The Cure (The Cure album)

The Cure
Studio album by The Cure
Released 29 June 2004
Recorded 2003–2004 in Los Angeles, California, United States
Genre Alternative rock, post-punk
Length 53:55
Label I AM, Geffen
Producer Ross Robinson, Robert Smith
The Cure chronology

Bloodflowers
(2000)		 The Cure
(2004)		 4:13 Dream
(2008)
Singles from The Cure
  1. "The End of the World"
    Released: 19 July 2004
  2. "alt.end"
    Released: 12 October 2004
  3. "Taking Off"
    Released: 18 October 2004

The Cure is the eponymous twelfth studio album by English rock band The Cure. The album was released on 29 June 2004 by record label Geffen.

Production

The Cure was co-produced by Cure frontman Robert Smith and Ross Robinson, who has previously worked with bands such as Korn, Vanilla Ice, Limp Bizkit, Slipknot, At the Drive-In, Glassjaw and The Blood Brothers. This may explain why the songs on the album are significantly heavier than previous material by the band. Robert Smith has described the record as "Cure heavy", as opposed to "new-metal heavy".[1] According to the liner notes, the entire album was recorded live in the studio.

According to Smith, the official track listing of The Cure includes the closing track "Going Nowhere", which was excluded from North American pressings of the album. Demos of three songs recorded during the album's sessions, titled "A Boy I Never Knew", "Please Come Home" and "Strum", have leaked as mp3 files. "A Boy I Never Knew" was performed live by the band during the 4Tour on several dates.

The artwork was designed by Robert Smith's nephews and nieces, who were children, and were unaware that their drawings were to be put onto the album. The drawings were supposed to be of a 'good dream' and a 'bad dream' from each of his nieces and nephews. He put a compilation of the best drawings on the album and then produced it.

Promotion

The Cure is the first record by the band released by producer Ross Robinson's I Am label, with whom The Cure signed a three-album deal. To promote the album, the band appeared at several festivals in Europe and the United States in spring 2004. They also premièred the song "The End of the World" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. In the summer of 2004, the band launched the Curiosa festival, where they performed shows across the United States with a number of bands who have been inspired by The Cure, including Mogwai, Interpol and Muse. The band then performed in Mexico, followed by additional festivals and televised performances in Europe, culminating with the end of 2004. By the end of the year, every song from The Cure had been performed live by the band.

On the band's 4Tour in 2008, The Cure performed "The End of the World", "Us or Them" and "alt.end" at various shows. "Us or Them" is also included on the soundtrack to the motion picture Resident Evil: Apocalypse.

Release

The Cure was released on 29 June 2004. It debuted at No. 7 in the United States, selling 91,000 copies in its first week of release, and No. 8 in the United Kingdom. The album also debuted in the top 30 in Australia. It has since sold 2 million copies worldwide. According to Nielsen SoundScan, as of January 2007 American sales stand at 326,000 copies.

Initial pressings included a bonus DVD containing a documentary of the conception of three songs from the album, titled Making The Cure.

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic 75/100[2]
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [3]
Robert Christgau [4]
Entertainment Weekly B[5]
The Guardian [6]
NME 8/10[7]
Pitchfork 7.7/10[8]
PopMatters [9]
Rolling Stone [10]
Stylus B+[11]

Critical response to The Cure has been generally positive. Metacritic calculated the weighted average score given to The Cure at 75/100.[2]

Adam Sweeting of The Guardian described it as a "masterful performance all round", highlighting the songs "The End of the World", "Going Nowhere", "Anniversary", "The Promise".[6] Rob Fitzpatrick of NME described it as "startling from the first listen. "[7] Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone wrote "it's the grooviest thing, it's a perfect dream", and pointed out the album's highlights as being "Before Three", "Lost" and "(I Don't Know What's Going) On".[10] David Browne of Entertainment Weekly stated: "As with Prince on Musicology, Smith allows The Cure's current lineup to become his own tribute band". However, the article ultimately gives the album a favourable review, claiming "The newly-vibrant music looks back lovingly as well on a time when Cure songs managed to combine a throbbing, oingo-boingo springiness with the depressive angst of suburban-basement isolation".[5]

AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine called it "the type of record that sits on the shelves of diehard fans, only occasionally making its way on the stereo".[3] A negative review came from Blender, writing "[The Cure] come off more than ever like a caricature".[12]

Track listing

All lyrics written by Robert Smith, all music by The Cure (Smith, Perry Bamonte, Simon Gallup, Jason Cooper and Roger O'Donnell).

  1. "Lost" – 4:07
  2. "Labyrinth" – 5:14
  3. "Before Three" – 4:40
  4. "Truth, Goodness and Beauty" (excluded from North American and Brazilian pressings) – 4:20
  5. "The End of the World" – 3:44
  6. "Anniversary" – 4:22
  7. "Us or Them" – 4:09
  8. "Fake" (excluded from CDs except in Japan) – 4:43
  9. "alt. end" – 4:30
  10. "(I Don't Know What's Going) On" – 2:57
  11. "Taking Off" – 3:19
  12. "Never" – 4:04
  13. "The Promise" – 10:21
  14. "Going Nowhere" (excluded from North American pressings) – 3:28
  15. "This Morning" (excluded from all CDs) – 7:15

Bonus DVD

  1. "Back On" (instrumental version of "Lost")
  2. "The Broken Promise" (instrumental version of "The Promise")
  3. "Someone's Coming" (alternate version of "Truth Goodness and Beauty")

Personnel

The Cure
Technical

References

  1. ↑ Diehl, Matt (October 10, 2003). "The Cure Find New Life". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Critic Reviews for The Cure – Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Cure – The Cure | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  4. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: CG: The Cure". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Browne, David (9 July 2004). "[The Cure review]". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Sweeting, Adam (25 June 2004). "CD: The Cure, The Cure | Music | The Guardian". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Fitzpatrick, Rob (15 July 2004). "NME Reviews – The Cure : The Cure | nme.com". NME. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  8. ↑ Ott, Chris (27 June 2004). "The Cure: The Cure | Album Reviews | Pitchfork". Pitchfork. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  9. ↑ {{cite web |url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/cure-st2004 |title=The Cure: self-titled {{|}} PopMatters |last=Williams |first=Richard T. |date=23 July 2004 |website=PopMatters |accessdate=14 December 2014}}
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Sheffield, Rob (8 July 2004). "The Cure The Cure Album Review | Rolling Stone". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  11. ↑ Parrish, Peter (8 July 2004). "The Cure – The Cure – Review – Stylus Magazine". Stylus. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  12. ↑ "[The Cure review]". Blender: 104. August 2004.

External links