Greatest Hits - Cure > Reviews > So Wonderfully, Wonderfully Pretty.

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	Good example of the Cure at their most uplifting, an excellent offering for the unfamiliar
Disadvantages:	Key tracks are not present, will not satisfy the avid fan .  Previous compilations give a better feel of the band .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

The Cure are a band who have had a great influence on the music scene. They have evolved with time, and I am fond of them because they skillfully experiment with styles, which I suppose is to be expected of a group whose career spans over a 20-something period. They have written some incredibly uplifting pop songs, although they are generally stamped with the 'goth' tag, which the band themselves dislike; understandably so, considering the fact they are the masters of the pop-song. Musically, they are a spectrum; they can be as light or as dark, as happy or as sad as they want. They are experimental and unexpected, yet the songs they make always feel so familiar, and easy to relate to. Listening to songs such as Just Like Heaven sends you on an emotional high, and others, such as Boys Don't Cry, with its matter-of-fact recollection of mistakes, blunders, and preservation-of-pride lyrics, are very easy to relate to.

The Cure definitely know how to produce good quality pop records, and how they do it is by tapping into the raw emotions of the human spirit. I just want to scream along with glorious enthusiasm to most of this record; The Walk, Just Like Heaven and In Between Days are just SO fantastic that they make me smile and grin no matter how glum my day has been. This record here is a collection of well known songs by the band, and displays a broad range of what they have produced over the years. It opens with Boys Don't Cry, a Cure classic, and then wanders through their earlier phases. A Forrest and Lets Go To Bed are mellow, relaxed examples of early Cure, and I like how the song 'A Forrest' meanders musically, as it actually sounds like an exploration 'Into the trees'. It's a good record, and if you've never heard of them, start here, as it provides a good overview of their style, and the cluster of undisputable hits mid-way into this record is bound to catch you hook, line and sinker. Love Cats, Inbetween Days, Close To Me, Why Can't I Be You?, Just Like Heaven: you'd be a heartless fool if you couldn't appreciate or adore these classics.

This release is a sparkling example of the band's upbeat side, though there are some examples of their deeper, darker moments, such as A Forrest and Lullaby. One of my favourites here, Lovesong, is a musical classic, insofar as it captures Love as an emotion- the lyrics tell a tale of love in its purest, happy form; 'whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am young again', yet the music echoes the lonliness and heartbreak that often comes with relationships. This song has been covered many times, notably by A Perfect Circle, who decided to play up the lonliness of the song, and also by Jack Off Jill and Snake River Conspiracy, though the latter wasn't a particulary credible effort. However, this is testament to the influence of the band, and when you look at their entire back-catalogue, it is easy to see how inspiration can be drawn from the raw energy that shines through the songs, and is possesed by The Cure.

On the other hand, there is much more to The Cure than what is presented here. Whilst what IS here is good, there is so much missing, as they have produced some stunning tracks of soaring majesty, though I suppose if you wanted to look at that, you would purchase the original albums. Greatest Hits provides a relatively good choice of songs to get a person acquainted with the band, but if you are already aware of them, you may see this selection as a disappointment, as the longer, 'definitive' tracks are left out. For example, there is no Fascination Street, no Pictures of You (which I would have expected to be on here, in all honesty! I adore this song), no Killing an Arab, and on top of this, The Cure have already released complilations. These were Staring at the Sea and Galore, which traced their singles through two different time periods; though here is another area of dispute: though they obviously have some fantastic hits under their belts, some of their best songs were not actually singles. Perhaps the main problem with Greatest Hits is that it sways heavily towards The Cure's most commercially acceptable offerings, whereas the other two compilations showed a greater scope of material and weren't afraid to play up the darker side of the band and entwine it with the prettier peices. However, returning to my initial point and judging the CD on what IS there, it is a well selected, cleverly compiled range that makes for easy listening.

In summary, it lives up to its title- it is a collection of greatest hits, and these display the more comercial-friendly side of The Cure. Yes, a lot of the songs featured here are on other compilations, which on top of these hits provided a more diverse range of The Cure's work, but still, this is a collection worth hearing. I would advise people who have heard of The Cure and want to know more to give this collection a try, as here we see the softer, smiley side of the band, and I feel it would give a good general idea of their material, though by no means is this the full picture. As a whole this is a very inviting selection, though it doesn't offer up much in terms of the darker, more introspective side of The Cure.