Seventeen Seconds by The Cure

Seventeen Seconds

The Cure

3.38
Rating
28755
Votes
1
3%
2
14%
3
37%
4
32%
5
14%
Distribution

Reviews (page 3 of 14)

Another iconic album that I somehow never heard before. That's my vibe!

Stunning.

Secrets: Openly available to listen to Three: Track 5 The Final Sound: Followed by 4 more songs Seventeen Seconds: 4 minutes long This album is full of lies but really good

Wow. Second Cure album on here and I've loved them both! How have I never gotten into them before!? Honestly blown away. Regretting skipping them at Glasto 2019 now. 4.5*, rounding up to 5* as I rounded Disintegration down

For the better part of 40 years, The Cure and Joy Division have had the post-punk genre in a chokehold. I have always wanted to get into The Cure, but I wasn't ever really sure if I would like them that much. But this was probably the best way for me to start. It is also just the perfect album for Halloween. It's moody, brooding, and hazy, and sometimes feels like a daze as these dark melodies swirl around you. This album sounds amazing. Chorus is one of my absolute favorite effects you can put on a guitar, and every lead guitar is absolutely drowning in chorus on here. They fill your ears and your head with these dense and deeply rich guitar and bass parts. I can also appreciate how the drums kind of take the back end on the record. Most of what Tolhurst is playing is quite simple, especially on tracks like the titular closer, and the drums sound much quieter compared to everything else, which lets the rest of the band take control and lead the way. Robert also seems to be taking more of a backseat. There is definitely singing, but it is infrequent. Some songs are entirely instrumental, and those that aren't have decently long passages without lyrics. Rating: 9/10

Really liked this. Will listen again. It had great guitar moments

Loving the dark tone of this album

Si no es el mejor es el segundo mejor disco de la banda. La definición de un álbum oscuro de los ochenta. Super entretenido, con grandes temas y composiciones geniales. Si bien la canción destacada es A Forest, las demás canciones no son mucho menos y es un costo reflejo de este track. Hitazo: A Forest Canción favorita: Play for today Sorpresa: M

Hadn’t really listened to full Cure albums prior to Disintegration but I’m going to fix that now. Loved this record.

this is like lcd soundsystems first album but he just went all in on that one sad song

This is incredible. I’m really fond of it and I’m really surprised.

Wasn't expecting this music from The Cure, it was delightfully "down tempo".

Really good album. The Cure remind me of old friends and high school. I've listened to a lot of their albums but it's never heard this one. I'll come back to this album.

Amazing Album. Awesome Gothic Punk

Amazing album!

My favorite from them. This music feels like walking blindly through a dense fog.

I could listen to this album over again and again and again and again and again...

The Cure's most perfect release every. Dark and engaging as hell!

Classic

Dark and moody, bleak and beautiful all the way through. The layers and layers of guitars with open string drones swirl all around drenched in reverb and flanger giving a dense relentless texture alternating with jangly arpegiatted hooks. The bass carries the main riffs, cutting through the whirling texture to drive things on. You can hear their punk beginings and disco leanings in the pummeling the drums get on when the pace picks up. Great drum sound - the snare really pops. All the instrumentation is in service of giving Robert Smith's vocals a platform for lift off. One of the best not obviously good singers, his range isn't great and his tone isn't rich or anything, but the depth from which he reaches to get the words out gives them a sense of edge-of-control desperation. All the elements are pretty basic really, but sound they make together are so good, and the melodic interplay of bass, guitar, and vocals is brilliant. Album was over before I realized it and hit replay immediately.

Even though the album has only 2 traditional banger tunes on it (A Forest and Play for Today), this is the moody, dark, meloncholic, vibe that is exceptionally done here. It seems a pretty basic layered drum, bass, guitar riff that has a drive and vibe that is dark and moody. I feel that though it predominantly doesn't have a melodic hook, the groove is what carries it forward and keeps you engaged. I could listen to this over and over. Excellent.

The Cure will always be a favorite, this album is no exception. Love the lyrics, love the composition, love it all.

Love this classic

A great album which includes one of my all time favourite tracks by The Cure - the brilliantly bleak but hypnotic "A Forest" - you can just imagine being chased through a forest on a moonlit night. The album also includes crowd favourite "Play For Today".

Этому альбому я ставлю оценку 5, потому что он был необычным. В первое прослушивание мне почудилось, что это похоже на какой-то разогнанный эмбиент, но со второго раза окатила волна пост-панка, который мне сильно нравится, но на этом диске звук мелодий не был похож на мелодии главных представителей жанра таких как JD и Smiths, а как-то уходил в сторону, песни казались очень отстраненными. При этом я не могу назвать их мрачыми, скорее, темными, но при этом в них чувствовалась жизнь. Композиции из этого диска действительно приятно слушать ночью, прогуливаясь по лесу: можно получить приятные и даже завораживающие ощущения. Музыканты мощно отыграли. Как выражаются люди, «рваный» бас получился отменным и интересным, отлично сопровождал гитару; барабанщик был крут: в пост-панке почему-то всегда классные ударники, которые хорошо дополняют, и, так скажем, создают прекрасный выделяющийся фон. В общем, альбом крутой и я удоволетворен. Это не шедевр, но качественно и творчески сделанная работа ощущается. Буду слушать еще эту группу)

Songs that pulsate like living things on life support. Electronic heartbeats, waves crashing, lovely swooshing noises, swirling, enveloping, jangly, surprisingly danceable. A Forest is a great dance track. Part John Carpenter horror movie, part disco for the despondent.

I absolutely love The Cure. I absolutely love Seventeen Seconds. It’s dark, moody and minimal, yet there are so many memorable moments. I adore the melodic basslines and the spiky but somehow jangly guitars. A classic of the post-punk and gothic rock genres.

The 80s sounds I love, grooves, and a great balance of lyrics to instrumentals

4.8 One of my favourite Cure albums, just such a jump in terms of quality from TIB (not that it's not good but this is just MORE) and a healthy middle ground between Faith and TIB. Fave songs: M, At Night, Seventeen Seconds, In Your House, Play For Today

the song about Dave Forest is really good. in general this early post punk short back and sides Cure is very good.

Dave Forrest

It's The Cure, they always get a 5. Truth be told, this is a mid-level Cure album for me. Is The Head On The Door on this list? It should be. It could sub in for this one and I wouldn't mind one bit.

The perfect album when it's grey outside and you don't feel like doing stuff. I appreciate its consistency and how hypnotic it is.

I was going to give this album 4. But then I listened it one more time and one more time... The atmosphere of this album is great, hypnotizing. It is very homogeneous but not boring. Sound of guitar, drums and synths is perfect and timeless

Love the vibes of this album,

the cure made the best albums ever and like nobody knows them

i listen full album again and i still think that album is moody but very good.

I love it

moody and dark but still good. tracks added: 6 fav track: play for today 8.5/10

Found some unexpected and great chord progressions here

I really like this album and have listened to it 3 times since I found it. it's one of my favorites so far in this project. I'm a fan of the cure so I figured this one would be pretty good. There are no skips, the album is such a vibe, and the lyrics are great!

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

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.

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

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.

I LOVE THE CURE, AND ON ROBERTS BIRTHDAY?!

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

the cure rocks

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

good lbum

Creepy youngsters do good.

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.

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

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

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

obra maestra

Superlative early Cure album.

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!

Muito bom, sons bem suaves

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

Haunting

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

Love it.

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

I liked the gloom

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.

Intro to goth

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

Perfect calbum. One of the best ever

Haunting album that has aged incredibly well.

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

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

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*

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

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.

da besta cure albumet 10/10 og 100 med strek onda

Jævlig bra. Håpe dei spille konsert i Norge i høst

fremragende

Amazing

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

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

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 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.

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 stuff, nice to get a good album

Electronic whips that crackle with a melancholy fondness.

Этих ребят я люблю. Один из лучших альбомов.

Fantastic

Classic The Cure!

I wish I was yours Strangers Nobody knows we love I catch your eye on the dark One look relives the memory Remember me The way I used to be

A much more concise Cure project in comparison to Disintegration, and that helps this A LOT. I love this sound, and I think this could sit comfortably by the other goth projects that have really shined for me

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

Listened to this maybe 3 years ago

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

Perfect

The second best Cure album after Disintegration. Fight me.

did not listen

Myj toikj hi the i

Absolute electro-new wave brilliance

great so far. Perfect for working/studying

Hier kan ik echt niets tegen inbrengen.

Awesome

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

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

First great Cure album after teases of good music on their debut

The Cure still stands out as one of the most avant garde and influencial rock bands of all time, this second album shows it beautifully. I still prefer DM!!

Some songs a bit too sparse and morose, but it is like a soundtrack, and is captivating.

the instrumentals on this album are interesting I really liked secrets, A forest, M, At night, Seventeen seconds great album 8.1/10

When I started listening to the alternative music station in the late 80s, the Cure was one of the pillars of radio play, and were about to release their landmark Disintegration album. As I dove into the Cure's back catalogue I quickly discovered that their albums alternate between a more pop sound and a darker brooding sound. After a pretty standard post punk debut album, this album begins a trilogy of darker sounding albums. And though I wouldn't consider this their strongest effort, it certainly defined that darker sound that the Cure would revisit throughout their career. A Forest, Play for Today and M stand along many of their best songs.

As a first introduction to The Cure, this was pretty strong. The dark sound mixed with effective catchy lines and tunes makes for a cool combination. I doubt it’s their best but it’s an interesting release early in their careers with some great tracks. 1 listen Favorite Tracks: Play for Today, A Forest, M, Title Track, At Night

The familiar sound of their lead singer carries this album for me. Enjoy their style of melodic pop with intermixed rock. This hovers at 3-4 and I'm fairly confident will rise to 4 with more time. So that's what I'm going with.

Moody goth rock. Hauntingly good.

This has been a “greatest hits” band for me, and while reading about them I saw that they have a lot of non-album singles. I had only heard “A Forest”, which I like, but I really enjoyed this album. It has a mood, the bass is incredible and I found the music interesting.

I only started liking the Cure about 10 years ago. And I’ve never listened to the majority of their albums. So this was totally new to me. I enjoyed the mood of it. The only song that stood out was Secrets- which I effin’ love- but as a moody, unified sound it was super successful.

sehr gut! goth by heart I've never been...c

Their second album and featuring two bona fide classics in Play for Today and A Forest that helped bring about Goth rock and basically a whole scene. A membership change came about when the original bass player wanted to go in an XTC direction whereas Robert wanted to follow in the Banshees wake - with whom he ended up working. I guess what puts this above other albums with only two major songs on them is the fact that this style was being 'invented' and a new chartering of territory. I was too young to like these weirdos when I was 10 - it took til love cats.....

Rate: 8/10.

enjoyed that

Gear: SIMGOT EA1000 Fermat Artwork: ᯓ📷🌳 Production:👂🩺🧈 Music: 🌧️🛋️👻 Rating: ⏱️⏱️⏱️⏱️/5

I like the Cure and this was the perfect album vibe for a rainy fall morning. Really great vibe and I will always enjoy the music they create.

sombrio, melhor disco que escutei deles

An excellent listening experience! Smooth synthy piano and guitar with driving bass throughout. Excellent album

2 of my favourite cure tracks on here and just a brilliant album to listen to. Easy 4 stars.

Lindo disco

Dug this, just needed a rainy day but alas can't change the weather. 3.5 stars on a partial scale, enjoyable so we will do a little bumpity bump up to 4 stars.

its alright, i'd appreciate it a lot more if i was in the right mood. kinda made me depressed to listen to. i much prefer disintegration, though this is also pretty good. 4/5 only because i know i'd love this if i'm in the mood for it

Cool vibe as the kids of today says, never heard much from The Cure in general and no song from this album in particular, so this was a fresh find for me. Suggestive and a bit ominous synth pop, I will definitely listen to this for more than 17 seconds!

A reflection - 4/5 Play for today - 4/5 Secrets - 5/5 In your house - 3/5 Three - 3/5 A forest - 5/5 M - 4/5 At night - 4/5 Seventeen seconds - 4/5

This album established the basic Cure sound, the foundation for further albums.

Not their best album but still a good listen

This feels much darker than I remember. There's a solemnity, with brooding under currents of despair and angst. Which is what we've come to love and adore with The Cure. It's on the shelves. Heard before ✅️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ ★★★★☆(7/10) Total reviewed : 424 Already owned : 94 Purchased : 21 To buy : 5 Nope : 304

GOOD ALBUM

I’ve heard this before and I own it. I’m kind of surprised to see this one on here because it’s usually looked at as a weaker album where they were still finding themselves and transitioning their sound from their early singles into the darker more gothy stuff that they kind of settled on at Pornography and continued through the early and mid 80s. Personally I like the minimalism to the sound and how it’s more guitar and bass forward with less emphasis on keys, though a few songs could benefit from more keys to round it out.

It's the Cure. Love the voice, steady beat...classic. Four stars for this one.

cool riffs

Good one! Great band, one of the legendary alternative rock bands.

hmmm probably my fave cure. not too pop, not too punk. tres soundscapisme. that cold wave guitar petal the kids these days all wanna use (im not a real head but u know what i mean). the image of this in my mind if i dont recall any songs is like wind in the trees. i also like how it just ends when it ends, like a kung fu movie after the bad guy dies. whooshh, pow pow

After frontman Robert Smith spends a tour playing guitar for Siouxsie And The Banshees, an inspired Smith returns to the studio wanting to create something much darker than what was found on the Cure's debut. This has a frosty atmosphere that you could expect to find from a Norwegian black metal project. New bassist Simon Gallup shows his worth by pulling out many memorable bass lines and the keyboards do a lot to enhance the somber feel of the album. The album's highest point and possibly the band's greatest song is "A Forest", which has a slow menacing build-up before that iconic jangling guitar comes in. Clocking at a breezy 35 minutes, this makes for a great introduction to the Cure's more atmospheric work, but they would top this record later down the line.

A got damn vibe!!!!!

A simple yet haunting album, ‘Seventeen Seconds’ shows the growth of the Cure in their second album. It’s pretty dark and chill with one amazing track… and the band was just getting started to move to bigger and better music. Top tracks: “A Forest,” “At Night,” “Play for Today,” “Three”

I'm already a fan of The Cure but had never heard this album in full, only the single "A Forest". Minimalist and brooding as early albums were before they got happier later on. This is the version of the band I prefer for sure. "At Night" was a standout track for me when that bass came through on my car speakers it drew my attention. Always enjoy listening to this band and I can bet there are more albums in this list.

Seventh albums in and the Cure remain the tops of the goth

Excellent album

SENTO ELEMENTI DEL LORO SOUND CHE CI SARANNO IN ALBUM FUTURI CHE MI GGGASANO. QUESTO PERÒ TROPPO MINIMAL, NONOSTANTE IL BUON SINGOLO “THE FOREST”. LE PARTI STRUMENTALI LUNGHE ANNOIANO LEGGERMENTE, AL CONTRARIO DI QUELLO CHE SUCCEDE IN DISINTEGRATION. 3/5 EDIT: DIVENTA 4 AL RIASCOLTO

1980. Second studio album. Robert Smith (singer) would go on to say that "Seventeen Seconds was the most personal record that we’ve ever done, strangely enough." Their bassist left the band before the recording of the album, because he did not like Smith's direction. Money was short, so the album was recorded and mixed in seven days. "The Final Sound" was planned to be much longer but the tape ran out while recording and they could not record it again.

love this for autumn & rainy days, would probably listen to this around halloween

3,6 1. "A Forest" 2. "M" 3. "Seventeen Seconds"

stroong 3.5/5

Subtle, moody and intriguing. This is the kind of Cure I like.

Day 5 I feel disoriented but like in a chill way Fav track: A Forest

Good background listening. Enjoyable vibe

Reminds me of mornings opening at the coffee shop with a coworker who loved The Cure.

I liked the album. It has very few lyrics and focuses more on the instrumentals. It’s the kind of album that’s perfect for rainy days or when you’re feeling down. I’d give it an 8/10.

With this Seventeen Seconds, we are really talking about a good atmospheric album, one that is built around a very distinctive and surrounding dark-nostalgic sound. It is not great, and some songs lack of being something more. I feel like there are some good ideas, a very interesting theme around loneliness throughout the album, some brilliant melodies and great lyrics, but, still, some songs feel short, just two verses and a chorus, and that is all. It is nothing wrong, but it makes the songs feel weaker, not outshine the way they could. However, it is a pleasure to find this beautiful record, to listen to this gothic poetry with that distinctive and melancholic The Cure sound that, at the end, makes it impossible to not like, and enjoy, this album. So, sure, there are some flaws, and it could be a huger record, but it is still great, it is great.

A perfect post-punk/early goth album. I don’t listen to this as often as others. I can’t give this five since I love The Head on the Door, Kiss Me, and Disintegration more.

A Halloween album not about Halloween.

This is their second album released in 1980. They have found their own gothic sound with Simon Gallup joining on bass and Robert Smith finding his voice. Top songs are Play for Today, Your House and A Forest (one of their best). It's a good album but not perfect. The riffs are good but sometimes repetitive without any sonic changes, especially when there is no singing. The production/engineering is simple and not as layered as their later work. Finally, the cheesy air effects sound dated and distracting especially on M.

Enjoyable, short and sweet

Great minimalistic, dark and broody album - the start of Goth? A Forest is one of their best songs.

OG shoegazer

Masters of gloomy entrancing goth! Very good

Being a The Cure fan since my teenage years, I'm a bit embarrassed to say I haven't taken the time to listen through their entire discography yet. This album popping up when it did was great timing, since I'm seeing them in a couple of weeks for the first (and maybe last?? you never know with these older bands) time. This album is all about vibes, in the best sense. It's atmospheric, dark and hauntingly beautiful. A Forest being a song I listened to a lot as an angsty teenager, I have a love/hate relationship to it. Some might feel the album as a whole is a bit one note and boring, but for me it fits the theme and lyrics.

I quite like The Cure. This isn't anywhere near their best album, so it's probably 3.5 stars. That said, it gets a half star for not being another goddamned Beatles album.

More instrumental than I was expecting but still decent, wish I was more into The Cure tbh

This was a tight 35 minutes, very nice. The ideas in here feel explored but not played out. It really just feels like a 30 minute long nirvana song. Neat!

Definitely a more accessible record than Disintegration, but with that accessibility comes less grandiosity. A solid starting point tho

Nice classic Cure sound. Post-punk/almost new wave with ambiguously shimmery sound but chords have a bittersweet aspect. Ooh, At Night gets sufficiently angular to remind me fleetingly of Slint Best track - Play for Today, Secrets, In Your House, M 4 stars

I know The Cure by their singles and reputation but to my great shame have never listened to their albums, not even their acclaimed recent one. This was a great point of entry I’d say, which is odd considering it doesn’t seem to even be an especially beloved album elsewhere. Really rare to encounter an album with such a sparse aesthetic on the generator.

Friday, 17 July, 2026 Great album. Super atmospheric.

That was fun! Never was a goth kid, but I could appreciate the scene's aesthetic and music. And damn does this help define the scene. Late 70s, early 80s synth new wave thing with just enough darkness and poppyness added in. Great stuff!

good album even tho it's not something i would casually listen to

guitars are freaking awesome this sounds so heavely great album honestly 4/5 i didnt know if would enjoy this one, and surprisingly i did

Gotta love The Cure

Perhaps the only Cure album I enjoy. The simplicity of their early sound is strangely appealing. An excellent example Our moment in music. What a time it was!

the cure het mier bis jz immer recht gfalle! s albumcover passt bis jz seehr zude atmosphäre und sini weinerlichi stimm ich liebs uf secrets ischd stimm iwie vill lisliger? aber ich finds echt megaa omg a forest mitem langsame ahfang und denn chunnt d perkussion inne wo halt heert nach 80er tönt find au de bass super, ohni de würds vill meh disjointed würke hani s gfühl KEI AHNIG ICH BIN LANGWILIG aber d atmosphäre vo rhe cure gfallt mier eifach sooo guet!!

Incredible post punk. Really wish it had just a little bit more punch

Cool music. No stand outs tho.

i am a bit biased because i love the cure but trust me they are the quintessential eighties alternative bands. this album can be a good introduction to the band… or can be skipped for something like three imaginary boys… who knows!

I only got into these guys a few years ago. Although the singer does sound a lot like Ric Ocasek from the Cars, which I'm not saying is a bad thing, the songs are all first rate. Just like the Cars, very catchy and New Wave. I think the guitar work is outstanding.

An instant classic and one that is normally not talked about enough.

Alltid lika trevligt gäng!

I love the Cure, this isn't one of my favorite albums of them, but I'll definitely gonna listen to more of them.

Good Cure album but not their best

I had never given this one the credit it deserved maybe because the very early Cure stuff had never really clicked for me but this time around I really loved it. This winter I will listen to every album by THE CURE.

i mean it was good, but the cure isnt really for me tbh, all of these songs sound a bit repetitive to mw

LOVED this album. The first track A Reflection reminded me of the music that you hear in the show Twin Peaks. Also, doing this album a day is really showing me how many bands I know by name but never really gave a chance.

Nicht ganz fertig gehlrt hatte sber pssr echt gute songs

It's like Halloween music, where it's so dark and depressing that it becomes comical and fun

J adore

Very good Cure record, I've always been a dan of their less experimental and dark work (though this is still somewhat dark)

Moody, engaging and short - just like me! Favourite track: A Forest

“A Forest” is a good track, and you can kinda see how The Cure started to go to it’s classic goth rock style here.

i freaking love A Forest. my favs are In Your House, A Forest and M.

Un álbum muy corto, pero con canciones buenas como A Forest y Seventeen Seconds, una lástima que su duración sea poca. Las primeras dos canciones son buenas introductorias para el sentimiento que me transmitió el álbum de melancolía, tristeza y soledad.

Not the best Cure but still good.

More instrumental than I thought

This is what I want ever album to be

This was a joy! Beautiful totally and lyrically.

A cure for the ear bashing of the day before

Not their best, but you can see the potential

idk im thinking like 7?

Pleasant

In this album I really hear the inspiration for so many other bands I have enjoyed.

jest mega spoko

ja gewoon top, goede gitaar jams en huilende britten

I dig it. I absolutely would've listened to this in my teenage hipster years. Perhaps isn't hitting as hard with me right now, but I thoroughly enjoy this. Adding it to my regular music rotation.

Nothing particularly wowing me, but still a solid post-punk album all around. I enjoyed the effects-heavy guitar and bass throughout, and Smith's broody/whiny voice fits the mood. 8/10.

A somewhat somber but quite good rock album. The instrumentation particularly shines and stands out despite being a more minimalist album, and the lyrics are hauntingly well done. I don't think I completely connected with this though, so it's going to come up shy of 5 stars.

Ik vond dit wel gezellig. Ik denk dat ik een beetje een fout beeld had van The Cure als zo een zeer heftige rockband, het is leuk om mij eens positief te vergissen.

Really enjoyed this early career Cure album. A few songs almost feel like sketches or demos, quite abstract and experimental, but then there's some really great atmospheric and broody tracks like A Forest and the closer title track. 3.5 rounded up

i know what a 5/5 The Cure album sounds like and this isn't it

Great album, extremely atmospheric and surreal. Will sound phenomenal on vinyl. Not quite outstanding enough to get 5 stars, but just a great listening experience throughout.

I was surprised by this. I liked the atmospherics of the album - it has a spooky, goth vibe. This is different to my previous exposure to the Cure. Will listen again

Ethereal

The songs might be a little weak on their own but they come together to form a really great album experience.

hell yeah

Great Album. Really enjoyed it. I was only familiar with A Forest, which I love, but some other great songs on here.

i am sad atm so it hit good

It's fine I guess? I can understand why it's popular but I don't know

Must say I've never really understood why The Cure is as highly regarded as they are. But this album at least reveals parts of it. Oozing with chorusy guitar lines and moody melodies is what this album is all about. It is also quite simple in its execution. Not overproduced, and not many elements at all to it. But that is partly what I like about it. It's easy to grasp and take in. It's also coherent and never strays from its path, while still managing to present new interesting melodies over and over again. I guess it comes down to whether you like this sound or not. If you don't, it gets overwhelming quite fast. Luckily I do, and I found myself liking more than I expected to. Weak 4 stars!

A good album, I liked In Your House, A Forest, St Night and Play For Today the most.

Strong 3.5. Álbum agradável, mas nada que me chamou tanta atenção, talvez seja melhor depois de algumas ouvidas

Repetative

Sparse, dark, depressing and it hits the right spot. It took me three listens before I «got» the album, but then it got me as well. Only two standout songs, but with this album it’s more about the vibe. Standouts: A Forest, M

Most of this was new to me aside from the hit single. Pretty, pretty good.

Loved it. Chill enough but rock enough. The vibe is right. 4/5.

Celkem dobry, hodne instrumentalni. Je od nich Lullaby

Never been much into the cure but this honestly suprised me a lot.

"A forest" is such a phenomenal song. That alone makes the albums deserves at least a 4* rating. I should listen to more of the Cure.

Such an interesting band trajectory, The Cure. Hard to rate a singular album for such an ambitious and expansive group as this: with the retrospective of the career-spanning narrative arc, it’s hard not to view the forest rather than this tree, etc. All that said, this relatively early record of theirs is a key bridge to the Goth and bombast: brooding but minimalist; good not great; their best was yet to come.

Stundtals briljant.

8 - GOOD

Très calme... Trop calme... Bon album, qui peut se rapprocher à de la minimale mais qu'il faut écouter en ayant une autre activité étant donné qu'il prend peu de place dans la pièce

I love The Cure. This is the beginning of their "new sound", transforming from poppy punk to the dark and moody sound we know them for most. It's not my favourite album, but it's still great.

So like the 5th best Cure record alright, sure. This was good

My first album by The Cure during this run! I’ve never listened to this album in full despite listening to them religiously, but I’m really glad I did. I see it as more of a 7/10, but I’d also rather die than give it 3 stars, sooo…

lowkey should be 3.5 not 4 because not the most consistently good album but i kinda fw it

So dark and heavier than the Cure I knew.

Already heard this quite a few times before. Great album by The Cure. They are fantastic at setting up an atmosphere, this album is a good example of that. The Forest is the standout track, so good

Не самый хитовый альбом Cure. Но наиболее отражающий пост-панк начала 80-х.

I like pictures of you better.

Gloomy and minimal, but a well done gloomy and minimal. Production is very limited though. I enjoyed it in the main not having listened to it for 45 years or so.

A solid album overall, I can dig the vibe, it’s pretty mellow. I think it’s my fav overall Cure album form what I’ve heard. 4 stars

This is probably the most energetic I've heard The Cure. Still, it's The Cure, so it's energetic for a funeral dirge. The album starts to drag, as the tempo and structure don't vary much from song to song. It sounds bloody fantastic, though. You could pick any song and easily see why they were pioneering for Goth rock. As an aside, Nirvana's "About a Girl" seems like it might have been strongly influenced by "M."

Not a bad way to bring up my 300th album on the list. The album is a more mature progression from their debut; it doesn’t have perhaps as many highs but overall it’s greater than the sum of its parts - full of moody soundscapes and textures. The obvious high point on the album is A Forest, which is like they knew it at the time and made it a centre piece for the album with the preceding The Final Sound appearing to exist purely to set up its entrance, and I quite like how that track almost malfunctions and falls apart to make way for it.

Why this album instead of like... almost any other they put out in the 80s ? Its far from a bad album but its not a good pick if you want to make a 1001 best album list I loved "Play for today" and ofc, "The forest". The problem with this album is just that it contains like 2 fillers but other than that its a fun listen. its like a really low 4/5.

It takes a few listens for particular songs to stand out, but the overall sound is great. I love the rhythm section as well as the guitar work on this album.

While I hadn't necessarily heard a ton of The Cure's song before this, I did like all of the ones that I had heard. In general I do enjoy new wave, so I figured I would at least like this. My expectations for the album were exceeded. I don't think I would listen to any of these songs on their own, but I would absolutely listen to it as a whole again.

i haven't listened to _seventeen seconds_ in forever and am once again questioning why that's the case. such a remarkably great album and so, so different from _three imaginary boys_. beginning with "a reflection", we hear a new direction for the band. "a forest" is still one of their best songs ever

As much as I love Robert Smith's voice--could it be THE voice of the 80s?--there was something unexpectedly interesting about a Cure album with long stretches of instrumental sections. They certainly know how to write a catchy bass line. It really gave me an appreciation of their musicianship I maybe didn't have before.

I really enjoyed the sound of this album which—like all other (one) cure albums I’ve listened to—had a pretty consistent sound throughout all of the tracks It wasn’t as good as disintegration but it was really strong still and I don’t think there were any songs I disliked, the intro could maybe be a skip however 3.5

Psychedelic album, second half is absolute banger. A mountain where the forest and M are on top of it.

4 for a Forest

the collection of songs all work together well, but there are a number of filler pieces that are just that... which is ok, but just a warning to the listener.

Ta Bueno

A Forest makes this a classic. Solid album start to finish. Ahead of it's time. A leap from the first album and outside of Disintegration their best effort.

Dark, brooding and atmospheric. Got to be in the right mood to enjoy this, but if you are (and I was by chance), then this is very very good. 4

i listened to this once and wasnt sure that if i didnt know they were the cure if would i sitll like it. listened to it again and yeah its a great album

I thought this was my second album from the list by The Cure, but I must have been mistaking The Cure for The Smiths or The xx. I know who The Cure are, I know they are a rock band, or maybe more specifically, a goth-rock band or post-punk. I’ve not listened to much of their music. Growing up in the rural south, I’d imagine there weren’t many of my peers listening to The Cure. Though I can only speak for myself and my friends. I do remember some goths from my time in high school, so I guess there maybe there were a few Cure fans then. I’m ready to dive in. This is the second album by the group and the first one co-produced by frontman Robert Smith. Track 1 is A Reflection, and the music already sounds spooky and foreboding. Okay. That was an instrumental, and it sounded like what music would be playing as Bruce Lee snuck around the compound in the movie Enter the Dragon. Just very spooky and atmospheric. Weird, but not altogether unpleasant. Maybe Track 2 will have a bit more. Track 2 is Play for Today, and this sounds like post-punk in the early '80s. I really like this song. It has a very 80s production, but it doesn’t sound dated. Robert Smith’s vocals go well with the music. Just a pretty straight forward song. Nothing outstanding. I know the lyrics of The Cure carry some weight. I may go back and listen again, paying more attention to the lyrics. Track 3 is Secrets, and the vocals are so buried in the music it’s like the band really does want to keep them secret. The music sounds fine. Again, it’s 80s post punk. I’ve yet to really gather why The Cure developed such a huge, loyal cult following. Track 4 is In Your House and it starts off a little different from the other songs. I like this groove they’ve got going. Supposedly, the song is about being trapped or isolated in a bad relationship, “I drown at night in your house.” I love the sound of the guitars on this album. I'm beginning to come under the spell of the band. Track 5 is called Three and it again starts out with someone speaking, but his voice is so quiet, you can’t really make out what he’s saying. The Cure is trying to keep a lot of secrets on this album. The music, again, sounds ominous, but it’s great. It builds a mood. However, there’s this constant chatter underneath the music that you can’t make out, but you know it’s there. I'm really loving the music on this album, but it's like you need a magnifying glass for your ears to hear vocals on about half the songs. That might work with lonely teenage goths, but it just pisses me off. Track 7 is called A Forest and it was the only single released from the album. Holy crapballs, I love this song already. It sounds so good, music-wise. Plus, we can actually hear the vocals on this one. I can see why this band has such a huge following. Besides making great music, it’s one of those bands that if you know, you know. But even if you really don’t know, and you just think you know, that’s enough to be put under The Cure’s spell. Some critics said this song is the best representation of their gothic rock phase. Like most of the other songs, it sounds like it’s from the 80s, but if you told me it was released in 2024, I’d believe you. The Cure feels, or sounds, timeless to me. Track 8 is called M, and it sounds a bit different from the other songs thus far. The guitars are a bit more jangly. The song was written for Smith’s girlfriend, now wife, Mary. Hmmm, bet you didn’t expect that, did you? Yep, even Robert Smith writes songs to get girls. Anyway, it’s a good song. It probably means a lot to Mary more than me, but I don't think it quite matches up to the music we’ve already heard. Track 9 is At Night and it’s got some fuzz in the guitar. It seems Smith loves writing about isolation. I can see how young folks deeply connect to these lyrics. All young folks at one time or another feel lost, lonely, and isolated. Like they’re freaks going through something no one has ever gone through before. It’s a part of growing up. So, when you hear a song that touches on what you’re going through, that band or singer becomes your ride or die. Smith seemed to really know how to write about what young folks go through. Probably because he was young at the time, or just past being young. It seems he was right around 19-20 years old when writing and recording these songs. The song, after starting out really well, falls off at the end. Still a cool song, but not as fuzzy and garage-rocky as I was hoping for. Track 10 is the title track, Seventeen Seconds. We’ve got those jangly guitars at the beginning. This song kind of hits me with a bit of Pink Floyd influence. This song sounds like it’s about suicide. The Cure got accused of being responsible for kids' depression and suicide. Smith pointed out that the songs were written to help the band with the same depressive thoughts and desires. Just a powerful song. Not my favorite on the album, though. Well, that was quick. The album was just 35 minutes, which is perfect for an album about death, isolation, loneliness, and everything else depressing. However, it sounded great. I get how The Cure became a huge band. I’d also recommend this album as a must-listen. It’s a great starting point for goth rock. Who knows, this might have been the music you have been looking for your whole life.

M is one of the best songs I've listened to for this challenge. Whole album is great though. The feeling of darkness that became the focal point for emo and goth acts following The Cure feels wholly original here, in spite of the groups influence. Whole album is a great listen, and I'll definitely be playing it again.

Robert smith’s voice and intonations provide such a good atmosphere to these songs. This album does an amazing job at giving the listener an extremely distinct feeling that’s hard to pin down. The guitar, as with every album from the cure, is awesome and very catchy. The songs also feel very rhythmic (?) which is cool. Sort of just not as good as some of their other albums and a little one note but that one note is awesome. Fav songs: M, at night

It’s the Cure. So of course it’s good ♥️

Me gustó mucho, solo conocía un par de temas de la banda y nada que ver. Es como más oscuro pero de la buena manera.

Album #4 I’ve always enjoyed The Cure but never really dived deep into them, so this felt like a proper introduction. I was honestly surprised to see that Seventeen Seconds came out in 1980. The style, recording and overall sound feel way more modern than I expected. It flows really well and you can hear how much it’s influenced other artists. There were a few vocal moments that felt a bit off to me. Not bad, just a bit strange, like I didn’t fully get what was going on there. Mostly it just made me want to put on eyeliner and feel emotional. Wine pairing? A Tempranillo makes sense here, something dark and full-bodied. A Georgian red would also fit the mood really well. Food pairing? Cigarettes and a pack of noodles. Vinyl? I definitely want this on vinyl. Overall I’d give it a 3.5, but since that’s not an option, 4 out of 5 works.

Post punk, close to perfection. You can hear them honing their style which would morph into the darker, bigger sound of Disintegration and Pornography. ‘A Forest’ is a masterpiece. ‘Play For Today, ‘Secrets’ and ‘At Night’ are also fantastic, but it all sounds good to me.

I'll put my cards on the table up front and admit that I generally prefer the Cure in pop mode, where they serve a spoonful of sugar to help the doom medicine go down. I even really like the band's early post-punk era, even though Robert Smith doesn't really seem to. Which is to say there's not *quite* enough tunefulness here for me to rank this with the band's absolute best (especially in that mid-album lull). But when the tunes are there, they're incredible - "A Forest" is one of the best tracks of this era by anybody, full stop. Justly influential.

I really liked it. Went into it only having heard just like heaven, boys don't cry, friday I'm in love. But I thought it created a sort of melancholy atmosphere, flowed good, was a nice 34 minutes

I really dig where Robert Smith’s vocals sit on this album. Almost like an afterthought. That decision adds to the ghostly atmosphere this record oozes, partly because it was recorded in a church. Pretty cool. Fantastic guitar tone that feels like ear candy. It’s longer songs drag a bit, but it doesn’t hurt it’s messaging or delivery. Highlights: Secrets, In Your House, Three, M Lowlight: At Night

there will never be anyone like Michael

Really like the cure but haven’t listened to much of their early stuff. Imagined it would be miserable. It was. But also great b

Decent 4

Cool. I didn’t realize that they were experimental (?) like that

Moody, gloomy, and kick ass! Love this album and it is not even their best!

I’m much more familiar with the Cure’s later work, so this was a good opportunity to catch up on their older material. But as with other bands on here I’m surprised this album made the cut for the 1001 as it basically sounds like them still trying to find their sound. In particular I was surprised how instrumentally-focused this one was, since I usually associate the Cure with catchy lyrics.

Wowza, better, ?4

The Cure being The Cure. Enough said.

First time listening to any of this album, only knew a few Cure songs before this. I liked it. Surprised how much instrumental parts a lot of the songs had.

Verdens beste band, ikke verdens beste skive. Masse fett her og veldig kult!

Very good album with a very interesting sound. Some great songs: A forest (of course), M (probably the most "accessible" one), Seventeen Seconds...

nice english pop music

As someone who likes the Cure in passing, and has never delved apart from Disintegration, this was a good detour into understanding their other work. Still moody, still works.

I never feel like I’m in the mood for the Cure anymore, but it still always seems to hit right.

The best of the Cure's goth AF phase.

All song on this album sound exactly the same (not a bad thing) Best Song: A Forest Rating: 7/10 Stars: 4

This album was pure vibes. I really enjoyed it. It slunk into my day and was a wonderful background to what in was doing.

If you don't like The Cure, I don't think we can be friends.

Cure I think we’re ahead of there time great album