Pornography

I mostly liked this album, but the whole gothic, full of dread and despair feeling kind of gets tiresome by the end. Not something I'm going to return to frequently unless I'm feeling particularly bummed about something.

The Cure is always consistent. Hits all the melancholy notes you’d expect

The Cure... really Robert Smith... and some good musicians throughout the years... despite being what i consider a "dress up" kind of band... imagine if Mr. Smith ever went out on stage dressed like a man of his actual age... lol... it simply wouldn't go over... in my opinion, The Cure were about creating a vibe or creating an atmosphere where they could play some cool music... and they always had good songs... so many danceable singles... none of which appear on this album, alas... what does appear is music that i think was influenced by them opening for Siouxsie and the Banshees... it is a very moody, ominously dark album... it's like new wave or alternative's take on a heavier sound... if you are a Cure fan, you know they started to sound a lot different after this one... more party in their game... less seriousness... anyway, back to the album... Robert Smith is a performer that NEEDS to have a matching LOOK... to sing like he does, it almost begs to have him looking a bit crazy on stage... and he does.. i've seen them live... and he is a total pro... sounds just like the records... and has BAD ASS players playing Cure music... and for the vocals, i put Robert Smith in there with David Byrne, as being a quirky, yet genius singer... a one off... unique... is it in tune? who cares? it is the perfect voice for this music... his music... the driving drum sound on this record is because of Lol Tolhurst, who actually, later, became the keyboardist... and a producer... there are NO HITS on this record... and the songs are well played and done with serious intent... and other albums by them, i'd give five stars to... and Robert Smith is a singular talent... but, for my American ear... and my taste... i give it a strong THREE stars... is it an album you must hear before you die? maybe... but is it an album you would put on repeat? aw hell no... but big respect for Mr. Smith... and i'm sure when another of "their" records shows up on the list, it will get more stars"

Disappointing. One or two good tracks.

Just didn't do much

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.

Yeah I’ve watched porn that made me feel like this too :(

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

Brilliant, timeless and one of the best British bands ever.

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.

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.

I guess im just a cringe Cure megafan now. Nothing sounds like them and this is another borderline masterpiece album save for the hanging garden. Standouts are 100 years and Siamese twins 9/10

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

I love The Cure and this album is no exception. Goth Rock at its best. From the opening "One Hundred Years" to the closing title track "Pornography" this is The Cure at their best. Also contains their single and one of my favourite tracks by The Cure: "The Hanging Garden". 5/5

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.

great album but not exactly easy listening lol

Pure Cure.

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...

very dissonant - really embodies gothic rock quite well

Good.

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

Monday was definitely blue when Robert Smith wrote this.

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

Íntimo, etereo, personal y vanguardista

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

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.

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

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 //

Probably my favourite cute album love the dark atmosphere and production it's so peak 9/10 Favourite: A Strange Day Least Favourite: None

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

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!

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

The music is adequately dark and sombre, making the mood all gothy and moody. And then Robert Smith comes in with his non-singing and completely ruins the mood. And through the whole thing there's no poppy relief to let you out of the mood. So it's all dark and gloomy, and now I want to forget I ever listened to this album. No. Don't listen to this album My Rating: 1/5

2 Maybe I wasn't in the right place listening to this but it was very average and every song sounded the same

Monotonous.

anguished, and dreary

goes hard favorite song: One Hundred Years

I thought the cure had chill music, this was weird demonic stuff

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

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.

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

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

Meh

Ok emo didn’t know you had game like that

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

nope

Like classic rock, but not really anything.

Not really for me.

Always the overrated band

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.

An excellent encapsulation of the morose goth rock sound. Great instrumentation, slightly strange/disturbing lyrics, and songwriting that is a constant, dirge-like, brooding trudge. 4.5/5.0: Excellent

easily my least favorite cure album weve had so far. they do a great job of setting up the dark and moody atmosphere but the songs never really go anywhere. i kept waiting on a payoff that never arrives. its never a good sign to think you are getting close to the end but you are actually just finishing the fourth song.

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.

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

Was initally really excited for a The Cure record, but kind of letdown due to the repetitiveness. Guess Disintegration would rather be my cup of tea.

One of the bleakest album I know.

Magnificient. This cured me after all the horrible albums I got on this list.

Hey, it's The Cure after all. It's dark, it's cold, it's fantastic.

The second of three Cure albums on this list. Two too many if you ask me.

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)

What a depressing slog. I’ll never listen to a single song from that album ever again

Too noisy but enjoyable

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

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

You don't need me to tell you that the title is a misnomer. Pornography is not titillating. It is not erotic. It is not lascivious. It is, instead, a musical facsimile of spiritual collapse: puritanical, dour, and seethingly joyless. Its title is a red herring. Or perhaps a black one. Unless we accept pornography for what it really is: an act of endurance and mortification. The album marks the end of the dark trilogy that also includes Seventeen Seconds and Faith: a sustained attempt to remove anything so gauche as pleasure from the musical experience. But it’s also the beginning of a deeper, career-spanning descent into darkness, continued in Disintegration and Bloodflowers, and canonised in the Trilogy concerts of 2003. Whether Pornography will eventually lose its place to Songs from a Lost World, or whether the trilogy will simply expand into a tetralogy, remains to be seen. It’s the only Cure album produced by Phil Thornalley. He’d later pick up the bass after Simon Gallup quit the band - briefly, and after an embarrassing on-stage fight during the tour. Robert Smith, dragging the drunken body of childhood friend and nominal drummer Lol Tolhurst behind him, turns to pop music as both a joke and a way out. There were pop elements to begin with - Three Imaginary Boys has a bunch - but that was adolescent work, uncertain of its own seriousness. Those trilogy is heavy and depressive, and for Smith, increasingly unbearable. Four albums in, after relentless touring and with little money to show for it, the strain was beginning to show. There’s no ambivalence here: the seriousness is absolute. Smith, drinking heavily and writing furiously, sounds like a man not on the theatrical edge of rock’n’roll burnout, but on the real, unlit ledge beyond. Will he change or will he choose “an eternity of this.” After Pornography, he creates a character to protect himself from life as a professional indie musician. The character is unnamed. It isn’t a persona in the Bowie sense. It’s closer to Dylan’s game: always the same, always different, never to be trusted. A mask of lipstick behind which Smith might be smiling, frowning, or maniacally laughing. It’s more personable than the blank masks worn by the band on the Pornography cover, but no less obscure. Pornography, then, is the closest we get to the real Robert Smith. Or at least Smith at his worst: depressed, drunk, raging at his band, and at the world. And if we can’t handle him at his worst, we don’t deserve him at his best. Because Pornography is not the best Cure album. Only the most ardent Goth would argue it is, the kind who might veer into industrial and never quite return to the real world. But I love the album all the same, as a committed act of emotional honesty. A step up from Seventeen Seconds and Faith, it’s immediate rather than ponderous. There’s a propulsion here, a kind of urgency, that the earlier albums don’t have. Lol Tolhurst hasn’t exactly learned to drum, but he hits hard and with intention. The repetition across the songs earns its place, because it feels like the band is fighting their way through it, trying to find a way out. They don’t. Which is why they fall apart on stage in Belgium instead. Given the accessibility and commercial success of Staring at the Sea, the band’s first singles collection from a few years later, it’s hard to believe any tracks from Pornography were included. But The Hanging Garden demands and earns its place. One Hundred Years deserves one too, though it didn’t make the cut. That’s not surprising. But it should be there. It is foundational. It is brutal. And it is, crucially, very funny. If you can’t hear that, I’m not sure how you understand the band or their success. Yes, The Cure’s greatest triumphs - both commercial and artistic - would come later, in more polished and pop-adjacent records. (Phil Thornalley produced The Love Cats, after all.) But the fact that they keep returning to this place, this mood, this tone - on stage, where several of these songs still sit comfortably alongside the hits, and in vision, with the trilogy-turned-tetralogy - proves that this version of Robert Smith was never a phase. It is the core. On a personal level, I’m glad Smith escaped the world of Pornography. But I’m just as glad he can still return to it when he needs to. Not to dwell, but to remind himself, and us, what the stakes once were. What it cost. The album may not be erotic, but it is pornography in the truer sense: exposure without consent, raw and unresolved. Not something to emulate, but something to witness. And Smith let us witness it. 3.5 A grey, drizzly Monday listening to Pornography. I was going to write something about how I appreciate the instrumental textures. But I died. 3/5

Pretty cool album.

I used to have some weird disconnection with The Cure's music. Well, Pornography fixed it. Musically, it's so far my favourite album of theirs. I love how immersive it is. The Cure drag you into their dark, murky vision for 43 minutes and make you enjoy the ride. Distorted guitars, haunting slow drums, lots of bass and synth layers, and the way it's all produced makes the album feel raw and, in a way, more real. The imagery they paint here is quite nightmarish without being gruesome, and fits the sound well. It's music for feverish dreams, depression, mystic thrillers, or my everyday playlist. Very lovely. Not a song I didn't like on the tracklist, but my heart goes to the never-ending riff in The Figurehead.

Just did nothing for me.

3/5

so interesting!!!

too goated.

Well, it's the Cure, so it's good, but definitely not my favorite.

Kind of a downer, no? I guess if you were 16 and it was 1982...wait, I was 16 in 1982 and I was listening to Tom Petty and the Cars and they really cheered me up. Different strokes, I guess.

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

Batman at Glastonbury or when your in THAT mood something to cry over

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.

Not a fan of this album at all. Especially since there are better The Cure albums

Experiencia sonorada necesaria

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

Never liked The Cure. Trying not to be prejudiced but this jangly mess is not helping.

The most interested I have been in The Cure. Their proto-Emo influence is much more clear here. However, just didn’t grab me.

Cool sound, but a bit one-note.

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.

Too busy playing RE4 but I this one is good, one of their best but not my fave, will re-write later

Dit is een soort vage gothische rockopera? Heel duister album met een zanger die huilt over de gitaren en drums. Is het een lekker meezingalbum? Ik hoop het niet voor je, maar het luistert opzich best prima weg. Ik had eigenlijk niet door dat het album nog aan stond, is dat positief of juist heel erg negatief? Het is echt sadbois het album, en ik denk gewoon niet dat ik op het moment zo depri ben dat ik er goed naar kan luisteren. Ik kan er verder ook erg weinig over zeggen. Het is depri, het is The Cure, maar hun andere album was echt een stukje beter nog FAVO: The Hanging Garden, The Figurehead

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

Rating: 1.3 “So, should we build off our first album? I know we had some really good pop songs on there but we didn’t have a lot of commerical success.” “No, I think we’re gonna do some weirdo stuff now and it’s going to suck ass.”

Sure

“Rahhh maaaaa laaa baaa ta ta wahhh” Fuck the 80s man.

3.5

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

Generally fine, but not my favorite Cure record.

Not a fan

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

puff definitivamente no es el mejor album de the cure pero bueno, esperaba más bah mi fav ha sido A Strange Day que góticos ellos 3,5/5

This is a pretty wild album, mad respect here even though I’m not a massive fan 🙏

What an awful album. Not quite a 1, but 2 feels too high. I'll say 1.5 and round up.

Not my fav

I thought this was mostly decent - good songwriting - when Robert Smith gets sad it can be a bit much but the guy looks sad so I dunno.

meh

It's Robert Smith, the icon. Baby bats unite!

Same problem as the Smiths - good music that whiny vocals take a shit all over. Ok I guess

Honestly pretty forgettable. I like its sort of smoky allure and the instrumentation is often great but idk man. I can't really make out the vocals half the time and I just don't see myself revisiting it

Great album front to back.

Less boring than 17 Seconds. But not quite to my Cure pallate. I'm big on Wish, Disintegration and the debut. But I can see how this album drove the goth aesthetic to new heights. Its got some swing, some melody and pizzaz to it.

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.

Depressing as hell. Wasn't really that into it.

I wasn't exactly expecting this to still be so good, but it's still SO good. I think I actually enjoy the rawness of it a little more than disintegration? But like damn near every track is good here.

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.

It wasn’t like completely terrible or anything but I just did not vibe with it at all.

Compared to Disintegration, the shorter runtime on this makes it a lot more palatable. The instrumentals are once again fantastic and set a dark, dramatic, and texturally rich atmosphere. I really like that side of it! Robert Smith, on the other hand, sounds tortured and depressed as always. I get that that's the whole point, but musically I just find him kind of grating, and three listens in I still can’t seem to appreciate the vocals. It’s hard to go higher than a 3 when I struggle with the most central part of the band. Great album, just not going into my rotation. Standouts: One Hundred Years • The Hanging Garden • Cold

In my mind, this was an album I already knew and it was 100% a 4. After finding myself listening to it four times yesterday I had to change my mind. I was really able to appreciate the background stuff, like the bass and the low end sound effects, in a way I feel I did not before. Gained a new appreciation for this fantastic piece today.

Pretty good emo music

Very weird and ambient

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

1. hundred - 1.5 2. zhort - 1.5 3. garden - 1.5 4. tuuinz - 1.5 5. figure - 1.5 6. ztrange - 1.5 7. cold - 2 8. porno - 1

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

I like the Cure but if this album made the list there are probably about sixteen others to come.

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!

I quite like the cure but this wasn’t their best by far. 6/10

It's okay, not what expected from Cure. Never listened them before. I really like the cover art. Maybe I don't like the singing that much. Yeah, I don't think I would listen to this that often haha And also, I'm on the last song and I have the feeling I was just listening to one same song for 40 min, and now only that last one changed. Would love it if it was a bit more diverse.

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

Listened to the quite a few times. It was good but I didn't like the vibes.

Uh… yeah

5/10 - I usually like the cure but this one didn’t hit

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.

Of the time. Good vibe but not memorable

The second early Cure album in a week. I think I preferred Seventeen Seconds, but only just. A challenging listen, not for me

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

Early New Wave Cure kinda sucks. I'm thirty seconds in, maybe it gets better. It's not really getting better. These songs all sound very similar. This is more "The Cure" than Seventeen Seconds was, you can hear their sound more and more clearly as the album goes on. Kicking off the final song with some recorded distortion and old audio and backwards tape...who told bands this was a good creative direction to take over and over again?

i forgot how great this album is. so dark, so dingy, so scary, yet so tender, so melancholic, so lovely. amazingly goth deserves to be one of the 1001? absolutely

The Cure from when they were dark, moody, rhythmic and oppressively morose. There’s no sign of the evolution that would allow them to write a hit like “Friday I’m In Love.” On a regular day a bit of chore to get through, but if you turn this on when you’re depressed…*chef’s kiss!* 3.5⭐️

You know when you’re just curious and decide to try something a bit darker, a bit heavier than what you’re used to? You think, how bad can it be? You dim the lights, put it on, and suddenly boom you’re in deeper than expected. You’re sweating a little. It’s intense. It's not exactly fun in the traditional sense, but you’re strangely compelled to keep going. There's this primal throb underneath it all, and by the time you're halfway through, you're like, “This is messed up... but maybe I’m into it?” The pacing is relentless. It doesn’t give you room to breathe. It keeps whispering in your ear with those muffled voices and echoey moans, dragging you from one shadowy corner to the next. You might feel ashamed at first, like you shouldn’t enjoy something this grim or twisted... but then, somewhere around track four, you surrender. It’s hypnotic. Filthy, yes but sort of beautiful in its own tortured way. The kind of thing you wouldn’t admit to your mum you listened to, but deep down you know it’s exactly what you needed. And just when you think it can’t get any more depraved, it reaches that final climax and leaves you lying there, a bit broken, a bit confused, and totally wrung out. Five stars, no question. One of the Best The Cure albums ever

4.5

not my vibe but i get it

The Cure have always had a dark and haunting presence to them and this record is no different. It's an emotional journey and story that this record carries, feeling the pain in the lead vocalist's tone. Not my favorite era of music, but this record is a solid one.

Rough start, but overall an album I enjoyed. Heavier than the other Cure songs I’m familiar with, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Cold and Hanging Garden were stand outs that I would listen to again. Go off moody Brits!

I like Robert Smith’s voice on hits like Friday I’m in Love and Lovesong, but not on most of these tracks — seems whiny to me and gets old quick. We still have their album Disintegration to do. So that should be more to my liking.

Best Song: One Hundred Years Worst Song: Pornography Added: 1/8

I've heard it before! I like it

Very rompiche quand même

Very good album, very good band

Honestly so great 5/5

Great album. Some obscure spooky tracks I really loved.

This is grim even for a Cure record

Really solid and consistent album

Honestly, I am not feeling this at all. So many more tuneful and memorable cute songs. This feels like a malaise of their most reverberous and muted sounds. I respect the project for the sounds it defined, but the cure hit their stride later in their career.

did age quite a bit, still good

Heard it before. One of Cure's gothiest albums and I really appreciate it 3/5

From what I knew about The Cure, this one came as quite the surprise. Very industrial, and as it started I was pretty involved, but then as it droned on....I got pretty bored. Funny enough, I'd like to listen again because the good moments were very good, but this isn't my fave.

Haven't gotten it yet on this project, but I've previously listened to Disintegration, and that was an amazing album. This one (compared to what I remember from Disintegration), is great, but in a different way. Whereas I remember Disintegration being a more sad/melancholic but sweet record, Pornography goes in a darker, harder direction which I really appreciate. Songs across the board are great and Smith's voice adds a great contrast to the darker music despite still having the more melancholic/pleading voice he'd use later on Disintegration. Great record all around. Will definitely spin this more.

[2.75/5] Final impressions: Perfect if the vibe you're looking for is gothic, dark rock. Has a fun sound to it, but no big stand-outs to me. The tracks aren't different enough to really hold my attention. Listened to the 2005 remaster on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/album/0qJ30kPyjNkKjtV5h0JpHm]. *One Hundred Years - Fun vibe. Has an interesting, gloomy spookiness while staying upbeat. The instrumentals are good. Easiest track to vibe to here. A Short Term Effect - Not as good as the previous track, but I still like it. The Hanging Garden - Most interesting track so far. I like this one. Siamese Twins - Great sound. Almost mesmerizing in its beat. About 3/4 through, starting to greatly lose its traction to me. The Figurehead - Alright. A Strange Day - A lot better than the past few minutes for me. Re-inspiring some interest in what I'm listening to. Cold - Enticing darkness to it. Most distinct track on the album so far. Feels like I'm on a horse carriage in the dead of night on the way to an abandoned castle up the hill during a snowstorm in winter. Pornography - One of the better tracks on this album. Similar vibes to Cold, but I didn't like it as much. Most experimental track of the album, and kind of fitting as a final track - turns a lot of the horror/desolate elements of the album on its head by almost calling to action "Find a cure". Overall notes: Similar problem with the Deep Purple album from before, all the tracks start to sound the same about halfway through. I generally like the sound, so it works out alright.

Love me some cure

Immediate thought. Oh so this is where Brandon Flowers got his ideas. Brilliant discovery.

It felt a bit weird listening to this on a glorious, sunny summers day! Feels like it should be a soggy grey day in February. Not their best with no real stand out (poppier perhaps?) tunes but still a decent listen all the same.

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.

I'm not quite sure what I just listened to and if I should love it or hate it

I like newer Cure, but this album didn't do it for me

I... Really do not get the Cure. Didn't especially like Disintegration and this was no different, but somehow it was more meandering and dull

Not really for me. To slow and the singer isnt my favorite. Won't listen again.

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

The best album. Full stop.

Not too bad

8/10

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

Angsty emo, high 3

Niet helemaal mijn muziekstijl, hou meestal van iets meer tekst. Maar voor de rest prima nummer.

Day 2. So boring

Has a distinct dark tone and sticks to it but just not there best work so not sure why it's on this list.

I have a soft spot for the Cure, was never a fan but takes me back! And I do like some of their songs.

I've never quite understood The Cure, and this album really exemplifies the ways in which they confuse me. I listened to it, and while there were moments when I was humming along and enjoying the pleasant groove, most of the time I was just kinda unaffected by the whole thing. It was alright, I guess, but I just can't figure out how I'm supposed to react to this music. I see a lot of people saying the The Cure albums are their all-time favorites, and this one is on this list, so _someone_ must really love it, but I just can't figure out why anyone would be so interested in what I hear as perfectly mediocre sounds. The last track, Airlock: The Soundtrack, was just 13 minutes of infuriatingly distressing noises, and I absolutely hated it. It took all of my willpower not to just close the tab in rage. Two stars.

Great. Just great!

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.

You're always going to have a certain standard with such an iconic band. That voice and those guitars are so recognisable, but honestly I found this a slightly underwhelming record. All quite good, but nothing stand out tune wise. Maybe it's a slow burn and would grow on me more with related listens, but I'm not super moved to play it again.

These might be the best drums on any album ever. And the band invented goth girls. Easy 5 stars.

Not the biggest fan of cure anyway, couple of decent tracks, not an album I'll revisit

They say they've got the cure, but I don't have a disease

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.

Trippy, feels like I should've been high for half of it. 1 new song added to my personal rotation.

Not my favorite Cure album.

Good.

This was pretty good. A Cure album I am unfamiliar with but will return to.

I’m not getting much of anything from this one, though I do love a good big drum machine sound. I suspect this isn’t their best album. Probably deserves a 2.5.

Not my favourite Tge Cure album but still a decent listen.

Love the cure but this album is just terrible

Good.

Great dark album, one of their best

It's definitely The Cure. Not their best album by a longshot though.

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.

Dark and brooding. Not my favorite of theirs. Really has only one outstanding track and a couple of good ones.

Going off my brother Alex’s rating. Favorite Track: N/A

Hmm..

Why, oh why do you keep sending us ‘The Cure’ Mr 1001? Dante would have something to say about it, I’m certain of that - 3rd circle to date. How many more albums do these guys have?!

Make it stop. No more cure.

Thank god that’s over. A very difficult listen. Not a fan of the genre, but the music was just not interesting at all

It is kind of a vibe, and i can appreciate the influence its had on other artists. There are some cool elements here and there, but i would never choose to listen to this again. 2.5

I don’t HATE this but I don’t understand how it’s special. I would love to hear someone else sing to see if I liked it better

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.

iconic

Spooky vibes. Appropriate for _a_ mood, but not sure if/when I would be in that mood. I really juuuuust got through it.

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.

a MOST in my playlist from now on

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

Ah, yes, I always seem to forget that there's nothing quite like The Cure, is there? I never listened to them back in the day, aside from their inescapable radio hits (none of which come from this album or Cure era), so in my mind they're largely interchangeable with The Smiths, full of pouting and tragic gothic sounds. But this album is a great reminder of their dark, angry, misanthropic wall of wailing guitars and strangely empty but pounding drums all but drowning out Smith's plaintive wailing, a far cry from the likes of Morrissey's self-pitying chip on his shoulder. And judging from the Wikipedia entry, it sounds like this album in particular channeled all of Robert Smith's suicidal and self-destructive tendencies into the music, which thankfully kept him alive (and somehow the band made it out largely intact). I'm not sure I can point to any favorites on this album, as I *really* don't enjoy listening to The Cure, either in their earlier dark-gothic phase or the later pop-gothic sound, but if I had to choose something, I *did* enjoy the relatively straightforward "The hanging garden", especially for its awkward and very 80s music video. But I'm also glad to have heard this earlier Cure album, as I think I have a better feel for why a long-ago co-worker loved them so much and often claimed they were unique.

After the pleasure of hearing "Disintegration" on this project, I'm back to the Cure I know and don't like very much. Dude screaming rather than singing while the band wallows in the distance.

I like the Cure but this album didn't deliver.

enjoadinho

I wanted to hate on it but the more I listened the more I loved it. The drums and synths are the stars here. It's a VIBE. I can't take it overly seriously but I don't think Robert Smith is either. It's cropped up in my rotation a few times now since my first list. Glad I waited to give a rating.

Little dark. Not quiet my taste

someone should hug Robert Smith. There is a real charm to 80's goth music, but its just so dang gloomy, which I suppose is the point. The vocals are also just way too much on the whiny side, but I cant be too critical as someone who still loves 2000's emo and pop punk. I really do enjoy the sound this album has. A Short Term Effect is probably the best way to sum it up, spooky sad rock.

Goth as Frick! But not cool goth like a pale chick with black hair and big yabbos… sad goth like looking at a picture of modern day Robert Smith. Overall it was fine but his voice is very irritating to my ears. The Cure are just not for me

i mean its good but like i feel off after listening to it

Really liked the vibe and the vocals throughout. Just nothing that particularly stands out.

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

Very good at the vibe it creates

Reminds of Joy Division a bit. Not a huge fan of Joy Division.

Pretty underwhelming all the songs feel the same to me without any standout songs.

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.

Listen, I love the Cure but their first few albums were just noise. This album is... teetering on the edge of music and noise. I'm giving it a 3 because it's culturally important but this is not my favorite Cure album by far.

# Album Name: Pornography # Artist: The Cure # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Wow, this was extremely dark, gothic, almost suicidal. Im a big fan of the cure's greatest hits and singles. They have some great songs. This was actually the first time ive listened to their earlier work in full. Theres some great drums and bass on this. No doubt. But the overall feeling to the album is very sombre. Theres some interesting sounds which have potential. But you really have to be in a certain mood for this one. This is not for the masses. # Top Tunes: 100 years / Short term effect / siamese twins # Would I listen to it again? I'll come back to it. Cant see it being in regular rotation though. Too dark.

2.5

Like having your head held under water by a wailing, depressive.

So, I love 80s alt, but this is just a little too much. When Robert Smith is angsty it comes off to me as whiny and too high-pitched. One song wouldn’t be bad but a whole album of it was too much. I really love the drums. I also really liked one track-A Strange Day. I’ll still listen to The Cure‘s later stuff.

They're angry about something, hard to tell from the lyrics what it is. Really good bass lines and some nice guitar, but the Oh so spooky lyrics are distracting

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.

I'd already completely forgotten about this album by this morning. There was nothing for me here.

This is a “listen more than once” kind of album. I’m wasn’t a huge fan on first listen. But for some reason I want to listen to it again? I like the moodiness of it, but I disliked the repetitiveness. Maybe it’s just the vibe I enjoyed but overall the songs were meh.

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

The Hanging Garden

Good early cure, goth and moody. not one I could share with most people tho.

Not their best. Not very accessible songs here. No radio hits. Self obsessed

I like the Cure but this album was boring unfortunately

Not their best album

Doom n gloom. Album before they they went a bit more “happier”

I can’t. I’m sorry. Don’t hate me.

The atmosphere is actually incredible, the effects on the drums, guitars and vocals just make everything so dark and gloomy in a perfect way. I'm coming at this from hearing pretty much every cure album before including this one, but I don't know this one too well. Obviously his vocals are amazing, probably the best frontman/vocalist/guitarist of this era (/ever?), they fit the instrumentals so well, while still not entirely being totally lifeless and gloomy. The lyrics are also really creative and surreal. I feel like from knowing what the albums after this sound like, this is much more atmospheric than albums like head on the door or kiss me kiss me kiss me, as those are much more pop inspired, not at all for the worse though. This is atmospheric a lot like their latest album, however this is a bit more raw, and less overproduced, which I think generally pays off better. Absolutely no downsides at all, the more experimental songs like the last one are sitll amazing in my opinion. Its totally impossible to rank this in their discography for me as they are all amazing for totally different ways. Favourite songs: all of them. Overall around 9/10

Kenn ich und lieb ich.

Depressing

Great album...

The birth of emo? I’ll be honest. The cure are not my favorite. His pleading / whining / singing is something I can take in doses but not for a full album. I know people love this band. I am not one of those people

Pornography is definitely an album which I'm not exactly the biggest fan of. This album did have some good ideas with it being one of the early pioneers of gothic rock and it does show with a lot of the songs having this somewhat haunting air to them. This album unfortunately isn't the best when it comes to the execution though. This album's production isn't really that great causing the songs to sort of blend in with all the dissonance that they all have in spades. This causes the songs to just feel kinda forgettable since the melodies are lost to the dissonance. This is by no means a bad album but i still think that it could have been quite a lot better. Best Song: Cold Worst Song: Siamese Twins

Originally started listening to the deluxe version, and I could very much do without Airlock >.> Seeing all the live versions, I went to find the original release so I could stop at the correct spot. 
Not my fave Cure album, but I LOVE the song Hanging Garden

This is quite a dark and brooding album. Very heavy. I liked the cohesiveness of the album, but feel like I might have to be in the mood to listen to this one again.

Nope

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

Found myself wanting this to end long before it did. Sad boy music

Love it. Been a fan for a long time

Wow this was not for me. Just nothing to connect with anywhere, and I think I’m a pretty generous listener.

Raw unsdulterated the cure, fantastic.

Dire

Heerlie, nog nooit dit album gehoord

4.0 - Very Good

LOVE

Very dark. Cliché dark sometimes. Although enjoyed more than expected. I just overslept and I'm late for work. Maybe it's the albums fault. IDK. Either way I don't have time to write a review.

The first 10 seconds got my hope up, but then he started singing.

I’m never quite sure of The Cure. For every Disintegration, there’s a Pornography. This was very samey, very dirgey and not very exciting. Many would say the same for Disintegration, but weirdly, I rather enjoy that one! Make of that what you will!

I don’t think I had ever heard a Cure song. Not too bad! But that’s about all I have to say

I listened to this imagining I was a detective in an 80s neo-noir movie where I go into a downstairs nightclub in the Midlands or a seedy part of London to search for my quarry among the men with hollow faces laid off because of Mrs. Thatcher's austerity.

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

Just finished this and already forgotten it

3/5. Turi gerą emociją, labai spooky albumas. Bet tik kelios standoutinės dainos.

I generally like The Cure a lot, but I prefer the more upbeat version of them then what is presented here on ‘Pornography’. They are so dour and gloomy and glum here. The production is murky and claustrophobic, the drums heavy, the lyrics intense. Takes a few listens to adjust to this one and to be fair it does get better the more you listen to it, but not sure it’s up there with my favourite albums of theirs.

gross sounding

I enjoyed it more than I expected. Good vibes.

Never been a big fan of The Cure and still not.

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

Wowee! :)

A milestone in Gothic Rock.

An original classic!!