Seventeen Seconds

Really nice gloomy sound

Instrumental la mayoría del tiempo. AMÉ. no entiendo por qué la canción seventeen seconds no dura 17 segundos

Surprisingly good

This is not my favorite Cure album but it is a good one with some good songs on it. I was only familiar with a couple of them so I got to hear many songs I had not heard before. It will get multiple listens. Biggest Hit - A Forest Biggest Miss (if I had to choose) - A Reflection Hidden Gem - I Dig You

I liked it a lot. will definitely be staying in my library. really liked the instrumental

Fascinatingly ahead of its time. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I can totally hear influences this album had on 90s grunge — love.

The cure. Very interesting sounds

If this was delivered within the first 200 albums I maybe would have been more critical about it. A bit more precious. In the last 200, I’m like Man, the Cure is better than so many bands, the Cure rocks. I bet if I went back and amended reviews there would be a lot I took for granted and would now bump up. Not doing that anymore. So much music stinks. This doesn’t stink, like, at all.

4/5

A cool kid album. I enjoyed it. One for the musicians. For me the beauty is in the simplicity of the melodies. some catchy bass rhythm and melodic guitar - that tone, gotta be a Fender amp right?!

I love The Cure and while this isn't my favorite album, it sounds great considering it was released in 1980. Favorite tracks: A Forest, In Your House, Secret, Play for Today. Album art: Obscure and fits the album's mood. I don't love the dropped C in "CURE", otherwise great. Cure fans, if you love A Forest listen to Frankie Rose's cover

This album was a banger. I like how they really let the instruments shine with long intros with only instrumentals. Also the songs have such a groove that it’s hard not to dance around a bit. Also when the vocals would come in they would compliment the instrumentals so well. I will be going back to this album and listening to more of The Cure.

Digger denne. Sykt kul sound. Et par låter som er ulyttelige, men høydepunktene er høye: Play for today M At night Ellers kan jeg egentlig høre igjennom denne ofte fordi den har en PERFEKT lengde.

SLOW opening bro i need my adderall to kick in or this to speed up i work a desk job smh my head okay play for today is better liking this for work, focusing pretty easily with this or the adderall kicked in love cult hero's intro favorite song: secrets

Good album

Depressing, gloomy goth rock you say? I'm the kind of Cure cunt who would cry that they leaned too hard into cheery euphoria after 'Kiss Me' so 'Seventeen Seconds' is comfortably cromulent.

I love the cure and this album is amazing though I won't say it's my favourite. It's atmospheric and beautiful, eerie and haunting. Some standout songs are Play for today, In your house and Seventeen seconds. And also my all-time favourites M and A forest which is absolute masterpiece with one of my favourite bass lines. I am so excited to see The Cure live this summer

It's no Disintegration but still good

strange but good not mutch more to say

Pretty good album, the music feels just a little too muted for me. It felt to me like it lacked some power, though I very much get that that is very much a stylistic choice of the cure.

LA CURA

Cheer up lads, you're brilliant! Though they may be arch miserablists, they manage to make the feeling of wet socks be something to relax in. This was always the key with this band; they never forget to include tunes. Yes they're goths and sometimes a bit of a punchline, but at heart they're just a great pop band. Best Tracks: Play For Today; A Forest; M

Great Album from a Great Band!

Short! Pretty mellow! Very little lyrically!

Bangers

molt atmosfèric. a forest i m>>>>>>>>> de veritat que l'inici de m m'ha deixat loca, quina satisfacció estic molt cansada i gairebé m'adormo, també et dic, però vaja que molt guai. l'hauria d'escoltar més. potser no és super accessible, però.

not my fave but still quality

It feels blasphemous to say, but I think I liked this more than Disintegration. There's a lot of really interesting instrumentals here, but I just think they were a lot more focused on this one than they were on Disintegration. On that one songs ramble, where as here they are in and out with a purpose. I can appreciate a shorter album, so it was nice to hear them concentrate their sound into an album where the longest song is under 6 minutes. Favorites: A Reflection, A Forest, At Night

Really liked the vibe of this one. 4/5

A haunting album, dropping the listener into a dark, gothic mood. Both atmospheric and minimalist. That's the post punk that makes me fly. I really enjoyed it.

Very ominous album. Some of these instrumentals would be right at home in a survival horror game. Favorite Tracks: A Forest, A Reflection

Guitars were great. Feel like the vocals were too soft

Mulig plata hadde fått en femmer etter flere gjennomlyttinger, men akkurat nå føles den som et litt slapt The Cure-album (men et slapt The Cure-album er bedre enn mye annet). Føler det faller mellom goth og new wave og det edger meg litt i begge retninger, men jeg føler jeg vil ha utløsning i en av retningene.

Good

Think this is my 3rd The Cure album that I've listened to in full, and whilst it wasn't my favourite of the 3 (Disintegration and Songs of a Lost World being the others), I still thought it was fantastic.

Great bass lines and very moody. Nuanced in its sound but I wouldve like more heavy hitters. Still great.

Of all the Cure albums I've heard I think this one is my favorite. It's not something I love, but I appreciate it.

I listened while drawing, and it created a great atmosphere. Gloomy, like a street that hasn't been visited in a while. The album cover fits it perfectly.

Amazing.

Never listened to the Cure in earnest before. A Forest made me think bloc party was heavily influenced. One of the few that albums I listened to multiple times.

The 1,001 book notes that "many" argue Seventeen Seconds is the Cure's finest work, but let's be serious, people. No way the highpoint of a prolific band like the Cure would be their second album that was 20+ years old at the time the book was published. That is to say: This is pleasingly minimal, but light on hooks and heavy on the dour mood. You expect dourness AND hooks with the Cure, you know? This is solid and warrants another listen to dig into it, but doesn't feel like one of their best to me.

Five stars for Disintegration, two stars for Pornography, and four stars for this. That's what's up. This does feel like the best of their Goth AF phase, but musically they are capable of so much more than this. On that note, shout out to Songs of a Lost World one of the best albums of the 2020s.

I honestly never cared for The Cure too much but this album hits. Not 100% my cup of tea but I enjoyed it overall. I've never given any of their albums a full listen and I'm glad I did for this one.

Real good album. Weird and trippy, all the stuff I like about The Cure

Man, I love old Cure, but I'm much more into their old singles than their old albums. Back in the '90s, my biggest exposure to this era of the band's development was the masterful Standing on a Beach/Staring at the Sea greatest hits compilation, which is still the best introduction to this era of the band's history. My opinion is shifting, especially after giving close listens to Pornography and Seventeen Seconds. Of course, the iconic classic tracks "Play for Today" and, especially, "A Forest" are both present here, but I'm already very familiar with those tunes. They do sound a bit more contextualized on the album's tracklist, but the difference isn't radical. The rest of this album, with its dreary instrumentals, shows the development of textured, instrumental goth rock. In fact, they remind me a lot of what very early Dead Can Dance would be doing just a few years later. Overall, the instrumentals are solid entries, but they are a little bit overly simple. It's cool because it shows how The Cure had to develop and branch out both in terms of composition and playing skill, which is one of the things I like most about post-punk music in general. But, despite being interesting and listenable, none of the instrumentals here reach the atmospheric heights of "A Forest," The Cure's top 40 single in the UK. The bottom line is that Seventeen Seconds is a good Cure album, but not a great one compared to later albums, most notably Pornography (1982) and their first real masterpiece, The Head on the Door (1985). Still, this record has a lot of value on its own and is still highly listenable, even if it leaves me craving their slightly more developed sound. Four stars.

not their best, but still a really good album. a forest is an eternal classic

0/10 bekannt 7/10 Beste Songs: A forest, seventeen seconds, Play for today Klare Songs, nicht zu überladen

Generally depressed by the end of this album, the titular song was actually 240 seconds as well so i feel a bit cheated. 4 stars

A Reflection - 3.5/5 Play for Today - 4.5/5 Secrets - 4/5 In Your House - 4/5 Three - 3/5 The Final Sound - 3/5 A Forest - 5/5 M - 4.5/5 At Night - 4/5 Seventeen Seconds - 4/5 Sets up a great gothic and moody atmosphere with the instrumentation and Robert Smith's excellent vocals. A fun and easy listen. Overall: 4/5 Favorites: Play for Today, A Forest, M

I only knew The Cure's big singles, which are brighter than what's on this album. I really dug this.

listened to most of it already

I love both the Smiths and the Cure. Now what?

Somedays we are all just moody teenagers who like the darkness

Eerie!

The simplicity of some tracks makes them sound like a high school band, but the distinctive sound makes me happy in itself. “A Forest” is such a fun track.

Dark, gothic & amazing. Such a cool piece of work from an amazing band. The tension built in these tracks, even with the simplest concepts, is so intriguing and captivating and a step in a different direction compared to ‘Three Imaginary Boys’. I’d say it’s music to go on a walk in the woods when there’s a thick layer of fog. The new wave and dark wave elements mixed with the post punky bass really make this music so interesting and appealing. I love Robert Smith, his song writing, his voice and overall vibe is a key part in why The Cure are so unique and influential. ‘A Forest’ is one of my all time favourite tracks. It’s so diverse. I’ve heard it played as the closing track at a rave and every hair on my body stood to attention. Favourite tracks are: ‘Play For Today’, ‘A Forest’, and ‘Seventeen Seconds’.

Seventeen Seconds really clicked with me. The thin, scratchy guitar sound — light and slightly noisy in a good way — really defines the mood of the album. The dark, floating vocals, along with the groovy and memorable bass and the minimal drums, create a quietly absorbing atmosphere. It feels very much like a sound of its time, but it still works for me — there’s something quietly addictive about it.

Heard of the Cure, expected them to be heavier but this was nice. Very relaxing music without it being boring.

Nom mythique qui ne m'évoquait rien de spécial, très atmosphérique, surtout musical avec des transitions parfois étonnantes, j'aime !

I can't remember listening to this but i think i liked it

I love The Cure, and I almost love this album

Seventeen Seconds ei lukeudu suurimpiin suosikkeihini The Curen tuotannossa, mutta albumin pelkistetty ja kylmä äänimaisema vetää silti puoleensa. Kokonaisuus tuntuu eheältä ja järkevältä. Useammilla kuunteluilla tämä varmaan vielä paranee.

Definitely not their best but it’s no skips besides that one interlude song before A Forest, one of their best songs

not my favourite cure album but has some of my favourite songs

A really good album with a band who was finding their sound. I am glad I heard this album because I had only heard the bigger albums. I’m a fan of this album. It’s great. I think A Forest is goth paranoia at its finest

Good stuff

No sophomore jinx here. I forgot how beautifully dark this album is. A big change from the first album & a true testament to Robert Smith's genius.

a classic!! <3

3.5/5

I know of The Cure (obviously) but I don't think I recognized a single track on this album. Seeing as it was 1980 it must've been one of their really early ones. I really enjoyed the etherealness of it and Robert Smith was really restrained compared to later hits. One standout was The Forest, really digged that whole vibe. Overall a decent time

Awesome adventure in minimalist focus. Unique and intriguing production - super processed and compressed, clean and tight. Simple and meditative and I love the vocals. First Cure album I’ve really really listened to. Definitely inspiring for how exciting an album can be while being all together simple and straightforward, and somehow also super ambiguous and complex.

4/5 - Moody and atmospheric in all the right ways. A Forest is really good. I wasn’t familiar with the full album, but I’d definitely listen again.

Finally a Cure album that I enjoy! Probably because there's so little of the lead singer.

More instrumental than i was expecting...a good listen.

Es ist schwierig, aber es macht auch irgendwie Spaß.

All the songs flow to create a spooky melancholic atmosphere. The Forest is the tent pole, though. The driving repetitive drones are like spidery skeletons of a post-punk Krautrock. Heavy without distortion or screaming, mysterious, slightly otherworldly. I thought the guitar parts were especially interesting and innovative (not knowing it was Robert Smith himself playing them. Cool album and one of my favorites. Definitely my favorite by The Cure.

I like the cute a lot and this album was pretty good!

lovely album

Very goth. I enjoyed 17 seconds I think it’s the best song from the album. Kinda sad to listen to but its not the i-wanna-cry type, its more like thinking-about-life-and-starting-out-the-window-of-a-car-in-gloomy-weather type. I really enjoyed some songs, some weren’t as good.i also feel like there are better albums and songs from them.

I like all the Cure albums I've heard but I've not loved any of them. They do have a great best of though as there's always one or two 5 star tracks

Loving hearing this album again even if the first track sounds a bit like baby goths learning their instruments.

Before listening: Seeing this pop up made me really excited! Once upon a time, 5 years ago, I knew someone on discord who LOVED the cure. Not sure where dude is now, but hopefully doing good. I never listened to the back back then, wasn't too interested in exploring older stuff, was more trying to focus on finding my music taste in modern music. Now that that is established, it's fun trying to find stuff to like from the olden days. I really hope this album clicks with me, even if I doesn't I might end up checking out their most popular one later today just because their vibe interests me so much rn. After listening: I really like this! I didn't love it, I think it's just a little too proto for me to fully love, but this was a really great listen! I'm super excited to check out more of their stuff. You don't even know how excited I got when I checked the genius annotations and saw Albert Camus mentioned? I love nerdy shit like that. on a tangent :D Lately It feels like every dude's a gym bro who takes pride in being stupid and mean. Where are the nerds who love literature, philosophy, and music, and yearn super hard? (I'm mostly being silly, of course, but like...) (reality is i just don't leave the house much :D). I've been in a weird ass mood lately, so don't mind me. Faves: "M" "Play for Today" and "At Night" excited to listen to their other stuff! 4/5

Great dark & moody album from The Cure. Love the vibes and throughout. 8/10 Favorite tracks- “Play For Today” “A Forest” “At Night”

Amazing album

Rating: 8/10 Maybe my 4th or 5th favorite album by The Cure. It's great. Recorded and released right at the birth of the British post-punk wave that would become gothic rock, 17s is a pretty damn accomplished effort for the young band. It's sometimes a little bit different sounding than more of the dream pop and alt rock style of the band that would begin to develop later in the decade, but it's something I really love about the Cure is that a lot of their albums are actually pretty distinct in progressing with different genres. This is one of their early records that incorporates the coldwave sounds of cold and metallic synths. As always the bass lines are one of the coolest prominent features of what makes The Cure so good, this band IS Simon Gallup as much as it is Robert Smith. Another trademark of the band that you see on this early album is how instrumental they actually are, with Smith often not vocalizing on the track until minutes in. And damn are the instrumentals great. This album is a vibe, it's one of their most mysterious and atmospheric and is very rewarding when you can settle in and really let it wash over you in the headphones.

Always wanted to get into goth rock, but everything I tried I just couldn't get into. Weirdly enough, I hadn't properly listened to The Cure, even though they're arguably the biggest goth rock band ever. I loved the haunting atmosphere of this one. The bass was chilling and the vocals added to that uneasiness. It wasn't anything too complex, but it's quality comes from the creepy feeling you get from it when listening to it.

The Cure have been growing on me through more exposure to them via this list. Those felt different from the last offering we had and does feel like a band still finding their feet and building towards something. But by the third or fourth listen it had really grown on me and I’m really enjoying discovering more of The Cure.

Another great effort from early The Cure. Possibly not the natural album to dovetail with my Christmas playlist but the slight jangle on some of the songs lift it out of the gloom. Not quite sure what it is that I like so much about this as none of the songs are catchy and the production is pretty flat, but I guess it is the songwriting? Who knows? Top track: Play For Today

It’s interesting to compare this to Pornography given we only had that on here a couple of weeks ago. It doesn’t feel as dark, and has a more psychedelic and dream like feel to it. Also some of the songs are less complete, I guess the band were still finding themselves. Therefore I don’t think it’s as consistent in comparison as an album, however, ‘In your house’ and ‘A Forest’ are such monsters of songs (which Pornography didn’t have) it’s hard to give it a different mark.

Only the Cure can make an album on just vibes and still have me love it

Me like

Loved it so much! No skips, added the whole album

I love the vibes, the haunting and experimental moments. The yearning. I just hate the mix, I struggle to hear anything but the drum track.

Another soothing rock album, liked very much.

Great album.. captivating from the first song with an atmospheric feel to it

A great album. The Cure are way more than just "Friday I'm in love"

Wasn't expecting to like this album but, I did. 4 stars

It's great. Gotta save the five stars for the Cure records to come, though.

This is before the lead singer turned into a Tim Burton creation. 7/10

I really liked A Forest

Great album, very cohesive

Yay for this record - I've always loved "A Forest." Weirdly though, the only record I ever had by The Cure was that singles comp "Staring at the Sea," so much of this was new to me. Fun record - I love rhythmically compelling songs with obscure lyrics and music that sounds like the soundtrack to a creepy movie. Probably won't listen to the whole thing very often, but there are some top-notch tracks here.

Very good electronic/ alternative rock/goth music, like one of my favorites genres of all time, and this is one of my favorites albums of that genre (a forest greeat song) easily a 4

Yes, a little boring, but altogether quite pleasant

Très cool, un peu planant, des bonnes instru

Pas mon album préféré (Desintegration) mais The Cure reste un de mes groupes préf. C’est ce groupe qui m’a fait réaliser que j’aimais beaucoup le cold wave / le new ave, etc

Très sympa! 4/5

Indspillet på kort tid og mixet på endnu kortere og også skrevet på kort tid. Tror det er under 1 måned for det hele. Det er også meget minimalistisk og skåret ind til benet. Meget sådan gentagende lyde. Rigtig atmosfærisk at lytte til også (det er åbenbart her hvor deres sådan "goth" darkwave lyd startede). Udover at være post-punket og proto-goth så er det faktisk også proto dreampop, da der er reverb heavy guitar. Jeg har allerede i smug lyttet til Disintegration på forhånd og synes det er et virkelig godt album, så kan naturligvis også lide dette da det jo har meget samme lyd. Men det her er bare meget mindre komplekst. Det er simple melodier.

One of my favorite Cure albums.

Forest is a classic and M is a new favorite song. A nice listen for a dreary Sunday morning.

A great album!

I got two Cure albums in a week when I was on holiday, so left them for later. This was the first, and I like it a lot. A Forest is obviously majestic, and the sound through the whole album is admirably gloomy. The fact this was done and dusted in a week is remarkable.

Classic!

Robert Smith woke up on his left leg :( 4/5

great 2 am listen

Such a step forward in one year from their debut it is incredible. Much more musical depth and their signature sound, at least for this early era, shines though.

4.0 - Very Good

Bleak and minimal, still need to listen to it more .

138/1001 :: The Cure - Seventeen Seconds Heard before? ✅ Would I revisit? ✅ Rating: 8 Listen before you die: Yes I absolutely love the guitar tone on this album and A Forest is probably my favorite Cure song of all time. This album doesn’t have poppy singles but what it lacks in pop appeal it makes up for it in goth appeal. Frankly I don’t listen to this album enough and I need to own this on vinyl. This exercise was made for albums like this. It’s great.

valid asf. put me on to early cure, ik boys don’t cry and this matches it but vibey, moody, nice

Good album.

Very good album but at some points lyrics got real quiet while instrumentals remained loud

the most underrated band

Classic alternative album

So good to listen to The Cure and what an album! The atmosphere created here is just gorgeous. And you can hear all the artists that came later in it too.

Epic

Poprilično genijalno. Ne njihov magnum opus, naravno, ali vrlo dobar album. A Forest je više nego genijalna. Sad više cijenim i koliko su napredovali i transformisali se vremenom a relativno zadržali suštinu (osim kad to nisu htjeli). Kompaktan, ujednačen, adekvatno sumoran album.

1 star for A Forest and the San Francisco weather right now which fits the vibe of this album

Gloomy, goth-y, great.

This was very haunting and an overall good listen. It gave me huge pre post rock vibes, and this was long before that genre existed, so props to that.

I like this one a lot. A lot of instrumental content that's good for background, but quality.

mostly harmless

Syksyiseen sunnuntaiaamuun täydellisesti sopiva albumi. Takuuvarmaa The Curea, juuri mitä odottaakin kuulevansa.

Decent use of synth. They made repetitive sections interesting enough to keep listening. I can see how it was unique at the time. Decent enough album

Day 79 Didn’t know any of the songs on this album, really enjoyed it 8/10 Highlights Play for Today A Forest M

Hot streak continues. Lazy hazy gloomy riffing and great drums. I'm not 100% sold on the voice but half the time you can barely hear it.

This was my first experience listening to a Cure album all the way through and it was great. Looking forward to their other albums

Sonorous but dour

Really good, liked the vibe. Post punk is fun. Should read the lyrics. 7.5/10

This album is pretty much 30 minutes of the same song over and over. Luckily, it’s a great little tune!! Not my fave by the cure, but certainly very lovely and I will be listening to it again. No skip.

This is almost instrumental. Certainly not my favorite Cure album. I was familiar with a handful of the songs, but some of this is not their best work. It also had the misfortune of coming up right after Julian Cope's monstrosity.

Started strong, really ethereal and gripping. Lost out a bit toward the end but it’s a keeper

The cure have been one of my favourite bands for at least 10 years now, but I’ll be first to admit their discography is not consistently good. This is the first one of what I would call their early 80s goth trilogy, followed up by faith and then pornography (which is one of the best albums of all time and is thankfully also in the book). You can tell that they were trying out a new sound with this as some songs are a bit half-baked. However, the song ‘a forest’ is one of their best and a sign of things to come. Overall, very good album for the Halloween season. Real spooky vibes.

Kinda sounds like it should be a movie soundtrack. Some bits are very background-y but creates a great vibe/tension and A Forest is the pinnacle. Cool

Even though Three Imaginary Boys has some interesting moments, this is the true debut of The Cure for me. The eeriness, the minor keys, everything here is pointing to the triumphs that are Faith and Pornography. This is one of the early shapers of alternative rock.

Shifting from post punk to the grandiose gothic geniuses they would become soon after

7/10… new wave

okkkk robert smith not the biggest fan of the man’s voice, but the sound of the band is so atmospheric and hollow (?) in a good way

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Don’t usually have much time for The Cure but this one caught me on a good day

272/1089 - My Mom hates this band and I think they're pretty cool. Wish is my favorite from them. The guitars and synths are cool but I don't like the programmed drums very much. If it was live it'd be a 5.

Classic album with several timeless tracks. Has that unmistakeable Cure sound.

Kind of sounds like a soviet winter Great instrumentals Moody vibe with melancholy vocals

Super cool goth heavyness definitely my vibe

very goffick, very 80's, spooky, tons of synth. All in all a great entry! I usually steer clear of this depressio type stuff, especially from this era, but man it got its hooks in me somehow. Despite seeming to drone and give a weird sense of despair I stuck with it and enjoyed it quite a bit.

A magical album that has dark and ghostly athmosphere. Didn't expect to like it so much 4/5

Love it ❤️

Этому альбому благоволит сегодняшняя погода, только начавшейся серой осени, за окном. Если бы не атмосфера окружающяя меня во время прослушивания, думаю альбом зашёл бы мне меньше.

Another album I grew up with. I may have blinders when it comes to nostalgic music, so I can't be objective. I really enjoyed it!

Very musical and atmospheric. Everything means something.

A Forrest carries

Kan inte riktigt förklara mitt betyg med nåt annat än att jag är här för att känna nåt, och under vissa delar av detta album känner jag ett aktivt obehag, vilket inte är nåt man upplever varje dag. Trodde faktiskt inte 80-talet kunde låta såhär mörkt.

The Cure no auge! Um álbum muito coeso e com momentos de grande destaque. CVJ Vivian.

Nice. I really liked this one. Very moody but chill at the same time.

Darker Cure

Атмосферный, тревожный сборник набросков на вечер с, может быть, лучшей их (его) песней. Лучшая песня - A Forest.

I remember when my brother introduced me to The Cure. It was my beginning enjoyment of the Cure and all manners of alternative music. Still love. Btw, same brother introduced me to the NFL and fantasy football. Thanks, Chris!

Minus points for the fact that this album is significantly longer than 17 seconds, unforgivable. Anyways, I love The Cure's specific flavor of Gothic music. It still has the sparse lyricism and cold, empty instrumentals that makes the genre what it is, but unlike other bands in the genre, it isn't so empty that it starts to sound like it's lacking something. Pair that with great instrumentals and even great fully instrumental songs and it makes a really good album.

Good songs

I liked this more than the other cute records on here

Dark. Moody. Love it. 4/5

Excellent. Dark. A Forest is easily a top 10 Cure tune.

back to my adolescence days

I do appreciate early The Cure just because there is something a little more stripped down and punk about it, even if they were quite the hits factory Disintegration era Cure was. I prefer Boys Don't Cry to this overall, but I guess that's apparently a compliation from roughly this time.

More instrumental than I expected but still a compelling listen - alternating between haunted house vibes and malevolent depression. Perhaps doesn't have the monster singles of later albums (Play for Today and A Forest were the most recognizable) but still strong overall.

Favs were In Your House & A Forest. Super interesting album and a side of the Cure I didn’t know about!

not very fond

Dobre, coś pomiędzy Rush a Depeche Mode, a oba lubię

I love it

Great instrumentals, sometimes unnecessary slow

One of the Cure records I listened to a lot back in the day. Not my kind of music anymore, but I still can see what attracted me to this back then.

Fint album!

Fav: At Night Least Fav: Secrets I am loving this atmosphere that the album creates, need more like this ASAP, and I was also surprised at the false advertising - it’s nearly 40 minutes long not 17 seconds

Dark & moody vibes....great album

Brilliant game changing record. So atmospheric, yet also a very minimal sound like the band was stripped back to the basics. Really enjoyed this one and listened to it a bunch yesterday - think it's a very very strong 4.

Und wieder die gueti alti verschribni Cure gege de Monday Blues. Zum guete Glück au länger als 17 sekunde. Grossartig und e guete mix zwüsched gmüetlich und punkig. Es 5i inezbrätsche getraui mi grad ned aber es solids 4.5 wärs alle mal

Early cure stuff is great

Seventeen Seconds by the cure is a solid rock album. This is the first album in my list that I have listened through multiple times.

Not my favorite album by The Cure, but still an easy 4 stars for me.

Really cool definitely gives a chill vibe, sounds ahead of its time , cant wait to listen again

Almost perfect

I just love The Cure. This is a fantastic sounding record, with more stretches of instrumental sections than expected. The limited lyrics from Robert Smith (a somehow underrated songwriter) make it harder for me to have strong takeaways from it, but there’s some brilliant guitar and bass work here that is just ear candy and unmistakably Cure.

A whole vibe. This album is great!

Tight, thématique et juste assez long. J'hésite à donner 5 étoiles mais il manque juste un peu de variété à mon goût, plusieurs chansons sont trop similaires.

About as close to a 5 as I can give but some of the later albums are just that bit better so have to hold a little something back. Despite that, it holds together really well, the bass in particular really drives a lot of the songs forward without being too showy. ‘A forest’ has always been a particular standout on their discography.

01/09/2025 Non offensive but better than 3 stars. Spotify listeners: 17.7 million

A Forest is so good. The rest of the songs are solid 3.5/5 material but i cant do that.

This is not my favorite Cure album but even the most avrage Cure album is very strong. This is where they really start for me as a band, the first album does not really feel like the Cure for me but here the echoey vocals and new wave guitar is what goth rock is all about. The operatic sadness of it all feels like it is reaching out to you in spsesfic. I hope there are at least one or two more Cure albums that will show up here but it was so good to return to 17 Seconds again after such a long time. Standout tracks: A Forest, At Night and Secrets.

I enjoyed listening to this dark ethereal LP. So different from their later pop LPs which are good too. It has a nice sonic quality to it. Would be nice to listen to in the dark or on a stormy night or a late night drive during a full moon.

My first time listening to something goth. Love the beats, but most of the songs do not have many lyrics, sadly. Favorite songs: -Play for today -M -At night

Very good. I like the atmosphere.

A gothic record that contains many gorgeous soundscapes. The plucked strings are enjoyable and hollow drums contribute to the spacy and dissonant feel of the record. A solid and enjoyable work, with standouts like the forest and in your house

I enjoyed the music on this album but I can't get around the lead singers voice which I don't enjoy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1001 ALBUMS- # 79 Seventeen Seconds in 7 days… The Cure’s sophomore release is a stark, atmospheric, and emotionally restrained release, introducing the band’s post-punk/gothic style they would become synonymous with. Robert Smith was only 21 at the time and the entire album was recorded in a mere seven days. The beginning of their transformation into something darker, colder, and more emotionally complex from their debut (Three Imaginary Boys), which flirted with punk and new wave, this album strips everything down to its bare emotional bones. 🎧 Classic Track: Play For Today 🎧 Deep Cut Gem: Three 🎧 Personal Favorite: In Your House 🎧 Memorable Standout: A Forest The tracks don’t shout, rather they whisper, echo and fade and that is their power. Every sound feels haunted, like it’s trapped in an empty room. The drums are distant. The bass is thick and hypnotic. The guitars are often clean, chorus-heavy, almost spectral. And the synths? Just enough to chill your spine. 🖼️ Album Artwork: Visually dissonant This is an album about emotional distance — not explosive heartbreak, but the kind of quiet disintegration that happens in silence, when the connection between people slowly vanishes. Themes of time, emptiness, and disconnection run through the lyrics like smoke. There’s no resolution here. No dramatic climax. Just dissolution. A beautifully cold, emotionally hollow, and subtly devastating album. It’s not an easy listen — but it’s a rewarding one if you let it sink in.

As an 80's teen I wasn't a fan of the Cure, enjoyed the songs that got air time but never listened to a full album. As I listened I dug a bit and read this was the first album they cut without constraints so I listened to the previous. Night and day between the two. This album definitely had "The Cure" sound which made it much more interesting after the fact.

This was a great listen

Народження справжніх The Cure (хоч я щиро люблю Three Imaginary Boys). Готичний пост-панк, один радянський гурт дуже багато тут підріже ідей. Хороший альбом, який не пропадає серед дискографії гурту, але в них безумовно є сильніші роботи .

Early Cure. More punk edged than anything else they’ve done, but with glimpses of what’s to come.

4/5

I listened to The Cure a lot as a teen. Seventeen Seconds (1980) was not their most impactful album, but it was the beginning of what would ultimately make the band among the most important influenced in goth music. The album is not a Cure album I’ve revisited much as an adult and I’m glad that I got to do so for this project. The minimalist nature of this album is, perhaps, one reason why this album is an overlooked part of their discography by many people. However, it is that minimalism and the consistently dark, quit and moody vibe throughout that makes this album great. I’ll be revisiting this album again on a snowy winter evening while sitting in front of a fire.

I liked this, I think I need to have a few more listens to appreciate it fully but I liked the title track and A Forest.

I rly like this, very edgy and the second half of the album is amazing

Pretty boring, not very interesting musically, pornography is better.

Fav songs: play for today, the forest, at night, (to be updated) 8/10

The Cure used to be one of my go-tos back in late middle school and high school, so it was great revisiting them. I don't think I ever really got into "Seventeen Seconds" when I was listening to them before, so most of this was fresh. Some of the tracks, like "The Forest," were familiar, but I really enjoyed the moody beats on this album. Not quite so -- theatric -- for lack of a better word -- than some of their later work. I really thought this elevated the album for me and made it an incredible listening experience.

This album has a lot of atmosphere and pretty great compositions. The instrumentation creates much of this atmosphere, the guitar riffs and bass lines are great throughout, with the synths working to complement them and the drums, though simple, work really well. Many of the instrumental tracks are piano-led, but they still maintain the same atmosphere. 4/5

Sounds a little bit monoton, but dark, cold and depressing Sound is still fantastic

In my world, early Cure is better. 17 secs is a timepiece and despite or because of its “simple everything” musical approach, still captures my attention and has me listening and admiring it.

Some great songs, some filler. The filler is alright. Favorite song: play for today

This is a great album. I would give it 4.5 if we could do half stars.

7.5/10 Love the mood of the album. The intro is very promising, but the songs arent really there until A Forest, which just happens to be one of the best songs ever written. The final three songs are quite decent, but still not nearly as interesting. Highlights: A Forest Seventeen Seconds M

Loved every second. A Forest is a notable great. What I love about this album is it can be background music or turned up loud. Layers innit

I really appreciate how somber of an album this is. I usually hate this post-punk new-wave kinda stuff but this is really starting to grow on me. Great punk feel with an incredible guitar tone. Favorites were Play For Today and M

Very atmospheric. The bass and the vocals are the standouts here. Favorite songs are Play For Today, and A Forest to the end of the album.

Atmospheric and quite chill. A forest is still a classic

It feels barren, i love it.

really good, ethereal dark vibe. A Forest is a masterpiece

33/1001 The Cure - Seventeen Seconds Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ The first sign of things to come from The Cure. Whilst it doesn't hit the heights of their magnum opus Disintegration, it shows the haunting beauty of their work. A blueprint for a lot of post rock, it's a really engaging listen. What struck me most on this re-listen are the basslines throughout that just weave in and out of the songs. Absolutely love it.

Musically this is pretty stunning, but why were the vocals recorded from the next room? Really odd production choice that holds the album back.

I may never have listened to this all the way through before. I like it. Clearly lanuched a thousand ships.

I don't listen to this album nearly enough. I forgot how good it is.

Not their best, but pretty solid. A Forest is great.

Cool early Cure!

I only have a couple of albums of the Cure and while I like them, I wouldn’t say they were one of my favourite bands. Listening to this album is changing that. The instrumental that starts off the album is stunning and one reviewer has written that the Final Sound seems like it could be the soundtrack to a Hammer movie – yes, it’s that good!

awe fascination appreciation - I am sure I never truly understood the Cure as a teen, but felt those things - wow are they complex. Plus even though I've always liked them I paid way more attention to the Smiths.. hey where are they on this list!

I’m a fan. I appreciate and respect Robert Smith’s originality, phenomenal guitar work, and arrangements FAR more today than when I first listened to the Cure as a teenager.

Dont have too much to say. I like it, very dark love the atmostphere on here

Surely this would be Wednesday Adams favourite album! We’ve had this in our record collection for over 35 years and this is possibly only the second time I’ve listened to it from start to finish. Much, much better than I remember. I won’t wait another 35 years to spin it again!

First listen of this one, and I really dig it. It's so interesting to hear the experimental process of them developing a sound that helped define a genre. A Forest is the most well known song and also my playlist choice. I could easily (and already have) put it on repeat and just ascend. (Or maybe descend? Into the moss and mushrooms?) But At Night is also great for the same reason. I love that they were recording on a budget and ran out of tape on The Final Sound and couldn't redo it. A happy accident, maybe. I'd love to hear the full song as it would have been recorded that day though.

While far from my favorite album by The Cure any record featuring a song as haunting as "A Forest" is magical.

good

My 3rd fav by the cure but excellent

omg the cure I loveee All of their songs sound so similar. It's great. 4/5

The vocals are really mixed weirdly on this. You can barely even make them out on some of the songs. That being said, A Forest is a top 5 Cure track.

Riktigt bra! Kanske lite ’underwritten’ men väldigt najs vibe

Grungy dark. Raw. Punk cool

Was going to rate this a 3 but on my third listen and it seems to be growing on me. Nice, pleasant, moody, goth rock. Not blowing my mind but well made and worth listening to and revisiting.

Seventeen Seconds is emblematic of “phase 2” of the Cure which would extend from this album into the following album “Faith”. This is the pure post-punk phase, before the tempos slow, the mood completely darkens, and the song lengths extend. I probably slightly prefer Pornography-era Cure to this, but if they never left this phase and reveled in it forever they would still be one of the great bands of the era. “A Forest”, “M”, “Secrets”, and “In Your House” are all essential.

Esperaba más canto, pero entiendo que le falta un golpe de horno para llegar a su gran era. Solo por haber estado en los Banshees, Robert tiene un puntito extra. Nota: 3.8

Much more like it. It's a really nice and consistent album, with no obvious weaknesses, and a few standout tracks - in particular A Forest. It doesn't quite have the production punch of later Cure, and seems a little more lightweight as a result, but it's definitely a lovely listen.

ambienta bien, not the best of the cure pero tiene algo

Classic

Alternativo esta bueno

El segundo álbum de estudio de The Cure se compone de una colección de 10 temas en los que predomina un sonido rock alternativo que desde los principios de los 80s ya suena muy 80s. Lo que más me ha llamado la atención y me ha entusiasmado desde el primer momento ha sido el maravilloso juego que hace la batería con los bajos, esto junto con las guitarras eléctricas y los teclados crea una atmósfera muy interesante. A nivel lírico es un álbum que suena vacío, frío (conseguido por la producción e instrumentalización del álbum), letras muy breves, que parece que no tienen nada que contar. Pero encontramos algunas que son bastante interesantes como “In Your House” en la que describe el sentimiento de encontrarse bien en un lugar en el que intenta salir de una mala situación, aunque a pesar de sentirse preparado para salir de ello, acaba ahogándose de nuevo “I drown at night in your house pretending to swim”. El momento álgido del álbum lo encontramos en “A Forest” un tema marcado por su línea de bajo en lo musical; a nivel literario la canción narra un delirio mental en el que el artista escucha la voz de una chica llamándole en la oscuridad de un bosque, pero tras buscar entre los árboles decide parar, sabe que está perdido y que esa chica realmente no existe. Es indiscutible y merecidamente el tema más exitoso del álbum. A nivel vocal, el vocalista, Robert Smith, hace uso de una voz muy sutil, calmada e incluso hablada y susurrada en ocasiones, que consigue mantener al oyente en la atmósfera que crean los instrumentos y las letras intimistas. “Seventeen Seconds” ha sido el primer álbum que he escuchado de principio a fin de The Cure y ha sido una experiencia muy interesante. Este disco no busca agradar, su fin es trasladar una sensación de aislamiento emocional tanto en lo instrumental como en lo lírico. El álbum se me ha hecho ameno y me ha permitido disfrutar de uno de los álbumes esenciales del pop rock alternativo de los 80s.

Atmosphere and excellent

Again one of those bands I have only listened to bits over the years, the whole goth look was a bit meh for me. Musically though its great moody, good lyrics. I will listen to more. Stand out tracks: - Play for today - Secrets - In your house - A Forest - M - Seventeen Seconds

Listened to this album recently as part of my 2025 resolution to listen to at least one new album per week. Wrote the following note for it on my spreadsheet: "Interesting; love the darkness" Have always loved The Cure, but definitely need to explore them more as I believe other than this album, I've only listened to Three Imaginary Boys and Disintegration in their entirety Previously listened to 3 songs (Play For Today; A Forest; M) Favorite Song: Play For Today

Didn't really know this album - except for A Forest which must have been released on a subsequent album. Much more subtle and restrained than the later albums which I like.

Well a funny thing happened while listening to this. I had heard this album twice before and loved the first half but didn't really care for the second half. Now I didn't care for the first half but loved the second half! Not sure why. The atmosphere here is amazing but most songs didn't grab me. Actually all the songs on here grabbed me at some point just never in the same listen 😂. Not sure what to give this so I'll just go with 4 for now

The Cure's Seventeen Seconds, sees the band solidifying the "Cure" sound. Definitely sounds darker than their debut. With classic hit "A Forest" being the stand out track that really hits it all. Meanwhile, the other great track "Play For Today," while hitting closer to that dark sound, still maintains the punk energy of their debut. It ends with a one-two punch of goth with "At Night" with it's creeping dread, and the title song "Seventeen Seconds" which sounds like a dying man's lament. Still, with two songs that are basically more musical ideas than full-fledged songs, and and short running time I've always felt this album was a bit slight. For me, as a Cure fan, I long for more, but I understand "Seventeen Seconds" as a turning point in the defining the band and it's sound.

I enjoyed that a lot more than I thought I would. the mood and atmosphere was perfect for an extremely grumpy and overheated Kyle.

Gothic and chilly cool, really great stuff. The eno influence is strong and I would have bet he was credited, but I looked it up and he’s not

A Forest is my favorite Cure song, but this isn’t my favorite Cure album. I think it’s good, and definitely sets a vibe, but the individual tracks don’t really stand out to me. The sum is better than the parts.

7.6

I’m a simple man. I like The Cure and I like this. It didn’t have any of Cure songs I’m familiar with but I still over it. They’re such a great band and this album is no exception!

4/5 Moody and atmospheric songs with strong rhythms that drive the songs along, with opposing and interesting production that trips you up on the way. Top 3 songs: A Forest At Night Secrets

Whenever I hear a snippet of any of the "sad" Cure songs, I think wow and check it out and then check out the album and then can't differentiate between that one song and any other in it. Somehow I like The Cure and don't. This album is just like that, it's full of songs I kind of enjoy, but can't memorize or really care about, which is tragic, because everything I know about the band and Mr Plant is awesome, and his voice is awesome, and they look like a perfect match to me. There wasn't a song I didn't like in 17 seconds, nor particularly loved, but I've picked M and A Forest as favorites.

Right up my street. Austere and foreboding but catchy and fun in spots too? Great rhythm section, melodies, atmos. They'd do better but this is great.

Banger

First time listening to a full The Cure album. And even tough I wasn't blown away, I wasn't disappointed. Nice new-wave songs and I really liked the instrumental tracks. Robert Smith's vocals clearly isn't the only reason why this band is great, and that album shows that. 7,5/10 fav song : In your house & A Forest

Close to greatness. Not a classic but almost.

This makes me yearn for a cold foggy winter walk in the woods.

A high 4. Unmistakeably the Cure. More reflective and experimental than what I'm used to, but enjoyable even though it's a bit unusual.

i think i liked this. it's always hard to tell with the cure. it was background music for me but i came away feeling dazed and sad, which seems like a success.

Guilty once again of not being super familiar with this album…now I get it. The Cure’s originality and range really hit me here. It’s eerie, feverish, almost hallucinatory in the best way. A spooky and immersive fever dream. I’d definitely listen again. “A Forest” is a standout.

Seldom has any band in the history of music been so prolific as The Cure, all the while swinging so wildly between mood and genre. Their preceding debut was an energetic post-punk pop record; but this definitive follow-up would determine a feel and a sound the three imaginary boys from Crawley would explore and be known for through much of the rest of their storied career. They have been one of my favorite bands since I was 12, a constant soundtrack to almost my entire life. (Totally not a goth, btw - ha). Seventeen Seconds contains within it such a compelling mood through its compositions and production, that as a listener, I feel transported to the gloomy English landscape in 1980 as soon as the needle drops. Diaphanous mystery and murky allure made audible. They've been encoring live with "A Forest" for almost 50 years and it still sounds fresh and amazing. This isn't even my favorite record by The Cure, but it is still near goddamn perfect.

I've fallen behind on the project because I didn't want to stop listening to this. It feels very PNW, misty, gray, mysterious.

It’s moody, but not a drag to listen to

A sound and aesthetic like no other. I have to be in a very particular mood to appreciate this album from start to finish, but Play for Today, In Your House, and A Forest always hit.

Good stuff

81% Best: Secrets; In Your House; A Forest Must-Hear? Maybe, leaning towards sure

I didn't listen to indie music in the '80s and, while I have never heard anything by The Cure that I hated, I am not that familiar with their catalogue beyond a few obvious singles. This is pretty good - all jangly Byrds/Power Pop guitars and busy, rhythmic basslines which tend to drive the melody. And, over the top of this, Robert Smith's despairing vocals, full of angst. I really like the dark, brooding, sinister "In Your House" - I have no idea what the lyrics mean but it could be something that Michael Myers would listen to if he was wearing AirPods as he prowled. As does "Three" for that matter... The whole album has a movie soundtrack vibe to it in fact. "M" could be a gothic western theme and others have a similar expansive scope, shimmering, fleeting. I like it.

Spröde, düster, stilprägend. 4/5

This really isn’t the vibe I want when listening to music. Which makes me want to remain neutral. There are some good gems in here that outweigh my listening preferences. And I’m feeling generous.

Early Cure, more goth less pop.

Good solid new wave, The Cure knew what they were about.

Undeniable in its impact on what would become the sound of most alt indie rock for the next few decades. More interested in creating a mood with its music than catchy melodies, it is easy to see how the "emo" artists of decades to come wouldn't have been without albums like this. It is hard to judge the album on its own apart from this influence. In ways it holds its own, and in others it feels lacking. Probably a 3.5

A captivating album, but one best enjoyed when giving it full attention to appreciate the little accents in there. I think it’s an interesting tussle between some soundscape-y stuff like Three, The Final Sound and more archetypal Cure songs. Where the balance works best is songs like Forest, where it creates the atmosphere in the intro and returns you to it in the outro, but with solid vocals as the “meat” of the song in the middle. Sometimes less is more and I think this album just about hits that.

Good album. Not Disintegration but still a fun vibe. 3.7/5 Favorites: Play For Today, A Forest, Seventeen Seconds

What is most striking to me about Seventeen Seconds is how far removed it is from Three Imaginary Boys. In just one year The Cure went from a relatively normal post-punk band to a fully fledged goth rock group. I bring this up in part because of how easy it is to forget. Seventeen Seconds makes perfect sense in the context of The Cure's whole discography, especially because it's the first album in a semi-official trilogy that repeatedly doubles down on the sound here, but when considering The Cure's origins, it feels like a small miracle that the atmosphere distinctive of their other early goth albums is largely nailed down here. From start to end, Seventeen Seconds sounds mysterious, dark, foggy and strangely pretty all with The Cure's sort of X-factor holding it together. Additionally, stand-outs like Play For Today, At Night, Seventeen Seconds, and especially A Forest (one of their best songs ever) make this essential listening for anyone into The Cure. That being said, I do have a couple of nitpicks. Firstly, this may just be me, but I don't love the drum sound here, it sounds a little tinny, and I think the drums could benefit from some extra 'oomph'. I also think the sequencing and pacing is a little odd, for example, Three and The Final Sound being sequenced next to each other makes it pretty clear that they are both sort of mood pieces as opposed to full songs. Also, this album is a little back loaded, the last four songs contain most of the album's best songs. While there are some Side A stand-outs, I think the first half of this album is generally a little less memorable and impactful. Individually, these wouldn't really be an issue, but all together I have to deduct a couple of points. That being said, I still think this is a fantastic album, and if this website let me give it a 4.5 I would.

good 4

Not my favorite Cure album, but enjoyed it.

Enjoyed this one quite a bit. Another band I know the name of but have never given a conscious go. Nice.

Such a good album, the mellow parts of this album are brilliant. Love it!

First time I listened to this album, I didn't enjoy it that much, specially in comparition with 'Disintegration', which is the only album of 'The Cure' that I've ever listened until this one. But with more and more listenings, I start to appreciate it, as it is has its unique atmosphere, that is not present in the album I mencioned before. It has like a movie terror vibe, which is very nice. I do also have some complains, as it feels a little bit inconsistent and has some questionable production choices (why has the voice in some of the songs to be so so low?) Overall, it is a pretty unique listening, so I have to go for four stars.

Depressing Moody Gloomy Amazing Really great record. A very very high 4

Another one that has a nice vibe to it. Not sure if there's much substance, but pleasant to listen to.

First listen on what is sure to be a long journey. The ambience across the project makes it stand out to me, a long with some infectious guitar playing. Wonderful experience!

More minimal than I expected but some serious tracks on there. ‘A Forest’ being one of the best songs of all time.

I love The Cure.

Not the Cure album I would pick, but upon relistening - Elemental Cure. If you crack on them for being gloomy and mopey, it's right here. If you love the Cure for putting together excellent pop music with startling economy, also here. If you think their songs all sound the same, yeah ok. If the Cure makes you feel the feelings other people get from pop music, and your default dance move is to sway like there's a cigarette in your left hand, it's on!