Pornography

enjoyed

Just not feeling this one and I like most of what they do.

una vez le hice el amor, a un dracula con tacones

5/10

I can see why people like them but not something I would litsen to Favorite: the hanging garden Least: pornography

Heh...wasn't even that dark to me.

I sincerely hope there’s more cure albums on this list. This is an interesting album but far from their best. Great dark drum sound especially in the second half.

It's what I expected from The Cure. Meh. 2.7/5

I’m a big fan of The Cure but I didn’t really enjoy this album. They are never totally unlistenable, but the themes of this album felt too moody and weary, even by their standards.

I’d say this release should be on a list titled “1001 Albums That Will Fit A Specific Mood, Once, At A Specific Time” If it were, I’d have rated it higher. I enjoyed my casual listen nonetheless

Creo q con este álbum descubrí q la música goth no es lo mio xd A strange day debo decir hasta ahora la única q he disfrutado, el resto se me han hecho medio aburridillas Ya, cold tmb bkn con esos tonitos tipo ghost of the opera

Oh you goths. This was pretty good, actually.

Favorite Track: The Hanging Garden

Depressing goth rock. It does set and keep that mood. Another album more historically important than must listen. Not my style and too depressing lower the grade. 0 songs added to playlist

Hello darkness

woof! bleak! goth vibes!

Ok album with some okay songs, just kinda mid and a blur of slogginess

It's that standard slightly goth 80s pop as from the other albums of the cure. It had a bit more energy and I liked it for it, still not really my thing though.

Not bad at all - very cold, gothic and depressing (everything I understand The Cure to be), but I might not be in the right moment in life to fully enjoy this (it's sunny outside at the end of the day :).

⭐︎3.8 日本国内の様々なヴィジュアル系アーティストが影響を受けていると聞いた。ダークで耽美な世界観が特徴？あと、ドラママシーン。ただ、似たような曲ばかり。歌詞が分かればより世界観を楽しめるのかも。メロディで印象に残るタイプではなかった。

Great record! Right out of the gate with probably my favorite Cure track which is always nice. I've always enjoyed their darker material, but the later stuff is amazing too of course! Feels a bit weird listening to this in the middle of a July heatwave, definitely a Fall/Winter record, but I can't complain! Always great to hear a record I already know I enjoy. Been a very long time since I've sat down with this one.

Good album with a few songs I really liked. Overall not my style of music though

Hmmm not this cure… Sick! Haha

Chart Performance for Pornography sure was an interesting wikipedia subtext. Also something about killing an arab, Netanyahus already on that mr the cure dont worry. The Instruments sound really cool, the british man however, does not.

3/5 Disappointing for an album called "Pornography", apparently there was a lot of depression and drug use in the band at the time of writing this album and it kind of shows in the way that addiction can make your life bland and one-note, even if that note is edgy and chaotic. After the first two songs, I found myself asking "Is this song over yet?" Yes, yes it was. This is, in fact, the fourth song in a row you've asked yourself that question. Trés blah, might add one or two to a playlist for whenever I don't want to listen to music, just have it on. Next!

it’s not what you think ! ✋🤚

Goth misery. Not my thing

Love the cure but struggled with this. Pretty dark, without much of the joy of their later stuff

no lo he escuchado todavia

Gothy.

Inte deras bästa. Jämn och spännande till och med banbrytande, men saknar den hit-förmåga visat upp på andra skivor. En stark trea.

Nothing in particular stood out to me.

Nothing offensive when listening to this one but not much stood out, just seemed like 45 minutes of the same droning guitar sound with different lyrics from time to time. I can’t tell if I don’t like The Cure as much as I thought I did, or if this album isn’t their best and may not deserve a place on this list. I’ll give it a three because I wouldn’t be opposed to giving it another go.

Good

very dreary; glad this project gives me a chance to listen to the cure, but i don't know if i'll go back to this unless i want to be depressed; 3 stars

The album was very different from what I'm used to with The Cure. The tone was much more somber, and I admin I don't know what to think of it at the moment. I do admit that it was enjoyable, at least.

Wow, this was a little depressing and a little dark. I will say that they did a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere that envelopes you, bringing you into the album's world. The guitar, bass and drums were a standout for me. I found them to be super well done and very complimentary to the dark aura.

Cool, steering 3, maybe 4

This is not their best, but i dig

One of their darker albums It’s a good album if you are in the mood for it, but you might not be in the mood for its all too often. 3.3

I like The Cure and this album is fine but I much prefer the dreamier, brighter sound they did later than the bleak gothy stuff in here.

Compelling and engaging for the first 5 or 6 songs, with "The Hanging Garden" as a high mark, but others like "Siamese Twins," "One Hundred Years," and "The Figurehead" are excellent too. I love the sound and mood of it. I didn't discover The Cure until ~1986 via the Head on the Door and Standing on a Beach, but this gothrock sound was a big part of my teenage soundtrack. Still, by the end of this it feels soo same-same, and I'm bored/exhausted. 3.5 Compare it to the Head on the Door, Kiss Me, and Disintegration: yeah, this is dull and narrow.

Always knew The Cure but this is my first time listening to an album of theirs. Its quite the experience sonically. At times it sounds like if I was on a Gothic drug trip. I found it surprisingly enjoyable despite the dark atmosphere and depressive lyrics. However as enjoyable as I thought it was it did tend to drag towards the end and become a bit one note. Still I am looking forward to the other Cure albums in this generator. 3/5

I was unfamiliar with this one and I can see why.

6/10… goth rock / dark wave / *1982

A dark, composed (mostly), almost doomy sound. Really gives meaning to the name "gothic rock". In terms of instruments, the bass is generally strong but a little quiet, and the drums and vocals are the "post-punky and uninteresting" that was standard in the early 80s. The songs are pretty slow and repetitive (excluding The Hanging Garden), but none are explicitly boring, except possibly Siamese Twins. The music would certainly be fascinating if it was experienced with drugs – and partly for that reason, the album art is on point, mood-wise. Feels like something you'd see from emo rock or a fan-fiction novel (but not pornography). Speaking of which: the title track isn't boring per se, but it's confusing as heck. I can't work out a situation where you'd ever intentionally spin that mess of garbled noise. One Hundred Years approaches this sort of "doom rock" sound, not so different from what the Beatles pioneered with I Want You (She's So Heavy), though I feel the Cure could work on the musical ideas a bit. Having those two alternating chords for most of the 400-second track length is pretty dreary – but then maybe that's exactly the point. A Short Term Effect and The Figurehead are very similar to One Hundred Years in terms of texture and overall atmosphere; the mood only really starts to shift with The Hanging Gardens, whose guitar and drums are jumpy and frantic. Very exciting to listen to, and a great pick-me-up at this point in the album. Again the bassline takes the cake, though props should also be given to the panned spacey synths that the band seems to adore. No idea how you'd capture that sound live. The track Cold absolutely nails its sound, though I do wonder if it was helped by me living in Scotland in winter while listening to this record. 3/5 Key tracks: The Hanging Garden, Cold

Even in the heyday of my obsession with The Cure this album was a bit much for me. Its relentless mood and full dedication to an aesthetic make it remarkable and one of the most thematically consistent Cure albums. However if you’re not invested by the first song, it’s unlikely that’s full listen will change your mind. Personally I like my maudlin with a dash of pop and melody.

Simile a seventeen seconds ma forse mi è piaciuto di meno

Admittedly enjoyed all of this but never went gaga. Kiss Me x3 and Disintegration more my vibe.

I appreciate the bravado and the vision but I can only listen to isolated tracks from this. It's overall too dark and oppressive.

I like the layered and gloomy sound design, but it's definetely not my style. It gets tiring pretty fast.

No es mi estilo pero no está mal. Hay alguna que otra canción que se puede disfrutar.

It's satisfyingly bleak and dark. But also gets a bit samey. Not sure if I'd return to listen again, perhaps.

I like The Cure but not so much this album.

I’m a Cure fan. I know this one is well loved by most fans, but for me it is average in their discography. Still good though.

cool

I'm only familiar with The Cure's hits. This was similar but somehow those songs weren't hits. Unclear why.

Moody. Dark. Maybe 3.5

Ci sta, molto chill in realtà.

suicidal but sexy

Meh Cure album

I listened to this several times. I don't dislike it. It has it's moments. The percussion is what I like best about these songs. They have a dark brooding mood. It's okay and could grow on me but it general, goth is just not really my cup of English Breakfast Tea.

Well this was incredibly uplifting. I don’t really have anything bad to say about it. I mean sure, it’s full of despair, but the songs were full and powerful. Not an everyday kind of album, but when the mood strikes, and I need another reminder that we’re all going to die…sure. 3.5

#2 Certainly an intriguing album, where darkness and depression just takes over and walks you through an absolutely unbearable journey. Repetitive for sure, but that fits the insanely gloomy mood, maybe even adds to it. This is something that I enjoyed discovering, and it was a good one-time listen, but I would not want to revisit. A strong 3 will have to do for this one.

This is still my least favorite Cure album I've listened to

I like their sound, but didn't care for any of the songs

I liked, but didn't love this album. Maybe too many similar sounding songs, but goddamn do I love Robert Smith's voice. Disintegratration is still their top album to me, but this was a nice album to hear their earlier sound.

Great band, not a great album. Didn't feel much listening to it, nothing that really stood out. Pretty forgetable for a band that usually feels so unique.

Didn't really listen, come back to someday, did half of it,

Solid album, happy to have seen the cure in here. I don’t think this is their best album! But a good listen through and I should purchase the record!

pretty good, nothing really stood out though.

Sonntag, 01.02.2026/ Mittwoch 04.02.2026 ~ Nachmittags ~ In der S1 auf dem Weg in die Magnet-Bar am Rosenthaler Platz/ in der Philologischen Bibliothek der Freien Universität.

Not as strong as their others but ahead of its time

New wave is a great subgenre

Years since I heard this album. Not as strong as it seemed years ago. The hallmarks are there but only a few songs are very strong.

Didn't like the first half but really like the second half

Not my thing

Another album that I think I could grow to love over time. The songs definitely feel like they’re blending together at times, but I love the instruments.

cured

Okay, not me

It was alright. Robert Smith's voice is an acquired taste. Not mine.

Not bad pretty decent

3.5 Front loaded, became quite repetitive in the 2nd half but last track was different.

Mediocre album, nothing great nothing bad 5/10 3/5

This is ok I much prefer some of the stuff that the cure went on to do

Appreciate that it’s one of many acclaimed albums by The Cure, but there wasn’t much here that blew me away. Probably because I know Disintegration exists

the backing tracks are very halloween-y…very creepy and it fills me with a sense of existential dread. final track intro is so scary genuinely… i think those things work for what they’re going for though. the message of the album and that. i wouldn’t choose to listen to these songs outside of listening to the full album for a story though. like it would be completely out of place in a playlist. the poor soul that wrote this :(

its got some good ones

Nothing to write home about 3 ⭐️

Not a fan

The birth of goth rock and Robert Smith's messy look.

I think it got me on the wrong day. Just kinda whiny.

Nice slab of cold dark goth rock. Rhythm section is killer. Dense and atmospheric. Robert Smith's depressing lyrics and limited vocals add to tensions. One or two tracks need a bit of extra something though, bit flat in parts, but good overall

i like some stuff by the cute but this one was just too depressing for me overall. some more upbeat ones like hanging garden but just wasn’t my vibe in general. i still think it’s cool for anyone who enjoyed it, that just wasn’t me personally

not their best, too sad :(

I got bored, but I liked the vibes.

I understand better now why people like them, the music has a unique vibe. it didn't get me yet, but I do get it.

i dig it?

This is a rough listen mostly because I’m not of the right mindset to properly appreciate their point of view…, but I give them credit as we know what was to come.

The Cure’s sound is unmistakable, they seem to have a sound that’s just them and rarely do other visit. My favourite tracks are; A Strange Day, and the Hanging Garden.

scary movie music

Chill vibes to get through the weekend, not my favorite cute, but also not the most easily accessible

Milestone for gothic rock which admittedly is not a genre I am overly familiar with. This album came after Seventeen Seconds. I found the songs running into each other, making a continuous listen which was depressing and beautiful. Robert Smith's voice is haunting in its familiarity. Special mention to The Hanging Garden and Siamese Twins. However glad that I am that I have listened to this album, I doubt I would seek it out again

I like some of The Cure's hits, but there wasn't anything on this one that grabbed me. It was OK, but not something I'd return to.

So gloomy. Hanging gardens is great, rest is ok 3.3

Didn’t hate it, might love it after more listens

Really like Disintegration era Cure, but my listens beyond that have left me cold and, even after a couple of listens here, that still remains. Just think they lack the artistic side that Siouxsie in particular brings to the Goth table and this feels/sounds a little monotone/monolithic as a result.

Struggled with this. I found it very monotone and one paced. It’s not a bad album, it’s just not in any way interesting to me. I guess I’m an “Best of The Cure” kind of guy.

Not very impressive, some very simple parts and almost monotone 5/1/26

This was fine; didn't love it, didn't hate it. There were a few good surprises on the album for me; The Hanging Garden specifically was very enjoyable.

Great early album. Love the cure.

LOVED the hanging garden

Somewhere out there, there's a universe where I don't hate Robert Smith's voice, and am a huge fan of The Cure.

very The Cure vibes

Decent, a definite turning point, but not my favourite. Even fat bob says he struggles with it these days.

Not bad. ★★★

very silent hill background sound a bit eerie, sometimes can feel like it has a repetitive sound

Typisch The Cure

Echo, reverb, synths, lots of toms in the drums. Has a distinct 80s sound, which is not a bad thing, but gets a bit much over 40 minutes. The Hanging Garden is the highlight.

70

I mean it's alright

It's good but sometimes his voice kinda irks me. Like the vibe but it doesn't do enough for me to want to continue listening to it.

Still love the Cure but this is background goth music. 5/10

love love the cure!! not my favorite album of theirs but will always love what they do.

it was alright not really my cup of tea though

Not a huge Cure fan, but it was fine. Kelly and I listened together on separate headphones like silent disco lol so that was fun.

Atmospheric, desolate and glacial. While I don't particularly enjoy Robert Smith's vocals, I have to admit they do work very well drenched in reverb over these brooding, slow, booming songs. I couldn't give this more than an 8, but appreciate why this may be some people's favourite of the list. Best Tracks: - Cold - The Hanging Garden - The Figurehead Worst Tracks: - Siamese Twins Rating: 7.5/10

3.5 pretty good.

I like the dense atmospheric sound and the dirge-like quality, but mostly it's the vocals that put me off.

I enjoyed it overall, not my usual cup of tea but I could get into it if I'm in the right mood. Otherwise, bit too dark and dreary.

A mood album as with a lot of Cure. The tone is set right off the bat with a killer opening track. Unfortunately the rest of the album doesn’t match the greatness of One Hundred Years, but there are other good songs throughout.

12/19/25: I know they came before The Killers but since I listened to The Killers first, that's mostly what I hear in terms of vocals. I may have not been in the right headspace to experience this album. Only listened once. Meh? 5/10

Ooh, scary.

5.0/10 Very depressive.. all songs were similar.

This album was good but not my favorite Cure album.

Liked it way more than I thought I would--really strong second half. Hanging Tree, Siamese Twins were my favorite.

It's not the kind of music I would usually listen to, but I could see how if I was in a depresso mood, I could put it on and brood. Extra star because I could hear the Bowie influence in the songs which helped me experience the album in a more meaningful way.

dark and interesting, but I don't think I would revisit anytime soon

Despite my love for the recognisable sound of this band, I have impression that this record is quite bland. I gave 2nd chance to 3 songs (2,5&6)

Weird

This was the first time I had ever heard of gothic rock, but I totally understood why these songs were considered by that term. They all seemed to have dark themes, with a resounding and implacable drum beat with the exception of the last song. Oddly enough, I didn't hate the album; however, after I was through listening to it, I had to go and find some more upbeat music to get over the feeling of depression I experience after listening to it. Best song: "A Short Term Effect" and worst song: "Pornography". Not an album I would normally listen to and not an album I plan on listening to again.

It's fine

It's fine. Doesn't move the needle high or low for me. If you want The Cure, it'll do.

it was okay, good instrumentals nice vocals

Robert Smith has a great voice , very distinctive, I just thought this album didn’t give it a great workout. Bit dull

It’s fine? I like the atmosphere but that’s all it really offers. I get it’s sad but I wouldn’t say it enveloped me in that feeling as much as it could

The soundtrack for every pasty faced, eye liner having, black trench coat wearing kid in your early eighties high school yearbook. Very much a meh album.

Gothy beauty. ONE HUNDRED YEARS and THE FIGUREHEAD really leans into their strengths. Songs can bleed into one another.

Better than the rest of the 80s slop but not by a lot

Rather repeatable from the other Cure examples from the list

3 out of 5. Third Cure album so far on this list, and while good it doesn't stand with Disintegration.

Pretty decent album, this genre isn’t my thing tho. 3 stars, would listen again

fire album

Goth boys dun good.

This was ok.

I want to stay inside all day and wear dark leather and make up whenever i listen to this album.

If this was an instrumental or perhaps a different non-mopey singer, this album would have been great.

Struggling to get through an album of this. I think it's good, but man it's bleak. Second Cure album in a week and struggling with both. Finally back to it - it's good but too bleak for me. I prefer a bit of pop to take the edge off my Cure

Haunting, but to be expected with the Cure. The production goes a long way an achieving this mood. The guitar distortion, the tempo in which the drums are played, Robert Smith just generally being depressed. This...generally isn't something that I would want to listen to for 40+ minutes at a time, but I've come to appreciate the craft more.

Um ótimo exemplar do Rock gótico. 3 estrelas

Proto-Deftones. I don't hate The Cure as much as I always thought I did.

80/90s punk rock type Siamese twins is pretty solid A bit aggressive lyrics for my taste but enjoyed at the same time

Voix manque de variété

Good

So 80’s pop

Robert Smith has a great voice. Very repetitive album. Drums

Not as good as some of their albums. Disintegration and Faith are more interesting.

Helt OK

never been a huge Cure fan, but they're a legendary band for a reason. there's quality here - Siamese Twins is good so far

Good. A great example of having to walk before you can run as this came before their GREAT Disintegration album.

in one ear out the other

Dark and depressing, pretty much what I expected from The Cure. The musics not bad, but it's not exactly my style.

I'm not depressed or Gen X enough to like this

Robert Smith's voice is urgent and dramatic. The music is atmospheric and tense. It all sounds like it's recorded in an echo-y concrete basement. There's no emotional payoff, no resolution. Why, oh why do people enjoy The Cure? 'Hanging Garden' is pretty cool (nice work on bass, Simon Gallup). Smith's use if a flanger is pretty cool and Lol Tolhurst's drumming is insistent. Still sounds like you're listening from the far end of an unfurnished bunker. I have an admitted axe to grind against 80's music production and there's no exception, here. Everyone was using waaaaay too much reverb and it drowned the songs like cereal gone mushy in too much milk. It ruined a lot of albums. Phil Thornalley, Mike Nocito, Robert Smith's depression and a lot of drugs are to blame, here. Look, I'm a depressive. I'm alright these days, thank you, but I'm touched by music that comes from that place. Sometimes it's just mope, though: 'Siamese Twins' is a perfect example. The song sounds as if the whole band entered a hypnotic trance (or just took a bunch of heroin, or ketamine or something) and droned away while Smith did a stream-of-consciousness rant set to their music. The impression is interminable. On the other hand, the whole album is suffused with an atmosphere that is wholly of that depressive feeling ('Is it always like this?', Smith cries at the end of that track). If you value the effectiveness of mood creation, this is, as the kids say, peak. On the other hand, if you don't want to feel the anhedonia of depression -- the endless numbness, the interminable sense that the outside world's cold sunlight feels warmer to other people but freezing to your skin; that the dead taste in your mouth will last forever -- this'll feel like a slog. Which is just two ways to colour the same line drawing. In the end, it's the sound of a depressed, drug-addicted goth man breaking up with his band in realtime, but recorded from the opposite end of a dank fucking cave. I prefer a delicate, tragic beauty to my depressive music. I think people who like The Cure should like Matthew Good Band instead -- Good is slightly angrier and, for my money, much more poetic about his bipolar disorder. Everything from Last of the Ghetto Astronauts through his first solo release (Avalanche) is rife with angst and sadness, both personal and political. But he's Canadian and from the 90's, so nobody remembers him. The most frustrating thing is that I think there are good bones in here. Smith's guitar almost sounds good underneath the suffocating blanket of synthetic echoes (or maybe the did record this in a goddamn geologic feature). The rhythms are propulsive and precise -- even interesting, sometimes -- but they're usually at about half of a compelling speed. A little less opiates and a different decade might've made this excellent. Instead, it's just a chore. Anyway, if you want to listen to a sad heroin addict melt down in a cave with a rhythm section that hates him, you'll like this. If not, go try listening to Beautiful Midnight instead. 3/5 because it's marginally better than The Smiths.

Angular, gloomy, heavy synth, industrial style-beats. I can't say I've ever dove too deeply into The Cure, and from what I gather the later stuff is a little more upbeat, but this stuff is a bit of a struggle. I have a certain respect for it, but this album doesn't really speak to me. I can't see myself putting it on to listen to, but also feel that maybe I should some more time with, just to let is weirdness and difficulties soak in a little. They're doing something here which is quite cool, but also isn't my speed. I'm happy to have encountered this, but this is roughly the way I feel about The Smiths or heck, even Joy Division. There's songs and moments I really enjoy ("A Strange Day" was a real highlight for me), but listening to 45 minutes consecutively often feels like a lot of gloom.

It's a pleasant enough collection

I'm a big Cure fan, but my love for them essentially begins with 1985's The Head on the Door (a few songs here or there excluded). The earlier, more goth-tinged albums are missing the melodies and emotional heft that led to their wonderful blend of radio-ready hits and hypnotic, swirling gloom. Pornography at least has the building blocks of the latter category, but it's slogged down by layers of murky production and Robert Smith in his most self-serious form. There are gorgeous moments ("Cold" being a personal favorite), but it's missing the playfulness and clarity that's coming.

Nice

Really good propulsive beat to the music, love Robert Smiths vocal stylings, very dark and foreboding, missing the art pop love tracks of later albums

Interesting, but not really my thing.

I find the vocals a little too emo to really like the album.

I dig the music and vibes, just not a huge fan of Robert Smith's singing. "One Hundred Years" and "One Strange Day" were faves on here

Drums were a highlight. Seventeen Seconds did a lot more for me, but there are some nice tiddlywinks here and there.

I like it but not as much as some of the other Cure songs I have heard. It's a more somber affair, it sounds like, and it doesn't really click with me at this time. Maybe a reevaluation later will make my opinion more favorable. For now though, it's alright.

I really enjoy The Cure. But I guess its a 'coming late to the game' kind of situation for me. This is another band that I have wanted to explore their discography. I am more versed with their late 80s stuff, especially what was in heavy rotation on MTV. As much as I have seen this album cover, this was a first listen for me, and I had not heard a single song from it. At least nothing sparked for me. Its a good album but very moody. I have stressed earlier in this list, that I feel I am just too old for moody music. I can see how this would have appealed to younger people in the early 80s or even younger people today, who all seem to emulate the past. But for me it doesn't do a lot. It is The Cure so I cannot give any less that three stars for it.

This album started out SO strong. Feels like a record that was meant to be played at high volume on a nice soundsystem. It’s sooo very 80s in its production. The energy started to drag and get repetitive by the time I hit The Figurehead. Everything started to feel a little one-note. The title track was a nice treat and change of pace but a bonkers choice as an album ender. The one thing I know about The Cure is their dreamy, catchy hooks that beg to be in coming-of-age films, and there isn’t much of that in this record. It’s very cold and dark, and feels a little more like how Robert Smith looks tbh. It’s piqued my interest enough to dive further into the band but I don’t see myself casually throwing this record on again any time soon. Standout track: One Hundred Years

Writing these notes from memory the day after: Damn those drums/evrything on One Hundred Years is so sick. Perfect. By the time I got to track 4 my thought was "ok I get it", started to feel a one note.. Closer track was wild. But the spaces created throughout are so so good, the crazy drum sounds, Robert Smiths vocal delivery is so emotional (if a little repetitive). There were some genuinely scary moments. I liked it! 7/10

I read that this album was fuelled by LSD and alcohol — that tracks. Essential goth rock. Not something I’m too privy to but I do like the general feel/space/sound of the record throughout. Wall of sound but depressing. Standout track for me is ‘Siamese Twins’. Interesting that it’s definitely the most dry (least wet) song. Sounds like a lot of post-punk I love. The jangly guitar melody and the harmonics are so cool. Also the two tambourine hits at the end of every bar make the song. I’ll be listening to this song a lot.

One Hundred Years is pretty scary tbh I like it Some really cool effects on A Short Term Effect, the diving vocal delays and reverse guitar stuff is dope Drum machine city Such a cool atmosphere The vocals were always going to be the challenge on this record for me, I love pretty much everything else. Everything lives in the same range (dynamically and melodically) and I just can’t hang on to it. A Hanging Garden 2010s indie rock band floor toms Cold intro cello is sick Wow, Pornography is a crazy track. The tape loops, the tension, synths in the right ear and toms in the left. This would be absolutely massive live. The most standout feature of this record for me is the atmosphere. The songs aren’t exactly memorable, but they’ve really crafted an interesting world. It feels very dire. I’m not really into the vocals for the most part, but on the closing track they are perfect. There’s an urgency and desperation to them. A lot of really cool 80s production moves, some of it pretty trope-y at this point with 40 years of context, but I can imagine in 1982 this record sounded absolutely nuts blasting out of some teenagers bedroom speakers.

Bit too much for me but quite enjoyed it still, some tracks like Pornography wasnt my thing but The Hanging Garden was great.

Good music... But in measure

Was ok but kinda backgroundy to me

It was alright.

I'm quite familiar with the Cure's more popular material, so this album came as an interesting surprise. This album's release was an important step in the development of the Goth movement, as well as a turning point in the style of the band's music. If you want to wallow in navel-gazing misery, this album is a great way to do it. In some phases of my life this has been an important activity. I'm not there right now, but will give this another listen next time I need it.

Really great album, it's not my favorite of the Cure, btu from what I've listened too it seems like one of their more difficult to grasp and amorphous album. I like it, but didn't super connect on this listen.

Ret råt i lyden, men et udmærket album.

I never heard anything off of this album. The rhythmic riffs and darks tone (even for them) was quite appealing.

The Cure conjure up an effectively gloomy, nightmarish atmosphere of despair, even if the songs aren’t always the most memorable. You could probably just listen to One Hundred Years and get the whole vibe immediately without going through the whole thing.

The Cure has always felt like 80s British My Chemical Romance to me. Its great. Its dark, its sexy, its desperate, its lonely. Its like OG emo. I can definitely jam with this record, but admittedly, its not my favorite by The Cure. I do tend to gravitate towards more of their pop rock stuff. My caught my attention with this one was the percussion. This does feel like a "foundational" album for The Cure. Not quite to full tilt, but really cool. All the elements are there. I'm also kind of picking up some Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie and Depeche Mode in this record. Its a lot darker than some of their later work.

If half stars were possible, this would be a solid 3.5 for me. It’s moody and good, but doesn’t quite have a wow factor. Enjoyable once through, but no really stand-out tracks

It was a Dark and Stormy night - err album. I like the later Cure albums better but this was a good listen.

An album that didnt gave any goosebumps but actually enjoyed.

it's ok

This was alright. I like The Cure but it wasn't my favourite.

No me ha encantado en la primera escucha aunque me ha resultado interesante. El tipo de disco que me irá gustando más cuanto más lo escuche.

diluted dread, i guess kinda what I expected for a Cure album, might be worth a revisit

I may be the worst music reviewer of all time as something has to really suck for me to talk poorly about it.

Pre Thoughts: - I've heard 100000 good things about this album, I hope they are true. - I think Robert Smith is cool and this band has tracks I like, I even thought their newest release was decent. During Thoughts: - Immediate right energy for me today. - Production is decidedly rough, but fitting for the aesthetic - Guitars are cool and sharp sounding Post Thoughts: - Nothing super jumped, but def think it was enjoyable. - Specific for a certain headspace and time, but services its environment extremely well. Standout Tracks: Hanging Garden, Figurehead, Cold,

Captivating! Weird time shifts, key changes. I can feel the rebellion inside of what you could describe as pop songs met with punk. Not a huge fan of his voice but it’s interesting. Drummer stood out the most. I actually liked this and might check out their other stuff

Reminds me of Depeche Mode!

Some decent songs but it gets samey after a while.

The Cure's appeal is clear -- technically adept music and highfalutin lyrics -- but I cannot muster enough interests in their nothingness.

3,5

It's fine. A bit dull, but obviously some are classic.

This gothic rock album builds from dense layers of drums, bass, and reverb-drenched guitars, with vocals aching in despair and urgency, shrouded in a fog of claustrophobic atmosphere and emotional collapse that feels both agonizing and strangely transcendent.

Solid album with a lot of driving bass and reverb on the vocals. Robert Smith’s vocal sound is still iconic. Highlights: “The Hanging Garden” and “Cold”

Tap into your goth side and this is a pretty decent listen. I probably won’t be back to it again, but I’m glad it’s out there for the folks who need it

Fav Song: A Strange Day

I had heard of the cure but never listened to them before. I can recognize their influence on the genre and overall I'd say this album was not bad.

I think this band’s got it where it counts and maybe they’re doing interesting things. Just not for me…

A cure album with none of their hits. An interesting and dark listen, but I'm more of the "alove Cats" type of Cure Fan

Definitely not the best album, but still the cure really like the beats and the guitar

01) One Hundred Years - 8,0 02) A Short Term Effect - 7,5 03) The Hanging Garden - 8,0 04) Siamese Twins - 7,0 05) The Figurehead - 7,0 06) A Strange Day - 8,0 07) Cold - 7,0 08) Pornography - 6,0 TOTAL: 7,31 (73/100) Current ranking: 336/698

It’s not my favorite Cure record I’ve listened to, but it maintains their strong sense of atmosphere and the drums are quite cool. Viva la goth rock.

Good

I really wanted to like the album more :(

A powerful, bleak wall of sound, but very droning and repetitive

3.2

- I like goth rock in general, but Disintegration was my integration (heh) into the genre, and this is just missing those few elements that made that one great - from what I understand, this was one of the formative albums of the genre when it was just coming onto the scene, but I much prefer what it ended up growing into seven years later: less aggressively melancholic, more dreamily contemplative - still, the drum sampling is pretty cool and drives a lot of the songs forward. I'd channel my inner goth rage and go for a run with this in my ears

It was okay

top 3: - siamese twins - the figurehead - a strange head

Almost a 2 but became more enjoyable. 3.

Ei tää Curen voivottelu oo oikein ikinä iskeny

Not my favourite genre

Sad songs for sad bois. I am a sad boi

This is a gloomy listen, and it sounds like the making of it was fraught to say the least. I missed this one during my peak Cure-listening years, so I appreciated the history lesson, even if it's not something I'd put on for funsies.

Good album. I liked it better than most of the singles played. It’s dark wave. I listened to the remastered version on Spotify. I would like to have heard the songs mixed with better separation between instruments; it’s a bit muddled. That’s a quibble - it’s a solid album except “Pornography” which seems more like filler

I like all of the ingredients but I just don’t enjoy the cake. 3/ 5

While I'm certainly aware of this as the pivot to goth rock, this is where the Cure started to lose me, as a fan in real-time. I CAN'T STAND the drum sound, even though I appreciate the atmosphere they're creating. Bring back Seventeen Seconds!

I fell asleep during the second song and woke up during the title track, at the end. Great nap. On second listen, this is The Cure at their darkest, and they have forgone choruses and hooks, and replaced it with drone, the melodies are sparse and Smith is wailing over drum machines. The songs are repetitive and heavily layered. Aside from The Hanging Garden, these are songs that I’m not familiar with. It’s no Disintegration that’s for sure, but it is not intended to be. I’ll be happy to listen to A Letter To Elise afterwards to remind myself of the joy of melody. Highlights - Siamese Twins (fascinating lyrics), A Strange Day (great guitar parts) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jesus Christ I was already depressed

The album's opening line is "It doesn't matter if we all die," and it really well anticipates what's to come over the next 40+ minutes. Pornography is quite heavy to listen to at times, and it's not my favorite Cure album. But there are elements that lays the groundwork for the band's sound to evolve towards their later great albums

"Pornography" is a fitting title for this album—it's almost embarrassingly explicit, but sometimes seems unrealistic. Be that as it may, some of the songs are painful, and it's certainly in the eye of the beholder and depends on their mood whether that's a good or bad thing. In any case, this album is an impressive testament to the early days of gothic rock. Recommended tracks: “The Hanging Garden,” “The Figurehead,” and “Cold” have particularly stuck in my memory.

It was ok ~ pretty standard 1980s stuff. Not super my jam

Organic cocaine jazz

I must say this isn’t really doing it for me. A bit samey and unmemorable. They definitely improved with subsequent albums

I'm not one who knows The Cure backwards and forwards, but I'm aware of, and enjoy, many of their songs. This album starts out with a driving, atmospheric darkness that I absolutely LOVE! The first couple of songs and A Strange Day ended up being my favorites. Overall, I think the songs were repetitive, but cool. I give this one a 3.5

are all the songs of the album the same ? or it my be my ears :'(

Det är verkligen ett säreget album som man bör höra innan man dör. Det hypnotiska stelopererade trumkompet, de svävande effektdränkta gitarrerna, Robert Smiths sång som flyter runt utan några riktiga melodier. Liknar verkligen ingenting annat. Men från den här Cure-eran lyssnar jag personligen hellre på Faith och Seventeen seconds.

Visst har det varit en hel del tidigt 80-tal som slumpats fram än så länge. En epok som definitivt kan ifrågasättas. Cure höjer sig emellertid upp ur bottenträsket där flera av de tidigare albumen från tiden hamnat. Det finns något tilltalande med det fundamentala mörkret i skivan. Samtidigt blir det också väldigt enahanda. Någon större variation möts vi inte av vara sig inom enskilda spår eller mellan olika spår. Det blir att man tröttnar efter ett tag. Ser dock att albumet funkar som soundtrack i bilstereon under en nattlig långkörning. Svag trea.

Tyvärr kom jobbet ivägen för en ordentlig genomlyssning. Det låter som the cure brukar låta: bra. Ingen låt dom omedelbart fastnar hos mig. Men känner att albumet kan växa på mig.

Didn't loved songwriting much, as it feels a bit simple to me, but loved overall gloomy atmosphere. Quite an experience, which I'll probably revisit, but not too often. Best song: A Short Term Effect

It’s a miserable dirge that gets worse as it goes on. I get it, i didn’t like it

The cure är häftig men gillar nog mest deras mer popiga grejer. Atmosfäriskt album men gör det inte riktigt för mig.

Rating: 6.5/10 Not a huge fan of early the Cure, this album also suffers from a lack of ideas. Songs would generally be one idea or riff that they slowly expand upon but that is it, I simply do not think these ideas are that great. I commend them on the atmosphere and depressing lyrics but musically this band has albums that are miles better than this.

Classic old-school dirge-y atmosphere. This is what people who don’t know the full range of The Cure think of when they think of The Cure. Perfect for a gloomy day.

туманно мрачно депрессивно но если у тебя хорошее настроение - звучит для тебя как фон

Not my favorite Cure album. Probably won't give it another full listen, but not bad.

I have never liked the Cure. When this album came up on here i kind of realized that I have never actually listened to a full Cure album from start to finish. So i did. And nothing has changed. There were a couple parts where there were some great guitar riffs, but other wise I find the vocals sooooo boring. The Cure is nap music. I don't really want to listen to it if I do not have to.

A dark, moody record that does some interesting things with the guitar work and noise; however while listening to the record one can't help but call comparisons to predecessors like Joy Division which simply sound like an elevated version of this record. It's serviceable, even enjoyable at times but doesn't stand out much otherwise

3/5 not very exciting, but not unlistenable

Unique sound, I like it but hard to listen to (depressing)

Dissonant, atmospheric and dark. I liked this marginally better than Seventeen Seconds but it's not on the same level as Disintegration. A bit too dreary for me. Siamese Twins was a highlight though.

Kinda cool. Moody af. Not my favourite Cure album.

Their fourth album. Rock / New Wave / Post Punk / Indie. One Hundred Years is a dense and atmospheric opening track which sets the tone for this album. Very Joy Divison esque. Dark and Gothic too. Distorted guitars sound good. The edgier version of The Cure before they went 'Pop'. A solid album.

There are a number of Cure albums I love. This has never really been one of them. Initially dismissed by critics and loved by a fairly vocal subsection of the fanbase, its firmly in the middle for me.

3.

Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5

1. One Hundred Years - 10 Vocals can be drowned out a little but they are brilliant and the sound from the guitars is so good. The chords on them are excellent and they are underpinned by a deep and excellent drum. Superb track. 2. A Short Term Effect - 6 It's alright. The sound is good but I feel like the drum is almost exactly the same as the first track. It's harder to understand what he's actually singing on the track as well. 3. The Hanging Garden - 7 Faster drum this time but a quintessential sounding song from The Cure. Pretty good sound but this time it's the drums that are the leading instrument. 4. Siamese Twins - 5 Lyrically very random but otherwise a decent track. The tracks are becoming a bit too monotonous in their composure though. They kind of all sound the same, which is okay if tempo or beat changes. Tempo has slightly but beat has very much not. 5. The Figurehead - 6 It's more of the same solid guitars and drum. Sounds almost exactly like the opening 2 tracks. 6. A Strange Day - 6 Rinse and repeat. 7. Cold - 8 Different pace and tone and very enjoyable. Much slower than the rest of the album but that bass has such a hypnotic and incredibly gripping sound. It makes you feel as if you're preparing for an epic. 8. Pornography - 2 Collection of noise to end the album which is extremely disappointing. The noise also drowns out any and all vocals. Average Rating: 6.25 Adjusted to 5-Point Scale: 3.13 Rounded Down: 3 Stars

On today's pick of the 1001 albums I should listen to, I rolled The Cure's Pornography from 1982. Believe it or not this is one of the few The Cure albums I have heard in full and yet I distinctly remember not quite getting/understanding this project my first time through. I remember this album being very dreamy and the production and lyrics both bringing this chilly and quite depressing feeling across myself, but I don't think I was into the more melancholic ideas the album was presenting at that time. Now after an unknown of time in between my last listen, easily 3 years at the minimum, I have a new found appreciation for this project even if I don't think it is the best thing in the world. If you like your music moody and full of sad or angry expressions then I would suggest seeing a therapist, or becoming an /mu/ core head as a lot of those albums fit the bill. In all seriousness, this album is a great way to feel like you aren't alone with those emotions as Robert Smith and company put together. While the music does get a bit lost in the production of this album with its' sweeping waves, I do still think there is plenty here to "enjoy" for any sort of music fan. The lyrics are dense and really match the project, the soundscape is still so bold today even if the music may not be as prominent anymore, and it is a short enough runtime where anyone can zoom right through this album without too much thought or effort. With all that being said though I do think everything I said is done to a pretty solid degree and not to anything I am truly impressed with, especially with how messy of a closer the title track is at the end. Pornography is cool and definitely not an album for the summer, but despite that I really don't get what all the hype is about here as The Cure easily has better production and writing on many of their other albums. I'd take Faith over this any day.

Like the cure, but this one isn't my favorite

This was listenable but not inspiring to me. The 'industrial' sound of the 80s was not my fave in general, and the dramatic singing voice was another aspect of 80s pop that doesn't translate to modern times very well. Glad for the listen but skipped through the last couple tracks and will prob not put this on again.

Ok album. Some really good songs and a lot of just ok.

A good album that paves the way for the absolute greatness that is on the horizon.

sad 80s music

A couple of bangers, the rest decent

In general I'm not a huge fan of The Cure, since the instrumentals feel cheesy. Although the vocals really carry it.

It was fine? Felt more like background noise when I had listened.

I'm sure the guy who monitors the keylogger on my australian public service issued computer raised an eyebrow when i typed pornography. Music for when you really want to kill yourself but doing so would prevent you from dressing like a faggot in future.

A difficult one for me to score out of five. In terms of atmosphere, this album is basically a dark cathedral of sound. As for standout tracks, there are a couple of highlights. Unfortunately this album sort of blends together in the middle. Perhaps every song being as depressing and gloomy as the last one was the cause. It's good, but it's not reaching the heights of something like Disintegration. Highlights: One Hundred Years, Cold

The album feels intensely personal, as if The Cure presented their raw, unfiltered ideas directly to the audience. This unfiltered approach can be exhausting for the listener to fully absorb. While there are strong melodies, the lyrics often take center stage, sometimes overshadowing the musical harmony. Nevertheless, it's interesting to hear the band's struggles, and the feelings of exhaustion and the simple difficulty of being alive are deeply relatable.

The Hanging Garden et A Strange Day méritaient 5 étoiles mais une écoute complète de l'album m'ayant ôté un peu de ma joie de vivre, je ne pourrai pas mettre une meilleure note.

Vraiment excellent mais la joie c'est bien aussi, une fois de temps en temps...

This felt longer than 43 minutes. It also felt quintessentially Cure. I dig.

Ya con la portada se puede pensar que es un álbum intimidante. Creo que durante todo el álbum se puede percibir la tensión y lo ‘sombrío’ que es en su generalidad. Definitivamente no es mi tipo de música pero creo que, dado el año, debió ser una gran inspiración de las bandas más góticas, por lo que respect. Nota: 3.5/5

Kind of splits the difference between Siousie Sioux and Cabaret Voltaire? Highlights are Hanging Garden which really swells with anxious sounds, Siamese Twins for immediately whipping the album back to a minimalist dirge and Cold for almost not having any Robert Smith vocals. Its let down a bit by a lackluster mix and what feels like a bit of a failure to fully commit to the bit in a way that Joy Division (or Siousie for that matter) never would. For every tritone there's a new romantic flourish that kind of takes you out of it.

Noe er veldig bra og spennende, men så er det også låter som er kjedelige eller har lite spennende rytme/bassgang.

One Hundred Years // The Figurehead //

Always been aware of the Cure never listened to. They have a distinctive vibe to their sound with that dark, eerie didn’t want to use the word but Gothic sound. Can appreciate but it’s all a little bit too dark for my taste, being honest I can’t tell what he’s on about most of the time and might be saying he’s a happy little bunny but it still all sounds nihilistic. 3 Star.

72/100 insanely gothic and brooding, im really interested in this sound this is the first gothic rock album ive ever listened to and it makes me want to check out more of the subgenre and the cure in general

No soy el mayor fan de The Cure, pero siempre me ha gustado bastante este disco. Vale, no lo he escuchado muchísimo con anterioridad, pero considero que es un trabajo bastante consistente en si solo, y un muy buen trabajo en la discografía de la banda. The Cure por aquel entonces todavia estaba muy encasillado en este sonido "Post-Punk" y "Rock Gótico" que dominó la escena de rock alternativo británica de finales de los 70s. Esto es lo que es exactamente este disco. No es algo innovador para nada, sobre todo porque en ese momento, en el año 1980, las bandas que habian dado forma al decadente movimiento post-punk ya habian comenzado a experimentar con otros sonidos. Bueno, el album esta guay. Me parece bastante mejor que "The Top" pero no mejor que "The Head on the Door" y muchos de los siguientes discos de The Cure. Igualmente hay un MONTONAZO de canciones de The Cure que me parecen zzz 3/5

Meh. Es que siento que hay demasiada gente a la que le gusta the cure como para poner una mala review y sentirme objetivo. No es mi rollo. Una o dos canciones molan, porque si que tienen un sonido peculiar suyo, y a ver, los temas no están mal. Admito que me gusta la atmósfera tenebrosa que consiguen, pero después de unas rolas ya cansa y pierde la gracia. Creo que sencillamente falta un poco de variedad. Igualmente le daré 3 estrellas porque supongo que no fue terrible, pero ni de coña lo volvería a escuchar. 6/10->3/5

Bueno, está bien, pero me esperaba bien, no tiene nada muy destacable y tampoco lo escuché con demasiada atención, pero bueno no está mal

I think I'm partial to Head in the Door forward. Not enough melody

3 stars. Started off slow, then started to sound like The Cure

Meh

Good overall album, I am a bit familiar with the cure so I like it. A bit difficult to understand the songs but I catch a few themes. I think I will listen to it again at some point

i like the cure it’s probably good. was nice cried to it about sex

I’d listen to it again, but won’t seek it out

3/5