the holy hour (The Cure) (LP 4268 - 4272)

The Cure  Seventeen Seconds (CD, Fiction Records, 1980) ****  

The Cure  faith (Vinyl, Stunn Records, 1981) **** 

The Cure  Concert. The Cure Live (CD, Fiction Records, 1984) **** 

The Cure  Standing on a Beach. The Singles (CD, Fiction Records, 1986) ***** 

The Cure  Galore: The Singles 1987 - 1997 (CD, Fiction Records, 1997) *** 

Genre: Gothic, Alt rock

Places I remember: Fives, Margie's brother, King's Recording (Abu Dhabi)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Just Like Heaven (Galore)

Gear costume: A Forest (Standing on a Beach)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: I would describe myself as a casual follower of The Cure. They have never got their hooks into me fully. 

I would own their 1979 debut album, Three Imaginery Boys, except Roger Marbeck played it a lot in the shop and the tap's drip drip drip annoyed me. Now I don't mind it because it reminds of working at Marbecks - which I absolutely loved.

So my first Cure album is their second one - Seventeen Seconds. This is the one with A Forest on it which is an amazing song. It certainly inspired many a Flying Nun band down in Dunedin.

The rest of the album is of a piece - as in the sound is consistent and the chilly vibe extended over the whole set of songs. It's great for early evenings, I've found.

Faith is similar in sound and tone. The grey cover and the (lower case) song titles provide clues: all cats are grey, the funeral party, doubt, the drowning man. 

The slow atmosphere pervades for most of the songs (primary was the single and it's noisier in a punkish way). I don't find this, or Seventeen Seconds, depressing though. It's ambient approach is quite soothing.

The live album - Concert, was recorded in 1984 at the Hammersmith Odeon in London and in Oxford during The Top tour. The Cure live doesn't sound anything like Faith/ Seventeen Seconds. Instead they sound punkish and raw - which is a good thing!

Standing on a Beach. The Singles compiles singles from their first decade - 1976 to 1986 and it's invaluable. The CD version especially so as it has some extra tracks added that weren't singles, but they flesh out the picture.

Galore completes the next decade from 1987 to 1997. Although I prefer the Standing on a Beach era, Galore still presents The Cure as an ever-adventurous alt rock band. 

Where do they all belong? If you're new to the band I recommend Standing on a Beach. The Singles and Galore as a good starting point.