![]() Once again, showing the band was not going to be typical, Smith and the band were unhappy with the results of the first LP. ![]() ![]() At a tender of age of nineteen when the songs were recorded, Smith’s voice hadn’t matured yet into its iconic sound, but his character and playfulness were there in many of the songs, including a thick Brit accent. The title track hints at what’s to come as the plodding, moody ballad brings Robert’s voice into focus and shows the potential of what the band could do with this sound. “Grinding Halt” has a ska-like rhythm and a catchy feel, while “It’s Not You” is a straight-ahead punk tune. You can hear the sounds familiar from the early singles in the songs on this playlist. It was a great album and a consistent listen start to finish. ![]() It lacked the energy and anger of the punk sound of the time, but the raw and sparse guitar, driven by propulsive drums and thick bass, separated it from the other pop sounds of the time. The album was a pop-punk sound with stripped down, jangly guitars and simple, catchy melodies. First was “Boys Don’t Cry” followed by “Jumping Someone Else’s Train,” both of which were fantastic songs of differing temperament that displayed the unique talent of the band. The first album was released in May of 1979 and, as was the custom in the UK, the singles were released separately. Grinding Halt It’s Not You Three Imaginary Boys \ Three Imaginary Boys (1979) It was a dark and portentous start for The Cure, clearing the path to the place the band would occupy in the musical landscape. Smith had to explain the song was not anti-Muslim but was based on Albert Camus’ existentialist novel, L’Etranger, in which the protagonist shoots an Arab on the beach. Therefore, it was the remaining trio, with the shortened name The Cure, that was signed to Indie label, Fiction, and “Killing an Arab” was issued as the first single to acclaim and controversy. In 1978 the band was moving to a more stripped down, punk-influenced sound and Thompson was shown the door as his playing didn’t fit. It was the first sign that these young men were not going to follow a typical path. They won a talent contest and a contract with German label, Hansa Records, but the label and the band couldn’t agree on their sound nor was Hansa keen on the song they’d recorded, “Killing an Arab,” and they were released without issuing any music. Despite holding auditions to find a frontman, Smith fell into the role and the band’s defining sound was in place. By 1977 they had settled into a quartet called Easy Cure with Porl Thompson joining on guitar. They played in bands through school, forming one called Malice that dabbled in the Glam music of the mid-70s. Robert Smith, Michael ‘Mick’ Dempsey, and Laurence ‘Lol’ Tolhurst were high school friends in Crawley, West Sussex, a community just south of Gatwick Airport near London. And as is sometimes the case with bands who were so consistent, the singles and hits were often not the best selections from the albums, so a deep dive will allow a less distracting and still solidly engaging review of The Cure’s music. Yet the depth, consistency, quality, and character of their discography begs the deep dive treatment, because to stroll through their greatest hits will introduce you to The Cure, but not reveal the full extent of their charm, intrigue, and beauty. As a modern rock act, The Cure were rarely chart toppers outside of its native England, yet it’s hard to find anyone over thirty who wouldn’t know who they are and be familiar with at least a few of their songs and their sound and image.
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