Jen Martensen Writing

The Cure
Greatest Hits

That Robert Smith has often managed to be as sultry, passionate, emotional, sigh-&-moan-y, and just downright funky as Prince earns him a sticky handful of integrity points scored on behalf of doughy, pudgy, geeky, outcast weirdo geniuses everywhere. That his talent lurks behind a wrecklessly perfect smudge of blood red lipstick and his own ozone of hairspray has also, unfortunately, relegated him to the "perpetually underrated" bin of songwriters.

This new eighteen song collection of some of the most well-known Cure songs is titled "Greatest Hits." But it is fundamentally an insult to their living legacy. Seven of the tracks were previously featured on the definitive singles album "Staring At The Sea," released way back in 1986. Nine other strokes of genius from the decade-plus interim were included in a second singles collection, "Galore," which came out in 1997. So why this record, why now? "Bloodflowers," The Cure's most recent album of original material (released in 2000) was a gorgeous sequel to their masterful "Disintegration" - a most pleasant surprise and an incredible collection of work. However, not a single song from that album appears on "Greatest Hits." Is the measurement for these "Hits" commercial recognition, radio airplay and sales success? If so, why apply such yardsticks to an artistic anomaly like The Cure?

The "limited edition" of this "Greatest Hits" release includes a second CD featuring acoustic versions of all songs on disc one. It turns out to be a fantastic opportunity wasted. "Acoustic" does not have to mean "lame and boring." Especially for a band with such writing and performance talent, there is plenty of room for exploration of instrumentation, arrangement, nuance and flavoring within the acoustic realm. Instead, it sounds like someone set up a few microphones in an unplugged Cure rehearsal and didn't even bother to mix it before release. Every track is a stark, same-tempo, stripped down, straightforward and unexciting performance of the electrified counterparts. With no liner notes other than basic song credits, no inclusion of the official band web site URL, no band history, no commentary, no thanks list, did Robert Smith or anyone from The Cure's camp even approve this release? Why - as is apparent on the album web site - was one of the best Cure songs ever ("Pictures Of You") removed from the tracklisting? Shame on Elektra for tossing together this half-assed tease of a retrospective.

Realize, please, that The Cure will be eligible for - and unequivocably deserve to receive - induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in just three years. How many bands whose first record came out in 1979 are still around, creating great music, writing moving songs and creating incredible albums? Of those, how many fall into the "alternative" genre or have never deviated from their unusual, innate style, have shirked the quest for typical commercial milestones? Respect for Smith's being a complete freak while maintaining a devoted following for this long is well deserved.

The Cure have influenced countless bands, inspired by the sensitive, gloomy nerve often touched by their meticulous rhythm structures, intricately beautiful, haunting guitar lines, and the decadent images described by poignant lyrics. Cure songs have always seemed initially to be simple pop constructions, but are in reality much deeper, moving, passionate creations. Live, no matter what the line-up, The Cure have never failed to enrapture and marvel their audience, and fans continue to clamor relentlessly for tickets to every tour they mount. They have always been masters of mood while overcoming cheesy cliches of getups and glumness.

If anything, Cure fans old and new should have a full-scale box set in their black nail polished hands right now. While it could be lined in velvet and come with a tube of Robert's favorite red lipstick, Aqua Net, a teasing comb, clove cigarettes and the Cliffs Notes version of "Goth for Dummies," it SHOULD contain many overlooked tracks, new remixes, rare b-sides, live versions, perhaps a DVD video collection. There are myriad ways to pay tribute to The Cure's career, to compile a worthy summation of what this inspired band has accomplished and conveyed. A cornerstone band that's given twenty two years of sublime talent, like The Cure, deserves a far greater honor than this.