article

The Cure is the eponymously-titled twelfth studio album from The Cure. This album was released on June 28, 2004 internationally and a day later in the United States. Initial pressings included a bonus DVD "The Making of The Cure", which featured video footage of The Cure recording the backing tracks and "scratch" (guide) vocals to three of the songs included on the album.

Track listing

Main album

  1. "Lost"
  2. "Labyrinth"
  3. "Before Three"
  4. "The End Of The World"
  5. "Anniversary"
  6. "Us Or Them"
  7. "alt.end"
  8. "(I Don't Know What's Going) On"
  9. "Taking Off"
  10. "Never"
  11. "The Promise"

Extra tracks

  1. "Going Nowhere" (closing track on all versions except the North American CD release)
  2. "Truth Goodness and Beauty" (on the UK CD, Japanese CD, and all vinyl versions, in between "Before Three" and "The End of the World")
  3. "Fake" (only on Japanese CD and all vinyl versions, in between "Us or Them" and "alt.end")
  4. "This Morning" (closing track on all vinyl versions)

"The Making of The Cure" bonus DVD tracks

  1. "Someone's Coming" ("Truth Goodness and Beauty" alternative version)
  2. "Back On" (instrumental version of "Lost")
  3. "Jason 3" (instrumental version of "Never")
  4. "The Broken Promise" (instrumental version of "The Promise")

Singles

Personnel

He is, however, featured on the singles' b-sides "Why Can't I Be Me?" and "Your God Is Fear".

Significance

  • This album continues the pattern of a release once every four years: Wish (1992), Wild Mood Swings (1996) and Bloodflowers (2000).
  • The Cure is the first Cure album since their debut Three Imaginary Boys in 1979 to be produced by somebody other than Robert Smith. This album is produced by Ross Robinson, who has produced Korn, Limp Bizkit, Slipknot, At The Drive-In and a fair few others. Due mainly to the producer's nu metal influence, there are songs on this album much heavier than ever before, although the classic Cure sound still shines through. Smith has described it as "Cure heavy", as opposed to "nu metal heavy".
  • This album is the first Cure release on Robinson's I Am label, with whom they signed a three album deal.
  • To promote the album, the band went on several festivals in Europe and the United States in spring 2004. The band also premiered 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 other bands that have been inspired by The Cure, including Mogwai, Interpol and Muse. The band then performed in Mexico (Monterrey and Mexico City) and then did some more festivals and TV performances in Europe to end 2004. At the end of the year, all of the main twelve songs on The Cure (including "Going Nowhere") were played live.

Chart success

The Cure was released on June 28 2004 and debuted in the top ten in the US and UK. The album also debuted in the top 40 in Australia. Since then, the album has sold 2 million copies world wide.

Critical response

Metacritic.com has rated the Cure at a 73 meaning that the critical response has been generally positive. *

The album was rated as good by: The Guardian, New Musical Express, Kerrang!, Playlouder, Rolling Stone Magazine, Stylus Magazine, Tiny Mix Tapes Pitchfork, E! Online, Entertainment Weekly and the Los Angeles Times.

The album was rated as average by: Allmusic.com and Blender.

The Guardian described it as a "masterful performance all round". Best tracks: "The End of the World", "Going Nowhere" "Anniversary", "The Promise". Rating 4 stars out of 5 *

The New Musical Express described it as "startling from the first listen." (19 June 2004, page 55)

Rolling Stone rated it as four stars saying "it's the grooviest thing, it's a perfect dream." Best tracks: "Before Three", "Lost", "(I Don't Know What's Going) On *

E! Online rated the album as a B, stating "It's hard to imagine a set of songs that better reflects every phase the group has navigated through its turbulent career". *

Entertainment Weekly stated: "As with Prince on Musicology, Smith allows the Cure's current lineup to become his own tribute band". (9 July 2004, page 86)

Allmusic.com rated the album as three stars saying "the album is a satisfying listen and there's a certain charm in hearing a Cure thats so comfortable in its own skin, but its the type of record that sits on the shelves of diehard fans, only occasionally making its way on the stereo". Best tracks: "Lost", "Never", "The End of the World". *

Blender stated: "They come off more than ever like a caricature." (August 2004, page 104)

External links

The Cure albums | 2004 albums | Eponymous albums

The Cure (álbum) | The Cure (album) | The Cure (album) | The Cure (musikalbum)

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "The Cure (album)".

Home Page • arts • business • computers • games • health • hospitals • home • kids & teens • news • physicians • recreation• reference • regional • science • shopping • society • sports • world