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.

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

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

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

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!!

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.

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

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.

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

Vintage Cure is always great.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

The most goth I’ve ever heard

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

"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.

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.

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

you naughty little boy

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

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

Call me a goth, love this, especially A Forest

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.

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

4 compared to the last week this shit is fire

Edgar Allen Poe ahh music

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

the cure rocks

Never listened much to the Cure before. There are obvious tracks I've heard a lot and I think someone once taped me an album - I'm that old, but that would probably have been later stuff. Really enjoyed this. Perhaps I was in the right mood for it, but it strikes me as exactly the sort of thing that I never knew that I enjoyed. It's subtle as well, doesn't try and do too much and this is certainly something I'd listen to again. Good stuff.

For some reason every song feels like it was written in a Theory II class but that makes me like it more

Great gothic record. A forest is still one of the biggest the cure hits.

good lbum

Creepy youngsters do good.

Hier kan ik echt niets tegen inbrengen.

The Cure är ju The Cure och A forest är en av världens bästa låtar.

Real feeling in this one. It has energy, but not in the normal was I think of music with energy. Loved it.

Superlative early Cure album.

For whatever reason, I’ve never really paid attention to The Cure. This was an amazing official introduction to a full album. Loved the dark new wave sounds and jangly guitar. Looking forward to hearing more from them.

Kocham the Cure. Znałam kilka piosenek z tej płyty wcześniej, ale nie słuchałam w całości. Bytyjskie, ponure, nowofalowe, ejtisowe brzmienie, wspaniałe gitary i bass, wokal Roberta. Uwielbiam. Chociaż nie zawsze mam ochotę na tę płytę bo może dobijać. Część instrumentali mnie trochę przeraża i wolę Disintegration, ale i tak uważam, że każdy album The Cure zasługuje u mnie na pięć gwiazdek. Utwory które najbardziej mi się podobają to A Forest, M, Play For Today i In Your House. Kocham ten klimat. Brzmi jakbym siedziała w swoim pokoju w brytyjskiej kamienicy w latach 80 w deszczowe po południe.

obra maestra

Listened to this maybe 3 years ago

I listened to this non-stop back in the day, love this record.

Gloomy but still super cool, perfect for a cloudy day. Not a single weak song

Love it.

Perfect

this album (and the 2 following) made me love the Cure. doesn't get better than 2 basses and drum.

This isn’t The Cure you know. Most of their staying power comes from hits from the late 80’s and early 90’s, but that widely successful period only came about because of the bleak and minimalist sound found in their early recordings such as this album. Every song weighs you down from the eerie soundscapes created along with Smith’s increasingly bleak lyrics; some songs hardly having any lyrics at all (“In Your House”) or just mixed so down you hardly hear them (“Three”). Any momentum comes from drums and guitar and what you get is the beginning of gothic rock. It’s a different listening experience, but if you want to hear where The Cure comes from, give it a listen and appreciate the inception of their signature sound. Top song pick is “At Night,” one of the more straightforward songs though it is still very much inline with the rest of the album. A simple drumbeat and distorted guitar eighth notes open the song, maintaining the same rhythm throughout, while synths come in and out over Smith’s foreboding lyrics.

There is no mistaking what you are listening to when you hear a The Cure album.

PREFS : A Reflection, Play for Today, Secrets, In Your House, A Forest, M, At Night, Seventeen Seconds MOINS PREF : The Final Sound

I LOVE THE CURE, AND ON ROBERTS BIRTHDAY?!

Sparse, lonely, repetitive droning. Lo-fi and beautiful.

Very easy to listen to and has an edgy tone that I personally find very nice. It adds a much needed depth to what would otherwise feel like another 1980s pop rock album

Awesome

Truly, a classic... A Reflection is such a cool little atmospheric track to open the album. Play For Today's opening is really amazing and seems so upbeat in comparison to what I know is coming. Robert Smith is heartbreaking on this one, and it juxtaposes so well with the groovy background instruments. Secrets has such quiet vocals, and it all WORKS so well. The guitar really shines on this, even though its just playing a very simple part. Such a fantastic song. The opening guitar and bass lines on In Your House are so pretty. The ethereal vocals just float overtop of them in the most gorgeous way. Love the lyrics so much. It just grooves. Three's opening piano and ambient sounds reaaaaaaaaaaaally make my heart sing. Highlight of the A-side for me. The Final Sound is such an interesting way to open up the B-side, very dissonant in a satisfying way. And the transition into A Forest is so jarring, it works! A Forest - one of my absolute favorite Cure tracks ever. A piece of atmospheric, gothic genius. Everything I love about the Cure just locks together on this piece into such a sheer force of *vibe*. M's such a chill song. Not much to say, except I enjoy sitting back and letting it wash over me. The distortion on At Night's guitar makes my brain happy, the whole opening is absolutely to DIE for. AND THE BASS THAT DROPS IN HALFWAY THROUGH! WHAT!! It's so hard to pick a favorite on this album, what with both At Night and A Forest... Seventeen Seconds is such a good closing song. Keeps the vibe, closes out the album without overstaying its welcome.

Oh, this was a surprise! After having listened to Pornography, I was dreading something whiny, but instead I got something gloriously gloomy. Gloomy is much better than whiny! In fact, I was swept up with this one the whole way through. I really loved it!

Intro to goth

Such a amazing album. The Forest is still my favourite Cure song

9/10. Definite vibe change from the debut, and can def hear the influence. Can’t go wrong with the Cure.

did not listen

Perfect Cure album - just like every other <1990 cure album

I have almost the same review for The Cure as for New Order.

Amazing

Holy shit I think this is an instant top 10 album for me. I can't believe I've never listened to it before. Love the dark, cloudy mood and consistent sound across the album.

I’ve got a soft spot for dark and depressing music (Tool, Radiohead, Morphine), so naturally this has to be a 5 for me

Haunting

fremragende

I mean, it's decent The Cure but it hells isn't peak The Cure. Reflective and relaxed, The Cure are pretty unique. While this album has to get a top rating, don't for a second think that this is the best they have to offer. It isn't.

An interesting album, at least 17 years ahead of its time.

The second best Cure album after Disintegration. Fight me.

I liked the gloom

Muito bom, sons bem suaves

Haunting album that has aged incredibly well.

Perfect calbum. One of the best ever

Myj toikj hi the i

Absolute electro-new wave brilliance

10/10 I’m really glad I’m going through their discography every one of their albums just blows me away

Highlights: Play for Today Secrets In Your House A Forest M Artwork: 6,5 / 10 Rating: 9,5 / 10

The great strength and beauty of this record lies in minimalism. The atmosphere is masterfully portrayed. Every beat and sound is in exactly the right place and hits the spot. Not a note too much or too little. It's for me just unfortunate that the album sounds like it wasn't finished, which, after some Googling, seems to be exactly what happened. Money budget was so short they couldn't re-record songs because the tape ran out. Masterful, minimalistic, atmospheric, mystical, beautiful. 4,5*

Fav!

Один из самых любимых альбомов куре. Обязательно слушать осенью - тупо традиция. Песня лес впечатляет каждый раз как первый. 10/10.

Fav songs: - Play for today - A Forest - Seventeen Seconds

Jævlig bra. Håpe dei spille konsert i Norge i høst

One of the seminal post punk albums and one of two (the other as Comsat Angels first album) albums that heavily influenced my late teens. I discovered this in 1980 listening to John Peel.

great so far. Perfect for working/studying

The amount of instrumental tracks surprised me, but I liked this one, probably better than many of the 80s albums I've heard.

Этих ребят я люблю. Один из лучших альбомов.

Yes. Please. More. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Electronic whips that crackle with a melancholy fondness.

Fantastic

loved