As excited as I was to do the Phish album “Lawn Boy” two days ago, I am just as siked to be doing The Cure’s “The Head on the Door.” Still sick with some sort of chest cold concoction, I was laying on the couch when I began listening to today’s record. I could have easily been in high school, laying on the sofa at my parent’s house staring out the sliding glass door into the wooded back yard. I felt like I was there. This was one of those albums that became a soundtrack to a certain few years of my life. Those where some pretty great years. The rest of your life is ahead of you. You are just there. Smiley face. I am so far removed from that era now. However, music has that ability to allow us to go back for visits once in a while.
Another amazing English export, The Cure brought their own unique sound to the post-punk, new wave scene of the 1980’s. Although I think it is safe to say that Robert Smith didn’t seek this achievement, his distinctive and instantly recognizable singing plus his and The Cure’s strong songwriting became a voice for specific parts of a generation. Unlike many of their counterparts and peers, Smith and The Cure have maintained longevity. I am reading that they may tour towards the end of the year. Rumor has it that they will perform some earlier albums like “The Head on the Door” and “Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me” in their entirety. Yes, please.
In Between Days, one the all time best Cure songs ever, starts “The Head on the Door” with a bang. The drum intro announces a tempo that moves faster than you think. This is brilliant because you don’t realize it. You also don’t easily recognize all of the layers of music happening at once. It fits so perfectly that it seems like less than it is. The entire record plays like this. Every song offers subtle background activity that lays the foundation for the vocals. More still, the mood of the album slightly shifts from track to track. There is light in a song like Six Different Ways. There is a darker tone to The Kyoto Song, Sinking and another Cure classic, A Night Like This. There is what I call Cure Funk, and yes that is funk, with Screw. The Baby Screams is an up-beat, get out of my way, sort of punkish piece. And like in a few other songs on the record, the last chord of the song is unresolved. This has such an elusive effect on the ear. It creates an emotion or feeling that is not quite grounded. It leaves you always wanting more. Aces. For me, Push equals pleasure. When all of the instruments finally arrive at the 0:27 mark of the song, they do so in grand fashion. Exclamation mark! Here again is the genius of the record. You don’t ever get knocked over by the music; it packs a punch filled with intensity and fervor that allows you to stay upright letting your body bask in “The Head on the Door” sun.
One of my all time favorite songs by any group or artist is The Blood. The bass and drums lay the foundation of this musical hacienda whilst the Spanish sounding acoustic guitar drives the tune into a controlled fury from the get. This canción features that unresolved chord, at the end of it, that I was speaking of. Love it. And then there are the lyrics: “I am paralyzed by the blood of Christ. Though it clouds my eyes, I can never stop.”* Happy Easter. Close to Me is a pop jewel that holds up all of these years later. The entire album does. It does not sound dated, instead, it seems still fresh and something you could easily see being released today. Hats off to The Cure for such an excellent record. It was a nice trip to back in the day without leaving my house. But most importantly, “The Head on the Door” is an A+ record that keeps giving and giving almost three decades later.
* music and lyrics by Robert Smith
365, Album of the Day 2014 