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The Cure - Seventeen Seconds [Deluxe Edition] Audio CD

A fair review of the The Cure "Seventeen Seconds [Deluxe Edition]" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all The Cure reviews here, or go back to the The Cure tabs.

The Cure Band: The Cure
Title: Seventeen Seconds [Deluxe Edition]
Rating:
Release Date: 2005-04-26
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: A Reflection 2: Play for Today 3: Secrets 4: In Your House 5: Three 6: Final Sound 7: A Forest 8: M 9: At Night 10: Seventeen Seconds 11: I'm A Cult Hero 12: I Dig You 13: Another Journey By Train 14: Secrets 15: Seventeen Seconds 16: In Your House 17: Three 18: I Dig You 19: I'm A Cult Hero 20: M 21: Final Sound 22: A Reflection 23: Play for Today 24: At Night 25: A Forest

i love the bonus disc!!!!!!!
i love rhino!!!. now i have to get all the reissues, just lovely, esp im a cult hero, im hoping we will get every version of all these songs like they did for sum classic miles davis records(bithces brew, jack johnson) i cant get enough early cure.


Their minimalist album
My favorites are M and Play for Today. I have to be in a certain mood to listen to this one. Very minimalist. . . . some songs are shrouded in darkness, which is great.


My Review as on punknews.....
You see, this is meant to be a departure from the Wire-esque minimalist post-punk of their debut (Three Imaginary Boys / Boys Don't Cry) and is trying to be a mature and more personal affair. As probably the most unsuccessful album in the Cure's early career, their second album, Seventeen Seconds feels too cold for its own good. As the Cure's leader, Robert Smith has stated he was trying to bridge the sound of some depressive music staples, such as David Bowie's Low, Nick Drake's Five Leaves Left and Van Morrison's Astral Weeks among others. However, if this album fails, it's mostly due to a feeling of indifference.

You see, many of the Cure's next albums would be greats, such as the dark-and-gloomy Faith and the gothic death marches of Pornography to more accessible albums like the dance-popish The Head on the Door and the dark arena rock of Disintegration. However, these albums work despite often being utterly depressing because the listener could connect with them. Seventeen Seconds, however, is awash by too much detachment in the way it sounds, mostly from the mix and production, which drowns out its should-have-been effective vocals into heavy-sounding death ballads.

Songs such as "Secrets" and "In Your House" sound lifeless; the orchestrations may be technically good, but it does not let the lyrics or the audience truly breathe, and the instruments are probably too loud, where they should find the bridge between rock and utilizing tender beauty. "Three" falls into the same category; it needs to be said that the album is indeed started well enough, and has a fine-enough middle section mostly due to the one masterful song in the still-classic "A Forest. "

"A Reflection" does open up the album on an interesting note; it's solely instrumental and sounds like a choir, thus establishing some nice mood, especially when paired with the song "Play for Today" that is solid enough it carries the dull first half of this record on its shoulders.

"A Forest" is often featured on best-of comps for the band, and sometimes even multi-artist sets. In many ways it is one of those tracks that stands the test of time, perfectly encapsulating Smith's gloomy mindset as well as standing on its own amongst the Joy Division-like songs of the time period. It may also give the album back some of its life, as the next song, "M" sounds like Seventeen Seconds may be reanimated for the rest of the album, yet it is not. Rather, it gets into overlength with "At Night" and back to passiveness with the closing title track.

So, as "A Forest" might be around long after we die, sadly the same can't be said about much of the rest of Seventeen Seconds. Lastly, it's a good thing they made much more music that made them a staple of the same sound that they mostly fumbled with on this album.


** (Out of 5)

Note: Rerated from punknews. org website.


Wintry Night Music
It's very much a product of its era, but has dated surprisingly well. This album is the perfect accompinament for a wintry, late-night walk. The usual favorites of other listeners(A Forest, Play For Today) are very good, but I prefer the darker, more obscure tunes like At Night, In Your House, M, The Final Sound. This, Faith and Pornography have always been my preferred Cure albums. I think they're superior to the later, more celebrated ones like Disintegration or Head On The Door. I love this one-enthusiastically recommended.


Should be called The Audiophile Edition
Some songs have the vocals a bit quieter than the original, but since Mad Bob was at the board, I assume that was his vision. I liked the music itself before, but the sound quality of this recording is like icing on the cake. I think it's an improvement on the original. This is the first of Rhino's deluxe cure ablums I've purchased, and on the strength of this one I plan to get the rest.


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