My music tastes (after years of snobbery) are starting expand. I keep hearing Cure tracks in films and realised I’ve never really bothered with them but like what I hear.

So where’s a good place to start?

Also looking into old Elton John at the moment after discovering this (yes, for a music snob i seem to have missed an awful lot)

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBS-fGJUVNY[/video]

I like ‘Disintegration’ thoroughly depressing but brilliant at the same time.

greatest hits

I know its the boring answer – but IMO the Cure are a great singles band, and they don’t really have a single “classic” album

“Wish” was what got me first into The Cure, personally I think their Greatest Hits effort wasn’t really doing them justice. To me their live albums ‘Entreat’ & ‘Paris’ were rather good.

Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me is my favourite.

Has a lot of the tunes that you’ll be hearing, Staring at the Sea is the 1st greatest hits album. Then there’s been a couple of more recent ones.

Not to keen on some the more recent stuff though.

Staring at the Sea is a great compilation of the earlier stuff.

Seventeen Seconds. If you can still get hold of it get a copy of the which is a 2 cd box set with some extremely good stuff on it.
Go and see them live too, they put on a top show.

For me it is Faith. Everything else after that doesn’t even come close in comparison. I recognize there are some wonderful songs on the later albums, but as for an album on its own Faith really stands out for me.

Edit.

Just read OP original post again. If you like what you hear in flims then perhaps Faith is not the place to start. Also, when listening to it keep the sharp knives, razor blades and prescription drugs under safe lock and key. It has to rank as one of the most miserable, depressing albums of all time, makes Morrisey look likes he is going through a manic episode. That said, I find it somewhat uplifting.

I’d start with Wild Mood Swings, except it doesn’t have “Friday I’m in Love” which is on “Wish”

Disintegration

17 seconds,

three imaginary boys

head on the door (for the album where you’ll recognise lots of tunes from telly and films, inbetween days has been abused loads for commercials and such like)

disintergration (last good album, after that they were rather poor)

They’ve done post-punk type albums, poppy albums, dark moody albums, jolly loved up albums. Depends what you want really.
Choose from those mentioned, or go for a best of.

As far as Elton John goes, you’ve missed nothing, don’t worry.

There’s been so many different incarnations of the same band, it’s difficult to know what I’d recommend. But if I had to pick one, Disintegration. If only for the final chord of the opening track. But as said before – not one to listen to with any razors nearby.

17 Seconds/Faith/Pornography. A masterful trio of dark, miserable bleakness. Pornography even manages to start with the line “doesn’t matter if we all die”

Classic 🙂

the cure aren’t dark or miserable, even when they try REALLY HARD they still come across as cheerful cuddly little souls 😀

17 seconds if only for A Forest, the best ever Cure song. Other than that Disintegration.

ooooo best ever cure songs? shake dog shake, play for today, forest, charlotte sometimes and grinding halt

Lullaby close second behind A Forest. 😀

I’m only sayin ’cause I can play them

17 seconds if only for A Forest, the best ever Cure song

+1. Saw them do it live in Madrid a couple of years ago, never has AWESOME seemed such an inadequate word. Robert Smith apparently is quite handy too as he threatened to jump off the stage an kick the person who was blinding him with a laser pointer thing’s f***ing head in.

I know its the boring answer – but IMO the Cure are a great singles band, and they don’t really have a single “classic” album

they have done a classic “singles” album though Staring at the Sea

Disintegration for me, but Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me runs a close second.

They’re one of those bands where you don’t think you’re a massive fan & then realise you’ve got pretty much every album! Manics do that for me too.

Oh & Tiny Dancer’s brilliant – check out Captain Fantastic & the Dirt Brown Cowboy too if you’ve already done Madman Across the Water.

tazzymtb – Member

the cure aren’t dark or miserable, even when they try REALLY HARD they still come across as cheerful cuddly little souls

lol. You trying to tell me that Pornography is a cuddly album!? Although I admit, you sort of always got the impression they were trying to be like that or something 🙂

Can’t think of much more morose music. Maybe the God Machine….hmmm

vdubber I’m on old/ex (proper, not one of these spook kids) goth, the cure were just cheery pop music compared to some of the record collection 😀

The ‘acoustic hits’ bonus CD in the special edition greatest hits album is superb.

I was in the front row at Birmingham for the Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me tour. Happy days 😀

Also the singles collection is brilliant too, but I am sure “Killing An Arab” does not make it on to the new collection?

Faith

but I am sure “Killing An Arab” does not make it on to the new collection?

Hasn’t there been a subtle lyric change?

My favourite band ever and A Forest is my favourite song ever.

I orefer the older albums and 2nd the Faith, Pornography, 17 Seconds choices. I also love Disintegration and Wish. Never got into any of their albums after Wish and for me that’s where the Cure ended.

Seen them 5 times in concert and they were fantastic every time.

Just Like Heaven’s one of my favourite songs, from any band. Wonderful lyrics.

Best Cure Song??

Charlotte Sometimes.

Awesome, haunting.. And Robert Smith at his finest, melancholy, self.

tazzymtb – Member

vdubber I’m on old/ex (proper, not one of these spook kids) goth, the cure were just cheery pop music compared to some of the record collection

Me too (ssh!) Used to follow Every New Dead Ghost, Rosetta Stone, Neph etc.

I love Disintegration too. Not normally one for miserable music, but it’s beautiful.

I also never gave them their due at the time, probably due to a bit of anti-goth prejudice.

Here’s a more cheery number though, magic stuff…
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouitmsVcXqY[/video]

On a tangent, what a brilliant cover version…
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_6Tmpqp3c4&feature=related[/video]

Yea – great band. As mentioned they are like 4 bands in one.

Can’t stand the obvious singles love cats/lets go to bed but Just Like Heaven is really nice.

The earlier darker stuff is great and but I recon there best period was Kiss Me/ Disintegration/Wish.

The laying of the instruments is hypnotic i.e. Trust.

Lyrics – title track from Disintegration album. Just ….

As Teetosugars said Charlotte Sometimes – Orsome.
And Simons’ base guitar holding everything together- Orsome.

Does any one remember a short 40min one off BBC production called ‘Inbetween Days’. Had a scene where a school boy was having his toe nails painted in a girls bedroom.

I like his early stuff, he’s a very good guitarist apparently, his guitar talent was lost a little bit in Punk tho.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7lULaE6kv4[/video]
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdZypJsMs9Y&feature=related[/video]

Early stuff you say…
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8Wolk0FRnk[/video]
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMRL-VMQ2E0[/video]
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5JPNhtaCj4[/video]

…And something live…
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-L9_IDjtH0[/video]