The Cure – Greatest Hits & Acoustic Hits (25th Anniversary) (Rhino)
Goth rock pioneers The Cure will mark their 50th anniversary as a band in 2028 but in the mean time they celebrate the 25th birthday of their 2001 Greatest Hits collection and its companion collection, Acoustic Hits with an exclusive Record Store Day release via Rhino Records. Both 2LP collections are available now on silver-colored bio vinyl for the first time and have been remastered by frontman Robert Smith.
The Cure’s Greatest Hits compilation features 18 tracks that span from 1980 to 2001, chronicling the band’s steady climb into the highly-influential post-punk band that fans have loved for nearly 50 years.
Opening with their first hit, “Boys Don’t Cry,”and its jangly yet steady guitar line and empowering lyrics; Smith and company created a sound that layered infectiously catchy pop melodies laced with melancholy and danceable post-punk rhythms. Listening to Greatest Hits is a joyful journey through the band’s evolution of sound. As their early work becomes more pop-centered and slightly less goth-centric, the band helped to usher in the New Romantic sound on their acclaimed 80’s albums, Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me and Disintegration; with signature hits like, “Why Can’t I Be You?,” “Just Like Heaven,” “Lullaby” and “Lovesong.”
MTV welcomed The Cure into the 90’s, introducing them to new audiences and their albums from that decade are well represented by the exuberant, infatuation-filled duo of “Friday I’m In Love” from 1992’s Wish and “Mint Car” from the 1996 album, Wild Mood Swings. Both of the tracks stand out on the acoustic collection with arrangements that don’t stray too far from the path of the beloved originals. Also included are the tracks, “Cut Here” and “Just Say Yes” which were new songs at the time of release in 2001 and they hold up well with the classics with their dance hall-ready rhythms and insistent melodies.
The Cure is one of those rare bands that are so highly influential that most of the bands existing today would not be who they are without the sound that The Cure curated. These two sets – Greatest Hits and Acoustic Hits – are the perfect starting point for new fans and a cherished collectable for longtime fans. —Justin Kreitzer for Icon Fetch