Pornography

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.

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.

Sure

3.5

Generally fine, but not my favorite Cure record.

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 🙏

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.

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

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.

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

Very weird and ambient

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

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

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

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

Of the time. Good vibe but not memorable

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⭐️

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!

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.

[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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

enjoadinho

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.

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.

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

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

Depressing

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.

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.

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.

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.

I enjoyed it more than I expected. Good vibes.

A milestone in Gothic Rock.

I didn't engage with this like i did with disintegration

It’s a standard for most. I’m particular. No complaints. I’m just more Siouxsie and Peter Murphy than Robert Smith.

Lubię ten zespół. Ból i tęsknota w głosie wokalisty zawsze do mnie trafia. Ale w tej płycie zawiodły kompozycje. Brakowało mi czegoś przejmującego. Było mrocznie, duszno i butowniczo. Indystrialnie i tłoczno. Ale wolę bardziej emocjonalne utwory tego zespołu. Skręcające w te przejmujące lata 80. 6/10

I don't get the hype around The Cure. This is just okay.

Well, I do enjoy both noise and vibes so I can’t say that this album didn’t deliver.

6/10 Enjoyed more than I thought I would. It stays the right side of dirge on all but the title track, which, on an album of only 8 songs, resulted in it losing a mark and this a star. Bad luck, The Cure.

melancholy and enjoyable

Ominous. Dramatic. Brooding. This is not Friday, I’m in Love. Interesting!

Favorite Track: Siamese Twins

Absolutely zero objections to The Cure appearing here.

Meh. Meant to be good but I didn't get it.

IDK it's a Cure album

This process has given me a real dislike for post punk but I can appreciate at least people enjoying this one. Still not one I'd be crazy about 3.5*

Solid driving rock tempo with a dark tone; overall relatively mellow.

Of the Cure albums I’ve listened to this one is by far the darkest, heaviest, and the weirdest. This is not my favorite Cure album, but I appreciate how they always took chances and went all the way with it.

pornooo pornooo! ORGIA BRASILIAN KUUMIMPIEN HUOROJEN KANSSA PORNO 4k Velipuoli sekoittaa siskopuolensa vaimoonsa ja täyttää tämän vahingossa siemensyöksyllä! Hän suorittaa täyden hieronnan onnellisella lopulla aasialaisessa hierontasalongissa. Unelma-aamu: nuori alaston äitipuoli kokkaa minut aamiaiseksi ja viettelee seksiä varten. AASIALAINEN LIHA - Tiny Thai Gets It Raw Mommy’s Gonna Is Top On They And It Will Gonna Set And Thai Waive It Gonna On They Will Gonna Se Gon They Will Gon They Gonna Got It Gon Away. onkohan tämä yhteiskunnan rappioituminen. kaikki tekee pornoa. kaikki katsoo pornoa.. niih... one hundred years

Dark and satisfying

Decent album. Very 80s. Very Cure.

Some of the songs would benefit from being a bit shorter. A Strange Day the standout for me. Pretty good.

These dark and industrial sounds, paired with the vocal brooding can be nothing but goth. It’s compelling, entrancing, and just a little… exhausting? I find myself thankful I’m not in the right headspace to really sell into the sulk, while also feeling like it would be great to spin this on a rainy day and indulge my moodiest self.

Listen to virtually any The Cure album after this one. Now listen to this album. Now listen to any album before this one. The differences between the 3 are pretty insane right?? Apparently, the guys were on copious amounts of drugs, depressed out of their minds, and almost ended the band as a whole while making this album. Holy shit does it show in the music. There is a lot to like on this album, and man is it depressing at points. Contextually, this album gets 5 stars from me. The backstory behind the album, and comparing it to previous and future albums from The Cure is very interesting. Personal enjoyment, it gets a 3. Like I said, there's a lot to like, but not a lot to love. As far as standouts, I really enjoyed "One Hundred Years", "The Hanging Garden", "Siamese Twins" and "A Strange Day." I know that's 4 entire songs, but the vibe is very similar throughout the entire album, so it was surprisingly hard to pick a favorite.

passed on early cure when i was younger, but actually enjoyed it! 3.5

Pornography is never the cure! Not my words. The words of Len Houmous’ 11th wife shortly after retiring from her adult movie career. 3.3

Not their best album

Later stuff was better

Good but not really my thing. Got better as it went on. First song is good but very intense. Strange day best track

Not the best of The Cure but still not bad.

3/5

As with anything from The Cure, the vibes and production are immaculate. However, Robert Smith's vocals never do well over the course of an album for me.

Pas pire pantoute. Mais je pense pas réécouter. Un peu 8 fois la même toune.

Not my typical pr0n

3.5/5

3/5, listened while reviewing data. Couldn't focus on lyrics much

listened to again very cold and dark

Decent overall. Agreeable (to me) vibes. Borderline 3 or 4. This album and some of the last few albums feel like they might earn a 4 after multiple listens.

When Cure albums pop up, I think, oh yay! And then I listen to them and I’m like, huh. That was fine. There are a couple of Cure albums I really like and there’s nothing wrong with this one, but not super essential to me.

This just wasn’t for me. I didn’t like the sound. I’ll give it a three, because I liked it fine.

Cool and chilly, spooky and unsettling— I liked the vibe but nothing stood out to me

This was ok. T only real standout to me was “A strange day”. 2.5/5

Clearly one of the biggest stones being laid in the goth rock road, but not their best. It’s a fine listen, but I’m holding out hope for their “Head On The Door” album to appear on this list.

The Cure is always kind of gloomy but seems like you can always count on them for something a lil pop-ie or up beat. Not on this one. All gloom. As someone who grew up on some emo angst I gotta give this some love.

Goth rock supreme 3/5

I think Cure fans think of this as their best album but I would say the earlier standing on a beach or their later 80's work is better. Still a solid album.

Not quite as dour as I was anticipating for the Cure. Still not my vibe, but still not something i'm going to go back to.

Not bad. But I’m not feeling “80s emo” enough to enjoy this today. Although if you’re emo, do you really enjoy anything? So maybe I did like it?

Kate Bush does this sound better.

I liked this more than I expected. The music, anyway. Not Robert Smith's singing so much. But that might grow on me. Maybe. This is the rare non-4*+ album that I just might come back and listen to again. 3.5*

Synkkä fiilis på det här albumet, mycket olika layers och texturer på g. Helt solid, kräver vidare lyssning

The Cure before they, literally, changed their tune. Somewhere Robert Smith said it was either this album or suicide. Definitely as dark as they might get.

Love The Cure but don’t love this album.

The Curie haben mir noch nie gut gefallen. Über die Zeit hat sich darin nichts geändert.

I enjoyed it more than expected but one listen is enough

The most well done The Cure album that I've had so far (the other two were Seventeen Seconds, & Disintegration). This album, although dark and brooding, wasn't terrible. Goth rock is a genre that you really need to be in a good headspace to enjoy. This album, unlike the other two I've reviewed, didn't overstay its welcome, or have long drawn out intros/outros. It seemed to be a more cohesive album, or maybe I was just more receptive today...either way, this album wasn't bad. Not something I would listen to every day, but not terrible. Favorite songs: Cold, The Hanging Garden, One Hundred Years Least favorite songs: Pornography, A Short Term Effect 3/5

I liked the dark moodiness of this album, and it was fun to revisit-a good overall dark/goth vibe. I don’t know if it’s my favorite, and there are some clunky bits on it, but it’s strong overall. Not quite strong enough for a 4, but not terrible or anything.

not the best album of theirs, but very consistent and atmospheric

Enjoyed this, liked the more raw, darker sound

-hmm not too bad… some very interesting instrumentation, I can understand how seminal this was for gothic rock as a genre -honestly it didn’t hit quite the same as Disintegration for me.. probably just personal preference but few individual tracks stood out. still made for a cool listen tho -Favorites are The Hanging Garden and Pornography

Gear: Aür Audio Aurora Artwork: 🟥🔥🖌️ Production: 😵‍💫🙂👌 Music: 🌑🕷️🕸️ Rating: 🔪️🔪️🔪️/5

The back half was really enjoyable. I know the cure have this goth wave thing but I'm mostly familiar with love cats and Friday I'm in love so this is totally new for me. Liked it.

= The Beatles

Not my thing

Early Cure

I started to come around on The Cure several years ago. I had previously compartmentalized them with Morrissey and The Smiths, as they seemed to share a fanbase. Now I can hear The Cure with a more open mind. And what I hear is... Ok, I guess. The music is pretty good. 'Gazy and atmospheric. The singing is fine. It suits the music, but Robert Smith's high-pitched voice can get repetitive and a tad grating after a while. The lyrics, though, appeal to mopey, sullen teenagers. Teenagers who have chosen the color black not just as an overwhelming aesthetic, but their whole identity. Either they grow out of it ("It's just a phase, Mom!"), or grow into it and should probably seek help through therapy and/or medication. I'm pretty sure that we will see The Cure on this list again with one of their later, Poppier albums.

I love The Cure, but I like the poppier version of The Cure more.

Bueno

i liked this! i didn’t love it but i liked it more than i thought i would. you can hear the subtle influences that the aquabats heard and morphed into their own stuff

Enjoyable at times, but occasionally devolves into grating and atonal sounds with no direction. Title track was the worst offender. Cold is the most listenable song on the album.

The Cure's commitment to this gothic vibe is unparalleled. And they nail every single aspect of this vibe, from the vocals to the tempo to the lyrics. It's so delightfully dark, and the album really sucks the listener in. The only gripe I have is that Pornography was slower and moodier than I would've liked, or what I needed today, but that's all personal preference. A general gripe I have about The Cure is that this was the third album of theirs I've listened to, and the three muddle together in my brain. This album was probably their best showing, at least for my tastes.

Given how much I enjoyed the "Disintegration" album, as well as many of The Cure's other hits, I expected to like this album more. While this album had that density, moodiness, and thick depth of sound that you would expect from The Cure, it didn't quite energize me like I thought it would. It's not hard to see that Robert Smith was in a bit of a funk during this album (even by his standards), as it is a fairly heavy album EMOTIONALLY speaking, as well. All that said, I did still enjoy this album, it just wasn't quite to the same caliber as other stuff from them that I've heard. In my opinion, this is certainly their darkest album, which is saying something!

probably more of a 3.5/5, but it wasn't *that* enjoyable... very spooky and cool though, especially for a very rainy and overcast day. that first song is a banger! the others... eh.

i think i made it through the album like 1.5 times. it was dark and scary and i didn't really enjoy it all that much. it was interesting, at least initially, and not something we get often on this list. it reminded me of some of the darker depeche mode and siouxsie songs from around this time... there must've been something in the water. favorites: one hundred years, the hanging garden

Dark

I was looking forward to exploring some Cure because I am not super familiar with their discography and like what I've heard but this one was kind of a dud. There's gotta be better Cure albums out there, right? I hope so

The cure was a big part in creating genres that I can enjoy today end unlike some others that has done that this album still feels relevant to the genre. A lot of others feel old and obsolete in their sound when compared to newer albums that have evolved the genre. While dark and gloomy this album doesn't get me in a gloomy mood. I quite enjoy most of the songs. It is an album and genre that demands a certain state of mind to listen to though.

Starts off strong and diminishes fast

Too noisy for me

Pretty good, no stand outs, I know a few songs from the cure, none of them on this album

I love the cure and I love Robert Smith, but this one is a little too grungy for me :///

Darker, more depressed early Cure. Very atmospheric.

Need to relisten. Nice drony rock. Listened to first thing in the morning. Should be more of an evening listen.

No es mi disco favorito de The Cure, pero este se deja escuchar, incluso a pesar de lo opresivo que suele llegar a ser.

i've given a listen the cure a few times over the course of the last few months, and this album is their weakest... not to say it's bad, just alot of the similar sound, and when it's the sort of the like rock-ambience sort of music this album has, it gets a bit too much into the background. However, the songs on individual listen ARE BEAUTIFUL it's so immersive in little pockets and would be a cool vinyl to own as something for a backing vibe. this music wouldn't be in anything pornographic tho... fav song : The Figurehead

Wasn't too big of a Cure fan before this album, and while I'm still not, I can appreciate this as a good record. Overall, Pornography is alright... wait a minute! Fave Songs - One Hundred Years, The Figurehead, Cold

From the Cure that I have listened to prior with their hits (Boys Don't Cry, Friday I'm In Love and Just Like Heaven), it has a lot less variance and a bit more of a mellow edge. However, this album is very well produced and all the songs work well together.

This album is like listening to an existential crisis playout in real time. You can even tell the exact moment when the drugs shattered their brains - kinda liked it though.

Grundge- heavy use of the bass drum. Maybe a good getting ready for a date moment. Emo central with a touch of school of rock

Some good tunes in here, and it's nice enough for a background listen. I imagine this was quite the catchy album title back in the day.

Любой cure

wow, düster - warscheinlich habe ich The Cure erst nach diesem album richtig kennengelernt . alles in allem gefällt mir der drive von bass und schlagzeug und die stimme von Smith. aber, ehrlich: spätere werke gefallen mir mehr!

Bit too melancholic for me

I like the cure, this was more of the same

This was OK but Robert Smith still annoys the hell out of me.

Falls into solid 3 territory. Nothing exciting, but a decent listen.

I know their instruments aren’t out of tune, but if their instruments aren’t out of tune, then why do their instruments sound like they’re out of tune?

Haven't heard the album before. It's well-crafted but didn't resonate with me.

Not great - just a couple of things that I enjoyed listening to. I guess I am not a huge fan of gothic rock even if I thought that I liked The Cure.

This is the first goth album on this list that came up, so I'm happy for the variety. This album had a few songs that appeal to me in this time and place (A Short Term Effect, The Hanging Garden, A Strange Day). Otherwise, right now, I'd pick one of their less depressing and miserable albums.

Hanging Gardens is good, and there's one or two here that aren't too bad, but this is early dark Cure, to self obsessed and nihilistic to offer the artistry that later Cure delivered.

12/17/24. I'm not the biggest Cure guy but I can't deny how good they are. Very consistent songs and engaging.

No. 305/1001 One Hundred Years 3/5 A Short Term Effect 3/5 The Hanging Garden 3/5 Siamese Twins 3/5 The Figurehead 3/5 A Strange Day 3/5 Cold 3/5 Pornography 2/5 Average: 2,86 Not really a fan of their style. But this was alright to listen to.

Feels very repetitive

I’ve always thought of The Cure as a band that I like, but I’m very aware that the vast majority of the songs I know are the poppier tracks (A Forest being the only exception that comes to mind). This album didn’t have any songs that I recognised, so it was nice to hear the other side of them that I’d never really gotten round to before. It was a pleasant listen, but not anything that knocked my socks off. It’s kind of exactly what I expected it to be - like the stuff I already know, but less catchy. Not a bad album by any means, but I think I’d song listen to Friday I’m In Love over any tracks here.

Good album. Not as dark as I was hoping that it would be. I’m sure it was great at the time but it’s just not for me.

While not the example of The Cure's music I would select for this list, Pornography is a good representation of what the 80s Goth, Pop, melancholy synth pop sound was. 3/5

Now I’m sad

Not terrible.

I feel like I SHOULD like The Cure in theory. In practice, this music is just a bit too dreary for me. I’d probably learn to like it after a few listens, though.

This is the second Cure album I've gotten so far, after the brilliant and beautiful Disintegration. This one shares some elements with Disintegration and is unmistakably the Cure, but it lacks the same beauty and cohesion. Favorite: The Hanging Garden Least Favorite: Pornography

Okay.

I tried to take it seriously and I couldn’t get into it. So then I tried to treat it with the same indulgent affection that I’d treat a 13 year old cousin in his goth phase and I enjoyed it much more. It’s not a nuanced or comprehensive look at the human experience but it certainly captures a mood.

Pretty good. Definitely the Cure being the Cure. Not poppy or full of hits which is not a bad thing IMHO. If you like later Cure you might like this. If you don't, you surely won't. Three stars.

Freakcore

Interesting sound, alternative music for the 80’s, makes me want to listen to more albums from this band.

Suspiciously drum heavy effort from these pioneers of Scottish samba funk. I liked this better than the last Cure album we got, but still waiting for the really good stuff. 3.65

There are 3 albums from The Cure on this list, and that already feels a little like overkill, but I’d definitely trade this one or Seventeen Seconds for Wish in a heartbeat. I guess I understand why this is on the list, and it’s not terrible, but I feel like there are better albums from The Cure than this. But, I mean, rating the list as it is, this one is middling. “A Strange Day” and “Pornography” were pretty good. Nothing else really stood out. Overall this was fine.

I wanted to like this so much.. Especially since it really kinda feels like a sibling album to what Siouxsie & The Banshees were doing at the time. Although there are striking elements I can point out as sounding cool (especially the guitar work), there's an overall drone to the album that didn't really doo much for me. Also Roberts perpetually whining singing which has always been a problem for me, I think work with the droning, but is not something I really care to listen to. (6.7) ★★★

Creo que tienen mejores discos y mejores canciones. ¿Por qué está aquí? La verdad es que el sonido me ha parecido como arquetípico del sonido "siniestro", las percusiones, los teclados, etc. En ese aspectos es una buenas muestra. Me guardo «The Hanging Garden» y «A Strange Day».

Ok. Mjög sundurlaus hlustun af minni hálfu. En góðir sprettir og tengsl við gleðisveitina. Ég get ekki farið hærra en 3,5.

I wasn't familiar with this Cure album - I respect the intention and the sound they acheived

One Hundred Years 3 A Short Term Effect 3.1 The Hanging Garden 3.2 Siamese Twins 3 The Figurehead 3.1 A Strange Day 3.3 Cold 3.2 Pornography 3 Score: 3.1125

Disintegration is better

Very Cure.

#75 - It didn't speak to me but I feel it has the potential to do so after a few more listens.

I understand why this was not one of my faves growing up. Not an easy record. Not so much depressing as just dark and a bit difficult. Save maybe The Hanging Garden - nothing ventures anywhere near the pop sensibilities that shine through on pretty much every Cure album. But I understand this as a valuable building block for where they were headed. The bears - an underappreciated aspect of the band - are generally excellent if a bit menacing. They guitars are bigger. Just not one to pull out too often.

not my favorite Cure album. maybe a 3 tops

La depressione c’è tutta ma onestamente mi ha un po’ annoiato. Le canzoni draggano e capisco che nel contesto oscuro la cosa ha senso, però mi aspettavo di più. The Cure, sono certo che ci rivedrete più avanti, io sarò pronto a darvi un’altra chance

It started good but didn't like it after a certain point

I can appreciate that this album impacted music and that the Cure is a well known band. Overall I thought it was an okay album. There are definitely worse albums we have gotten as well as much better ones. Probably a 2.5 with half stars.

Enjoyed. Nothing to write home about, though.

I like elements of this album, but as with Disintegration it is quite oppressive overall and does wear on you over time. I do really like the oppressive, droney opening on this. It really sets the mood. Some of the guitars feel like they're actually dripping in sorrow, and the atmospheric drums and moody vocal echoes work really well also. But then it does just become a drag over time. His singing in particular is quite one-note. This is the kind of album that you should probably listen to as a whole, but then so much in one go is also quite hard work. By the end you realise you've hunched all the way over as this album has been weighing on you for the past 43 minutes.

Fine - dark driving vibe. Never really makes anything happen though.

I enjoyed this album, I am not a huge cure fan but have listened to this a few times in the past.

i am of the opinion this is a step back in The Cure's progression...a stab at darkness they wouldn't reconcile with their knack for shiny melodies until Disintegration (and x100 in the 90s)...so like, it's okay ig 6/10

kind of one note

Not my favorite, but I do like the band

I love the cure and this is an album I've tried to listen to a few times previously but this is a hard listen.

I dig the gloomy Soundwave of this but after a while it all sound the same.

The Hanging Garden

As a Smiths fan, I tried to dig The Cure. But be it Disintegration, Wish, and well, Pornography, it all sounded the same: dreary and soulless.

You’re a gothic rock band in the 1980’s, about to open your fourth album. How to make your audience know you still mean business? Opt for the opening line of “It doesn’t matter if we all die”, and follow it up with forty-odd minutes of gloom from the void. The result is either completely perfect or utterly tedious, depending on one’s feelings towards The Cure and all they represent. “Pornography” supposedly represents the final album in the band’s first phase, before bassist Simon Gallup departed and they began to churn out excellent pop-rock-goth classics like “The Lovecats”, “Inbetween Days”, “Just Like Heaven”, “Close to Me”, “Pictures of You”, “Lovesong”, etc. etc. There’s nothing so accessible on “Pornography”: lead single “The Hanging Gardens” is a thunderstorm of toms, ultra-flangey guitars and cryptically bleak lyrics (in Smith’s words, “something about the purity and hate of animals fucking”.) In all likelihood, they just went with the track with the highest BPM. Incongruous single aside, “Pornography” is a series of dreary dreamlike images. Death, despair, doom, hopelessness, rendered in real-time by Smith’s perfectly suited vocal. The lyrics are strong in their own impressionistic way, but it’s the music which really helps them get under the skin. Heavy reverse delay, gated drums, ringing drones and tones, relentless basslines, flange and flange and flange on the guitars. It’s top marks for atmosphere, but less so for the songs: all too often the lyrics, performances and definition are lost in extensive reverb. This is partly the point: in Smith’s own words, they wanted to emulate the sound of “Phil Spector in Hell”, an idea we can all get behind for more reasons than one. For me, the two songs which emerge as the strongest are “A Strange Day” and “Cold”, because they feel the most vast in scope (huge sound! Huge chorus!). While the rest doesn’t always move me, I can appreciate the band had a vision here, and went hell-for-leather in committing to it. If it doesn’t matter that we all die, it certainly doesn’t matter that I’m going to rate this perhaps less than it deserves.

i listened to this a couple times but could never form a definite opinion. it's nice to listen to, i guess

Didn’t really get into it. Nothing stood out to me.

Cool sounds and very menacing, would probs not listen again tho

I do love the Cure, this album was average though

Pretty good

Love the Cure. But this isn’t my favorite. Definitely dark and gloomy. A few stand outs. 3.5

Like their later stuff better

Pornography was the album I left out back in the days. I had Faith and The Top, but for some, now unknown reason, not Pornography. I remember The Hanging Garden, but the rest of the album sounds now a bit repetitive. I know that the older albums featured a similar problem and were in parts equally dark and depressing, so this should come as no surprise.

Cool

i had a good time

The Cure has many great songs but the collection here starts to similar and stays this way.

The style of this one just washes over me. A template for 'thing that was kinda cool from the 80s but doesn't do much for you'. The chorus effects etc. on everything sounds like hedging bets, though I know that sound is a very intentional choice. I think the Cure's reputation as the cool alternative band of the 80s put me off of discovering the music I really like in my teens. Thought there was something in the air that produced that 80s pop sound. music: hated. (⌐■_■)

Just like the last one by the Cure, I liked this quite a lot. There’s something earnest and touching about the over commitment to being a spooky weirdo, I think the knowledge that Robert Smith is still Like That really goes a long way for me.

dark and gloomy. robert smith’s signature vocals and the catchy bass lines make this album a very listenable experience.

I like the Cure but this sounded kinda stock compared to their other, later, more polished stuff.

Second Cure album on this list so far (seventeen seconds was the first). I don't think either one was special in the least.

First half 3 stars, maybe 2.5. Second half 4

Nothing stood out to me. Ok as background music while I worked.

I think the only thing that kept me from being Goth in college was the music.

Okay The Cure! Okay spooky scary skeleton opening to “One Hundred Years”! I think my problem with the cure is a lot of their songs do tend to sound the same.. but some of them are really good! I just haven’t heard the ones on this album. I like the guitar solo in “A Strange Day.” This is tough because I just let this one wash over me and wasn’t very into it… feels illegal to rank The Cure at 3 but… here we go.

This isn't something I'd seek out. It's a bit dark and not especially my kind of thing but this was alright. I'm thinking a 2.5/5 but I'll round up to a 3.

OK album. This has the dark, moodiness of The Cure but with less of the poppy-ness. I'm not a diehard fan (but I loved Disintegration), so this album does not resonate as much with me. The music is always interesting nonetheless. ***

good music for the suicidal probably personally not suicidal yet but i guess it was alright 2.9/5

You know, I think I’m at a 3.5 that I just can’t round up. This album is ultimately good; in terms of the soundscape, it achieves the atmosphere it was looking for throughout, it has a decent progression in its lyrics from start to finish, and vocally, I think it does just enough for me to feel the intended emotion throughout the whole record. I just wasn’t that into it. For everything this album does right, I just think the overall vision here doesn’t align with my musical tastes as much as I would’ve liked. That’s a bit selfish to say, yes, but it’s just kind of how I feel. I think the overall structure of the album is a bit loose; there are songs where the soundscape could’ve been tightened up a bit more for me, with a lot of empty little gaps of nothing but the drums and guitar that slowly add up to me in a way that doesn’t make the album experience feel great. I think lyrically, while it gets the progression right, a lot of what’s here is remarkably abstract, and feels very stream of consciousness in a way that diminishes the potent storytelling potential that every song kicks off with – every single intro on this album is fantastic at setting a tone and an atmosphere, but it never managed to keep me hooked from start to finish on most songs until the back half of the album began. Even then, those songs suffer deeply from “first minute is the whole song” in terms of their soundscapes. Vocally… yeah, it could’ve just been better. It feels very spoken word-y throughout, and it kills me, because I can feel moments where the melodies are right there for him to take advantage of and hook onto, but he just never grabs them as tightly as he could have. I really do like this album, but it’s dripping with unmet potential to me. It’s right on the edge of a 4, and with some real outside presence to commercially sort of clean up the rougher edges of the album, I really do think this could’ve hit as high as a 5 for me… but that’s for me. I can easily recognize that this style, the way it is now, is gonna absolutely connect to someone better than it did for me. It just wasn’t fully there for my tastes, so I’m gonna disappointingly give this album a 3.

What does it mean if it made me smile?

The things I’d go to be a scene kid in the 80’s. Holy banger opener. What a fucking atmosphere and mood to set right off the rip. I definitely think it should have been shorter, but fire none the less. This is as just as haunting and depressing of an album as I was expecting. Super goth and emo, and I’m guessing this album was a trailblazer for that sound when it came out in 82. Far from the best I’ve heard of the cure thus far, but I fucking love this band. Cold is still one of my favorite tracks by them, and I loved Strange Day and Siamese Twins as well. Solid 6.5/10.

The Cure at their spookiest yet. They were experimenting for a depressing sound, and this is a bit too dark for me. The vocals take a backseat to the drone of the guitar and Bass unlike how lead with guitars as time went on. Robert Smith sings more like a poet here than an actually singer. between a 3-4

pne juandred years. er singt schono geil. ich kenn glaub keis lied uf dem album. ultra darke scheiss. geil. aber gad chli sehr depri. a short term effect sehr moody d gitarre schwimmt sochli imne teppich ume. hanging garden isch sehr cool mega flanger überall aber da ganze isch seeehr "mir gohts scheisse" musig. bin gad bi the figurehead und ich checks immerno aber han gad nöd sone gueti ziit? gohts mir au scheisse ?? aso song slappt. pornography isch au meh verstörend als irgendwie cool. weiss gad nöd wasi söll mit dem album afange.

3.5

This album has a much more dark and sinister feel than the Cure songs I’m familiar with. Subtly complex, decent hooks. Songs blended together a bit, didn’t really love the drum sound with the echo, made everything feel much muddier than it really was. 3.25/5

I feel better now.

- Difficult for me to separate The Cure away from the vibe of their biggest pop hits, especially with the distinct nature of Robert Smith's voice. I appreciate the dark sentiment of this album, but his vocals often take me out of it. - "The Hanging Garden" and "Siamese Twins" both stand out, especially with the heaviness of the bass and percussion. I believe the latter to be the best track. - "Pornography," the final track is an interesting, avante-garde mood piece.

I like the cure, but it turns out it's their poppier, later stuff. This was fine. Like a less tuneful Joy Division.

Could listen to again

I like the Cure, overall, but nothing really wowed me here. except - it was my 200th album

Decent album. I just don't like The Cure. 3/5

This is so emo. My anguished fourteen-year-old inner poet is like, "Dude. A little much." Depression is a hell of a thing. Proto-emo, though. Hence, we are listening to it now. I'm imagining a post *this* the Cure fan going back into the back catalog and landing on the title track and my same inner fourteen-year-old is giggling uncontrollably.

I need to listen to more Cure from this period to really appreciate it I think.

Not my favourite Cure album, but still decent

3/5. Pretty average. It didn't do anything good or bad enough to gain or lose any points. *shrugs*

For all the great Cure songs and albums that contain them, this seems a curious choice to pick out of the group. The album sets a mood, but the songwriting is lackluster, IMO. More like soundscapes. Not a huge fan of the drum sounds (is that a live drummer?).

Not my favourite Cure. Did appreciate the atmosphere

not my fav cure but it's good

Gawd, The Cure do self-loathing well, don’t they? I appreciate this, but do not wish to spend any appreciable length of time with it… Hmm…never thought about this before today, but The XX do owe Smith + Co a moral debt (ie, non -enforceable but nevertheless very real)

FINALLY CAUGHT UP AND I GET THE CURE LFG! never heard this before, at least i dont think.

Always had a bit of trouble understanding the greatness of The Cure... this album didn't change that feeling. Pretty bland overall, no song that stood out and grabbed me really. Hope they have more exciting albums than this on the list!

Great 90’s band. Some great songs. This album, not my favorite.

Was ok with some highlights here and there. 3.5/5

Enjoyed the listen, didn't save any tracks though. A little angsty for my taste but like the cure overall.

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

Bien. Sin más.

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

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

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

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

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

I liked it

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

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

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

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

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

Loved it.

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

2.9

Thought it sounded a bit of a mess…

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

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

british rock. not my thing

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

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

Poor production quality

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

Early album, but still the Cure sound.

Enjoyed it, maybe closer to a 3.5

+dark vibe +temaattinen -matala energinen

Did not like...no more words needed.

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

Redundant but classic moody dark Cure with some good beats.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Baia som e tals característico da banda, bgl mais obscuro

I don’t like the cure

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

Angry early cure. Less poppy pretty cool

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

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

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

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