Seventeen Seconds

I've never enjoyed a Cure album, even though I'd like to because Robert Smith is an excellent grumpy goth who hates Morrissey.

This album is longer than 17 seconds! This is the most blatant case of fraudulent advertising since my suit against the film, The Never-Ending Story. The first example of the moody goth-rock that they became renowned for, and they nailed it. The fact they could pivot from this to the Lovecats in 3 years, then go back to this sound as one of the biggest bands in the world is astounding.

This was the perfect album to listen to while sad. Really haunting, ahead of its time. A Forest is a great single.

I feel the sudden urge to go buy some eyeliner and black clothes.

Very average. I know this band is capable of doing more, and this album wasn’t their best

1980 is a shocking year for the Cure to have released what seems to be the predecessor to many modern post-rock albums.

Short and sweet. Not as psychedelic and enveloping as Disintegration, but this is really great too. The jangly, lightly distorted style is something I can always get down with. I'll definitely be returning to a lot on here. Favorite tracks: In Your House, Secret, A Forest, Play for Today. Album art: Honestly perfect. Washed out, can't quite tell what I'm looking at. Fits the music extremely well. 4/5

I have always had a soft spot for The Cure, but without ever listening to a full album the jury was still out on them as a complete package (from my point of view). If this album is a taste of things to come though...I’m in all the way! I absolutely love this offering. So many tracks to get the juices flowing...so to speak. To me it encompasses everything a ‘new wave’ album should be. It’s beautifully hypnotic and electronically brilliant. Man...did I say I love this album? Sounds of eighties alt pop rock ring truer than ever and you can absolutely lose yourself in these emotion filled tracks. They flow so seamlessly together, it’s like they were always meant to be. You’re truely missing out if you never at least listen to this album once in your lifetime. 5 Stars!!

I don't think I've ever listented to a The Cure album straight through before today. And the first time I did, I was like, that was sort of okay, I liked it a little. And then an hour later I had to put it on again because I couldn't get the sounds out of my head. It's not that they're lyrically poppy and ear-worms or anything like that, but I think I found my next rainy day album. You know the one you want to put on when it's cold and rainy outside and you don't have to do anythingand you don't WANT to be motivated to do anything. That's what this album is.

Spooky/atmospheric/gothic/moody

Great blend of gothic and electronic melancholy. The minimalist structure combined with the reverb turned up to 11 creates an intense, melodic atmosphere in the recording. It accompanies Robert Smith’s voice brilliantly. This album really shows the start of The Cure’s rise to legendary status.

Lonely, desolate, gloomy, depressing and dark. Like watching the windshields wipe away the rain during a long car ride. A few good songs, but mostly an experience, like a soundtrack to a monochrome movie

Vintage Cure is always great.

I’m about to type some words I never thought I would: I really liked this record by The Cure. It’s a sparse, minimal, lo-fi record that isn’t weighed to down by ornate and dreary production or by being too mawkish. Some of the songs almost seemed [gasp] fun? This is a really great record. I’m honestly shocked I liked a Cure record this much…historically, that has not been my experience with Robert Smith & company. Who knows, if they had stuck with this sound, I might be a huge Cure fan - It feels more like a record by The Clean or The Chills than what we know The Cure to be. Fuck me, what a surprise.

One of the Cures best albums and a Post-Punk classic, one of the albums that defined the early 80s Post-Punk sound. Seventeen seconds, is the Cure’s second album and the album where they found their sound following their debut “Three Imaginary Boys” Highlights: Play For Today, A Forest, M Overall a extremely consistent album with a lack of weak points in the track list, while still containing some of the greatest peaks of the early 80s, a lack of variety in the sound of the tracklist keeps it from reaching The Cure’s peak albums 9/10.

This would be 5 stars just for “A Forest” and “At Night” but the rest of it is great too

Had to laugh when this came up because I swear I don't listen to the Cure often but literally yesterday I found myself deciding "A Forest" is my favorite Cure song (Spotify DJ mode had tossed it into the mix). This album provides everything I like about them - minimalist sounds, unusual riffs, paranoid vocals. It has a "small" or almost intimate sound they abandoned later, to my regret. Have you ever noticed when you're in a snowstorm in the woods and the ambient sounds are smaller or more "closed" than the same woods in fair weather? That's like the difference in production here v most albums, even 80s goth albums. You haven't heard another record like this, and yet it's an epitome of something, somehow, and I can't put my finger on it exactly but you know what I mean. Also, at some point in this review I have to make my joke that only Fred Armisen would appreciate - that the main difference between The Cure and New Order is whether every song has too much chorus effect on the guitar (Cure) or the bass (New Order). The Cure have done yeoman's work erasing Killing An Arab from the streaming platforms - fucking 'fraidy cats - but they can't erase how important it was as a disaffected teenager in the 1980s to read Camus while listening to it, preferably doing so as conspicuously and as dangerously or at least as mysteriously as possible. I will embrace the adolescent pretentiousness that I never entirely gave up and argue that Seventeen Seconds is more of a Kafka album. The riffs are unsettlingly chromatic and repetitive enough and the sounds and moods across songs are similar enough that the whole thing has a quality of a circular fever dream of a lost soul whose interactions with other people only increase the sense of loneliness and alienation. A bad trip that never ends, like Escher's stairs. The forest they are singing about is the wintry wood K is walking through as he approaches The Castle. I love this shit! Gotta go...where's my copy of The Plague?

Devoid of color yet still expressive, this album is a satisfying listen from rock's moodier, darker side.

I wouldn't listen to it again. Not offensive or noisy, but just kind of boring

This album has an atmosphere unlike any album i’ve heard before, incredibly ethereal in a sinister, dark kind of way, it’s almost as if it’s an entirely ambient/instrumental album but with the occasional (more than occasional but does feel this way a bit) vocal interruption from Robert Smith who’s voice works so well to fit this sound and is mixed in such a way that feels like it is being drowned out a bit by the instrumentation which really adds to the atmosphere i’m talking about. The album cover as well feels perfect for that lost, distorted, dreamlike feeling. There are no skips on this album as it is should definitely be experienced as a complete run, every track belongs and each one adds to that atmosphere in a different way (even the more pop focussed “a forest” still fits with the narrative), the first song is one of the best introductions to an album i’ve ever heard, it instantly creates that tense mood with the repeated piano motif and jangly guitar which is only struck like a few times but really adds to the overall sound along with the wailing voices in the background then followed by a weirdly upbeat song in comparison but still with that kind of depressing sound with the guitar and bass. It then kind of drifts back into a more ambient sound fir the next songs. The second side also starts with an instrumental, this time a bit more atonal and confusing leading into an upbeat tone once again before then following a similar path to the first side. Honestly this album is kind of a masterpiece and has such great instrumentals with how the bass and guitars are used and changed from jangly to a clear distorted sound, there’s a lot of variety throughout but there still remains the overall sound and with Smith’s vocals it is made even better, I didn’t even mention the lyrics which also perfectly fit with the theme. Favourites: all. Overall, wasn’t expecting to give this but 10/10.

Wow… This one captures the essense of early 80s post-punk/Indierock. Epic! Once I discovered this album some time back in 82-83 it was on a regular spin for the next 8-10 years during my high school years and some years after. Even today I listen to it once in a while… Up there with the top 3-5 best albums by the Cure

Such a non descript album cover but quinessewntially everything innocent and charming about the cure before they got massive.

Loved the “gloomscapes” (Wikipedia comes through again). The Forest is still always so good! Def the background music to dark winter dinner, book reading, and tea sipping. I listened to this three times in a row so I’m going to have to give it five stars.

Loved rediscovering this classic, as The Cure started their rise to power. Filled with brooding melodies over sparse warm electronic drums, menacing guitar leads and tasteful bass lines. Highly recommended and has aged very well indeed. Top tracks: Play for a day, At night, A Forest

This album is dark, dreary, yet has a quality to it that makes it sound very much alive. The beats are driving and prominent, and the slight echo gives a sense of space and atmosphere. The Cure are incredibly influential and it is apparent on their second album just how important they are

Very cohesive new wave/post-punk album with great atmosphere, showing the beginnings of gothic rock. 9/10

"Play for Today" is an instant post pop punk classic for me. "In Your House" and "A Forest" are good too. Title track is fantastic. A lot of chorus on the guitars. Great 8th note bass lines throughout, makes you wanna dance. Constant melody on the guitar underscored by the vocal melodies. I'm very happy I found this album.

Eerie, melodic, transcendent. I love this album in so many ways.

The most goth I’ve ever heard

I know this is going to be a mix of goth and new wave, and I'm kinda off new wave but like a bit of goth. I know I've heard "A Forest" before but can't remember anything about it beyond thinking "yep, sounds like the cure" so here goes... Ok this is pretty fuckin cool. I guess this is early goth at its best? I know it pre-dates anything else I've heard in the genre. Best comparison I can think of is the first Ministry album, but that sounds terrible by comparison. I can hear how the idea of "goth" hasn't separated from punk/new wave just yet (particularly in the singing and drums) but the guitars have that gloomy chorus/reverb/flanger quality to them that new wave never really does, and it's all... mopey, even when there's a kinda "dancey" new wave beat going on. Apart from that and a bit of a pop punk tinge to the singing there's really nothing upbeat about it. It's maybe a bit cheesy in 2021, but I can hear where tons of bands (particularly 80s rock/punk) got their chord progressions and clean guitar tones from. There's not as much singing as I expected, lots of extended instrumental sections or songs where there are only like 2 lines of lyrics, and unless he really sings a chorus it's hard to hear the words, not quite a mumble but more of a whine, and whoever produced it didn't isolate the vocal frequencies very well. This is kinda strange as I always figured Smith was a "frontman's frontman" and would've wanted to be more prominent, although maybe that came later. Honestly, this has inspired me to pick up my guitar and start writing goth melodies haha. This is a solid 4, maybe even a 5.

you naughty little boy

норм, по звучанию очень похоже на кино, понравилась только песня про лес.

Standard The Cure faire, until "A Forest" which is perhaps the best The Cure song.

I'm nearing the end of this challenge, and it makes my little black heart happy to see The Cure on here again. While not my favorite album of their goth years (that goes to Pornography) this album deserves praise. Those droning and moody guitars along with Smith's sad wails makes for a fantasticly dark 80s album.

No esperaba que me gustara la verdad, pero supero mis expectativas, en general muy bien solo que la voz del vocalista a veces me molesta Rating:8,5

4 compared to the last week this shit is fire

The music is pretty calm and laid back, yet dark and creepy at the same time. I was already familar with A Forest (which is my favourite Cure song before getting this, but after listening I've gained new interest for the album and its cuts including Secrets and Play For Today. Have to also appreciate Robert Smith's guitar and vocals on this as it's not flashy and tame, yet intriguing. The drumming and the bass fit the same quota too. The only real complaint I have is with the keyboards, which for the most part feel like background noise to the main action. It should've either been turned up and played more of a prominent role, or abandoned all together. Also the instrumental tracks were pretty boring.

The forest is so good

Super goth and dark, but also reminded me of modern dream-pop-y bands with the chorus tone on the guitar. Yes, I realize the Cure came first, but that's just what came to mind. A Forest is really good.

Call me a goth, love this, especially A Forest

Ah, more Cure to sooth the ailing teen angst. But I'm very appreciative that this is a relatively brief album, and *very* appreciative that we didn't get this album as part of the US double-album release "Happily Ever After" (combining this album with "Faith"). It's well-produced and very much in The Cure vein, which I'm sure scores points with their fans, although it seemed even starker and more spare than the other albums in this collection (amybe that's the appeal). I'm not sure there were any tracks that really stood out aside from their semi-hit "A forest", although it was funny to read that "The final sound" was intended to be much longer, but their incredibly small budget and tight recording schedule meant that the recording ended at 53 seconds and they literally didn't have more tape to record more....

This collection of funeral dirges has an unfinished feel to it.

Edgar Allen Poe ahh music

Да Кино кое что у них утащили, но не все

Disappointed in this one. I like a lot of Cure songs but other than A Forest there's not enough going on here. Almost too moody and atmospheric even.

Uninspiring slow moving and repetitive. The cure albums i like have a melancholic blend with melody and great musicianship. This was too atmospheric and open, stripped back for my taste. Unfortunately I rank it low although I love the cure and Robert Smith.

I have tried to like the cure but outside of their hits I just can't get with it. There were bits of the album I appreciated but overall not for me. Maybe I am too stressed at the min lol

Love The Cure, but this one is too broody for me. Didn’t have a single song I could say I actually liked, unfortunately.

Boring.. Just boring..

Creepy. Depressing. Flat. Dull. Probably won't ever listen to it again

Seventeen Seconds marks The Cure’s transformation from post-punk minimalism to a haunting, atmospheric sound that would define their career. Every track feels drenched in mood—cold, spacious, and hypnotic. Songs like “A Forest” and “Play for Today” perfectly balance melancholy with momentum, while the sparse production and echoing guitars create a timeless sense of isolation. It’s a masterclass in restraint and emotional texture—an album that rewards both casual listening and deep immersion.

Enjoyed this way more than I was expecting. Very dated sounding but I think that worked well for the music. Very artificial and melancholy. I think I’ll be checking out more from The Cure!

"Seventeen Seconds" is the second studio album by English rock band the Cure. Gothic rock and new wave are the Wiki-listed genres. Frontman, lead vocalist and guitarist Robert Smith said the sound was influenced by opening for Siouxsie and the Banshees as well Nick Drake, Pink Floyd and Captain Beefheart and has been their "most personal record they've done." Simon Gallup replaced Michael Dempsey on bass who left the band and keyboardist Matthieu Hatley became an official member. Rounding out the band is drummer Lol Tolhurst. Commercially, the album reached #20 in the UK. The album starts with a long silence in "A Reflection." Ominous and sparse piano keys set the contemplative tone for the remainder of the album. The band's sound takes focus in "Play for Today." Bass, drums, piercing guitar strikes which eventually turn into a layered guitar melody. A banging sound throughout. Smith's whiney vocals come in; he has the only whiney vocals I like. He also likes to say "You" followed by something negative a lot. Emotional detachment as a theme. Ah, the Cure we love. "Secrets" has more post-punk guitars. Smith is whispering. More atmospheric. The album single was "A Forest." Droning synths. Dark guitar and keyboard strikes. Very eerie. The song was inspired by a nightmare of being lost in a forest. "Seventeen Seconds" closes the album. It's slower with a strumming guitar and plodding bass. Clear and unemotional vocals actually making the song emotional. You need to make a decision in 17 seconds....maybe a suicide tilt to the theme as well. The band successfully create their classic dark and eerie atmospheric sound on this album. There were hints of it on their debut album, "Three Imaginary Boys," but here but here they really flush it out. You can hear the Siouxsie and the Banshees post-punk guitar influences. Gallup's bass is out front. Themes of death, lost, hopelessness, despair and dread. Why am I thinking of Wednesday Adams? Anyway, this is a classic Cure album and a definite listen for fans. Strong recommendation.

Ladies and gentleman, Simon Gallup. I've always loved A Forest, and listening to the whole album helped me hear how much the new bass sound contributes to the success of that track and the change in sound for The Cure going forward. A great album for an example of a light touch with clear impact.

Brilliant, haunting album A Forest is one of three GOATs and the anticipation building when you know it's about to start is hard to beat 9/10

(92/100)

I know of no other album, even including the Cure’s other albums, that sounds like this. This album is a world of its own. It would be one of my first choices for walking in woods in the snow in the middle of the night. Must-listen #231.

I feel like in 1001's best stretch, this would have been a 4. But since it's been 3 weeks since we've had a really excellent album, this gets the boost. 5

Stupendo

Мрачный, нежный, непосредственный и местами унылый.

Loved the older stuff.

very good

1st of the trilogy

Really liked this. Didn't know much about the Cure before but found it really interesting and atmospheric.

absolutely beautiful album, the notes all came together perfectly and it all made sense.

yum yum yum that's more like it! ahgschalte & direkt 2 mal dureglost – so isch de halbi tag schaffe wie im flug vergange & d'energielevel sind sofort gstiege das verdient 5 chröte wenn mich frögsch

Incredible album by the best band on Earth. This list needs more Cure records!

Great album thx!

A really good album with strong melodies and evocative lyrics. It has standout tracks but these are framed by the songs around them to give them more impact. The maturity and confidence of the album is remarkable given their age at the time.

Tuvimos una pausa de los días pre-primaverales. Niebla pero sin lluvia, el día perfecto para escuchar un disco de The Cure por primera vez y amarlo.

Hell yeah

i love the cure holy shit a forest peak 4.7/5

Se ganaron misvestrellas

Could not stop listening to this album

My favorite band from teenage years - every song still "clicks" with me! I'll give it a 5/5 easily: - great songs, - lovely memories, - everything is as it should be ;-)

Gran disco, me parece una combinación perfecta de oscuridad y baile al mismo tiempo. A Forest y M, lo mejor del album

The first in the Cure's gloomy trilogy. This is the bleak one. There is not a bad track on here. It's got my favourite single of all time on it, 'A Forest' it makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck every time I hear it.

Absolutely stunning post-punk

I love The Cure and consider this their first great album; it’s their first consistently Cure-ish album, and it set the tone for the next forty-plus years. Play For Today, M, and the title track Seventeen Seconds are probably among my favourite Cure tracks but the whole record hangs together brilliantly.

Off the cuff remark: I have always loved the Cure, suspect I always will. There is no other band like them. This seems a strange album choice for this 1001, while none of their albums are exactly a party a minute this is particularly downbeat. Of its time and yet not dated. Standout track: avoiding the obvious wonderful A Forest, Play for Today is a particularly favourite. Revisit?: Yes. Often

The Cure really is The Cure (and I'm sure it's been said a few thousand times)

I really liked it. This albums is more music forward and less vocal. Great background stuff. I added it to my favorites. I will listen to it again.

I’ve loved this album for years. Even though I hadn’t listened to it for a while, still a masterpiece in my mind.

Riktigt bänger. Bra kvällsmelankolisk vibe och även nice instrumentala låtar!

Unbelievable album. It’s the cure. One of my favorite bands. I can’t say anything bad about them. Just a joy to and pleasure to listen to.

4 stars, this is not a morning album this is a late afternoon album. I wish I started listening to this with more focus but it would be an easy 5 stars otherwise. ACTUALLY that's a lie I heard at least half and really enjoyed it 5 STARS LETS GOOO BABY

Easily on of their best albums

A bloody classic! A Forest is still one of the best songs ever written by Robert Smith.

Another great album

dark, brooding, and ethereal, but with enough energy and life to keep it engaging. i only knew a forest going into this, but this album is great all the way through. i've listened to it several times now and it may be my favorite cure album (though that's not a super high bar at the moment). favorites: everything but three, the final sound, and at night

Excellent.

Still, I find "Three Imaginary Boys" their best album ever.

I love The Cure and this album is no exception. It is atmospheric and one of the more calming Cure albums. Maybe not their very best but too good to give it a 4.

Jævlig bra

The Cure always gets 5 stars. Band name checks out. This album in particular is minimalistic in nature and highly effective. Thank you for the music.

Yay for the cure

Really enjoyed this

Not a Cure fan but this was great. Really enjoyed the album and loved how it sounded. It made me want to be a whiny moody goth.

What a well made album. Mysteriously melancholic and sometimes magical

Without this list, I would've probably never come across this album. What a GEM. Pure, unmatched vampy vibes. I consider myself a pretty big The Cure fan and I had never heard any of this songs. "In Your House" made me have such a visceral reaction, I had to go cry in the bathroom. Holy fuck.