Before Radiohead took permanent residency as my favorite band, it was all about The Cure. Specifically, the "unholy trio" of 1980's Seventeen Seconds, 1981's Faith, and finally 1982's Pornography. While I freely admit that Disintegration changed my life, it was Pornography that resonated the most with me. Combining stark production with a droning wall of murk, this was the album that showcased Robert Smith's burgeoning talent behind the boards and his ability to create such a riveting landscape of gloom. Listening to the album today, one can distictly pick up the sounds of a man unravelling; totally confident inside of his music but utterly off the rails in his personal life. Smith's made no bones about the fortress of booze he and the band hid behind during the recording of this album and it shows. Insular in sound but still a giant leap forward for the group, Pornography is a snapshot of a young band struggling to come to grips with their direction. And succeeding. For your listening (dis)pleasure:

The Cure: One Hundred Years (highly rec'd!!)

The Cure: The Figurehead

The Cure: The Hanging Garden

The Cure: A Strange Day (highly rec'd!!)



::BONUS TRACKS::


The Cure: One Hundred Years (live in D.C. 1984)

The Cure: The Hanging Garden (live in D.C. 1984)