Top, The - Cure (The) > Reviews > What a Top Album

Author's product rating:   

Originality
Lyrics
Quality and consistency of tracks
How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Value for Money

Advantages:	Unlike anything you've ever heard before
Disadvantages:	Messes with your head a bit

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

'The Top' is The 7th album by The Cure, released in 1984.

Just incase someone has been on a different planet for the past 25 years, The Cure are Britain's top Goth band, headed up by crazy-haired, lipstick-wearing Robert Smith. They are famous for high profile songs such as The Lovecats and Friday I'm In Love.

When The Top was released, the wacky meter that Robert Smith must surely have on his wall, suddenly hit an all time high. We were now presented with song titles such as Bananfishbones and Piggy In The Mirror and lyrics such as

"Slit the cats like cheese
Then eat the sweet sticky things
Suck harder!
Suck harder!
Suck your insides
Insides out!"

(from the track 'Give Me It').

At the same time, this album is incredibly dark, as if we are hearing the thoughts of a tortured man who has been haunted by nightmares and terrible anxiety, and is almost angry and bitter at the world. This comes across in lyrics such as

"Get away from me
Get your fingers out of my face
This room's so hot
This room's so hot

I break the walls

Get away from me
Leave me alone"

(again from Give Me It)

and

"Shapes in the drink like Christ
Cracks in the pale blue wall
I'm walking slowly and quickly but
Always away
Twisting twisting to the floor"

(from Piggy In The Mirror)

This is all delivered in dark Gothic style, but unlike earlier offerings such as the Seventeen Seconds, Pornography and Faith albums, this time it has twisted guitars that really give an uncomfortable, insane, tormented air to it. Robert Smith wails his lyrics harder and meaner than ever before and it's the sort of album your grandma would stare at you catatonically if you played it in the same room as her, and budgies would bash their head against their cages fighting to get out.

That said, the album is amazing! This is surely one of my favourite albums by The Cure, and there are more light hearted tracks on the album to break up the insanity, such as Bird Mad Girl, which leave you with a big grin.

The track list for the album is:

Shake Dog Shake
Bird Mad Girl
Wailling Wall
Give Me It
Dressing Up
The Caterpillar
Piggy in the Mirror
The Empty World
Bananafishbones
The Top

If you're more into pop and boy bands, then this isn't the one for you, but if you like a more raw, gritty, innovative sort of sound, then buy this I beg you!