar I used to go to that had stuff like THE CURE and THE SMITHS and NEW ORDER on the jukebox and thats where I first ehard that kind of music and then later - not knowing what it was - mgoing to a record store (remember THOSE?!) and singing the songs to the guy I knew who worked there and him telling me "Oh thats by THE CURE. Oh thats by MORRISEY..." and buying a bunch of tapes (remember THOSE?!)
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
Mamamia.. your story reminds me of this awesome pool hall bar type place my friends would meet out in downtown Lexington when we were in college. We would go hang out there and shoot pool while enhancing our skills with brews. Kind of a precurser to the wild evening ahead. Well anyway.. the reason for this post is the fact that this place had a jukebox that only had alternative tracks and many only Riptide or Ronnie might claim to know.
I really enjoyed that place.. it was so much fun playing pool listening to The Psychedelic Furs, The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, Depeche Mode, and numerous other groups.
Posted by Veronica Sawyer (Member # 2221) on :
The Cure is definitely my favorite band. Me and my high school boyfriend were pretty much OBSESSED with them and tried to collect everything we could get our hands on.
I don't think anyone can quite write a song like Robert Smith....."Charlotte Sometimes" is my favorite song by them. Love the cheesy video and the book is also great! I've seen them in concert twice. First time was back in 2000, 5th row center! 2nd time was in 2003 I think when they did the Curiosa festival. Both were great shows!
Logan, I agree with what you said regarding Depeche Mode. I love them too and I always associate them together. If these bands co-headlined a tour I think it would be amazing. I've seen DM live twice as well, and I have to say, I think they were slightly better live than the Cure.
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
quote:Originally posted by Veronica Sawyer: Logan, I agree with what you said regarding Depeche Mode. I love them too and I always associate them together. If these bands co-headlined a tour I think it would be amazing. I've seen DM live twice as well, and I have to say, I think they were slightly better live than the Cure.
Well, I associate The Cure and Depeche Mode so closely that I actually spent an entire concert by The Cure hoping they would play "But Not Tonight". But don't worry .. I went to a Depeche Mode concert recently and they didn't play it either.
Posted by Muffy Tepperman (Member # 1551) on :
I feel the way Admirer does about The Cure....they are a band I didn't know about in the 80's I assumed they were "dark" music (I was a kid)....I got turned on to them in my 20's bought Disintegration to only like the singles on it.
Now I do love Staring at the Sea the singles and Galore....greatest hits of course!
Smith is a great lyric and songwriter.....'Close to Me' one of my favorites:
"I've waited hours for this i've made myself so sick I wish i'd stayed asleep today I never thought this day would end I never thought tonight could ever be this close to me"
Beautiful!
Posted by xchazx (Member # 7158) on :
everything the cure did up to about 1990 was genius. they also had great 80's videos. i remember the first time i ever heard "let's go to bed" on empty-v sometime around '83, i thought it was the worst thing i ever heard and i hated the video. i couldn't believe anyone would listen to this. silly me.
they are in a 4 way tie for my favorite band ever.
staring at the sea- the singles, while being a greatest hits album, will always be my sentimental favorite.
Posted by logan5 (Member # 1467) on :
quote:I don't think anyone can quite write a song like Robert Smith....."Charlotte Sometimes" is my favorite song by them.
One of my faves, too. I don't think it gets enough recognition.
quote:Love the cheesy video and the book is also great!
Somebody else who's read the book! The video is like a time-machine to me - it takes me straight back to Britain circa '81. Good times for music!
quote:Well, I associate The Cure and Depeche Mode so closely that I actually spent an entire concert by The Cure hoping they would play "But Not Tonight". But don't worry .. I went to a Depeche Mode concert recently and they didn't play it either.
Gypped!
Posted by Veronica Sawyer (Member # 2221) on :
Logan, I guess Robert Smith hates that video with a passion, but I always loved it! What did you think of the book? Did you notice that there are actually 3 Cure songs based on it? Charlotte Sometimes, Empty World, and Splintered in her head were all taken verbatim from pages in the book.
Logan/Valley, have you guys heard the cover of "World in my Eyes" that The Cure did for a DM tribute album awhile ago? It's pretty great.
Posted by logan5 (Member # 1467) on :
quote:What did you think of the book? Did you notice that there are actually 3 Cure songs based on it? Charlotte Sometimes, Empty World, and Splintered in her head were all taken verbatim from pages in the book.
I knew there was more than Charlotte Sometimes, but I never thought about it enough to register the others.
I liked the book a lot. It was something of a ripoff of 'Tom's Midnight Garden', but it was good enough (and different enough) to get away with it.
quote:Logan/Valley, have you guys heard the cover of "World in my Eyes" that The Cure did for a DM tribute album awhile ago? It's pretty great.
I'm off to hunt it down...
Posted by Riptide (Member # 457) on :
Maybe my HS existence was different from others, but a lot of girls really loved the Lovecats-Close to Me kind of songs. Remember them being played at the dances. I found the whole Robert Smith/lipstick person kind of odd back then, didn't understand it. Still buy any Cure albums that still come out, but nothing has really grabbed me since 92, although 95's Burn off the Crow soundtrack was the last great song IMO.
Posted by kevdugp73 (Member # 5978) on :
In the 80's, I was a bit too young to appreciate The Cure...never really found them until University...1995. They are now one of my top 3 all time favorite bands, along with U2 and the Indigo Girls...Disintegration is also one of my top three all time favorite albums. I love a lot of the English/UK bands from the 80's...Echo and the Bunnymen, Psycadelic Furs, The Smiths....
Posted by oneyedwilly (Member # 8730) on :
letter to elise is just an outragously great song. Blink 182 covered it and murdered it big time. just like heaven redone by kate melua and murdered that one too. ahhhhhh my ears!! Heard the album wish for the first time back in 93 and loved it and then about 2 yrs later heard an extended version of friday im in love and i wake to that song on my i pod everyday. This band is in a league of thier own and cant compare to depeche mode who i saw in concert last yr. New order, depeche mode and pet shop boys i can see drawing comparisons but not the cure surely guys, please reconsider or sell it to me a little better. I can kinda see the dark brooding atmosphere in mode and cure songs i guess. Dont get me wrong i love depeche mode and they were excellent live.
Posted by Ronnie (Member # 465) on :
i was in single digits in the 80s. never really heard much about them until the 90's to be honest. i remember friday, i'm in love being played over and over on MTV. over the years, throughout my teens, i had begun to pay more attention and when i had started to discover their older music, i found they had so many great songs. i remember reading about them as being classified under "80's goth".. and then trying to discover other 80's goth bands as well.
i love the common songs, mentioned here... one of my favorites by them is fascination street (extended mix). not sure why i love it so much, maybe it's the fact there are little words and i love the sounds in the song and the way it builds up. great to listen to when you are traveling in the car.
i also liked their latest album 4:13 dream. not sure what anyone else here thinks of it, but i like the songs 'underneath the stars' and 'reasons why' the most. Underneath the Stars
[ 07. September 2010, 11:29: Message edited by: Ronnie ]
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