The Kings of Goth have returned to the scene with a number-one album, “Songs Of A Lost World”. It’s their first new material in 16 years, and as if that wasn’t enough, they’ve sold more copies in the first week than the rest of the top ten combined.
Robert Smith and his gang are back with something to shout about, though how they’ll celebrate is up for debate. Anyone who remembers their interview when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 2019 will know what I’m talking about. “Are you as excited as I am?” asked the interviewer. “By the sounds of it, no”, replied Smith, dourly.
To understand how the band has come this far, we need to understand the journey. So let’s wind the clock back…to 1976. That’s right, the same year Abba was belting out Dancing Queen, and the first Rocky movie hit the screens. While all this was going on, in the background, Smith and a group of pals decided to form a band.
Their first album, “Three Imaginary Boys” hit the scene at a time when the post-punk movement was in full swing, and they fit snugly into that category for a while. Things started to take a gloomier turn when their second album “Seventeen Seconds” hit the shops. It was clear at this point that the punkish element had been overtaken by a far gloomier “are you ok hun?” persona.
At a time when dancefloor hits were peaking with the likes of Boogie Wonderland and Funkytown, The Cure headed off into the forest to mess up their hair, apply their lipstick, and write songs about death, doom, and dark thoughts.
This theme continued for a few albums until 1983 when they surprised us all, by cheering up a bit. They hit us with tunes like “Love Cats”, and “The Walk” and before you could say “The Sun Has Got His Hat On” (see- The Mary Whitehouse Experience), it was party time.
Strange things happened. Goths started waving their arms about a bit. Not full-on breakdancing, but at least you could now tell if they were alive or not. A new era had arrived for the band and there was no stopping them. They were on daytime radio playlists, racking up hit after hit, and even the videos had fun and even cartoonish elements to them.
This may have confused their Gothish fans. Were they allowed to have fun or not? It must have been similar to when Paul Weller formed The Style Council; something that had The Jam fans screaming “You’ve ruined my life!”. But The Cure’s fans hung around and their popularity grew.
When “The Head on the Door” was released in 1985, even the most hardened of cynics must have realised these guys weren’t going anywhere just yet. The album was dark, funky, and hypnotic. And yes, it was even fun. The video for the single “Close To Me” featured the band trapped in a wardrobe on the edge of a cliff which encapsulated the “fun, but dark” image they were portraying.
The hits kept coming and the tours kept selling out. By the time their “Disintegration” album arrived, the band was in full swing. The album went platinum and they even started to make waves in America.
Like most bands, there were plenty of line-up changes, but when The Cure won “Best British Group” at the Brit awards in 1991, Smith was quick to acknowledge all of the previous band members who played a part in them getting there.
They continued to knock out the hits and when their “Wish” album hit number one, and everyone was dancing around to “Friday, I’m in Love”, it seemed as if they’d well and truly come out of the doldrums and were adjusting to the light. Having said that, at no point did it ever appear they were going along with what was trending at the time. They stayed true to themselves and their fans stuck with them.
Musical artists were queuing up to credit The Cure as an influence on their success. They are the group of misfits that made other bands feel “safe” to go a bit ‘weird’ from time to time.
Their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame well and truly sealed their legendary status and Robert Smith gave a typically humble acceptance speech, brushing off the fame and giving all the love to the fans who’d stuck by them for over 40 years.
So, what’s the secret to The Cure’s longevity? It’s got to be more than just the usual “outsider” attraction. If I had to give a definitive answer I’d say it’s because they keep you on your toes and you don’t know what’s coming next. Is it a love song? Is is a song that can only be understood if you’re completely wasted? Will it have a funky beat or the pace of a funeral march?
Whatever it is, it’s stayed the distance and the cure as a brand is the complete musical experience, from the look to the music to the pulsating live experience.
