Ah yes, by far the most personal blog I’ve ever done. What more can be said about one of the world’s greatest bands? What more can be said about one of the most prolific writers of our generation? What more can be said about one of the most influential pop icons of this generation? The truth is: Nothing! So instead of writing about the band’s superstardom, I’ll write on the impact they’ve had on music and yours truly!
Whether you know his name or not, it is undeniable when you see the image of a man with spiked out, puffy black hair, wearing bright red lipstick. Everyone knows he is the leader/founder of the “Goth” genre, Robert Smith of the Cure. But, only TRUE Cure fans know that he is much more! The truth is, only two albums (Faith & Pornography and maybe Disintegration) really stay true to the “Goth” label. Most of The Cure albums have a mixture of Pop, Goth, New Wave and Ballads (well…sort of). They have turned out hits from almost every genre! From pop (“Bird Mad Girl,” “The Walk”) to goth (“The Funeral Party,” “Siamese Twins”); from New Wave/Alternative Rock (“Just Like Heaven,” “InBetween Days”) to ballads (“Underneath the Stars,” “Halo”).
So what makes this band so legendary? Well think about this: They’ve made music for over 30 years, released over 13 studio albums, they influenced the creation of a whole new genre and their lead singer is a pop-culture icon. What else do you want? How about a singer who writes in such a way that I get goose bumps when I hear: “Hopelessly Drift In the Eyes of the Ghost Again/Down On My Knees and My Hands In The Air Again/Pushing My Face In The Memory Of You Again…Never Quite Said What I Wanted To Say To You/Never Quite Managed the Words To Explain To You/ Never Quite Knew How To Make Them Believeable.” That song got me through some tough times. In high school I was so blindly/madly in love with a girl who never noticed me. I always wished I could sing her this song, or if I could open up my heart and show her how passionate I was for her. I played this song over and over again! This song got me through some tough times of love lost and heartbreak. Their music spoke to me and told me that I wasn’t the only sucker having loved, yet not having that same love returned.
What I love about Smith’s writing is that he writes songs from the heart. Every song is like a poem and he uses words and phrases that have double/triple meanings. You can take a song at face value or you can look deeper into it and find a deeper meaning. I love lyrics to a song, I love how a song can make you feel, how it can effect/affect you, down to your very core. Smith writing has that powerful affect on his fans and others in the music industry.
Like any real fan, I’ve loved this band so much, that, at times, I hate them. Of late, their last two albums have been mediocre at best (And I am being very kind when I say that). When I purchased their last album 4:13 A Dream, I wasn’t expecting much! As I pressed play, I was anticipating a total nightmare. Then, as the CD played, I heard the most beautiful sound, then the drums kicked in with the guitar and I immediately fell back in my seat! YES! This is it…What every Cure fan has been waiting years for! “Underneath the Stars” took me back to that place where every Cure fan wishes they could be; it felt like “Vintage Cure.” For a brief moment, we knew that Robert Smith was back, then came the rest of the album and I was immediately slapped back into my harsh reality: a horrible album, with the exclusion of one song. But that song showed me promise, it showed me that this band can still make great music. Sure, we may have to suffer through some crappy music, but when you find a gem like “Underneath the Stars” it makes it all worthwhile!
“Just Like Heaven” is the first song I ever heard by The Cure! I was living in darkness for so long, until then I only loved Rap music. I know! I apologize for that one! So, if you like The Cure or hate them, this month, listen to that one band that makes you fall in love with music again. Listen to that one band that gives you goose bumps, or magically transports you back to a time when you were care free! For me, that band is this month’s legend, The Cure! So live it up this week and fall in love again; re-connect! More importantly rediscover music! By the way, this is by far the hardest Top 5 I’ve ever done!
Top 5 Songs
- Just Like Heaven (Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me)
- Untitled (Disintegration)
- Plainsong (Disintegration)
- A Few Hours After This…(B-Side)
- The Figurehead (Pornography)
Useful Links
Best Fan Site (By Far!)
Santigold covering Killing An Arab
Amanda Palmer (Dresden Dolls) writes a letter to Robert Smith
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