Pornography

This makes me wanna wear eyeliner and hate the world. They definitely took some inspiration from Joy Division for this record. Good stuff.

I had a greatest hits CD of The Cure when I was in high school that I loved. There were so many hits! And they were the greatest. But I always skipped the song Lullaby. It felt too creepy. It didn’t have the fun, peppy overtones in its instrumentation that made the darker, more goth and emo aspects of The Cure palatable. This whole album is like a never-ending listen of Lullaby. It’s too goth and industrial for me. I don’t want to go down this creepy spider hole with them. I’ll stick the hits that keep a lighter vibe going, you know, Just Like Heaven and Friday I’m In Love, thanks.

Not their best, but I love The Hanging Garden and One Hundred Years. I was an 80s goth kid, YMMV.

Very good. I like hanging garden

The record drones and echoes and haunts in a gloomy mist that is next dark and squalling, getting to some of the terror of what might be called modern life (such as it was 40ish years ago), by which one means the fucking dread and anxiety of individual consciousness. And yet we know what they mean and should do our best not to think about how much better this could have been, knowing now that it was going to get exactly that. But this one drones edgily with drums sounding now far away distant, then submerged, and then ominous and relentless even at mid tempo. They were slowly advancing outward from the Joy Division template with swirls and filigrees and elaborate sorts of skewed echoings. "Hanging Garden" is best song overall and "The Figurehead" and "A Strange Day" are the most evocative/predictive of Disintegration, this band's far and away masterpiece.

More or less everything the Cure brought out before 1990 is 5 star (afterwards, it is 2-3 star). This album is from 1982 so it is 5 star. Atmosphere over songs. Belongs to the sequence 17 Seconds - Faith - Pornography so the other two albums should be on the list too.

Very dark sounding, repetitive, and bleak.

Carefully and patiently arranged tracks. Over the top vocals. Desolate sound reminding of Joy Division.

spox

I understand if was of an era, but not my style at all

Best track(s): ? Non-existent, if I had to pick I'd say 'Cold'. Worst track(s): all of it I do love the eighties sound! The first track sounds very ominous and atmospheric.. Usually I don't really mind long tracks, but the first one was too long for what it is. 15 minutes in and the voice of the singer is starting to be annoying. Don't think this album is for me. Tracks started to blend together and weren't any more interesting for it... I was already in a bad mood starting this and it hasn't improved (which was to be expected apparently, looking at the summary).

So goth, so, 80s? Drums and synths, the lyrics aren’t impactful to me but I never pay attention to lyrics anywag

my god do i love the cure. but disintegration is still better.

Frábær

While I love how The Cure mixed darkness and brightness on their later albums, this album is a great look at their unadulterated dark side. Pounding drums and base and screeching guitars abound.

É um álbum.

This was the first album I ever heard from The Cure. It's not there best album in my personal opinion but it is really good.

2/5. Not bad but not quite good either. It feels too epic for themes that don’t feel very epic. Every song feels like the end of the world.

넘찡찡

Catually loved it. Always thought the cure were kinda ditzy airheads for moody girls but their earlier goth-rock mood is actually very satisfying. Apparently Robert Smith was going through a sever bout of depression and substance abuse with this one and it gives the whole affair a nice edgey chiaroscuro.

Fantastic Cure album

This was dope

strange

The sound is so harsh, so intense for me.

Yeah pretty cool, wasn't a focused listen tbh. There is potential

not my type

Pop-rock con buenas canciones y buen ritmo. Excelente voz y melodías conseguidas. Algunos temas, un tanto oscuros

This was okay, but a bit one-paced and not a patch on subsequent albums, especially disintegration

Moeilijk. Atmosfeer is goed, alleen de zanger mag wat minder zeurderig imo.

Strangely soothing, albeit depressing at the same time. Not usually my taste but I found the album captivating

meh

I've always enjoyed The Cure's big songs, don't know if they're all singles but have never fell in love with a whole album. I like both early goth Cure and pop Cure, this is obviously the former. Though people bang on about Disintegration and I'm the same with that, just the big songs please. The atmosphere created here is the first thing to hit you. The bass, Smith's voice, the lyrics, the repetitive slow drums. Doom, doom, doom. I think if it carried on like Side A I'd have to turn it off as it would be too much. But with The Figurehead and Strange Days the mood lightens just enough, musically.

3.8/5

typical Cure joie de vivre

I've tried a few times but this band just does nothing for me.

4,5

The Cure have never really appealed to me and I was not particularly stoked about getting another album from them after previously getting "Disintegration." This is a lot more palatable, possibly because it's not overly long like "Disintegration" is being a product of the early CD era. I enjoyed this a bit more for sure, but still not for me.

Love The Cure, some good tracks, it's good.

Please pass the Kleenex

Considering how close the Cure came to imploding during the recording of Pornography, it’s a wonder they managed to produce anything listenable, let alone an album so expansive and gorgeously melancholic. Special mention goes to Lol Tolhurst’s propulsive drumming.

Its got a bit of an intensity to it, but its a right racket and Robert's vocals are very marmite

82/10”

great album. so much going on and took me back to my youth

Okay mellow dreary album, voice is very monotone

I like their greatest hits but his voice is a bit annoying here

bhe' The Cure cosa dire.... in macchina di notte sarebbe perfetta. Dark, voce figa, un po' simili ma l'album dura poco

3.5/5 good dark rock, but vocals can be annoying

What’s the cure for The Cure? Just kidding. I don’t hate this band, I just never really got into them. This album is good, but I can’t bring myself to care that much.

This album was terrific! Although it is not my personal favorite group of Cure songs (for example, I could listen to All Cats are Grey all day), it is very good. I think almost any Cure album is a four for me! Having seen them live in the last couple years, it now brings back memories of that wonderful evening outside listening to some of my very favorite musicians.

Dark repetition, droning on and on ... Dark repetition, droning on and on ... Dark repetition, droning on and on ... Dark repetition, droning on and on ... Dark repetition, droning on and on ... Dark repetition, droning on and on ... Dark repetition, droning on and on ... Dark repetition, droning on and on ... "That's what I like!"

Like Belle and Sebastian, I can only take so much early Cure stuff. Never listened to this one. Probably won’t again. But still give it 3 stars because it’s fine, just more of the same sound that I tire of quickly.

Is there an echo in here? (No, not Echo & The Bunnymen, who are not as good as The Cure.) (And also not the echo of Robert Smith's vocals.) What echoes oddly is the shared conclusion among much of the group that a little bit of The Cure is frequently better than we expect, and too much of The Cure threatens to ruin it all. As with the various Covid vaccines and boosters for different age groups, The Cure is all about finding the right dosage.

When I first start listening to a Cure album I think "Oh, I really like the Cure!" but I tire of it around 2/3 of the way through the album.

What are The Cure a cure for? Hmmm…minimal digging on Wikipedia did not turn up an answer. The melancholy was clear even without reading this album is goth rock. Digging through my history, it seems they are a cure for goth rock bands fronted by terrible vocalists (Joy Division + Siouxsie and the Banshees). I’m not enamored by The Cure, but I respect the craft.

One of my wife's favorite albums gets played pretty regularly in our house

Its the cure

Iconic. Cure always wins.

The third and gloomiest of their gloom trilogy (17 seconds, faith, this) I saw them on this tour and boy they did not look or sound happy. The first side of this takes some time to get going, but by the time of The Figureheard you are definitely there. Couldn't possibly top this, so pop singles it was next.

Fecking whiny brit pop, I am honestly glad I do not come up in this era of music

I’ve always been a fan of the Cure. Great album.

The dramatic, whiney voice is a huge turn off for me

Not my type of music

Love his voice, ok album - a bit boring....

Did not hit. Reviewing sat/sun I think, long kayak but a good vibe. Photos, I’m not photogenic and bad skin, but fun. Hang, too much football, chicken katsu, drinking, fire making, smores and shivering, jackbox, walk with A and group, sleepover and ratatouille, then back home, tired, WH lawn tour, tired, call parents, nice sun, vibes, sleep

Oh fucking hell, cheer up.

Not much to say. Never been into this type of music and this didn't change my mind.

Atrocious. No point or component of this album gave me any joy. The ceaseless, whining affect. Vocals totally devoid of melody, barking depressive word-salad in that tedious, nasally drone. Uninspired drums & bass plodding along with the bare minimum as if the guys were held at gunpoint. Guitar washed in disgusting spacey distortion with and even more whiny sound than the vocals. God everything about it just repulses me. They think of one riff, embellish it none, and then just hammer away at it for minutes on end. With how low energy and repetitive it is, you could almost call it drone music but the singer's angsty bullshit refuses to stop being present enough to do that. "Oh but it's about the mood! It's gloomy dull and annoying because they felt so bad at the time" ok well fuck that mood then. Get therapy. If this art is what they needed to cope with bad times, that is perfectly valid. You need what you need. That doesn't make it worth sharing to the public. Worst part is I can clearly hear how this band's sound went on to influence goth rock for years to come. That's a shame, I wish it hadn't. Horrid music. Highlights: the wobbly guitar riff on 100 years. Lowlights: everything.

The singing voice didnt do it for me at all and I couldnt wait to get it over with

"Mooooom! The weird goth kid is beating the shit out of his casio again!" "His name is Robert dear and you'll feel really sorry for bullying him in 20 years when Brandon Flowers steals his vocal cords and you're humming Mr. Brightside." 2/5

This is awesome

Listened Before? N It's incredible to me that these guys have been around so long and making music that is consistently quality, and in some cases influential for the entire time. We all get older, the Cure is timeless. I've never heard this album before, but they're so consistent this could have been released in 1992 or 2002 instead of 1982. I enjoyed it! Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: A Strange Day

Usually a fan of The Cure, but I was not familiar with any of these songs.

I like The Cure.

The album that defined a genre. A solid album that just doesn't connect well with me.

Hadn't listened to this in years. As dense as I remember but really enjoyed it.

All the songs sound the same, but it's a great song! "Charlotte Sometimes" and "The Hanging Garden" are probably the best examples, both on the singles collection.

Classique PREFS: TOUT MOINS PREF: RIEN

I need a cure for how mid these albums are

tracks are a little long for what they offer. instrumentation was deliciously sparse on some songs. good stuff, not sure I'll be coming back to this particular album, though.

I enjoyed the dark, moody, and immersive sound, so this to me is a record that's better listened to in it's entirety during a single sitting. I don't know if some songs stand strong on their own, a couple tracks only get pulled up by the standouts surrounding them - like A Strange Day and Cold. As a very casual, singles-only listener of The Cure, I can't help but think that they have material that's much better than this. Still giving it four stars though, if only for that atmosphere it provides.

Dull.

Did not enjoy this really, it washed over me with a pretty heavy tinge of melancholy. Musically not particularly exciting, lyrically pretty miserable. There are better miserable albums out there, can't imagine myself ever revisiting this. 2/5.

This album is an interesting one because I don't really have many problems with it, and I found myself moderately enjoying it. But it also doesn't really move me much either. Favorite track: A Strange Day

As far as Cure music goes, this didn’t really resonate with me.

Cool music, very evil sounding :)

long moody tunes with haunting guitars and violent drumming. The final track, pornography, is the highlight of this album as it slaps. I just wished all the other songs on this album reached that level of excitement and unease.

Robert Smith is probably about the peak of this kind of youth-angst ethos with the high-melodrama vocal delivery. This era of the Cure is a little too relentlessly woe-is-me for my tastes. Fair enough for early twenties I guess, but I prefer the later stuff where it gets leavened by a little lightness and pop.

I don't know, but it seems like I can't get into post punk stuff. The vibe does not match with me and it also lacks interesting melodies.

5 stars for the atmosphere, minus 2 for everything else.

Enjoyed the atmosphere, but the songs didn't really stand out from one another.

3/5 Best song: Siamese Twins

4/5 The hanging garden ist ein banger

Dank , dreary and depressing. A solo exploration of what it was like to be of an age where the crushing realisation of responsibility was approaching. Not my thing but appreciated the fragile beauty of the melodies.

Meh.

I don’t think that there’s another album that I was so sure that was going to be on this list that I had never heard before. “Like Lou Reed’s Berlin and David Bowie’s Low, it’s an album that requires a few years of music history to pass in order to be appreciated.” That’s mighty high praise. Seems accurate.

What a testament to the absurd quality and depth of The Cure's discography that not a single of my Top 10 Cure tracks are on this record. Despite it being one of their strongest. The songs are grandiose, Smiths vocals desperate, and the lyrics gloomy as ever.

There are few singers out there capable of conveying despair and helplessness in the same way as Robert Smith. And rarely is he more present than on this record. And oh my, does his guitar sound absolutely amazing as always? If you’re used to only listening to The Cure’s more uptempo and (used with quite a bit of restraint) “joyful” later material, Pornography is extremely bleak - as perfectly illustrated by the brutally sparse “Siamese Twins”. This is by no means their most accessible or easy album; but I think that actually makes it that much greater.

I really enjoy The Cure when they are new wavy and poppy but I especially love them when they are dark, psychedelic and a little scary.

Misery loves company, hair spray and lipstick. It must have taken a lot of effort to be this miserable. Best Tracks: One Hundred Years; Siamese Twins; A Strange Day

The Muse sound. But not the best of them. Meh...

I really liked The Hanging Garden. The album was interesting, but didn't leave a strong impression

7/10

好听

Oh man, I love this album. It’s been too long.

First thought: early Cure - yes, I must listen to this! Turns out, it's not so early (4th album), and it's the first album so far for which I have skipped though the tracks without listening to at least one entire track on the first run through. Now that's partly a matter of time - rather behind on work today - but it also reflects my reaction to the music. I suppose it's on the list because it's influential on Gothic music, but it's not something I want to listen to. "The Figurehead" was OK, I guess, if I was ever in the mood for existential angst I might listen to it again. Update: listened again, “need to hear it loud” I was told (and maybe don’t fret about exact lyrics, just pick up the feel). Worked better that way, in the background while cooking and talking. Still not really doing anything for me.

For me, The Cure were a great singles band, but the only albums of theirs I’ve ever been able to listen to are the hits compilations and a live album I own. I checked the hits cds I own, Standing On A Beach : The Singles & The Cure : Greatest Hits, and nothing from Pornography appears on either. This doesn’t surprise me, because I can’t hear any toe-tappers here. I find it just a little boring, except for The Hanging Garden, which was the only single release off this album.

Pounding (yet distant) drums, chorused bass, slathered in reverb, this album is the blueprint for proper 80s goth. The last in the Cure’s trilogy of gloom-rock, this is the album where Robert Smith leans most heavily into his depression to create what is probably the ur-text of miserabilism. Ironically, having got it out of his system, he starts producing more pop-like and up-tempo material, albeit with a dark edge and morbid sense of humour, leaving a flock of pale and black-clad imitators in his wake. Not a lot of humour on this one though, it is bleak, bleak, bleak. Which can make is a dreary listen if you ain’t in the mood, but relatable if you are. This is, to my mind, the album that comes close to the true sound of depression. It never builds up too much energy, although it starts as foreboding and builds into overwhelming angst. Noisy, insistent, and anxious, it a smoothed out with a sheen of synth washes and digital reverb to be both spacious and claustrophobic. I used to listen to this a lot when I was 20, but haven’t spun it in a long, long time, probably because I choose not to wallow in depression if I can help it, and this album invokes those feelings all too effectively.

Not my cup of tea. A little ethereal at times which was cool, but overall just boring.

Smith doubling down on the Joy Division legacy. I hear so many parallels. There are about three great songs on this and the rest is a slog. Not my favourite Cure record by a long stretch, but it's not actually bad. Just hard work. 3.5 rounded up I guess.

Simply one of the best albums by one of the best bands.

Cure being the Cure. Not my favorite I've heard from them, but still, nothing quite scratches that gloom-and-doomy itch like them.

The Cure decided \"we make long dreary songs, so let's only put on a few to be less cumbersome\" and, frankly it worked.

Oh boy, it's gonna be one of those kinds of days... I love The Cure but I haven't spent a lot of time with this whole album. To prepare I decided to start with "Charlotte Sometimes" since that was the single that preceded the album but didn't make it on. Great track, you can feel the angst and sorrow emanating from it. Excited to dive in... UPDATE: This was a truly phenomenal record! I think I'm going to go right through a second time. The way the final track unravels, you could call THIS album "Disintegration." Everything is just so dark yet vibrant, very much a haunted record. The beat for One Hundred Years is subtle yet oppressive; it really drags you right into the uneasiness of the guitars and lyrics. UPDATE 2: I listened to this album three times today. Love it! Definitely my favorite The Cure record.

Just not in the mood for it I guess

I actually didn't hate this. The title track was... different, but not necessarily in a bad way. And even though I was bracing myself for a lot of experimental white noise on the subsequent tracks, I was pleasantly surprised at the number of actually jammable beats.

I might be becoming a Cure fan. Time to buy some black lipstick.

No significant comment.

Pure ecstasy. Not a dull moment here, this album paints a very bleak picture throughout. Probably my favourite Cure album, or close against Disintegration. Favourite Tracks: All Overall Grade: 5/5

The vocals really grate on me. Instrumental parts are serviceable but not very interesting. It has a solid base not reflected in the score; it wouldn't take many tweaks to bring this up to a 4. So far I haven't rated anything below a 3. However, this was making my rating scale really inconsistent. I'd go "X is better than Y, and I gave Y a 3, so I guess I need to give X a 4". But then I also had given Z a 3 earlier, and Z was at least as good as X! So 3-4 didn't really mean anything. To fix this, I'm re-calibrating my rating scale, rating "meh"/average stuff at 2 instead of 3, which is where this album ends up. That doesn't make it worse than other stuff I've listened to so far.

Best Cure album

Good 8/10

I can understand why this album is lauded, but ultimately I find this very boring. Like, I'm sure it was innovative and fascinating back in the day, and perhaps it is my limited attention span for longer, less frenetic pieces, but this just didn't hit for me. Long and slow, apathetic sadness is portrayed well, but like a lot of pieces, it just doesn't resonate. One of those pieces where I think "this is good, not my thing."

Umm whatever guys

The original emo rock group. Hadn’t heard any of these tracks! Awesome!

Did not like

Not for me.

Cannot touch me, seems not my style.

des belles compositions dark, mais robert smith c'est une voix qui me fatigue un peu

Ten stars for a masterpiece.

Vocally uninspiring and repetitive. Not a single song spoke to me.

Dark.

5*. Just what this lost needed

I like it but not something I'll actively seek out again

Not it for me

Moody, dark. Rhythmic drumming that you feel in your body. Easy to listen to, I like this one.

Oh, so you think YOU'RE depressed? You've got nothing on this.

Haven't actually listened to much from The Cure, but I had an idea how they would sound. Better than I was expecting and found it was a fine listen. Pretty much the standard for "goth rock" and they have a very dated 80's sound.

Some pretty cool songs, some pretty boring ones. The dark goth aesthetic is pretty cool, it’s probably their darkest album Favorite songs were The Figurehead and Cold

Decent stuff

Very dark and atmospheric, nothing like what you would expect from the more mainstream, pop like songs that the cure later released. That being said this is still probably my favourite Cure album and definitely deserves its place

It was fine. I thought I’d like it more than I actually did. Somewhat repetitive. Maybe I should try giving it another listen.

Really solid album. Probably won’t listen again but I enjoyed it a lot.

Love

I’m a ‘best of’ listener of the cure and none of these made that album. Not quite sure why this album made it when they’ve done so much better.

LP

Depressing, dark, evil, with the obligatory song about animals having sex. Yup, this is classic gothic rock. Honestly, it's kind of incredible how something so off-putting and dark can be made actually listenable and enjoyable. (At least for certain people. I definitely don't blame anyone who dislikes this sort of sound)

Not my favourite the cure album but not bad.

ikkje min favoritt cure-album, men fortsatt bra

Jo meir trist Smithern e, jo meir glad blir eg

Tears for Fears sounding, British Goth Punk, dread and angst mixed into it. Drolling sounding voice, much to the expected sound of the genre. Nothing outstanding, but make their mark on the genre for sure.

Dark and slaps

Slaps. Always down for The Cure

Distinctly The Cure sound. Maybe I wasn’t in the mood but I didn’t enjoy it. 2*

Like the previous Cure album. I quite like the effect and the aura but I couldn't pick out a single song... weird.

One of The Cure's best. Great record!

Nope! If only they had a different singer.

Less interesting than Seventeen Seconds. Kinda a chore to get through, but good to hear once. (Prior rate)

Great album.

Interesting, and I'd never listened to The Cure beyond the radio, but not. something I'll listen to every day.

Eine The Cure-Platte ist eine The Cure-Platte ist eine The Cure-Platte. Hat mich jetzt nicht besonders geärgert, ist einfach nur langweilig.

Eh - its okay. Not for me at this time

A somewhat boring album in my opinion. Felt like the style for the band was pretty consistent and somewhat dark as are most punk rock bands. The songs felt like they blended together and nothing really stood out. Don’t think I’d listen again. 4.8/10

Malísimo, raro, repetitivo

Very edgy very cool

2/5 not something much

Absolutely stunning and timeless album for being released so early into the 80s. The miracle of this LP is how it defines some of the musical tropes of the decade (see espec. the Cure's trademark chorus-based guitar tones) without making itself a relic of the time – one or two instrumental aspects of each song will date the track to the 80s, but once the full mix prevails that quickly becomes forgotten. Couple this with stunningly dark melodic compositions and proto-gaze wall-of-sound production and you have an album that is both a product of its time and yet timeless in itself. My only complaint here would be that runtimes could be a bit tighter, as each track could cut about a minute to heighten impact, but overall this still stands miles above other LPs of its time.

I was living in the UK in 1982 and dark, synthy, goth sound of The Cure was the antidote to the brit pop hits of Dexy's Midnight Runners , Human League and Bucks Fizz we all needed. Sure, you probably had to be in a dark room, sprawled on a sofa with some neon sign blinking just outside your windows, to fully appreciate it but hey all hail Robert Smith

Bleak. Dark. Depressing. Brilliant

I have to say, I enjoyed the Cures beat/rhythm...but I can't really take the vocals!

Decent. I think I prefer less of the cure though. They've created brilliant music, but one can be overwhelmed.

A bit unremarkable

Pounding (yet distant) drums, chorused bass, slathered in reverb, this album is the blueprint for proper 80s goth. The last in the Cure’s trilogy of gloom-rock, this is the album where Robert Smith leans most heavily into his depression, to create what is probably the ur-text of miserabilism. Ironically, having got it out of his system, he starts producing more pop-like and up-tempo material, albeit with a dark edge and morbid sense of humour, leaving a flock of pale imitators in his wake. Not a lot of humour on this one though, it is bleak, bleak, bleak. Which can make is a dreary listen if you ain’t in the mood, but relatable if you are. This is, to my mind, the album that comes close to the true sound of depression. It never builds up too much energy, although it starts as foreboding and builds into overwhelming angst. Noisy, insistent, and anxious, it a smoothed out with a sheen of synth washes and digital reverb to be both spacious and claustrophobic. I used to listen to this a lot when I was 20, but haven’t spun it in a long long time, probably because I choose not to wallow in depression if I can help it, and this album invokes those feelings all too effectively.

J’ai trouvé ça long un peu. Il y a plein de bons trucs par contre. Beaucoup d’exploration au niveau des sonorités. Les compositions sont plutôt linéaires. Il faut aimer ça quand les chansons n’ont pas de grands contrastes.

J’ai découvert tard The Cure et j’aime de plus en plus. Les textures sonores sont superbes. Les effets sur la voix dans A Short Term Effect sont intéressants. La sonorité et la place laissée à la basse aussi est vraiment cool. J’aime le côté dark sur la pièce Cold créé par la prise de son du drum et la synthbass. Pas le plus accessible des albums, mais peut-être le plus dark. C’est authentique et original pour l’époque. J’aime bien.

Listened. But I cannot recall a single sung melody that didn't just sound like a kid throwing a tantrum and whining "moooooooom... oh pleeeeease moooooooom...". And this from a fan of The Cure's poppier tunes. Just. Such. A. Whiny. Bastard.

Spooky as always

The Cure is always good but I'm starting to think they're rarely great. 4 albums and counting on this list! Wild.

Legal

Neh

It's possible I might enjoy the rudimentary New Orderliness of their rhythms, but there's no chance of that while they're so insistent on this pathetic forced despair. I've rarely taken against a vocalist so quickly.

Now I get why The Cure is considered one of the most important post-punk bands on par with Joy Division

Sometimes this is my favorite Cure album. It’s also the first album I remember playing drums along to as a kid.

Bit hard to access on first listen. Might try again...

It's okay, not a huge fan of the Cure anyway, but struggled to find much to come back to.

Try Disintegration, it is better!

Certianly an album I'd like to spend more time with. One Hundred Years certainly sets the scene and the whole album comes together nicely.

not for me I guess

Dark, gloomy, eerie, scary. This album has to be my definition and picture of the whole Goth scene of the 80's. This is The Cure's fourth studio album and apparently found them not in good shape (drug use, depression (suicidal thoughts), fighting, member leaving). I guess you know where you're headed when the first lyric on the album is "it doesn't matter if we all die." This album did not get great reviews when it came out but in retrospect, has been recognized much more favorable and as one of their best. I admit to not listening to this album until the 1990's when The Cure were well established. To me, they went darker and more gloomy than what Joy Division did on "Closer" and eventually fine-tuned this atmosphere along with their in-between pop sounding experience and songs to make 1989's "Disintergration." Every song is dark and creates its intended atmosphere. "The Hanging Graden", the only single off the album, has a tumbling bass and drumbeat and kind of a searing guitar and is a song they have trouble playing live since they can't re-create the sound. "Siamese Twins" is maybe the best song example of the album's mood and is one of the best uses of a song in any TV show for an episode of "The Americans." "A Strange Day" is the most pop-oriented song on the album with great layered-guitars. Don't know why this wasn't the single? I appeciate this album with each additional listen especially considering where the band went in the future. Without that reference, I'm not sure how I would have interpreted this.

When I was young in the 1980s, I always disliked The Cure due to the pathetic looks of Smith and most of all because my elder sister was a fan. Boy, I was wrong. What great music this is! (and maybe wrong about his looks at the time too)

Ehhh it's fine. Really middle of the road stuff. Don't really remember much about it.

The influence of Joy Division is strong here. This album is a look at the Cure before they embraced a more upbeat New Wave style. Pornography is driving, dense, and foreboding. Robert Smiths languid delivery and depressing lyrics add to the oppressive mood of this album. The musicianship is subdued but almost like a wall of droning looping sounds.

Muito bom.

Tosi solid albumikokonaisuus. Bändille ominainen soundi kantaa koko julkaisun läpi. The Hanging Garden on vitun upee styge. Vaatis ehkä jonku kunnon goottivaiheen että rakastuisin Cureen täysillä vielä enemmän. 4/5

Uh saattaa olla kakkossuosikki Curen levyistä Faithin jälkeen. Tunnelma on vaan upea.

Eh en ollut kovinkaan vakuuttunut. Hirveän tuskaista mutta vähän tylsää. 2/5.

Great album but not exactly one to take you to your happy place. Unless, of course, your happy place involves chronic depression and a debilitating drug habit.

Does not work as pornography.

gateway dirge

Not my style of musiz

J’aime vraiment de plus en plus The Cure. Un peu répétitif par moment, mais les sonorités et les ambiances sont vraiment intéressantes. C’est drôle que le début de Siamese Twins ait été réutilisé sur Pictures of You sur Desintegration. J’ai l’impression aussi que le riff a été réutilisé sur un autre album plus tard pour être développé autrement, mais je ne trouve pas où ce matin.

Kind of a disappointing album and pretty dark. I guess I wanted something "poppier". 4/10.

Meh, not bad, not amazing, didn't notice much

awesome

Pretty good. Not compelling, but I'm not really a Cure guy.

The epitome of gothic rock. It's full of anxiety and dread, with creepy and romantic lyrics, Robert Smith's yearning voice filled with desperation and chaos, and a wall of stressful noise that overwhelms you. Excellent synths and use of feedback and sustains, creating a haunting atmosphere that seems to drag on for eternity. Huge Joy Division vibes. It's fast paced and full of engaging sounds; you can dance to many of these tracks. Tracks are the perfect length for their theme, being slightly longer than your average pop tracks. Yet there's only 8 tracks, and they're all strong entries. The more accessible tracks are in the first half, but it only takes a few listens to appreciate the genius behind them all. "Cold" is probably the darkest song I've ever heard... that drumming is so hollow, and with the ice imagery, it sounds like they're playing in a fantasy-esque dark ice castle. I can't be the only one who finds the abruptness of the closer really unsettling.

The last truly great Cure album? Possibly.

I’m supposed to love it. I didn’t.

This is some dark stuff

I love the Cure. I had the chance to see them at B'ham Uni in 1980 and didn't take it, and have regretted it ever since.

Siamese twins and the caterpillar were highlights.

Absolute 5. For a long time my fave album by The Cure. It's too dark for me to enjoy any more.

Some standard Cure, Rob is in good voice.

really enjoyed it. the instrumentals are great.

"Sing out loud We all die Laughing into the fire"

Yooo

HarD

Grr… mom brought me the wrong dip sauce for my chicken nuggies… she just doesn’t GET me… goth 4 life

Zornography

A classic!

Meh

As the darkness fell across the land so began his descent into the deep well of desolation. His love that once had been the shining beacon for his life has become the crimson eye of despair. Yeah, go to Whitby, listen to some cure and write some gothy shit. Only saw about 10 goths while I was in goth central, half of them were Japanese so could just have been baby metal fans and one of the goths I saw was mooching round in a pair of knee high boots and a pair of Kecks that left half her arse hanging out. Quite the juxtaposition with the scent of fish and chips and the penny slot casinos.

I just cannot stop wanking to this. Fuck me, my dick hurts. Somebody stop me. Don't stop me. I need this to feel alive.

If this is the cure, what was the disease?

Batman walks into a bar with a pig... It was a hot summers day and the barman thinks it's a strange sight, not to just see Batman, but to see him with a pig that has jet black hair, black eye shadow and studded bracelets. The barman says "Is there anything I can get you Batman?" He replies "Just-ice for goth-ham"

There are some Cure songs I like, but couldn't get into this album.

Bleak. Brilliant. One of the best opening tracks of any album ever.

I wanted to rate this higher, there were great moments on this album, but it just didn't come together for me as a whole.

Opener sets the tone, with just wicked, haunting guitars and drums so distant in the mix, like they were recorded down the hall in another room. A little less droning, a bit more melodic and touch more energetic than Seventeen Seconds. Still brooding but not as comprehensive a gloomfest. Is this record to emo what Gregorian Chant is to contemporary classical music? 3.65 but a reluctant 4 due to lack of hits and because their best work was still ahead.

Kolejny Curowy pick na liscie, tym razem legendarna pornografia z 82, ktora jest czwartym studyjnym krazkiem bandy, nagrwany w ekskluzywnym skladzie trzech czlonkow pana Smith, czyli wokali i gitary, Gallupa na basie oraz Lola Tolhursta jako drumera, dodatkowo kazdy z nich jest zcreditowany na klawiszach, ktorych sie troche przewija na plycie, klawisze o odcieniu dosc synthowym, ale podane w curowym stylu, wiec ciezko, mrocznie i gotikowo, bo chyba na tym albumie najbardziej uchwycili te atmosfere rozpaczy i doomerskiej milosci, bo liryka jest tak luzna, ze interpretowac mozna ja jak czlowiekowi pasuje, ale najczestszym skojarzeniem jest rozpacz milosna, co jeszcze mocno rzuca sie w uszy sluchajac plyty to robota jaka odwalil pan Lolo z swoimi drumami, ktore stanowia kanwe dla reszty zespolu, od stukania trumnowego z otwierajacego one hundred years po bizzarne rytmy z strange days bedzie to najbardziej zapadajacy w pamiec element tego odsluchu, bo mimo ze gra on tak rowno nie nudzi sie przez cale 43 minut trwania krazka, nie sadzilem rowniez ze az tak roznic beda sie ich kolejne picki listowe, a tu jeszcze nie ma okresu najbardziej mainstreamowych albumow, gdzie juz synthowe brzmienia poszly calkowicie po kablach, pornografia jest chyba najbardziej rokowym, ale nadal gotikowym albumem jaki do tej pory od nich slyszalem, nie jest az tak przepelniony kontentem jak disintegration, nie jest rowniez tak nowo falowy jak seventeen seconds, zmiana priorytetow w instruemntalu jest zdecydowanie na plus, chociaz lirycznie jakos nigdzie nie zaskoczyl czy urzekl jak na poprzednich pickach, gdzie wlasnie tekstem niektore piosenki sie bronily, wiec album ma swoje plusy dodatnie i plusy ujemnie, w ogolnym rozrachunku kolejny solidny kawalek muzyki od the cure, na plejke dodam openingowego one hundred years i zamykajacy utwor tytulowy, wiec pornografie, ktora w ciekawy sposob wykorzystuje samplowanie dialogow w polaczeniu z Lolkowym drumowaniem do zbudowania jednego z najlepszych wprowadzen jakie ostatnio slyszalem, ktore trwa prawie polowe utworu, bo dopiero po trzech minutach pojawiaja sie wokale, wiec jeden z tych epickich openingow tworzacych caly trak

Eh, this isn't my favorite cure album, it was only ok, kinda surprised it's on this list

Interesting that this is the cure album chosen for the list, I don't like it particularly (And I love the Cure and Robert Smith) but this finds them at a difficult time, haunted by drug use and depression and this comes out in the tracks of this album. I find it depressing in itself, and can't really see why it is here. Sorry |"Lovecats!" it is a no from me.

Dark. Gloomy. Synthy. Really good. 8-9/10

Still not sure about The Cure, some songs from the first album of theirs I listened to I saved, none since then.

Another classic band/album that I have already experienced enough to know they're not really my thing. I wasn't proven wrong.

Production = Great

I like the Cure. Never heard this one though. None of the songs really stood out to me. I am sure it takes time to get, so I'll definitely give it more listens. For now though it is a 2/5.

Edgy. Kinda like the wall but with less variety and strength

Booooooo

For those who don't know, Townsville is a tropical city, definitely not conducive to wearing long coats. Nevertheless, in 1985, I discovered that the West End hotel was the home of the city's goth scene. Both music is the best dance music, without question, as far as I'm concerned. It manages to have a hypnotic, insistent beat, while escaping the utter boredom and repetition of '70s disco, EDM, etc. Whenever they played a song I didn't know, but really liked, there was an excellent chance it came from this great album. When you find out that it was recorded while they consumed vast quantities of alcohol and drugs, while Smith has stated he was suicidally depressed, it is no surprise this album is considered the beginning of goth rock. When they toured it was the first appearance of the big hair and make up that symbolised goth. A wall of thundering noise that thrills me like few other albums.

Enjoyable

good shit plata hlustaði ogeðslega mikið a hana 5 stjörnur

Introductions to The Cure are mostly their brighter and more jovial offerings. "Pornography" however is a bit dark and moody with a seriousness throughout. In a way, one almost wonders if this was The Cure at all as nearly all subsequent releases were brighter, more in-line with the decade trends. With that in mind, this album is incredible albeit the subject matter indicating a certain depth that should be uncomfortable. Misery loves company, and misery may in fact love this album.

This is not the Cure's best album! It's ok and I get its place in the evolution of the Cure and indeed the early 1980s UK music scene. But it doesn't strike me as being necessary.

Atmosphere on point, but a bit too whiny and repetitive.

No bangers on there, but a lovely 80s sound

Goth, man :(

Just a mess. Sounds bad, the vocals are annoying, the songs are all the same.

Found this album rather obnoxious and too "in-your-face". The instruments are very loud and noisy and the almost crying-out-loud singing style make for a very noisy experience. All the sounds kinda sound the same which culminated in a sensory overload for me

It was okay. I really felt like it was a little repetitive. I think robert smith’s cadence got old after a few songs so it made the back half of the record a little bit of a slog

A firm favourite when I was a young teen back in NZ, previous albums were also classics, Excellent

This album was an unexpected pleasure. The tracks all have an eerie, menacing and foreboding atmosphere. I would describe it as ambient, industrial, psychedelic and relentless. It's another good example where repetition is used to good effect. Great music doesn't have to be pretty and this dark gothic sounding album is the proof. Fabulous from start to finish.

Not bad

A great vocalist and a great sound. You're transported away to a forest of danger and melancholy. Great stuff

Liked this a lot, a darker diversion from the pop-Cure and all the better for it.

Oooh, look at that boy, he's so quiet, dark and mysterious. The way he avoids all eyes contact and uses monosyllabic responses betrays his inner genius. He's clearly got high emotional intelligence, I can tell by the eyeliner.

Much darker than I thought it would be - the album felt more of an overall mood than any specific standout tracks, I enjoyed it.

Bom. Mas ouvi pouco.... Talvez precise ouvir de novo.

Too goth to be emo and too maudlin for maudlin's sake. The Cure have a minimum of 12 great songs and not a one of them is anywhere near this album. This album allegedly spoke to a lot of depressed youth and (unfortunately) inspired the Robert Smith look. I'm glad that at least the band went in a better direction after this grease fire.

3/5 I enjoyed listening to the album. Did it while working so it wasn’t a very critical listen. The lyrics are full of paranoia and nihilism with a musical atmosphere to back it up.

Love The Cure. Just have a place in my music heart for that darkness. Had not listened to this album, and it has a different feel than the overly played "LoveSong", "friday I'm in love", "just like heaven" type of tracks mostly associated with them. Definitely enjoyed.

Good album! I really enjoyed the darker sound-- especially the earlier songs. My favorite was "Siamese Twins"

Could not get into this one... Nothing grabbed my attention

-"The Hanging Garden" has a great backing rhythm to drive it along -"Pornography" definitely creates quite the spooky vibe -Fine album but like nothing really stood out, like all the songs felt the same.

Minor-key wailing miserablism, dark yet uplifting, possibly thanks to the Adam & The Ants-style floor-tom heavy drumming. A gateway to goth.

Surprisingly okay, I expected to hate this. Maybe I've just softened in my old age?

Good, but you definitely need to be in the right frame of mind to get this one.

This one gives Disintegration a run for its money in the moribund stakes. Millions of sad goths united listening to this album, no doubt finding a kinship lost to them in the isolation of whatever suburban hell they were living. What I love about this album is that it is rawer sounding Cure with Robert Smith and co. crafting almost a concept album around depression. With only Hanging Garden (one of my Favourites) sounding even remotely like a single this is vastly different to most other Cure albums which usually contained a radio friendly pop hit or two. I can hear the influence of Krautrock and Joy Division on this album and the fact that this album influenced every dark wave band to follow. While Pornography isn't my favourite Cure album, it's darkness a bit to hard to handle sometimes it is one of the most cohesive and best works

Great stuff from The Cure, one of their darker, bleaker records

Ei kyllä kovettanut yhtään. Loppua kohti kävi jopa ärsyttäväksi. Ei millään kolmen tähden arvoinen.

Kuten sanottu: Sarjassamme ”kasikytluku, perustetaan bändi ja kaikki laulajat kuulostaa samalta”. Kerran menee, mut nää riittää, kiitos. Ei pisteitä Curelle(kaan)

Thought I knew it and didn't like it, that 1980s one TWO three FOUR drum beat on a few tracks was annoying, I'd probably enjoy a remixed version. However after repeated listens decided it was quite good.

Pretty average album. Not much going on here too interesting. Some big sounds and guitars worked with then music fairly well.

Not bad, a bit dull in my opinion.

Best Song: A Strange Day. Good emo lyrics with a groovy swing behind it. Worst Song: Pornography. Bland, brooding background music. Overall: It's emo. I can feel its influence, but that doesn't mean I'll like it.

Really liked this album. Had only listened previously to a handful of tracks by The Cure. Especially liked The Hanging Garden. Album was a bit dark and moody with great instrumentals.

Nah not good too monotone

Can see why it’s on the list, but just couldn’t get into it. Very dul

Much better than I expected. I appreciate the darker notes.

In high my best friend was a huge fan of The Cure (in the 80s). I could never get into them. Over the years I've tried but still just never caught me. Fast forward to 2022 and my 27 year old son has become a fan. Fuck me, I still don't get it.

Jesus, just go see a therapist. Best track: Cold

A fantastic piece of music - as an album it's a 5. dark and speaking directly to the listener, no huge stand out tunes. but a super powerful album, something to put on and contemplate.

Absolutely brilliant

Takes me back to those moody days as a teenager. Perfect goth shoe gazing classic

The force of the rhythm section is honestly breathtaking

Honestly didn’t enjoy this at all

One of the darkest, coldest albums I've ever heard. Absolutely brilliant

Many of my friends were drawn to the Cure in their late adolescent angst and ennui. I tried but couldn't take much of Robert Smith's uniquely grating voice. Although there are later works of theirs that I enjoy, this is not one of them. The pain in this music seems more self-indulgent than other depression-inspired music. But that may be because it doesn't connect with my own feelings, which tend not to go towards "look at how depressed I am, everybody!" I thought I was making it fine through the album, until I got to the last and title track. Six and a half minutes of whine AND noise. Yeesh.

I know The Cure and some songs, but was a first listen for this album. It was okay and kinda what I expected. I was never a fan of The Cure, and this album hasn’t changed my opinion on that. A sprinkle here or there for seasoning, but a full album of the depressing look is not something I am inclined to invest my time in.

Glad to confirm my feelings about The Cure: I can see why they appeal to some people but they don’t hold much appeal for me.

This album was served up to me on Christmas Eve. So listening to it while wrapping presents may have not been ideal. I gave it a couple of listens to try to remain impartial… The Cure is a band that I always felt like I should like but never did. Friends would play a Cure album and talk about how great they were and I’d wonder what the hell were they thinking playing this at a party?! Even when I was depressed and alone there were plenty of other albums I would much rather wallow to. Until they started lightening up (“Friday I’m In Love”) I couldn’t really stand their music. I listened to it twice this time to try to give it a second chance under less festive surroundings. Nope. Things haven’t changed much for me in almost 40 years. This album annoyed me. Yes, they are talented. Yes, the lyrics are ‘deep’. No, I don’t enjoy it. No, I don’t ever want to hear it again. Guess I’ll never be cool enough for The Cure. Only now I’m completely cool with that.

It's hard not to be familiar with The Cure, and they do have some solid hits, but overall the sound of the band isn't something I'm too into. The music is a bummer. When I was a teenager and in my early 20s I was really leaning into my depression and would have let this music validate those feelings. Now I just don't care for it at all and I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to something like this. One extra point for the drums.

I like the moody and oppressive feel of the album a lot. However, I don’t really care for for the singer’s voice at all. In the end, most of the songs just kind of blended together and felt the same. Except for The Hanging Garden, that song is absolute flames.

No está mal pero aporta poco. Solo destaca Cold.

The Cure's Pornography is a look into the substance-abused mind, delving into the obscenity of violence, exploitation and abuses of power. Lots of imagery around the colour red, seemingly a metaphor for blood, flesh and sex to showcase the fullness of despair, hopelessness and darkness. As it's hard to make out the lyrics and with the way the instrumentals are arranged it's very easy to fall into the trap of tapping along and enjoying the music without realising that there are some really heavy things lying in waiting. Best: The Hanging Garden Worst: Siamese Twins 3.5 Stars

Liked it more than I thought I would. I might actually like The Cure.

Very much the 1980s. Pretty good if you can tolerate the VERY 1980s sound this album. Going a bit further... this album has a very distant sound. A lot of echo, and it sounds like the singer is standing a few feet back from the microphone. Interesting sound.

Less interesting than Seventeen Seconds. Kinda a chore to get through, but good to hear once.

I generally like the Cure but this album does not hold up.

Draži mi je Desitegration kao album. Klasična saga Kid A vs OK computer. Što znači da mi je i ovo savršen album.

repetitive but still rad