Pornography

Rock gótico de The Cure. Ningún megahit. Ni fu ni fa.

Bien. Sin más.

pre listening notes: i know friday i’m in love and boys don’t cry, but those aren’t on this album. i hope i like it bc the 80s is a challenging music time for me. let’s go! One Hundred Years - immediately, drum machine sounding beat. kinda creepy guitars? synth. 80s. “it doesn’t matter if we all die” is such a strong start to an album. maybe i’m projecting but with the political climate right now, i feel like this song is about knowing a war is going on. something much bigger than yourself but being unable to do anything about it. the hopelessness and being unable to stop thinking about it. dark. A Short Term Effect - reverb going crazy! the floaty guitars make me a little uneasy. the lyrics are poetry. The Hanging Garden - different vibe immediately, driving drums. every song so far has mentioned dying. what drugs were they on while making this? ik it had to be something. i like this one more than the other two tho Siamese Twins - ok who hurt them bc damn. i do like this song tho The Figurehead - y’all this is depressing music. heavy stuff. nothing like friday i’m in love lol. i looked up if the band used drugs and apparently two members left briefly after this album because of the heavy drug use. not to belabor the point it’s just so obvious to me A Strange Day - lots of references to being blind. i guess this song is about the world ending? very similar sound to a short term effect Cold - more synthy! another reference to a mirror. this album feels so introspective. once again, poetic lyrics. sad. Pornography- the title track! the reversed radio clips are the beginning are cool & creepy. the lyrics don’t start until three minutes and thirty seconds in. i did more reading and i guess this album is considered by some to be the final in a dark trilogy, with this being the height. i guess i didn’t know much about the cure before now and although i definitely feel more educated, i can’t say i enjoyed it. this is what the emos of the 80s had i guess lol (jokes!). i’d give this a 3 or 2 out of 5, i didn’t like it very much. in other news, this experience is fucking up my algorithm, Be Somebody from the Kings of Leon album is on my spotify daylist🙄

100 years - sounds like 80s vampire music The hanging garden - this has a fun chorus but I don’t like the dude’s voice. The intense drums create a vibe. The figurehead - ooo this song actually kind of slaps Cold - this song is so bleh Pornography - perhaps my fav on the album bc of how different it is. Reminds me of Ethel Cain’s Preacher’s Daughter. The background grunts def made me uncomfy. That was a freaky little song. I was ready to rate this album a 2, but the final song changed all that for me. It was the first song in this process that made me viscerally feel, and then their vision for this album clicked. This is also the first album I’ve immediately gone for a second listen of.

Sama biisi 8 kertaa, mutta koska pidän tästä tunnelmasta, ei haittaa. Ja näissä biiseissä ei ole pelkkää introa, nehän ovat suorastaan oikeita biisejä! Kynttilät palamaan ja punaviini lasiin. Hittivetoavuutta ei kuitenkaan ole, pudottaa yhden tähden.

Huonoa: ei melodiaa, ei rytmiä - vain yhtä massaa - ja kuinka hidasta! Ei B-osia, hätäiset sanat. Hyvää: eka biisi ratsastaa riffillään kiitettäväksi kokemukseksi. Soundi on loppuun saakka viilattu ja ihan pysäyttävä. Toisin sanoen tämä kannattanee kuulla kerran. Ainakin levy on lyhyempi kuin... Disintegration.

Entristece un poco el rock siniestro de esta epoca. He envejecido mal.

Did not enjoy, did not finish

It drones on... there's not really a catchy tune on this LP for me. I prefer the bigger singles myself, one for the die-hard fans!

Very annoying to listen to. Took me two days of revisiting. Definitely not for me. I even saw these guys live like 10 years ago and was bored out of my mind then, still am.

Not in the mood for this kind of music for now

I’ve really enjoyed the other two albums by The Cure that have popped up (Seventeen Seconds and Disintegration), but for whatever reason, this one didn’t click with me as much today. It started to feel too monotonous by the end. Still really solid, though. Somewhere between 3.5 and 4.

I enjoy the sound of this album overall, and the atmosphere it creates, but it doesn't have the magic that Disintegration has. Apart from One Hundred Years and The Hanging Gardens, no real standout tracks for me.

moody dark pastel 80s with moody reverb synth drones. some great ideas, but it kind of all blends together

Listened because I had to. Won't be repeating the experience ever again.

80s to the max

I liked it

Vivid depths of depression, expressed through effects and vocals that make it palpable

Pretty good

Oh man, after the train wreck of the Dion album I had to listen to yesterday, I was so happy to see this in my queue (not that I don't listen to it monthly at a minimum anyway). I'm a Cure stan, so I can't really be objective about this album, but it's incredible. This era of The Cure was part of an insanely prolific period in Robert Smith's life. In a span of 2-3 years he would make this album, become a Banshee, work on side project The Glove with Steve Severin, and release The Top, which is essentially a Smith solo album under The Cure name. To be that prolific he was destroying himself. Too many drugs, nonstop work, no sleep. The end of the Pornography world tour would see the band break up as the powder keg finally exploded. Everyone thought The Cure was finished. (Fun story: They actually tried to quit in the middle of the tour. After Robert and Simon got into a fist fight, they both bailed and went home. Robert's father told him people had paid money for tickets and ordered him to go back and finish the tour.) So, to say that the band, and Robert especially, were not in a great mental space going into this album is an understatement. And it's clear from every aspect of the album. This album is dark and discordant and hopeless in all the best ways. The drums are relentless, as if marching toward death. The guitar and bass parts are dirgy and wailing. The lyrics are a horror show of depression, nihilism, self-hatred, and fear. Robert said he wrote the album to purge his mind of his darkest thoughts so he wouldn't kill himself. And yet, there's still some beauty in it (I think). I know a lot of people find it noisy and unpleasant to listen to, but that's not the case for me. I think there are still great melodies here—The Hanging Garden, Siamese Twins, A Strange Day, Cold, to name a few. There's experimentation with sound and effects (Short Term Effect, Cold, Pornography). The album even ends on a defiantly optimistic note—"I must fight this sickness and find a cure." Sure, it's a little cheesy, but these dudes were barely 21-22 years old at the time and really going through it. This is probably Lol Tolhurst's greatest contribution to The Cure as drummer. Simon Gallup is the coolest bass player there is. And Robert Smith is an iconoclast, a modern-day poet, and a way better guitarist than he gets credit for. Also, shoutout to Phil Thornalley for producing this album—you know, the guy most known for writing "Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia! It's tempting to want to downgrade my rating a bit knowing that their magnum opus was still to come (and that Disintegration is still out there lurking in this list somewhere)—but I won't. 5/5 Favorite songs: Siamese Twins, A Strange Day, The Figurehead

love the cure. this was almost too dark and dreary for me; i prefer the cure when robert smith is just in love and having fun because that's the type of loser i am. but the aesthetics of it, the dark jangling distortion of it is so awesome. it's crazy that this album came out in '82. you can hear its influence in sooo much later rock, basically anything goth and anything with a lot of distortion and pedals. 8.5/10, fav tracks: the hanging garden, one hundred years, a strange day

A devastatingly dark and beautifully bleak album. Robert Smith is an incredible, somehow underrated songwriter. These songs paint pictures of internal struggle, depression, addiction. The heaviness of the bass, melancholy melodies of the guitars, and Smith’s yearning vocal performances come together in haunting synergy throughout the record. Famously created with heavy drug consumption, it’s surprising cohesive and rarely indulgent. Like the best albums it’s greater than the sum of its parts: it demands to be listened to front to back. Probably not a record for everyone, but for anyone attracted to the Cure’s musical aesthetic it is incredible, perhaps only bested by Disintegration in their discography.

Dark and phenomenal.

Managed to listen to it—I noticed it was another love or hate selection. I think it sounds like a group of talented lads going thru a sordid phase. Decidedly meh.

A more rough and tumble kind of Cure, not entirely for me, though nice to hear some early influence for this kind of stuff. 2.5 is more accurate for this.

ohhh my god mfmgmnfgn (listened to this in the car a year ago and had to pretend i wasn't going insane, also tbh the experience would've probably been better alone in a dark room but yeah still good)

On first listen, it's dark, rhythmic, but didn't grab me. Thankfully, it looped back around, and it's a real grower. That enveloping darkness, Lol Tolhursts drumming, ooh it's nice.

Quite an intense album. Enjoyed

This era of the Cure sort of bores me. Very few songs have hooks, and rely more on droning synths, creating a dreary sense of dread. It's repetitive and dark and sad. This is the type of music that should be up my alley, but is more "cool" than enjoyable.

5 star!

i’ve never heard an album that successfully created such a dark and disturbing sound like this one. i’ve heard albums where people try, but it usually ends up sounding really stupid and trying too hard to be edgy. the use of organs and timpani’s in the track “cold” is amazing. they were really thinking outside of the box to get the vibe of this album perfect.

Didn’t see the need for another Cure record. Never heard this one so it was good to listen to it. It’s fine, wouldn’t come back to this one.

It has superb guitar work and a stellar aura, but the vocals can be jarring.

A more-or-less one-note trance diving deeper into the depths of depression. Good background music for shooting up, probably. 3/5

A dark, gloomy take on 80's rock, gothic and brooding in it's instrumentation and lyrics. Drums are relentlessly pounding, with lots of eighth-note tom/snare grooves. Bass is dark and picked, guitar is saturated in chorus and overdrive, and synths are 80's and MIDI. The band is almost into New Wave, but still too moody and glum for proper pop. Vocals are whiny and emotional, and lyrics are pretty dark. This album felt very one-note to me, good at what it did but relentless and repetitive in the execution. Stand out tracks include "The Hanging Garden", "The Figurehead", and "Cold".

The Cure at their darkest and most bleak. Loved most of this one. 4.5

Definitely dope

Creepy atmosphere. I guess good gothic rock.

i literally own this album on CD. Listen to Cold if you haven't already.

This was when I loved The Cure, before they became a pop band. Early synths, distorted guitars and Robert Smith's voice it's hard not to think they'd progressed their sound and learnt as they went on from Seventeen Seconds's raw power through Faith's mesmeric rhythms this was a combination and who can argue that One Hundred Years is one of their best tracks but in reality band infighting and drugs had left them seemingly at a dead end. It's a shame what happened afterwards but it's happened with other bands too, their sound, production and mood is so intense something must break. This is an iconic album.

Loved it.

Awesome! Best Tracks: Hanging Garden & Pornography.

Monotonous

Unsettling and desparate, but well done. Stand-out: A Strange Day

God damn, that final trio of songs 'Strange Day' / 'Cold' / 'Pornography' is just unbelieveable. I'm so glad that it's not just albums after this one that are included by The Cure, since this early work of theirs was amazing. Almost unbearbly dark and soul-crushing, but also some of the best post-punk you'll hear.

2.9

An influential masterpiece that needed time to build it's legacy.

Thought it sounded a bit of a mess…

Good album, not amazing. Standout songs: The Hanging Garden A Strange Day

Really nice, love the bass. Robert Smith's voice is a bit annoying though.

First Cure album and this is pretty good. Dark and twisted but with out the context of other albums in their discography i can’t tell if this is my favorite sonic style for them.

Strange choice for the list as there are much better albums.

Such very sad people

Yes!!!!!!!!!!!! Devin will love this!🤣 Not my favorite Cure album, but definitely fits their goth template. Hanging Garden is the best song, One Hundred Years is a good opening track. ***

Glad to see another Cure album on here! And such a provocative title. I haven't heard this album before, but it's more Cure goodness. Moody, spooky, and that dungeon music we all love. Figurehead sounded like Enjoy the Silence.

A couple weeks ago, we got that Dinosaur Jr. album with a cover of the Cure's "Just Like Heaven," and it reminded me that Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me isn't on this list. This album is, however, and I think it's the third and final Cure project. This one's alright, only a couple tracks that really grabbed me. I would most certainly hot-swap this album out for Kiss Me, off the strength of one song alone. I like the Cure when they're more in that dreamy, lovelorn bag. This one strikes me as more angsty; not a bad thing, but not my preference as far as their catalog goes. Favorite tracks: The Hanging Garden, The Figurehead. Album art: Really cool, warped image of the band. Looking like some zombies from Carnival of Souls. Definitely a banger. 3/5

It’s The Cure. What more could you want.

british rock. not my thing

Cured my vivacity and lust for life. Title track was quite good. Three nooses out of five.

Profundamente denso, quando a música desperta todas as sensações em que o clima pesado torna-se viciante.

Now I know from whom the russian bands Kino and Agatha Christie and, for example, Marilyn Manson were inspired. Helplessly gloomy and melancholy with semi-synthetic drums. Row sound and declamation at about the same voice pitch. It's fun to listen to this album to understand how the Cure influenced future generations of musicians and how reflections of their style evolved in their followers.

Poor production quality

Enjoyable listen, nice flow, but nothing stood out to me

Early album, but still the Cure sound.

Incredibly well done album. Grim, twisted vibe, with strong rhythms, haunting vocals from Robert Smith, and cryptic and unsettling lyrics. Not for the casual Cure listener, but a necessary listen for anyone who enjoys their music dark, distorted and nuanced. Fave Songs: The Hanging Garden, Cold, A Strange Day, One Hundred Years, The Figurehead

It's the cure. Dark, depressing, menacing and pretty. A great album if you like that sort of thing. I do. 9/10

Dark, moody and magnificent

Enjoyed it, maybe closer to a 3.5

[Seems odd...2 Cure albums in my 1st 20 listens. Clearly, I have somehow offended the gods of random music selection.] I genuinely dislike Robert Smith's whining I-Feel-Life-Too-Deeply-I-Am-A-Victim voice. The theme of this album is "Hey - let's all take a shitload of downers, fuck around in the studio, and RECORD IT! Then we'll hire somebody to convince the children that this is art." Having a hard time deciding if this gets ⭐ or ⭐⭐. "Pornography" is one of the worst songs I've ever heard. Sorry, Robert Smith: ⭐ When I die, and my life flashes before my eyes, I pray to God this isn't the soundtrack. __________________________________ 🎧 # of LPs reviewed: 20 🎧 # of LPs left to review: 981 🎧 # of LPs I found great/relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 4 🎧 # of LPs I *might* include in my own list: 8 🎧 # of LPs I will certainly *not* include in mine: 5

Painfully boring. Sounds like Duran Duran at 0.5x speed

+dark vibe +temaattinen -matala energinen

Where I didn't enjoy Joy Division at all, this album is fantastic. Dark and brooding, thick sound, depressing content, but works in the context of the album. I loved every second of this and am much more familiar with "happy" Cure than "sad" Cure.

Pornography is one of the all time greatest goth rock album. Despite not reaching the highs of some of The Cure's later albums, I love how dark and cold this album is. 100 years and Cold are easily the best tracks on this album. I also really like how most of the album has this machine like drumming that almost sounds industrial. My only issue with this is album is that the middle does drag a little bit due to the tone and tempo being the same for majority of the tracks. Low 5.

Pour ceux qui aime un geignard qui se plaint d’un air lancinant tout au long d’un album, The Cure est pour vous!

Not a fan. I didn't care for the vocals, or the lyrics.

Did not like...no more words needed.

That was a tough listen. Scraping nails on a chalkboard come to mind. Can see why edge lord teenagers "discover" this band and feel like they are so cool and that everything else is lame. Maybe cool for a Halloween/ haunted house theme playlist.

I don’t really like the cure, depressing and nihilistic … not the vibe I’m seeking out for listening enjoyment. I only got through 3 songs

Again not my thing. Songs sounded mostly the same. Some great drum and base work.

I listened to this and thought it sounded absolutely terrible. Turns out my headphones were broken. So I listened to it again and it sounded great.

The Cure at their most nihilistic and gothic. When Yasi Salek said that this album being in your Spotify Wrapped should be grounds to initiate a wellness check, I find it hard to disagree with that assessment. To me, this album represents a pinnacle of a certain approach and style the band truly mastered before moving on to different, poppier, but no less affecting fare. While my preference is for the heavy hitters of that era (Disintegration, Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me), the power of this album is desperate, dark, and undeniable. Rating: 4.5/5 Favourites: One Hundred Years, The Hanging Garden, The Figure Head, A Strange Day

Damn near 5 stars. So good.

“It doesn’t matter if we all die”. That is the first thing Robert Smith says on Pornography. And what I way to start your fucking album. My first introduction to The Cure was on Halloween last year, where I heard Seventeen Seconds. A perfect album for a day like that. I really loved it. But I didn’t know how varied their sound would get from album to album. Little did I know what I was in for. Because that first line really reflects the tonal shift. This is intense. And that intensity is felt quickly. We have left behind the thick fog drowning out a rural village in Spain that Seventeen Seconds inhabited. This is heavy. This is brooding. This is dark. Not hazy, but sinking like a bottomless pit. There is less of a focus on rich, chorus soaked guitars, which means Robert feels way more present. And his voice has this ghastly undertone. Like a man who has witnessed the end of the world, and can do nothing but write down his thoughts. The one song I want to bring focus to is the titular closing track. From a pure music standpoint, it does the least to keep things interesting, especially considering it’s one of the longest songs on the album. But its haunting atmosphere and minimalism is a real expression of emotions. This is an album fueled by drugs, depression, and the fear of everything coming to an end for the band. And this song sets that fuel ablaze and burns it all away, and takes the darkness of The Cure with it. Rating: 9/10

I don't care that this is considered the birth of Gothic rock or whatever. It's boring, whiny, and 1 dimensional. It makes me sad in the way that seeing your houseplants slowly die does. Not real sadness, just general melancholy and annoyance that I'll have to clean up the dirt I spill taking it out to compost later.

wtf did I just listen to

Comme tous les albums de The Cure: j'aime beaucoup les pièces individuellement, mais je deviens saturée quand j'écoute les albums au complet. Je salue ici le travail des ambiances et des textures.

Pornogaphy By: The Cure Genre(s): Gothic Rock, Post-Punk Date Ranked: 09 . 01 . 24 ---> 13 . 01 . 24 Halo Numbers: 3 One Hundred Years: 6.5 / 10 ☆ > Gee, this felt so dragged on to be honest. It is not done in the worst way, but it isn’t that good either. I just don’t feel very invested in the song. A Short Term Effect: 6.75 / 10 ☆ > This one gives me such an 80’s vibe like wow (that’s not a bad thing by the way). But honestly, I do like the lyrics and that delivery is something I love too. It is quite nice I’d say. The Hanging Garden: 6.5 / 10 ☆ > This one was kinda hard to rate so I’ll just round down. It really isn’t bad, but I feel it is kinda repetitive and is boring in terms of music and delivery, but, idk, it also is kinda good. Siamese Twins: 6.75 / 10 ☆ > Alright, I see we are fluctuating here, aren’t we? I’d say that lyrically, it is the best one so far. I am not a fan of the delivery by the very end, but throughout the rest of the song, I can’t complain. The Figurehead: 6.5 / 10 ☆ > Uhhh, well, this certainly feels like a very long song. I don’t even mind songs being long, but this one just felt so boring most of the time. The lyrics kinda feel all over the place. A Strange Day: 6.75 / 10 ☆ > That’s better. The lyrics got more interesting and the delivery went up in quality too. It still felt kinda prolonged but not really bad, so, yeah, good. Cold: 6.75 / 10 ☆ > Again, this one feels much more coherent and overall better. I love the music in this one, and the lyrics with this delivery are also pretty nice. Pornogaphy: 6.25 / 10 ☆ > Ah yes, a 3 minute intro. Not just that, but the wait isn’t even worth it in the end. I suppose I am supposed to not hear shit either. And the delivery is of questionable quality too. Meh. Total Percentage: 65.9375% —> 66% Average Song Rating: 6.59 / 10 ☆ Best Song(s): > A Short Term Effect > Cold Additional Note(s): Maybe The Cure is simply not for me. I was kinda interested in checking them out, but after this thing (which is considered to be one of their best albums) I am not as interested. Or, at the very least, I will postpone it for much later. I am not the biggest fan of their delivery in this album, however I suppose lyrically it’s not that bad.

Another classic from The Cure. Pure atmosphere from start to finish.

Redundant but classic moody dark Cure with some good beats.

Just an excellent album. Only surpassed by Disintegration.

It was weird but fun

I loved every minutes of this. Wow what a sound! Atmospheric and beautiful!

My guess is that in further listening this will be rated higher by me. However, on the first experience, while I enjoyed this quite a bit there were no standout songs. I love The Cure and Joy Division but I admit I’m not a deep fan who knows their entire catalogue and B-sides. I just know the hits. So that’s a long way of saying I enjoyed this a lot but I’m not in love with it. At least not yet. But I will be returning to it. Especially when I’m in need of existential dread. 3.5/5

Hm

Moody and broody, just like one would expect from the Cure. 3.5 stars.

If I were to describe myself using albums, this would be in my top ten. This is peak 80s goth eventhough Robert Smith hates that label. Whatever, Goth Grandad. This is spectacularly dark & rhythmic with some of the best guitar playing of the genre. One Hundred Years is my black SUV's theme song (yeah, I'm one of those weirdos that christened my car & named her Morticia) and I'll blast it as often as I can while driving. The Hanging Garden and A Strange Day are my other favorites, and I could listen to this album on repeat & find something new. Pornography, The Head on the Door, and Disintegration are my favorites of the band. And if you're a fan, do yourself a favor and read Lol Tolhurst's book, Goth. This gets a perfect 5 from me.

Such a great album from one of my favourite bands. I don't give it the love that I really should. Must remedy that.

This is OK I guess - hard to tell, really, as it left absolutely no impression on me whatsoever

2.5. Love The Cure, but this album just lacks the heavy heavy hittas suckaaa

Bleak. Brilliant.

Whole album blended together into one song, but it was a good song

This isn’t The Cure’s best work, in my opinion. It was a good transition album into their more experimental stuff. It was certainly experimental enough, but they hadn’t yet perfected the art of also making the songs listenable. They’re not atrocious by any means, but the whole thing can get tedious after a while. I can enjoy it if I force myself to, but I shouldn’t need to do that. 3/5

Listened Before? No Album starts on a discordant note with One Hundred Years. The song remains uncomfortable and ominous for its entire 6 minute runtime. Really like the layering and echo effects employed here and how they made use of simple guitar scratching and a rooted bass line to get super spooky. The Hanging Garden is a bass-propelled song with some interesting overlaid effects. Had this mostly in the background, but this honestly surprised me. I expected a poppier-punk album out of The Cure, and was pleasantly surprised by a bleak post-punk exploration. Very cool effects and instrumentals that make for a largely unsettling atmosphere. I enjoy the title track to close the album, complete with scratchy radio/TV samples and long droning bass (as if a bow is pulled across). This was way more solid than I expected. 4 / 5 and will give another closer listen later. Added to Library? Yes

My range of music I enjoy is not good. I feel like I'm supposed to like the cure but this is a tough listen for me

Boring goth music. Similar to Depeche Mode but worse. Nothing really exciting in this album except for a couple cool guitar parts that I picked up on. Other than that I was hoping for redemption from their last album because I know The Cure is extremely popular. I can't figure out why after 2 albums.

This album took me a while to get into. But The Figurehead and a Strange Day were both pretty good. The cool synth was the best part of the album I definitely liked Disintegration from early in this list more than this album. Probably a low end 3

Never really liked the Cure listening to single songs here and there but have really dug Disintegration and Pornography. Flows well and is just gothic af. Robert Smith rules

At first it was kinda dull. But then it transformed into something more pleasureable for my personal taste. Overall not bad at all. I dig it. At the moments it reminded me of The Clash. 3.5/5.

no sunshine on this album.

I've only really listened to disintegration by the Cure, and I really like it. This album starts off a bit slow for me, but eventually catches up, kind of. Still finding myself a bit bored with the whole thing.

Baia som e tals característico da banda, bgl mais obscuro

I don’t like the cure

This was never going to be my jam. The Cure are the TryHard poster child of the '80s. Their pseudo goth, soft rock vibe just doesn't move the needle for me. That said, listening with an open mind, I found that there was actually a lot to enjoy here. A lot more than I expected, at least. The music is layered and nuanced, the lyrics aren't as goofy as I remember them being, and, once you get used to it, dude's voice isn't SO bad. Chalk this one up as another surprise on the list for me.

The best of The Cure's goth-era records as everything works together to form that "textured mood" (lyrics, sound, production, pacing, etc.)

Angry early cure. Less poppy pretty cool

I like The Cure. This album is a drug-fueled slog.

I’m a fan of The Cure. I’ve been listening to them since high school. But I never listened to them critically as I am doing with this 1001 Album project. I gotta I never noticed, every vocal melody is more or less the same exact melody. The tempo might be slightly different but everything else is the same thing. That said, I still thoroughly enjoy this album. I’ve listened to it a 1000 times before and will listen to is a 1000 times more.

Extension of Joy Division, but interestingly varies from their pop output.

Gloomy but has favourites in Hundred Years and Hanging Gardens. Good.

Dark and brooding. Reminds me of every 80s vampire movie ever.

This was intense and dark and worked for me today. I can imagine other days when it wouldn't work.

Apparently, when debating writing these songs or committing suicide Robert Smith chose the former. Dark & brooding, with muddy production, it’s a real Goth classic and spawned generations of big hair. There’s not a lot of variability in the sound but I guess that’s the way he wanted it.

The Cure is perhaps the best post-punk band to emerge from the 70s. Their first 4 albums were decidedly very goth but you could hear hints of the greatness that was to come. Pornography, their 4th album before they adopted a more poppy sound is fine, but it's not quite a Great Cure album. Robert Smith describes the sound as "Phil Spector in hell" and I think that's very apt. This album is solid, but its not their best. A few albums later they will put out some of the most insanely catchy and danceable riffs ever!

Early goth music with that dark, brooding quality. The sound tends to be too murky to be atmospheric though.

What is this filth?!! Imagine finding pornography on my phone this morning?!? I need a cure...ok I'll stop this record is flawless 11 stars!

Post punk? New Romantic? Shoegazer? I dig the vibe.

'One Hundred Years' and 'Cold' are the best songs but this particular incarnation of The Cure isn't really for me.

Under the radar Cure album that's worth a listen, but perhaps not repeatedly

Not my favourite of theirs but really gets that angsty feeling and atmosphere just right

Pretty good moody

"Hey dad, I'm buying this Pornography record" "What do you mean pornography? Don't buy it, it's terrible!" "No, I mean the record by The Cure." "Exactly."

Cool drums

not bad but didn’t do a lot for me

Great album but very hard to listen to Robert Smith's vocals for a long period of time. His voice is too high pinch for me. The song The Figure Head is great.

Pornography is the fourth album by English rock band the Cure. This was the last album of their dark, gothic rock phase before they switched to brighter, new wave. The music is heavily layered with instruments, lyrics, and effects, all the while giving off depressive vibes. It was poorly reviewed by critics at release, but was the Cure's most popular album and has since been considered an important piece of gothic rock development. I commend the musical talent by the Cure on Pornography, but I do think there's a little too much "woe is me" in the lyrics. The band were going through a rough patch and this was their expression of that. Their pain did make a great gothic rock album though. This is a nice piece of rock history, even if it's not mine or your type of rock.

A very dark Cure album

3.5 Not quite as good as some of the other stuff they have but, still very interesting listen

Meh

It's like a mission statement. A taste of what they were capable of before reaching the top. Also, immediately before releasing The Top, but that pun was accidental, I swear. These tracks drag you along relentlessly. They can't stop, but they can't elevate, because it's oh so painful to live. I didn't ask to be born, MOM! I will, however, ask to play this album again.

Really atmospheric and good album I wouldn't have found otherwise. I enjoyed this a lot.

i would say i had an alright time listening to this one. it wasn't my favorite, and nothing really stood out to me. i'm not really a fan of all the noise, that was sort of unpleasant. just not really something i would ordinarily listen to and something i'm not sure i'll really come back to.

Very gothic, but also not very exciting. Dislike the vocals.

The Cure is one of those bands that I’ve liked everything I’ve heard from them, but never really got around to properly checking out. This album, simply put, is cool. It makes me want to put on a long, black coat and sunglasses and mysteriously walk around the city. I particularly like the opening track “One Hundred Years,” “Strange Days,” and my favorite, “Cold.” The Cure has such a distinct sound that they really have mastered in this album. That being said, it can get just a bit one-toned at points, particularly around the middle.

Another album I imagined would have been better. Masters of the mope but maybe I’m just note in the market for moping.

pretty cool

love the cure but can’t give 5 star cus other cure albums alone r better

The best Cure songs sound timeless, while this record sounds so 80s in an old, dull way.

Dans les années 80, l'IMD (indice moyen de débilité) était si haut qu'il faisait passer The Cure pour des génies. Des études récentes ont montré qu'ils étaient simplement moins débiles que les autres. Encore un mythe qui s'effondre grâce aux progrès de la science, un peu à la manière de la saignée thérapeutique, qui prétendait que la saignée du patient pouvait guérir diverses affections. Il n'en est rien.

Un album a la qualité aussi hasardeuse que la coiffure du chanteur de The Cure.

No thanks

I love the sound of this record (the pounding heavy drum beats, the deep bass, the haunting vocals) but the songs themselves weren’t that great? If better Cure songs were put out with this production style that would be my favorite record of theirs. Instead this is a decent enough listen.

It’s interesting, but doesn’t do a whole lot for me. Overall I’m glad I listened, but I don’t think I’ll revisit it

Too slow and low

I REALLY want to love the cure, and some of their songs are great, but I'm afraid I find much of their stuff, including this album, quite dreary :(

a perfectly realized artifact that spawned a million sad imitations

This album holes up, and Cara is truly one of the most unique alternative fans of its generationLo

I liked the music, but Robert Smith singing style is too whiny.

1/8, 13%

The Cure has never really clicked for me in any meaningful way up until today, but man I actually really enjoyed this. The production was so dark and the instrumentals were so strange and industrial, really really great.

Nice

The cure 👍

Il mio album preferito dei Cure senza alcun dubbio. Spettacolare

They really front-loaded this with the two worst songs. The rest are better, but not by much. The vocals and guitar both have this terrible reverb all over them that make them almost unlistenable, so the best songs are those that focus on bass and drums, like The Hanging Garden.

This is the kind of album that I am just not so sure about. Like I don't hate it but I don't know if I like it. It def interesting with the instruments but I think I will have to listen to this a bit more to know if I like it or not.

Good, but no songs really stand out. There are better Cure albums like Seventeen Seconds, in my opinion.

Some songs are boring and some even annoying.

Hate the voice of Smith and has such an influence on the music that I can't enjoy any of the instrumental parts.

A bit boring to me

Very rare good parts don't save it from the boring mess

I would not consider this pornography

I don't think I'm misunderstood enough for this, it was ok but not for me really, didn't hate it.

Geweldig, crazy grimmig en leuke effecten en geluiden. Would listen agaian

Can't complain

I have a history with the Cure. I adore Head on the Door and Disintegration. It surprised me a little tonight to realize that I've never heard this album entirely. On one listen, not much really stood out to my ears. Hanging Garden and Figurehead were catchy though. But the whole album is a beautiful piece of art that is completely engaging throughout. I feel this is closer to Disintegration vibes sans any pop motive. It might not be often, but there is a place for this album in my library.

Need to have another listen of this one, very interesting

A true Goth-classic. Dark, atmospheric and beautiful.

Well, ok.

A pretty unlistenable, tough album that paved the way for a lot of dark ambient and gothy music - I'm definitely a fan.

not my favorite cure album

IN THE HANGING GARDEN PLEASE DON'T SPEAK!

The album is a masterpiece Epic.

Wow, two Cure albums in a couple of weeks. This one was decent but didn't really blow me away like the last one I rated. I guess they got better over time. This one just kind of felt slow and less interesting

It was an 80s Cure album. I don't think I was familiar with any of the songs. It was alright but I probably won't listen to it again. I suppose I will round up.

80/100

First the Cure album for me. I was kind of looking forward to it, but sadly it was a dreadful letdown. Just echo-heavy, depressing sounding muck. Why am I even giving it a 2/5?

Typical early 80s sound. 2/5

Pornography is an earworm of perfectly crafted Gothic Rock songs. Robert Smith works as a perfect vessel for all these songs. His vocals tear through every song to perfection. These songs were made with him in mind. What a man! What a performer!

Boss, what was that last track all about?

Overrated AF

I definitely agree with this album being on the list. Several tracks are ahead of their time, with the classic 80s reverbed guitar melodies embellished in interesting ways to make them more heavy-hitting, and some of the lyrics fit for a metal song.

I listened to this band a lot starting in the mid-80s, so probably an album or two after this one, and I don't think I'd heard any of these songs before. This being their fourth studio album, released in 1982, is a good reminder to me how long and varied this band's history really is. Even though personnel changed often, and the band's sound became more upbeat and New Wave-y after this album, it still very much sounds like The Cure, mostly (entirely?) due to Robert Smith, who to me is a genuinely interesting and innovative musician, composer, writer, and performer. And, of course, he has that signature distinct vocal delivery of his that to my ear is instantly recognizable. I like this album, and I'm glad it showed up today. It's dark and brooding and I know from what I've read that the band's in-fighting and drug use, plus Robert Smith's depression, weighed heavily on the band as they made this album. It's a bit much at times but that doesn't surprise me. It's not the kind of album I think I'll listen to in full again but, as mentioned, I'm glad I did.

Context: I had heard the cure from indie nights out in the early 2000's but only really knew 1 song, "Friday, I'm in Love". Listens: 1 Opinion: I had an idea of what the cure would sound like in my head but this completely expanded my view of what the band was capable of. This is an album that feels like 8 really deep cuts but they are all interesting, moody, and feel heavy. Highlights: - Cold - Siamese Twins - A Strange Day This is a really good album and I am definitely excited to explore more of the cure.

Niet het beste werk van The Cure, maar toch altijd erg tof. 3,5 ster, maar gezien alle andere geweldige muziek die ze hebben gemaakt, rond ik het graag af naar boven.

Topzwaar, maar wel indrukwekkend

Zware kost deze plaat, maar oh oh wat is het prachtig!

Ik kan The Cure erg waarderen, maar op deze plaat was werkelijk geen enkel zonnestraaltje te herkennen.

Sounds better than their earlier album, I like the instrumentals more. Still don't want to kill myself though

rating this a 4 because I know that one day when I am feeling incredibly defeated, probably over a girl, I will love this album. as of today its a 3.5ish maybe

An album that consists of The Cure tuning their instruments, preparing to record a better album

The Cure at their most misanthropic and self-loathing. Absolute darkness from beginning to end. In anyone else's hand this would come across as ham-handed or cartoonish, but after Seventeen Seconds and Faith, The Cure were adepts at this style. While "Cold" may earn the title of most Gothic track ever, it's "Siamese Twins" which wallows in the most misery: "Dancing in my pocket Worms eat my skin She glows and grows With arms outstretched Her legs around me… In the morning I cried Leave me to die You won’t remember my voice I walked away and grew old You never talk We never smile I scream You’re nothing I don’t need you any more You’re nothing" Hard to believe this is the same band who would write "Just Like Heaven" a few years later.

I listened to this walking home from the doctor in a lot of pain, and this was just a misery compiler. Obviously very good, but I was unable to give it a proper chance

i love the cure

More musical wizardry from Robert Smith and the gang. The sonic landscapes are a bit dark but this first album of what would be known as the Trilogy (the other two are 1989's Disintegration and 2000's Bloodflowers) is excellent. The Hanging Garden is a particular favorite. Disintegration, in my view, remains their best album (and one of the best albums by anyone, ever), but you can't go wrong with any album by The Cure.

My first time listening to a Cure album. Very gloomy rock. Songs were long, but didn't drag. Leads voice is very British, but very good. Surprised this is the Monday Tuesday Wednesday song band. This album definitely has a less poppy, more depressed sound.

An extra star because it was shit but reasonably well composed.

A great band but for me this is one of the more challenging records. A bleak, moody and dark album which confirmed the bands goth king status.

😎

I never liked The Cure, even though I tried to like them for a long time. Plenty of my favourite bands cite them as one of their inspiration, but somehow I didn't know what is so appealing about them. One of the biggest problems I had with The Cure is the vocal. It reminds me so much of all the terrible post punk bands, that it felt like an allergic reaction. But my first approach to the album "Pornography" changed my view quite a bit. Mainly through the shoegazy background and general depressing sound, that didn't feel forced or overdone. And this time vocalist was fitting really well into the bigger picture. Every song was very solid, no fillers, and a great outro song. You can say I'm finally hooked. I'll give it 4 stars, but if their next album on this list is as good (and I don't doubt there will be couple more The Cure albums here), then it's an easy 5.

Ok

Brill. Really enjoyed this.

One Hundred Years- Dawg What (2) A Short Term Effect- Better Mid (5) The Hanging Gardens- Meh (6) Siamese Twins- MIDD (4) The Figurehead- Interesting but nah (6.5) A Strange Day- Huge Turnaround (8) Cold- Decent (7.5) Pornography- What is even happening (3)

all time fave

Great album!

I can't understand how anyone likes The Cure. The instrumentation can be good in parts but it is mostly cheesy, boring, typical 80s stuff. The lyrics are awful and his voice is worse. Gets a half a star for the occasional moments when there was a cool guitar or keyboard but this is ultimately pointless and not worth listening to. 1.5 stars

Superbra!" vrf har jag inte lyssnat på detta tidigare?

Enjoyable enough.

Fittingly, a load of wank 👍🏾

2.5

Lovely stuff!

Goth im Himmel! Aber die Produktion?

Probably The Cure's worst album

not bad, the cure is actually a pretty decent band

Mooooody

pretty good

I consider myself a fan of the Cure, but I barely even knew this album existed. It contains three songs that are considered in the top 50 songs by cure: The Figurehead, The Hanging Garden and One Hundred Years. None of these songs are familiar to me. So, I am taking back my 'fan' status. A real fan would know this stuff! The Cure has a great sound. Very unique. I am shocked that this album is on the list but, Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me isn't! Standouts: The Figurehead, The Hanging Garden, One Hundred Years. 3/5

It's mopey, dense Cure. I like it it a lot.

I wasn't familiar with this album and that's a big fail on my part. Loved it. I've grown to quite like the Cure over the years, but that's mainly been a result of listening to the more obvious cuts. Well, no more! Didn't recognize a single song on here, but mood and tone for days. I really gotta do more homework on this band. Make my summer gothy. I'll be indoors.

I’m growing to enjoy the new age sound of the Cure. Good guitar riffs, driving drum tracks, was swept away in the listen. Solid 4!

I love The Cure whether it's the darker faire like this or the more radio friendly stuff. I don't play this one more than say, Disintegration or The Head On The Door but it's still excellent. Obviously a 5.

second favorite cure record and it’s still an absolute banger

This is the third The Cure album this generator has given me. I did not enjoy this one…. The Cure is one of those bands where I enjoy their hits but their wider discography is very hit or miss for me. This album didn’t have a single hit. 100% a miss.

It was cool, I can see why some people enjoy it but not really for me. Lotta noise, and songs sounds pretentious. Similar to the smiths, but I liked that one better.

Se pinta un universo, oscuro, extravagante, casi demoniaco, pero que tiene su sentido de misterio que lo hace interesante. Otro gran disco de the cure que no me defrauda nunca, pasan de clasicos, melodias alegres que te emocianan y ahora esto, es inexplicablemente sorprendente 8/10.

My favourite The Cure album, this is just incredibly atmospheric and dark from the off with some of the most sinister sounding synths I’ve ever encountered

its like 40-50 minutes of the same song 2.5

This got old quickly

Was a pretty good listen but nothing stood out

Some cool parts, but for the most part nothing caught my attention and the album just droned on

I'm getting a trend here... Stripped, Arrival, Aqualung, Myths, Good old boys, etc... they are all the 4th studio album, as is this! This one lives up to the goth rock expectations. Still really good.

Instant 5. My favorite Cure album... the dark brooding pained vocals and music are immediately compelling. A Short Term Effect and A Strange Day stand out, but the first 6 tracks all make but Cure Greatest Hits list. Love this album.

Þetta er nú meiri helvítis snilldin! Mjög auðvelt að heyra tenginguna milli The Cure og Kælunnar miklu.

Growing on me

Didn't dislike any of the songs but nothing stood out to me at the same time.

Robert Smith is on a whole different level. I know the Cure and like them, but I hadn't heard this album before. Its on their usual standard, which is to say that its pretty damn good. 4/5

Bloody racket - not a fan.

Only got through the first 4 songs, not sure what was going on here, not my style

Epitome of a 3: I didn’t dislike anything, but there wasn’t anything special to it either. On a side note, I think it would be so fun and chaotic if we could reply to reviews. I think all of us have additional reactions and thoughts on our fellow collaborators’ reviews that we’d like to get off our chest. This is mostly so I can defend myself against Adam for such damning accusations. Regardless, a little harmless discourse never hurt anyone.

This is from The Cure’s depression era. That’s their worst era.

C+ One Hundred Years - 4. A Short Term Effect - 3. The Hanging Garden - 3. Siamese Twins - 2. The Figurehead - 2. A Strange Day - 3. Cold - 2. Pornography - 2.

I wonder sometimes why the cure was as popular as they were.

Very very solid. Repetitive but still quite interesting.

This was good, but not great. I got pretty bored of the style after a while.

Dark, moody, atmospheric. I enjoyed this a lot.

Pornography is great. Album cover depicts the feeling of this album perfectly; It's hellish and foggy. I especially appreciate the drum (mixing?) on this project.

One of my wife favorite bands and I have grown to really like their vibe.

I like the Cure. All of the songs kinda sound the same to me though, like they have a very specific vibe in every track

Not bad but not my thing either

Love this album. Wish I was alive at the time you could hear the whole thing in a club.

put in your black eye shadow, liner, and lipstick, it’s time to brood. a plodding and cerebral album, it lacks some of the shine of their pop gems. however, that doesnt detract from the energy and lo-fi energy. it’s dark to a point, the drums are visceral and sound like theyre veing played in the rain. a strong album. v strong.

Neither good nor bad. Unremarkable.

Great album and sounds for the period!

Dark and ominous, they definitely change their sound in later albums. I can appreciate the art and direction but overall it isn't my cup of tea. I do enjoy the later stuff more though. I think it is a little too dramatic and avant garde for my liking. 2/5

Atmospherically gloomy.

The 80s legit did not understand that male singers could have vocal range. I don't like it.

I loved this when I was about 13-14, and the opening track is still a haunting tune. But I found this hard going listening again - it's too dark and too ploddy after more than a track or two. It made sense at the time, but hasn't aged as well as other albums by The Cure. A few more catchy tunes may have helped. Interesting more than engaging.

Well this is a HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY album. It makes quote a statement from start to finish with a big old sound. The rolling drums are a little dimensional and haven't aged well. On the other end of the scale is Bob's voice - this hasn't changed one bit in almost 40 years. What a trooper.

Meh is how I feel about this one. Nothing stuck out to me- there is creativity for sure but but much success in my opinion. It was bland unlike their other albums, they’ve done better.

Having grown to appreciate then really enjoy The Cure over the past decade I was excited for this one but it's a bit tougher to (initially) really sink into. e.g. I love "Disintegration" and also liked their very early "Seventeen Seconds" (after some time) - this one falls between them chronologically and it's got that haunting Cure sound but I've had trouble connecting with most of the songs. Notable exception: "A Strange Day" which is great; notably the guitar work. Am going with *this is a feel* record which works, but it might take some time to really enjoy this one on a different level. Having said that, a lot of albums that become all-timers for me are hard to digest at first so i'm going with a 3 thinking it could grow on me... 6/10 3 stars

Like this

Kind of...not that remarkable to my ears in 2023. Probably mind blowing in its day.

Musica de quem ta com dor de barriga

Love the atmosphere and the overwhelming sound. I couldn't listen to this at any time. But, playing this loud on a Friday night at home alone with a bottle of whiskey, that would be perfect.

Probably my fave cure album, the last gasp af angst before the pop takeover

Slaps

Track 1 wins the weekly Spooky Award, previously held by such songs as “Hollow Hills” by Bauhaus & “La Fille De La Mort” by The Young Gods New to all of this album. Closer sonically to “Disintegration” than I expected, but mood-wise has a lot in common with “Seventeen Seconds” HL: “One Hundred Years”, “Hanging Garden”, “The Figurehead”, “A Strange Day”, “Cold” March 31, 2023

Zero

Meh

Arguably quite a one-note album, enjoyable songs on here but they are all too similar

It is nice album, an early cure, quite noisy

Rock gótico de The Cure. Ningún megahit. Ni fu ni fa.

En vrai c'est 3.5 mais je ne peux pas leur mettre la même note qu'à Manu Chao

pas à leur prime

Disintegration is a farce and shoulda been a 3. This is a great cohesive mellow lad

Goth Rock.

I _want_ to like the Cure. But the goth is just too much for me. And this album, every song sounded exactly the same and the production as well, like it was recorded in a garage or something. Not a fan. Sorry. I know they have their die-hard fans, but they just... nope. Not for me. Next.

I just can't do it. I can't give this album more than a 3. Part of me really wishes I gave Disintegration a higher score because it's definitely the best of the 3 Cure albums on this list so far. I'm not sure what is that different from Seventeen Seconds. It's gloomy and it's brooding, which is cool and all. But not groundbreaking or extraordinary as far as I can tell.

Well now, that was a dark album. I think I’m going to go out and buy some black clothes, hang out at the mall and make fun of the emo kids now. Later! Seriously though, this album had some good moments. The first three tracks and “Pornography” were pretty good. This part of the review was written in a word document when the album was first chosen but I forgot to post it. The next paragraph will be my impressions from a recent listen. It's a year later and I still like the album during today's listen and my favorite tracks are pretty much the same. A solid 3.5 star album that I'm rounding up to a 4.

Took me a bit to get into this one but I ended up liking it.

So angsty and heavy!! I know they pivoted to the more radio-friendly version we all love after this album but I really appreciated hearing them go through the crucible of this record. It could have all crashed and burned, but I think you can already hear the potential for the sound they would go on to dominate, especially in the second half. A Strange Day feels like the perfect prequel to Friday I'm in Love. The album feels like it would have been appropriate to accompany a film like The Crow. Straight-up gothic. Not necessarily my taste but definitely the album I've enjoyed the most since I joined this journey with you all. 4

God, this was a bummer. I’m glad I listened to it because I’d never heard true goth music before, and it’s fascinating to hear how different the cure was (how did this same band put out just like heaven two albums later?), but it’s not for me. The unchanging drum beat made it difficult to distinguish between songs, which I’m sure was intentional but ultimately resulted in a wall of gloom with no real payoff. I’ll stick with joy division for my mopey tunes.

This was derided when released. That was harsh, although it is not the best Cure disc to start with. Assuming one Cure disc for the list, this would not be my choice (for me it would be Disintegration). However, it is a good, if not great listen. Points off for the muddy production though.

I don’t really like the early’80s synth pop very much and this is the epitome of the genre

I think a great album creates its own world and I do feel like that was done by the cure here. There is a consistent and cohesive sound throughout, but one that felt more like background music to me. Maybe if I was more of a lyrics person I would have paid greater attention to what was being said here. It was fine to have on while I worked but at no point did I compelled to stop working and just listen, which all of the 5 star rated albums made me do if I was working while it played.

Quite a saga of songs in this one, not sure it's super memorable though. Overall I would listen to again and it makes me want to hear more by them

Ahh. The original teen-angst music. As someone who went through the phase hard in the 00’s, I can hear many stylings that have probably been used countless times, by any number of soul-searching emo and pop-punk bands. I can definitely hear the influence in Blink 182s music from how Tom and Robert both sing. As to how this music speaks to me personally, I can’t deny it’s a solid album. However, it tends to drone on for more than I would care to re-spin this album. I can appreciate the lyrics dripping with sadness and melancholy and the simple guitar, keys, and drum beats that convey the emotion of the tracks. Although, this music doesn’t necessarily resonate with me as much as I would believe it would. I enjoy many Cure songs, but this album is ultimately not the poppy Cure that I’m used to. Perhaps it could grow on me.

this is like 3.5

Sometimes with these 80's post-punk bands, I feel like I'd enjoy the music more if I was a little high in a dimly lit concert venue, watching the band perform live. It's a bit gloomy for my everyday listening. I need to be in a space where I can be immersed in and surrounded by the music. We've had two other Cure albums so far and sometimes I think they focus more on mood and energy than songwriting. But what a mood!

In my adult life I've really come to really enjoy serious bands from the 1980s. The decade was bloated with cheesy synths and corny lyrics and I think it was a sound that pretty quickly became outdated. As I have gotten older though I've come to appreciate this sound, and I think if you say to yourself "at first glance this may sound corny, but I'm going to not care about that and get lost in the music" then it's really easy to enjoy all of the other facets underneath the surface. With that being said, The Cure hasn't been one of the standout acts for me. I think maybe I'm missing something, like how influential they were to other bands. This album is a 2/5 for me with not many standouts and I don't think any of their big hits.

3.5

3.5