Pornography

Short and sweet this one, don’t think it’s their best work, but still good. Come on

Dark - partly psychedelic - good songs. The fact of being more than 40 years old is undeniable.

Maybe not my favorite Cure album, but up there.

Good. Liked the other one more. Coop ending

Hey Bobby, you feeling ok? I'm getting the impression you've been thinking about death. This is...not a difficult album, though it may seem as such due to its plodding sound. But it is slow. To say it takes its time would be ignoring the fact that it dwells interminably on the above. The slow build of the guitar and drum over each song is very Cure, and it's good, but it's a lot of not a lot. Also, for me, Robert Smith's voice sometimes works and sometimes doesn't and I think it doesn't work here a several times - that is to say, it's not held up by the instrumentation when the vocals don't quite hit right. I know that faltering voice is The Robert Smith Brand Guarantee but it still bothered me many times on this album. This album also benefits from a listening milieu. Cruising down the coast on a bright summer day music this ain't. It's more for curling up on a snowed in da y, or walking home after closing late and things just aren't going right, or you're 15 and wondering where your place is in the world because you got a C on a test or something. I was tempted to give this a 3 because it started to drag early in its dirge-like fashion, but actually I think the back half has enough variety (of a kind) to keep this going. Maybe I'm just predisposed to liking it - I can see a lot of haters being vindicated in their tastes - but it's a good work from a coupla miserable, dour self-immolating guys. That said, I think I'm gonna change into brighter clothes after this. Maybe hydrate, feel the sun on my face, leave work early, play with my kids.

I'm not crazy about the title track. Otherwise a good moody album.

I really like the cure and really like this album

Liked this - think I didn't listen to it when I was young because the title was UNACCEPTABLE for christians. Feel like I'd have enjoyed the goth vibes more then, and overall it's a bit long and not as gopd as their later offerings- but some excellent drums and Robert Smith being Robert Smith (probably a high 3)

I could never be a reviewer. This album was cool and it’s obvious that the cure are a cool band. Fav recommendation so far? Yes. Do I know whether I want to give it a 3 or 4? No.

Man what a depressing album. It's so droney and felt very shoegazey at times. It perfectly matches the lyrical content.

One Hundred Years, The Hanging Garden, The Figurehead, Cold. All amazing. Really enjoyed this album

Endnu en reminder om at jeg burde have haft mere en The Cure periode, virkelig fed kulsort post-punk!

Definitely a shade darker than even Disintegration, but really interesting listen.

Like so many of these, I never actually sat down to listen to this. I'm glad I did!

#751. This album is a whole ass vibe, as the kids would say. Not that they'd say it about this, mind you, because this is oldies meant for people from the 1900s, but you know what I mean. It's good, go listen to it. 4/5: fantastic.

Lo más oscuro y casi tenebroso que jamás the Cure ha podido grabar lo hicieron en este álbum. A mí me dna un pelín de miedo hasta acercarme a la portada en las tienda de discos. Entiendo que “The Hanging Garden” fuera lo más parecido a un single radiadle, porque el resto hay que escucharlo en penumbra y con velas para estar a tono. Todo esto no lo digo en un tono peyorativo, más bien lo contrario. Pero creo que hasta la misma banda entendió que si querían llegar a lo más alto, tenían que modular el tono y, sin perder la esencia, transitar hacia espacios melódicamente más accesibles. Mención de honor, sin embargo a “One Hundred Years”

Reći ću ovo bez imalo pristrasnosti, najbolji su!

My god does robert smith have a great voice. Really enjoyed.

Don’t know what happened to the notes I put in here when I listened to this album but I did enjoy it very much. I have not had the chance to listen to the earlier albums by The Cure so I’m glad this came up as I enjoyed it very much. I’m looking forward to hopefully one day sitting down and listening through their catalogue as I think they’re a great band with a distinct sound.

Great album. Hands down.

Goated goth rock

Creates a gloomy atmosphere very well, some great layering, I wasn't as familiar with these songs as other Cure songs but they hold up well.

7.5/10

It's certainly The Cure.

None of the big hits and pop turn that would come in subsequent albums, this was the culmination of early moody Cure. Dark and existential, I don't have too much of a connection with this album but I enjoy letting it wash over me.

I enjoyed this album. I biked across the city listening to it and the darkness descended around in a good way.

Dark, gloomy, utterly depressing, like a psychedelic fever dream, very murky as if you're trying make out shapes in the dark, instills a feeling of hopelessness, evokative and immersive. Cold, very cold, freezing even. Feels like a shadow is constantly hovering over you while you listen to it, an incessant impending doom. But why is it called that? Key tracks: One Hundred Years A Strange Day

Great album

It’s a mood setter

Bit of a 1 trick pony but at least they spotted the trick 30 years before The XX

"Hanging Garden" is a bop, and "Cold" has such an interesting minor-key feel. I'll listen to this one again.

Like it, and tbf I already know I like Cure. But a bit boring, not as captivating as some of their other albums

Another solid cure project.

I liked this more than maybe any other work by the Cure that I’ve heard. It finally delivers on the promise of being dismally bleak, not only lyrically but musically. The first half of the album is a dark moody wreck and I love it. I think I was pretty done by the last two tracks, but I can see why the last track, which is mostly a droning song recorded in a basement, is there. It’s the final point of a miserable story that’s barely worth listening to because why would you! Nobody cares!!! Anyway this was good. I get it now.

Bleak dark but compelling

I like the cure and this had some good sounds to it!

One hundred years: Holy shit the album sounds so far ahead it's time I mean 1982? Album sounds like it aired in y2k or something and it has the same drum intro from Racerx's which came after 5 years and the song overall has a spooky vibe but it's kinda long but lyric wise it tells stuff soo 8.5 A short term effect :it sounds soo emo I definitely feel the influence the band give to today's emo bands and the vocalist is soo unique but the song is nothing special and the mix is pretty dope I can hear everything comfortably 7.5 The Hanging Garden : I'm not a emo enjoyer but the experimental sound of the band damn it's unique I haven't heard something like this before I like the fact that guitar is kinda back on the mix and most of the songs are bass/drums driven It makes a great groove 8 Siamese Twins: I feel like Corey Taylor inspired of this song when writing Snuff and I love ballads like this i wish the song end around 4:30 or something outro part killed the thempo of the song soo 7.5 The Figurehead: Damn the bass riff from come as you are came from there I really liked the chorus effect on the vocals,one of the better songs on the album .I can relate myself with the song. the spooky bridge type of thing feels awkward at first but it fits perfectly in the aura of the song i think this is the best song of the album 9 A strange day: Great groove vocals fit in well too,as every song in the album outro is great and it sounds soo familiar 8.5 Cold:organ intro is amazing it sets the atmosphere great I like the way the vocals sound that huge.its simple and sounding great 8.5 Pornography:Experimental track sounds ok I guess 7.5

Noisy post punk.

One of their 3 great albums. 100 Years has always been a firm favourite

3.5

Great

I know I just wrote a review of In Rainbows dissing anxiety-inducing records, but the critical difference here is that The Cure kicks ass and so does this album.

Definitely a mood album, lots of atmosphere and layers, in some ways kind of fits into the same space as Joy Division. Worth a few more listens.

There were no real stand out tracks on this album and I tend to prefer the Cure's poppier stuff, but this was still good.

honestly I think it might be one of the more overrated cure records but there's nothing else that sounds as pained as this album. this album sounds like they had robert smith doing the vocals while in one of those medieval torture devices that stretches you out while a really short guy gets commanded to turn the crank.

Previously during this project Disintegration made a huge impact to me. This isn't such level experience, probably because expectations were really high. Still a great album

Me likey, would listen again

I too prefer my sadness to be drenched in over the top gothic dramatics

ну это крутяк. атмосферно, томно, готишно, интересно

ok maybe the cure are good my bad my bad. 92/100

Second Cure album of the week. And much earlier in their career. Not as good as Disintegration. And if I was in a Cure mood it wouldn’t be my first pick. But I will listen again. Apart from the closing (title) track which is a bit of a mess. 3½

This album is super super dark and depressing. Thrillingly feel-bad music. Must-listen #206.

I can feel that this album will hit all the right spots if I listen to it while feeling miserable. It's great.

Heel goed, niet zo vrolijk...

Classic cure!

This was definitely a 5 when I listened to it first in the 80's. Now? Still great, but a 4. Why? there are better Cure albums. ( but not many)

yum

4 stars. Quite nice, obscure, cool, gothic

I really like The Cure. Never thought I would say that, but this is a solid album. It my favorite, but solid 4 stars.

Interessanter stil der sich durchs ganze Album zieht. Etwas depressiv

Ok so I see the hype. Not exactly my sound but i thought it would be heavier. Digging the surreal vibes.

I like the murky sounding production. It really added a lot to the tone of the album, especially with its dark dark lyrics. I know lots of Cure music, but hadn't heard this before, so it was nice hearing this earlier one. Liked Songs Added The Hanging Garden Siamese Twins A Strange Day

Started rough but brought it around quick. Some of the doom and gloom of Robert’s lyrics becomes tiresome, but the performances of the whole bad as well as some good variation in sound makes it worth a listen. 7/10

At first, I only saw Pornography as a gothic rock classic and wasn’t interested. But “A Strange Day” really got to me — its floating feel felt strangely nostalgic and reminded me of The Killers, even though The Cure came first. I also felt that Robert Smith and Brandon Flowers’ high notes sometimes sound a little similar.

This is my second Cure album. I liked the first one, Seventeen Seconds, but also felt like it washed over me - it was maybe bigger on atmosphere than tunes. This one was much more intense but also held my attention more. So, it's a thumbs up for intense, attention-grabbing Pornography.

Vielleicht mein Lieblings Album von The Cure. Schön düsterer The Cure Sound. 3,9 Sterne.

Dark brooding muddy goth masterpiece

Production seems a bit muddy at times but that probably adds to the dark feel of the album. A stand out in the genre.

One Hundred Years got stuck on repeat while I was rewiring the alternator exciter circuit on my car for about 4 hours, safe to say I felt like I was in a fever dream. Good song but would not recommend listening to on repeat on copious amounts of psychedelics. Anyways, this is my first look into the "dark" era of The Cure. I love The Cure, but this sounds entirely different to what I'm used to. I can imagine how edgy you would have looked slapping this on your cassette player. I think we've come a long way with gloomy/depressed music, and this is showing its age. I listened to this probably 5 times. I always knew it wasn't going to get a 5 stars for me, but this is still a very good album. I don't think I would listen to this album as anything but a whole unit, no songs stand out enough for me to listen as singles or put into my playlists. I'd definitely come back to this if I was doing something menial in the garage on a gloomy rainy day, but this is definitely not something I'd listen to in my day-to-day life - I'd probably kill myself. Anyways, I definitely prefer The Cure's poppy/new wave stuff - but this is still sufficient.

Certainly not an album I want to have the title of showing up on my work computer so I'll keep it short and sweet. An album coming from the more dark and brooding end of the groups catalog, while it may not pack as many memorable hits as albums like Disintegration it is a very tonally strong and consistent set of tracks. Not their best works individually but great as a whole album package.

great album but not exactly easy listening lol

Pure Cure.

very dissonant - really embodies gothic rock quite well

Good.

Íntimo, etereo, personal y vanguardista

I know the Cure is a Goth band, but man do I prefer their upbeat stuff.

Might be the darkest album from the Cure. I enjoy it more and more each time I've revisited it. Favorite track: The Hanging Garden

This is one of those albums that requires a few listens to wrap your head around. After the first half I was uninterested, but the B side has some really intriguing songs that helped reorient my listening and there is a lot to love here. Weak first impression, but a rewarding repeat listen. Top tracks: One Hundred Years, A Strange Day, Cold

The Cure is a top 10 all time band for me. This is a solid album deserving high marks but not their best. 4/5.

Still love the cure, but this isn’t a 5⭐️ favorite. Still a great listen!

goes hard favorite song: One Hundred Years

I don't know why I was so prepared to be blown away - always thought The Cure was one of those unassuming bands that for some reason I'd love. I was wrong, but I can't really blame it on the album but my own expectations - despite being a bit depressive it was not a bad album.

Great production. Fun background but very grim lyrics as expected by them. Very enjoyable listen, super 80s vibes.

The Cure could’ve just been a decent post-punk band and made a career from there but with this album they went full dark goth and instantly built a new style and vibe that would endure beyond the band. There’s a lot to love on this album, between swirling guitars, propulsive basslines, moody and brooding lyrics, and an all around vibe that can’t be beat. Really cool record and moment in music.

Favorite: Siamese Twins

Ok emo didn’t know you had game like that

I mean, it was really good, but I wasn't in a mood. 3.9

Opened up today’s album thinking it would be another Cure album I wouldn’t like, but much to my surprise I really enjoyed this one! The songs on Pornography has a much more driving rhythm section that really gave the songs a more industrial edge which I liked a lot more than their usual sad goth flouncing. I wish they’d made more music like this, but at least I can say I like The Cure now.

The instrumental is really good, but overall the genre of this album is not the genre I personally like.

This is one I hadn't heard in its entirety. I have always loved Disintegration, but this one really had some great songs on it too. I'll definitely start listening to this one more.

Muy bueno y variado.

quite good ! but perhaps just a bit too gloomy for my tastes….. oh well highlights: one hundred years, the hanging garden, the figurehead, a strange day (aug 5 2024)

Too noisy but enjoyable

Dark, broody, depressing. I believe I like this more than I thought I would. It's not something I would want to play all the time, and there are some duds on the album, but I do like it overall. I think it's the drums that drew me in.

The only Pornography in the UK that isn't currently banned over the internet

4.0 RYM

Pretty cool album.

so interesting!!!

cant fully give it a 5 but its great if youre miserable

One of the most depressing albums ever. But it is glorious. Robert Smith’s late 70s to earl 80s misery gave us some inspired art, And this is the best of the lot. Perfect for a rainy day with a glass of whiskey.

Classic but not their best.

very dark and moody, little bit less accessible than disintegration but i enjoyed it, would definitely go back to it

Uno de los discos más oscuros de The Cure. Las canciones son más fuertes, a diferencia de sus canciones más míticas. Es un muy buen álbum, que no pierde la emoción en ningún momento. Sin embargo, cuando se va acercando el final, las últimas canciones se hacen más repetitivas ya que casi no canta Robert Smith, y son más instrumentales; pero están muy guays.

Baterías y bajos muy interesantes. Hay juegos de producción en voces y guitarras muy atmosféricos. "A strange day" es un hit.

Goth rock hooray yippee!!! More of a Bauhaus guy myself but respect where it's due

es un muy buen álbum QUE VIVAN LAS GÓTICAS ✊🏻 the cure mejor grupo de la historia mis pookies los amo Fav: a strange day

Me gustó, las letras son buenas y es agradable de escuchar pero no siento que tenga ninguna parte que destaque especialmente. Aún así me he guardado alguna que otra canción :3

They do a great job of creating a feeling of existential dread and self hatred. They'll do the same thing but better later on. 8/10

It's good. It sounds like early cure, so it's definitely not something Im going to listen to a lot, but I quite like The Cure. Unfortunately, there aren't half stars in this stupid thing, so I have to figure out whether to rank it 3 stars, the same as my last two albums by Kate Bush and Sheryl Crow, or bump it up to 4 stars, which is *supposed* to be albums I like quite a lot. So, it deserves a 3.5, but I'm giving it an extra half star because it's not Kate Bush or Sheryl Crow.

We had Disintegration on the list before this one, and while both have been my first forays into The Cure - I think I might prefer this one just slightly, despite the other one being an arguably more refined piece of work. Great album I'd love to return to. The band sure does know how to craft a vibe. Not much else to say.

Another great offering from The Cure! Not quite AS immaculate as Disintegration to my ear, but definitely a different tack, with its raw, angry energy. This band has been circling my periphery for years before this challenge - I should've given them a shot ages ago.

A nice, moody, dark feel. I don't know that I paid much attention to the lyrics, but the musicality is enjoyable.

Huh. Surprised it’s not a different cure album. great but not epic

it's Robert Smith, it's The Cure, it's very good.

I just love The Cure. Yes this album is pretty dark and goth but I really enjoyed this album listen. I’d never listened to this album in full before so that was exciting because it is a highly regarded dark wave/ rock album. I will definitely be jamming to this album again in the future!

Loved the pounding, urgent beats and the musical complexity. Enjoyed it far more than I thought I would.

Never really understood the hype for this album. It is the cure and it’s a good album so it’s obviously still getting at least a 4 from me, but the head on the door is a much more enjoyable album imo and that didn’t even make this list.

09/07/2025 Normally I would never have given this the time of day, but this has surprised me.

I've heard it before! I like it

Very good album, very good band

Great album. Some obscure spooky tracks I really loved.

This is grim even for a Cure record

Really solid and consistent album

Love me some cure

This grew on me. I would have rated this a 3 but for the last three songs which pulled it up to a 4.

Wonderful album full of inventive, dark songs. Those lyrics are dark though! Even a Revolution #9 like finale.

Grim lyrics but great album

Feel like I need to listen to this more for it to fully sink in. For now I'm giving it 4 cos I'm pretty sure I will love it

Not too bad

8/10

8.5/10 Highlights: One Hundred Years The Figurehead A Strange Day Cold

Angsty emo, high 3

Interesting sound design.

Individiueel: 1. "One hunderd years: De drum klinkt echt lekker, goed gemixed 2. "A short term effect": Ik voel de emotie in de lyrics zeker wel, en een leuke drum beat 3. "The hanging garden": Wat een naam ten eerste, maar wel een geil tempo opzich, het einde voelt naar ofz idk 4. "Siamese twins": Voelt leeg en zenuwachtig, rustig en depressief. Voelt ook erg persoonlijk, de lyrics komen niet zomaar. 5. "The figurehead": Voelt als een soort suicide note wat lowk eng is om naar te luisteren. 6. "A strange day": Mooie synth achtig geluid, voelt als een soort acceptatie van lot, dat reflecteerd ook in de lyrics. 7. "Cold": Deze is heel persoonlijk voor de artiest(en) vgm. 8. "Pornography": Deze is miss wel de meest dark naast the figurehead en the hanging garden, veel emotie Ranking: 1. One hunderd years 2. The figurehead 3. The hanging garden 4. Cold 5. A short term effect 6. Pornography 7. A strange day 8. Siamese twins Overal: Zeer dark, deep en persoonlijk. De genre is niet helemaal mijn dingen maar de vibe was er zeker met de emotie die de lyrics tonen. Ik geef het een 8/10 met wat het probeert te bereiken.

Love The Cure. Every song is exactly the same, but when that singular song is extremely good who cares. we play by AC/DC rules here.

Good.

Excellent record.

Didn't like this much at first listen, this time around it was a lot better. There's some great drumming here and the songs are some of the darkest the Cure has made in their career. I like this era of the Cure a lot more than their pop stuff from later on. Still doesn't really have many hits to talk about here.

Look, it's a solid album for what it was, but I can't help but feel like it's a tad bit too much of 'The Cure'. Decent instrumentals and vocal work. 'Cold' was my fave.

Better than coldplay

After approximately 6 or 8 listenings, I still don't have a strong opinion about this album. I do know that I like it, and I do also know that the main point of the album is how gloomy, dreadful and sad the atmosphere is, and there's some tracks that do work with this feelings better than others. For instance, I think 'A Short Term Effect' may be the weakest cut of the album, and 'The Hanging Garden' is one of my favourite songs, with Robert Smith screaming 'Fall fall fall fall' in the chorus. Just for the atmosphere, I'm confident enough to give this album 4 stars.

You know what? I dig this. Head-bobbing rhythms, searing vocals, a great echoey ambiance. This is my first listen to The Cure and while it's too far from my Americana comfort zone to be top-tier, it's an easy four stars and something I'll certainly listen to again.

Classic Cure at their goth best. If you don't like this, you can be confident you aren't a fan of the band.

3.5 rounded up because I love The Cure

Love the Cure.

Wow, very different from what I expected, which I based on their later, work like "The Love Cats," "Friday I'm In Love," or "Just Like Heaven." This was very dark, introspective, and atmospheric. Very emotionally charged vocals, lyrics that hint at something but don't spell it out for you, leaving you to interpret them. This is a good one

Suprisingly great for a first listen. I listened to it twice in a day. Really amazing.

Very dark. A completely different album than I expected from the cure. 9/13 update - keep coming back to it.

I really like the lyrics and the bass/drum sound.

Moody, vibey, emotional music. If this was the only music The Cure ever made, I don't know if this would be as enjoyable, but knowing it's part of a rich and diverse discography (and being able to identify elements of this in their future work), it's a real treat.

Every song is basically a jam. Authentic genre defying riffs. First Cure album I fully listened to!

The Hanging Garden

Great album...

I fucking love the cure, every album is brooding and dark.

Love it. Been a fan for a long time

Heerlie, nog nooit dit album gehoord

4.0 - Very Good

Love the creepy goth vibes, an authentically miserable album. Glad Robert Smith didn't use the Cure for depression.

Enjoyed this. Hanging Garden is one of my all-time favorites.

Intense experience. I don't think it's my favorite Cure album, though.

if this is pornography then im gooning to this

A really great record, atmospheric without being gloomy

Dark bass and drums! Haunting record!

Chefs kiss

Very goth, very industrial. Ahead of its time l. Even gives me early EBM vibes. The A-side was meh. The B-side however, was awesome. I just have an issue with how the drums were panned all the way to the left on the "Pornography", the last track. It's a serious let peeve of mine when artists do that. "Cold" should get a special shout out. I love the fat, doom-like double bass sound, the massive chords, the singing, it all works so well together. Listening to that was a highlight for me. I was going to give the album a 3/5. But after hearing that, I have to bump it up to a 4/5 Fav tracks: A Strange Day, The Figurehead, Cold Least fav tracks: Pornography

Really enjoy the cure, already familiar with the band. Most songs I don't think I've heard before. All were enjoyable to me except the last. Could still listen to the album on repeat for awhile if I had to

stop because i already love this album fav cure record

I really love the singer’s voice because it sounds like he is going to start crying every time he opens his mouth. It really adds to the emotion of the songs like he about to have a mental breakdown. This style of music is exactly my type. The only complaint I had is that is that some of the songs r too long. Songs do not need to be over six minutes long if it’s just going to be repetitive melodies the whole time.

Dark.

8/10 An album I’m glad that I heard. Some of the lyrics are heavy and hard hitting as well as some of the drums. Can’t say I’ve heard another album like it

Never paid much attention to The Cure growing up. I remember not being a fan of 'Let's Go to Bed', 'Love Cats', or some of their lighter sounding stuff. I can't believe I've missed this over the years though - really enjoyed this. Dark, Moody - definitely more my thing, and along the lines of Fascination Street, A Forest, Lullaby.

You can really feel Robert Smiths sorrow in his voice & lyrics

Not there best album but still good

Obviously early emo/metal/rock, but wow, depressing stuff

4th cure album the last of their "sad" albums. Bit of a fall out and break up before the returned with Tho Top. All cure albums are great

Love the cure. Good start, 100 years has an interesting pulsating bass line. I think I can see how the moody Robert Smith influenced/was influenced by quite a few bands of this style.

Interesting goth album, standard Cure stuff, has a very defined sound and although it may not be top of my list to buy it's enjoyable enough. Turns a little Throbbing Gristle at the end - but that's a bonus in my book.

Not my favorite by The Cure, but still good.

a nice surprise

The Cure are a band where I know a lot of their songs but haven’t spent very much time listening to their albums. Outside of Wish and then later on Disintegration, I seemed content with a Greatest Hits collection. Firing up Pornography caught me a little off guard with the driving, industrial rock like drums on the opener One Hundred Years. And these same tribal like drum beats continued through the next two songs. Not a bad thing, just a bit unexpected. The stand out track for me is A Strange Day. I really like that one. The rest of the album is really good. The haunting keyboard in Cold was great. I felt like I’d heard that somewhere before. I actually ran through Pornography twice because I felt like I needed to do that just to grasp the full experience. And with the two listens, the only song I didn’t care for was the closer and title track for the album. Pornography is an album I will add to my library. This is a strong album that I will add to my rotation. I’m giving this one a 4 rating. 4/5

Yeah I like this one a lot

Generally love The Cure. This album had some duds on it, though. Still, great flashback and enjoy The Cure very much.

Dans le style : musique triste et fachée des 80's, c'est pas mal parfait.

Solid cure album. Dark and moody. No real standouts or bangers, just great atmosphere. 4/5

stand by the Cure being one of the most underrated bands of all time (even though they garner quite a bit of esteem)

Enjoyed the album. Still a little surprised in the 1001 list though.

This album was cool. I like it. I like the dark gothic rock. It's not what you're used to with The Clash, all that like repetitive choruses and bridges. Definitely a departure, definitely good.

Early Cure and hints of what was to come. First full listen and even though it was depressing it was entertaining.

Last album of trilogy and it’s another classic.

Had not listened to this one. I think this would have been pretty fantastic in 1982. Much holds up, even as I like their later releases more.

Just good depressing music for a Monday morning.

Classic Cure album that helped define a genre. Not their most “classic” album but compared to the other garbage on this list, it’s great.

Whatever you do, don’t google this album and then spend an hour and a half looking at the search results!

The Cure's gothiest of gothiest albums, dat overdruipt van de zwaarmoedig- en griezeligheid. Thema's en teksten waar je - hopelijk - nooit écht voor in de mood bent, maar de begeleidende muziek is waanzinnig. Zelfs opbeurend, als je een post-punk liefhebber bent. De drums op deze plaat zijn gruwelijk, en de gitaren van Gallup en Smith klonken nooit zo buitenaards en paranormaal als nu. Dit wordt direct bevestigd met de opener 'One Hundred Years', wat één van m'n favoriete drum-songs van de 80s is. En die schreeuwende gitaren staan het thema van de plaat zo goed bij. De sfeer trekt je - hoe goed je gemoedstoestand ook is - toch wel echt de plaat in, en van 'The Hanging Garden' tot en met de epische nieuwe ontdekking 'A Strange Day' is het toch wel echt post-punkporn, zoals de titel van het muziekstuk al een beetje weggeeft. Wel zakt het daarna een beetje in, en merk je dat je dit ook niet veel langer trekt, maar 'for the time being' was het zeer effectief en gaat dit de boeken in als één van de sterkere en meest ondergewaardeerde platen van de band. 8,5/10 Highlights: One Hundred Years The Figurehead A Strange Day

Wat een sfeer zet the Cure neer op Pornography zeg. Later in hun carrière wordt het misschien nog sferischer (Disintegration enzo), maar zo zwaarmoedig als op deze plaat niet meer. Post-punk sferen ten top. Mooi hoe the Cure zich daar naar toe heeft ontwikkeld. Afzonderlijk onderscheiden de nummers zich met name door de sterke drums en basslijnen. De basspartij in the Hanging Garden is één van de meest zieke post-punk bassritmes die ik ken. De holle drums (eigenlijk in alle songs) zijn ijzersterk en the gitaarriff in A Strange Day is onwijs hypnotiserend. De bijzondere kwaliteiten van the Cure... Ik vind het slot wat minder en ook wel toe aan wat luchtigs, maar jeetje wat een dijk van een plaat dit. 8,5/10 Highlights The Hanging Garden A Strange Day The Figurehead

regular rock songs

8/10

a good album for a gloomy day at school

Great listen, I definitely want to listen to this again.

A lot of really good deep cuts here. There aren't any hits but the rest sounds pretty alright. Weirdly enough I think the worst song is the only one released as a single. Everything else is a perfect mix of haunting and depressing.

Beautifully dark but feels repetitive at times as the songs start to sound the same

Not sure if I've listened to this album by The Cure before but I've really enjoyed it, would definitely go back to it

I love it, although it's not my favorite genre.

It’s not a phase mom

This is great. Disintegration is almost all I knew from The Cure but I think this blew it out of the water. This album felt a lot more bright, less atmospheric. There's less of the underlying synth textures and more like lead synth. Drums and bass were awesome and the little bit of lead sounded great- loved that solo on the first track. I think I appreciated the vocals a little more in this as they were kept a bit cleaner. Dude has an awesome voice and makes songs feel big, even if the music is a bit more stripped back. It felt like a nice in & out album, length wise. Maybe only 1 song i didn't love. I might be a closeted goth- mid to high 4s on this one.

Dark, brooding album that essentially established emo/goth rock. Robert Smith's melancholic voice & The Cure's distinctive guitar sound somehow deliver a wistful sadness that carries from track-to-track.

Not my favorite songs, but it's unique, and the gloom, and shock value makes this album so special. Favorite Track: "One Hundred Years".

Really nice one, classic dystopian The Cure sound, i enjoyed that one

The Cure has such a distinct and captivating sound, and this album perfectly showcases their darker, more atmospheric side. It’s not designed to be a crowd-pleaser—there are no big pop hits here. Instead, the music is haunting and immersive, featuring brilliant guitar work, hypnotic loops, and eerie, mysterious synths that pull you into its shadowy world. Favorite track: 100 Years—an absolute standout with its intensity and gripping energy. Least favorite track: Pornography—a slow build that doesn’t quite land as strongly as the rest. Album artwork: A striking and moody cover that fits the music perfectly.

Although perhaps not my fav. Undeniably peak The Cure and perhaps contains the most Cure Cure sounds. Forgot about Hanging Gardens and Siamese Twins. Amazing.

This was really good. Not my favorite, but clearly influential.

I think I’d only ever listened to Disintegration before, so this was my first exploration of the rest of The Cure catalog. I like it. Not quite as much as Disintegration, but the rhythm is infectious throughout, especially on tracks like The Hanging Garden. A little morose, but it’s The Cure so I knew what I was getting into. 4/5 Highlights: The Hanging Garden Pornography

I love when robert smith gets spooky might like disintegration more 7.5/10

Not anything I'd call a 'single' on here, but as a whole album it kills it. Really a great job by all of the. Especially that bass! Soooo freaking good. I like it when bands change up and get out of their comfort zone. Or go through phases even.

Liked it more on second listen. Fave tracks were A Short Term Effect and A Strange Day

4.5/5. I love you Robert Smith, the man that you are.

Solid, definitely a fan of early Cure.

84/100. One very dark and raw record. The Cure's "Pornography" is a slow-building album that doesn’t really go anywhere narratively but still manages to captivate with its fantastic music. The atmosphere is intense and immersive.

4.4 - I love the cure and this was a cool dark brooding Cure. Nice

'Cover my face as the animals die.' Does this mean that Robert Smith has finally gotten over the notion that death and the expiration of flesh can be flippantly sought after? Sure, the whole album commences with 'It doesn't matter if we all die,' but this is far more vital than the gloom-gets-me-nowhere Seventeen Seconds. Perhaps they were so on the verge of falling apart as a band that a will to live implicitly permeated their program. I still struggle to listen to a Cure album all the way thru - it's just not my way of dealing with distress - but this is far from bad. 'My memory in a fire, and someone will listen / At least for a short while.' That has a quiet aspiration in it I admire. And the keeper of the sudden fire: Lol Tolhurst (drummer).

Not their peak but a great indication of where it all led.

This album is aurally a little strange, with lots of haunting, echo-y sounds. It's difficult to parse the sound on a first listen, but there are some interesting beats and riffs. Feels like the type of album I'd need to listen to a few times to understand it properly and see if it hooks me, but I'm not sure it has in the first listen.

3.6 Whilst not as good as Disintegration (phenomenal) and Seventeen Seconds (great), this album is still pretty solid. The gloom is still prevalent throughout but seems to slightly stifle creativity compared to the aforementioned albums, with less ideas and more monotony across the tracks. Still, another positive Cure album, whom I'm glad this list has introduced me to.

It's dark and moody and great. It's not the pinnacle that is Disintegration but it holds together as a Goth masterpiece. I feel like I need a shower after listening to it. 4

Schon als es erschien kein einfaches Album, aber ein Meilenstein und halt The Cure. Mir gefällts.

This is a tough one to review I love The Cure especially the beginning of their career 17 Seconds it s an important album for me, when it came out it solidified my love for young British "alternative" bands. But Pornography was and still is difficult. It's dense and dark with melodies, when there are not easily latched on to. The beginning of the album most especially demonstrates this quality. One Hundred Years with its screechy guitars and thick rhythm section, doesn't exactly invite you in with a smile, same goes for A Short Term Effect. The album hits it's stride with The Hanging Garden, where the tempo picks up, certainly not accessible but it does help me connect things back to Seventeen Seconds. And when Siamese Twins hits and Robert Smith sings; Legs Around Me, In the Morning I Cry, wow, the emotion oozes from the grooves...the anger, the desperation. Overall it's a dark, difficult album that is worthy of the repeated listens it takes to unravel. This is the album where Robert Smith's greatness as a lyricist first shows itself. 4 stars

This is a strange depressing album but that said, it's quite creative and has some truly unusual textures and sounds. I think there are a lot of people who know The Cure from singles like "Friday I'm In Love" and they'd never recognize this band. I do like the later material a bit better, in general. This album brings to mind the old adage "The Cure make you want to kill yourself, The Smiths make you wish you'd never been born".

Goof

Solid

This album wasn’t the most impactful thing that I’ve heard but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

It may be a bit boring, but for 1982, this is a very interesting sound design, and I enjoyed it a lot.

I like this era of The Cure. Nicely gloomy. A solid 4.

A goth classic from The Cure's darkest days. The music channels the self loathing soundscapes of Joy Division. Popular music is filled with musicians who wrote from a point of absolute despair. Sadly, not all come back from the brink. Thankfully Robert Smith stared into the abyss and was able to show us what was there before coming back and transforming yet again.

Could not quite connect with this one. I'm still developing my appreciation for rock I guess.

Dense with atmosphere - jagged guitar loops, foreboding synth drones, vocal echoes, distorted field/media recordings. Lyrics express paranoia and dread - "I must fight this sickness." Initially what strikes me most is the drum sound. Sparse, driving, machine-like, repetitive, urgent.

Dark and Synthy - I like it

A pretty good album, I liked Siamese Twins and The Figurehead the most.

This was a cool album. It's pretty intense for the Cure, which I think of as being a more sort of lilting, sadboy band (though perhaps I'm mistaken about them). Really solid early goth album 4/5

“Pornography” by The Cure became a landmark album in shaping the goth scene that emerged in the 1980s. The album’s layered, echoing production style also left a mark on shoegaze bands like My Bloody Valentine, who embraced similarly dense, immersive soundscapes. Furthermore, Pornography influenced artists across genres who sought to capture emotional rawness and existential themes. Many alternative and indie rock bands in the 1990s and 2000s, from Placebo to Interpol, drew on its themes of alienation and desolation. In many ways, Pornography helped define the darker aesthetic that would characterise much of post-punk and goth rock, establishing The Cure as pioneers of emotionally driven, atmospheric music.

Very dark and gothic, but with interesting textures. 4 stars

Super awesome goth rock that's one of 1982's finest albums. 4.5 stars.

4.5

This holds up well in comparison with newer stuff I think. Definitely not a pop Cure album.

Decent album

The first few minutes I thought it would be a too early 80s sounding album for my taste, which I don't like. But the more I listened the more I loved it. It's dark, haunging and depressive, just like this November day and my mood tonight.

This will be my second album by The Cure to review, after Seventeen Seconds, which I thought was fine. I know a handful of songs by The Cure, but most of their songs that I know are from later in their career, when their songs didn’t have such a dark tone. I’m hoping that I’ll enjoy this album a bit more than Seventeen Seconds. This album was really good. It’s exactly what I wanted from an album by The Cure’s early days, when their sound was more driven by post-punk. The mood and sound that permeates the whole album is fantastic, and I love how big the sound is. That big sound creates a really unique atmosphere, and it’s one of my favorite things about The Cure’s darker music. The drumming and bass playing were particularly great across the album, and I felt like this really set this album apart from some of my favorite post-punk albums from this era. I enjoyed Robert Smith’s vocals as well, and his lyrics were very well written, albeit incredibly dark in subject matter. A few parts of the album dragged a bit for me, but as a whole work, the album really excels. “One Hundred Years” and “Cold” were my favorite songs on the album. They both had haunting melodies that I really loved, and the keyboard parts on both of them were excellent. I enjoyed listening to this, and I’m excited for when I’ll finally get to listen to Disintegration.

Great goth album for Halloween

Was not sure if it's a 3 or 4. Would have given a 3.5 if possible. Nice album but not really a 4.

dal sito: "The sessions saw the band on the brink of collapse, with heavy drug use, band in-fighting, and frontman Robert Smith's depression fueling the album's musical and lyrical content". allegria. non molto indicato per un ascolto in un giorno qualsiasi mentre stai facendo la spesa, ma se stai passando la settimana più merdosa della tua vita probabilmente sarebbe un buon sottofondo (se non si hanno tendenze suicide, altrimenti sarebbe la proverbiale goccia che fa traboccare il vaso). nonostante la depressione comunque non è per niente pesante e non ho fatto per niente fatica ad arrivare alla fine, a differenza di moltissime altre volte. questo è secondo me perchè sono i Cure, una band di un certo calibro, non come tutte le millemila band sconosciute anche alle loro madri che sono finite su questo sito solo perchè evidentemente hanno fatto un servizietto all'autore.

kiváló ez még mindig.

This sounds like the sort of album that gets better with each subsequent listen. Started off with an absolute cracker in One Hundred Years before falling off slightly. A low 4, but possibly rising with future listens.

Albumi #80, 16.10.2024 The Curen neljäs studioalbumi julkaistiin vuonna 1982. Pornography on The Curen synkin albumi sekä sanoituksiltaan että musiikillisesti. Albumi on kaikkineen hieno teos, mutta päällekäyvän synkkyytensä takia tätä ei pysty kuuntelemaan kuin yksittäisinä kuuntelukertoina harvakseltaan.

I think I liked the other cure a little better but this was still awesome

Really really good Not my favourite 3 cure albums but gloomy depressing and beautiful Fouuuur

Second half is better but this isn't the best album of The Cure

4.0

I enjoyed this. Very different from their more popular sound.

Not quite the level of Disintegration but a lovely moody vibe nonetheless

Stone cold classic

Enjoyed thuis more than I thought I would. I remember it being darker I must just be older and more depressed to enjoy it more lol

The cure at their lowest ebb manage to make some of their best music.

My favorite kind of depressing. 4.0

The first in the the really depressing trilogy. Robert Smith had to start making poppy songs for a bit after this one

Very dark, but so deep

This is my first The Cure album I've listened to. Very emo, very angsty. This has a unique gothic rock sound that I really like. I think I'm going to make a playlist for songs that have a Halloween feel just so I can put some of these songs on it. The Vibe: You just saw a scary movie at the theater and now you're walking home by yourself in the middle of the night and you're not sure if those are footsteps behind you or if it's just in your head.

The Cure’s clunky but iconic monotony reaches some emotional peaks here (in songs such as ‘A Strange Day’).

Yup, I very much enjoyed it.

Gloomy, and I liked it. My inner goth would be happy, if it could feel happiness. 4/5

This album has grown a lot on me since the first listen. Some songs sound like the Cure parodying themselves. You can hear the early roots that eventually blossomed into Disintegration, which is an all time album, on this album. The more I listen to the Cure, the more I like and appreciate them. They have a ton of versatility over their discography and kind of do it all on the pop/rock/post punk spectrum.

Atmosphere creates More than anyone, The Cure; Emotions second. Fabulous album. I rocked the singles more, but this album smashed. Listened to the last few after watching Altman’s 3 Women. An experience.

Very cool

Ekki besta plata Cure, en samt drullu gott sound.

Mjög góð plata. Engir hittarar en hrikalega sterk plata í heild. Vissulega dáldið þung.

Always found it hard to get into Pornography (and Faith) for some reason. Appreciate them both more the last few years as I have watched many live concerts on YouTube from the last tour, and live is where the indulgent magic happens with The Cure - especially for these songs.

Cool haunting and depressing atmosphere that sucks you in, even if there’s no immediate carchiness to the songs. If only all songs were as good as One Hundred Years and The Hanging Garden! Of the 8 tracks, half of them are excellent, 3 are okay, and the final track is so unlistenable that I almost considered handling out 3 stars. Almost. And I start thinking of the goth kids in South Park when listening to the album. Not sure if that’s a good thing or not

Need to listen a few more times to digest, but liked it!

I loved this album. It’s so dramatic and haunting, but heavy at the same time. Lyrically it’s dark and interesting all the way through. I’ll absolutely be listening again…many times.

This is probably their most consistent album. Starts great, good almost until the end. It's the dark sound they're still associated with today, more than their later pop sound. The singing is flat a lot of the time, but it doesn't really bother me. There's enough space in the production so it doesn't clash with anything too bad. Favorite song: a short term effect

Haunting, alluring, and resplendent.... What delightful album. Sold 4 almost 5.

I don’t know if I expected this to be better but i wasn’t exactly blown away. It was fine and it was good but it wasn’t the bay thing I’ve ever heard. Figurehead and cold were my two favourite songs but everything else sounded a bit similarish

1982 fue el año de Thriller. Pero hubo discos realmente buenos ese año y entre ellos destacan este de Pornogaphy de the Cure, 1999 y Avalon, o Nebraska. También los debuts de Felt, Coucteau Twins, Laurie Anderson o Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Otros realmente buenos también fueron New gold dream, Glassworks, The days of wine and roses, Too Rye Ay, The lexicon of love, The Dreaming, Rit it up... Un álbum oscuro, denso y frío que cierra su trilogía gótica comenzada con Seventeen Seconds y Faith. No es su obra cumbre (Disintegration) pero se le acerca. Su mejor canción es sin duda Strange days. Con sonidos angustiosos y depresivos: muerte y la autodestrucción. El título hace referencia precisamente al público y seguidores que disfrutaban viendo a la banda (sobre todo a su líder) sumido en semejante estado, existencialismo adolescente que criticaron algunas mentes cortas de miras. Imprescindible para conocer la evolución del Punk al Post-punk y de de este al rock gótico que seguirán Siouxsie entre otros.

I didn’t expect to come out of this project liking the Cure, but here we are.

Gothic rock at its finest.

It's a good album- very dark and atmospheric, a bit too consistent. If there was a little bit of light to shine through the clouds, it could be a masterpiece.

Solid album with an interesting/unique sound. I enjoyed this a fair amount. No real standout tracks but solid nonetheless.

hahahah mite lyrics "it doesn't matter if we all die" es album ahfange powermove find drums sehr sehr geil und spannend rhe hanging garden git echli meh gäse sini weinerluchi stimmpasst extrem zude ganze atmosphäre siamese twins hetmer glaub bis jz am beste gfalle, de sehr primitivi drum beat und langsam gitarre allgemein uhh the figurehead mega schòni "bridge" I guess? au wennis sehr spannend und au cool find, merki wie die lieder alli chli.glich töned für mich s solo bi strange day hani gad sehr geil gfunde ja s isch echli smaey worde aber seeehr geil

8/10

the cure is certainly a darker alternative rock group, and this album is probably the most gothic i've ever listened to in terms of that. it's haunting. the kind of music to listen to when you're wearing a top hat, cane, and ghastly pale makeup. it's solid all the way through, but sometimes it gets pretty morbid.

No Party Album. Intense, deep, listen loud.

"Phils Spector in hell" quite on point. Absolute sonic drift

"One Hundred Years" and "Pornography" are just awesome. The others are also pretty amazing. Robert Smith is a great singer-songwriter, along with everyone else. I thought The Cure would be one of those overrated 80s bands. This is really modern for 1982. 4 stars for this classic album.

Goth, dark, good ambience for certain times.

Okay, I highly doubt that this was intentional, but I got this album on the anniversary of the album releasing! That is just insane, assuming that it is a coincidence. It's kind of eerie, just like this album. I've heard great things about The Cure, so I was excited going into this album. Fortunately, unlike other highly praised bands with dark slow sounds (I'll understand you eventually, My Bloody Valentine), I immediately see the appeal of this album. This album has been considered post-punk, but the only thing that reminds me of post-punk at all is the vocals. Even then, Robert Smith's vocals are still different and unique enough to make this album something special. The sound is dark and mysterious, but I like it. I can really feel the atmosphere of what they were going for here. This album is seen as a pioneer of gothic rock, and gothic is definitely a word that describes this whole album. The writing is intriguing as well. There's actually a few common themes that loosely tie into the album's title. Well, okay, the album isn't actually about pornography itself. Rather, there are loose themes of sex and the nature of it sprinkled into a few of the songs. Overall, I like this album. I am very excited to get into this band even more with their 2 other albums on this list. Light 4/5.

Ich bin nicht unbedingt ein The Cure Fan. Aber dieses Album hat mich begeistert, obwohl der Titel durchaus für nicht einladend ist. Zwar durchaus deprimierende Texte, aber der Gesang und die Musik Arrangements sind sehr gelungen. Ein schönes Album.

solid album. 3.6/5

I found it had decent songs. Not hummable, but one could hear the lyrics. Very depressing lyrics, but that is what the band is all about isn't it?

I liked this one more on this listen than previously. It really is such a depressing album. I think the music is good, it’s just not something I ever feel like putting on with how much of a downer it is. Rating: 3.6

That was a dark one. I do love me some Cure.

ez anglo list 4 (3.5)

Not my favourite Cure album but you know what you’re getting with them. You either love morose or you don’t. Like a spoonful of peanut butter I find this comforting and recognisable. There’s nothing really catchy but it’s moody and atmospheric and I’m totally on board.