The Cure is the eponymously-titled twelfth studio album by The Cure released on June 28, 2004 internationally and a day later in the United States. Initial pressings included a bonus DVD "Making '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.

Overview

This album continues the pattern of a release once every four years: Wish (1992), Wild Mood Swings (1996) and Bloodflowers (2000).

The 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.

The Cure album was co-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 heavy 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 "metal heavy." According to the liner notes, the entire album was recorded live in the studio.

On the recent 2008 "4 Tour" the band performed "End of the World", "Us or Them", and "Alt.end" at various shows.

All songs on the album were played at one point or another on the 2004 Curiosa Tour.

Track listing

1. "Lost" – 4:07
2. "Labyrinth" – 5:14
3. "Before Three" – 4:40
4. "The End of the World" – 3:44
5. "Anniversary" – 4:22
6. "Us or Them" – 4:09
7. "alt.end" – 4:30
8. "(I Don't Know What's Going) On" – 2:57
9. "Taking Off" – 3:19
10. "Never" – 4:04
11. "The Promise" – 10:21
12. "Going Nowhere" – 3:28 (included in all versions except the North American)

Extra tracks

1. "Truth Goodness and Beauty" (on the UK CD, Japanese CD, and vinyl versions, in between "Before Three" and "The End of the World")
2. "Fake" (on the Japanese CD and vinyl versions, in between "Us or Them" and "alt.end")
3. "This Morning" (closing track on the vinyl version)

According to Robert Smith, the official track listing is the main album plus "Going Nowhere" at the end. Only the North America CD excludes the track. It and "Truth Goodness and Beauty" were never released in North America (except as a video in the DVD).

Making 'The Cure' bonus DVD tracks

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

Missing songs

1. "A Boy I Never Knew"
2. "Please Come Home"
3. "Strum"

"A Boy I Never Knew" was first played live on 21 October 2007.

Singles

• May 18 2004 - "The End of the World" (b/w "This Morning" and "Fake")
• October 12 2004 - "alt.end" (b/w "Why Can't I Be Me?" and "Your God is Fear")
• October 18 2004 - "Taking Off" (b/w "Why Can't I Be Me?" and "Your God is Fear")

Personnel

• Robert Smith – vocals, guitar
• Simon Gallup – bass guitar
• Perry Bamonte – guitar
• Jason Cooper – drums
• Roger O'Donnell – keyboards
• Porl Thompson also contributed to several songs for The Cure, though none were included on the album. He is, however, featured on the singles' B-sides, "Why Can't I Be Me?" and "Your God Is Fear," and does play on the three unreleased songs.

Chart success

The Cure was released on June 28 2004 and debuted at #7 in the U.S., selling 91,000 copies in its first week of release, and #8 in the UK. The album also debuted in the top 30 in Australia. Since then, the album has sold 2 million copies world wide. As of January 2007 US sales stand at 326,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan (see ask billboard).

Critical response

Metacritic.com has rated the Cure at a 75 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 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 that's 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

• Billboard News - New Cure Album Due In Late June
• Metacritic The Cure review summary
• Allmusic.com review