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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Rating: 10/10
Best songs: "A Forest", "In Your House", "At Night"
The Cure's early run of classics - Seventeen Seconds, Faith and Pornography - remains their most satisfying period; they'd later hit big with albums like The Head on the Door and Disintegration, but for me, this is when The Cure were a really great band, and Seventeen Seconds is arguably their finest work. Sparse, haunting and totally captivating, it has a simple, direct, clipped elegance that they never quite touched upon again. It's a short album, but it doesn't really need to be any longer; brief instrumentals like "A Reflection", "The Final Sound" , "Secrets" and "Three" add to the mood perfectly, while the edgy, nervous "Play for Today", the desolate and achingly melancholic "In Your House" and the epic, eerie "At Night" (which has some gloriously dramatic keyboard sections) are the more striking standouts. Yet the album's masterpiece remains "A Forest", which is THE definitive Cure song, one of the best singles of all time and a giddying, thrilling rush to behold from start to finish. From its slow-burning opening to its full-pelt finale, it'll leave you breathless. Throughout the album, Robert Smith's vocals are wonderfully melancholic and genuinely affecting in their ennui-soaked introspection, while his guitar work is utterly gripping. The rhythms are bold and unfussy, the keyboards powerful and beautifully judged. If you're in the mood for a late-night chill down your spine, the perfection of Seventeen Seconds will provide unsettling escape.
Best songs: "A Forest", "In Your House", "At Night"
The Cure's early run of classics - Seventeen Seconds, Faith and Pornography - remains their most satisfying period; they'd later hit big with albums like The Head on the Door and Disintegration, but for me, this is when The Cure were a really great band, and Seventeen Seconds is arguably their finest work. Sparse, haunting and totally captivating, it has a simple, direct, clipped elegance that they never quite touched upon again. It's a short album, but it doesn't really need to be any longer; brief instrumentals like "A Reflection", "The Final Sound" , "Secrets" and "Three" add to the mood perfectly, while the edgy, nervous "Play for Today", the desolate and achingly melancholic "In Your House" and the epic, eerie "At Night" (which has some gloriously dramatic keyboard sections) are the more striking standouts. Yet the album's masterpiece remains "A Forest", which is THE definitive Cure song, one of the best singles of all time and a giddying, thrilling rush to behold from start to finish. From its slow-burning opening to its full-pelt finale, it'll leave you breathless. Throughout the album, Robert Smith's vocals are wonderfully melancholic and genuinely affecting in their ennui-soaked introspection, while his guitar work is utterly gripping. The rhythms are bold and unfussy, the keyboards powerful and beautifully judged. If you're in the mood for a late-night chill down your spine, the perfection of Seventeen Seconds will provide unsettling escape.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
After many years following the Cure I remain baffled by this record. Where does it fit in? Which Cure are we listening to? All questions I've asked myself...
My initial impressions were that this is at worst a patchy and difficult upward shift in gear by the Cure and that at best it's a clear signpost for subsequent greatness. As the years have drifted past my views have mellowed and the importance of this recording has steadily dawned. This is a significant record in the Cure canon.
If one ignores the (predominanty) intrumental tracks 'A reflection', 'Three' and 'The final sound' you are left with a collection of exceptional songs.
Favourites include; 'Play for today' even with its overly complex guitar parts. The whispered 'Secrets' remains a solid prototype for so many subsequent Cure songs - brilliant.
One can't help but mention 'A Forest', which along with 'Faith', is the Cure's signature live track. The studio original doesn't quite live up to it's live performance status. However, don't dispair as it's followed by the simply awesome 'M', which is possibly the Cure's most underrated track. I'd like to hope that 'M' is a homage to the Fritz Lang/ Peter Lorre film - who knows, it remains a high point on this album.
In short, if you are new to the Cure make sure you buy this album; it is so much more than simply the record with 'A forest'. Infact, it is the keynote to their quintet of golden greats - "Faith", "Pornography", "The top" and "Head on". With the very notable exception of "Disintegration" they've never bettered these recordings.
My initial impressions were that this is at worst a patchy and difficult upward shift in gear by the Cure and that at best it's a clear signpost for subsequent greatness. As the years have drifted past my views have mellowed and the importance of this recording has steadily dawned. This is a significant record in the Cure canon.
If one ignores the (predominanty) intrumental tracks 'A reflection', 'Three' and 'The final sound' you are left with a collection of exceptional songs.
Favourites include; 'Play for today' even with its overly complex guitar parts. The whispered 'Secrets' remains a solid prototype for so many subsequent Cure songs - brilliant.
One can't help but mention 'A Forest', which along with 'Faith', is the Cure's signature live track. The studio original doesn't quite live up to it's live performance status. However, don't dispair as it's followed by the simply awesome 'M', which is possibly the Cure's most underrated track. I'd like to hope that 'M' is a homage to the Fritz Lang/ Peter Lorre film - who knows, it remains a high point on this album.
In short, if you are new to the Cure make sure you buy this album; it is so much more than simply the record with 'A forest'. Infact, it is the keynote to their quintet of golden greats - "Faith", "Pornography", "The top" and "Head on". With the very notable exception of "Disintegration" they've never bettered these recordings.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is the album that really marked the Cure out as a great act. Until this moment they could have been noted as merely an interesting cult band. This here is a fine, fine collection of recordings.
Clocking in at a mere 35 minutes the original release felt much longer because of it's deeply seductive power. Within it's beautiful simplicity lies an instinctive and thrilling songwriting talent. There are no bad tracks here at all. Even the short instrumental interludes (that originally marked the beginnings of side one and side two of the vinyl album & cassette) are just perfect.
This album was just one of the reasons why 'fans' took the Cure so much to heart. I'm not talking about the usual black clad, backcombed pale and poetic youths of the time or even the few Kensington Market types who dressed and wore their hair exactly like Robert Smith. This band crossed over to all sorts of people because they really were that good. And for that generation the Cure's music became something of a soundtrack to their lives.
When this album was first released it seemed obvious that this band were going to be special. But absolutely no-one could have guessed the twisty path they were going to take.
New to the Cure? Start here and work forward (and back). It's a strange and wonderful journey.
Clocking in at a mere 35 minutes the original release felt much longer because of it's deeply seductive power. Within it's beautiful simplicity lies an instinctive and thrilling songwriting talent. There are no bad tracks here at all. Even the short instrumental interludes (that originally marked the beginnings of side one and side two of the vinyl album & cassette) are just perfect.
This album was just one of the reasons why 'fans' took the Cure so much to heart. I'm not talking about the usual black clad, backcombed pale and poetic youths of the time or even the few Kensington Market types who dressed and wore their hair exactly like Robert Smith. This band crossed over to all sorts of people because they really were that good. And for that generation the Cure's music became something of a soundtrack to their lives.
When this album was first released it seemed obvious that this band were going to be special. But absolutely no-one could have guessed the twisty path they were going to take.
New to the Cure? Start here and work forward (and back). It's a strange and wonderful journey.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
This is the Cure
If anyone has any doubts about what are the Cure, just listen to this and Faith. I bought these one tape in 1981 in the States and still play (yes the tape) today. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Wilma Dearing
A blindingly good album
This was the first Cure album I ever bought - in about 1988. I had never heard anything like it and was blown away from the first listen. 23 years later I have not changed my mind. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Brummat
IGNORE THE REVIEW BY "BS"
I have just noticed that negative reviews have been posted by one individual. Curious don`t you think? Read more
Published on 10 May 2010 by Mild Dill Hotpot
Northern Grey Gone South
This is a s generally a brooding, atmospheric, and somber album, although it does portray flashes of anger and frustration. Its almost progressive rock gone Indie. Read more
Published on 13 April 2010 by P. Frizelle
Excellent Eighties Music
Having always been an 80's music fan - especially the Cure, Gary Numan, Echo & The Bunnymen etc I recent bought this for the first time. Read more
Published on 3 Jan 2010 by Daddy-O
Very boring
The lyrics are weak and the minimalist skeletal music has next to zero variation throughout the whole 35 minute album. Read more
Published on 9 May 2009 by BS on parade
the cure 17 seconds
The Cures 17 Seconds album is a favourite of mine.Its brooding music and ethereal atmosphere is quite hypnotic and yet also relaxing. Read more
Published on 22 Mar 2009 by D. Constable
More minimalist brilliance
Adding a keyboard player to the trio on their original album, The Cure refined their sound a little, but 'Seventeen Seconds' is still a triumph for rock at its most basic level. Read more
Published on 7 Oct 2007 by D. J. H. Thorn
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