The Cure "In It's Entirety" Part 3 - Faith

If I thought the cover for Seventeen Seconds was stark and gloomy when I first laid eyes on it I was in for a real treat with The Cure's third album Faith. 

Faith - 1981-The albums cover was a faded grey, on the right side was an outline of what looked like the outline of a ghost with a few blades of grass coming up from the ground underneath it. Holding the record in my hands looking at this cover image I thought it was pretty safe to assume  The Cure had not gone Power/Pop. Years later I learned the picture on the cover was actually of Bolton Priory monastery, taken in the fog 

Track 1 "Holy Hour" begins with some solo bass strumming showing right from the gate which instrument would be taking the spotlight on this album. The Keyboards are there but not so out front or enveloping. This was probably due in part to Robert smith giving keyboardist Mathieu the boot and taking over any keyboards himself. Now he could make sure his guitar is heard in full and not too washed out with synthesizers.

Track 2 "Primary", with its appearance on the Standing On A Beach compilation, was the only song I was familiar with before buying Faith. It  definitely  stands out as the most upbeat song of the record. Lol Tolhurst’s drums and the again out front bass strumming of Simon Gallup keep the song moving. The Cure proves once again they can keep you dancing as well as moping.

Track 3 "Other Voices" once again slows it down but very heavy bass takes center stage on the song stepping further out front of Robert’s vocals and guitar strumming

Track 4 "All Cats Are Grey" is a surprisingly  long song. The vocals don’t appear   until over two minutes in. This song is also the only one on the album were the keyboards are very prominent and take the lead. They are even allowed  a solo where the guitar solo would be. The last thirty seconds of the song consists of only a few piano notes bringing the side A to a somber end

The First track of the Second side “Funeral Party” kicks off with melodic and atmospheric keyboards. The sounds almost resemble music you would hear playing in a movie while pall bearers carry the deceased coffin to its final resting place, each one of them swaying to the music as they walk. Robert adds some far away sounding vocals acting as the guy walking behind them singing the song the pall bearers  are swaying too.

The band snaps out of the gloom for Track 6 “Doubt”. Robert’s vocals take a snarlingness not seen since Three Imaginary Boys. With lyrics like “You Tense you hands, draw my claws”.  “Tear at flesh and rip your skin”, the song is also a tad violent. First hearing this song at 14 years old and feeling some pent up adolescent rage I was very happy to find The Cure still had some rage lurking in there among these other somber songs

Track 7 “The Drowning Man" picks right up where "Funeral Party" left off. Slow and desperate with Roberts vocals coming out of the headphones at all directions. Closing you eyes you can picture a man drowning, clawing up in each direction the vocal come from in an effort to find something to hold him afloat. The song slowly fades out as the guy gives up and succumbs to his watery fate

The very atmpsphearic title track "Faith" closes out the album. The last words said on the album "I went away alone with nothing left but faith" serves as a perfect closing line for the album.

Overall Faith is a very good record. It compliments the album before it nicely. Most the songs are longer than on other albums with “All Cat’s Are Grey” clocking in over 5 minutes and “Faith” passing 6 but they never get boring or tiring. I always believed the keyboards took a lot of the life out of Seventeen Seconds so that fact they take a back seat on Faith was always a plus for me.

Like it’s predecessor I mostly used Faith in making downbeat mixes for studying or sleeping, never for listening to in the car. If you try that you might as well place a pillow right on the steering wheel.

The Cure would go on to do one more album, Pornography, in their dark, somber gloom faze before cheering up a bit. Unfortunately the band did not play Pornography on that night at Radio City Music Hall, just these first three. My initial reaction to and thoughts on the albums Pornography, The Top, The Head On The Door and all those other great albums the band released will have to be placed on hold for awhile. Well, at least until The Cure’s next “In It's Entirety” tour.

So with the conclusion of this post I think it is time to distance the blog just a bit from what writer Nick Hornby would call “Sad Bastard Music”. I promise the next few posts to be more upbeat. There may even be some more Disney just around the corner.