I’m not sure if there’s a band that I can claim as my favorite of all time, because the reality is I have a different favorite every day. This process of choosing one favorite over all others seems futile. But, for me, The Cure, is about as close as it gets. For me, their music is irreplaceable. There are things that I feel when I put on a Cure record that I can’t experience with anything else. For the month of June, I hope to share some of this as a I cover a different Cure song each day – counting down from #30 to #1. And, in this case, I have no qualms stating my #1. #30DaysofTheCure
U.S. original release: Seventeen Seconds (1980) - Track 8
Ranking: 27
One of the most revered albums in The Cure canon, Seventeen Seconds had a cohesiveness about it that was just perfection. Each song bled right into the next. The Cure’s reputation as a doom & gloom band was solidified here – from the sullen sparseness of the opening track “A Reflection” to the closing title track’s repetitive, dizzying state. A few songs in my top 30 hail from this hallmark record, starting with the track only titled with the letter “M”, his nickname for his then girlfriend, now wife of nearly 40 years, Mary Poole.
Smith’s minor chord-laden guitar riff on “M” are beautiful and unforgettable. It’s doubtful that Nirvana intentionally used it for Cobain’s riff in the verses for “About A Girl” more than 10 years later. But the riffs are eerily similar. What’s important to remember about “M” is that Robert Smith was a highly influential and extremely underrated guitarist. His unique frontman presence and songwriting prowess have overshadowed his guitar chops all these years. But his riffs and the way he plays off of Gallup’s bass lines throughout Seventeen Seconds is a thing of beauty.
“Sing me a line from your favorite song. Twist and turn but you're trapped in the light.”