The Cure
Greatest Hits
Elektra/Fiction
So here we are, smack in the middle of 2001, and The Cure is releasing yet another “greatest hits” record. In the past, Robert Smith has opted for clever titles for his “hits” showcasing (see Galore, Mixed Up, and Standing on a Beach); this time he goes for the jugular by naming it simply Greatest Hits.
Let’s call this record the “greatest” of the “greatest hits records.” All of the tracks on the new hits records have been on the other “hits” records, with the exception of two new, noteworthy tracks.
“Just Say Yes” is a hard rocker, in the vein of The Cure’s Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me days. As a special treat to some and a sickening gesture to others, Republica lead singer Saffron sings backup on this track. “Cut Here,” the album’s other new track and its first radio single, is a return to the days of 1992’s Wish. Very melodic guitar lines noodle around Robert’s longing lyrics of a meeting after a long absence. “Cut Here” is classic upbeat Cure, and is worth a listen.
In terms of the album’s other tracks (15 of them), we find a brief stroll through the history of The Cure. The expected hits (“Lovesong,” “A Forest,” “Friday I’m In Love,” etc.) are all here and remain somewhat timeless after the years. The tracks sparkle with a newfound brilliance somehow on this collection, even though I’ve heard all of them dozens of times.
The other morning, on British radio, Robert claimed that he’d like to keep The Cure going for 10 more years. If this is true, we’re sure to be in for at least a couple more hits collections, but to date, Greatest Hits is probably the best and most coherent representation of The Cure’s history.
As an important side note, when this record is released at the beginning of November, the first pressings will come with a FREE BONUS DISC of music! This actually is what makes this hits collection so much better than the others. All of the songs found on Greatest Hits can be found in their acoustic incarnations on the bonus disc. Oh Baby! Try your best to get one of the first pressings with the bonus disc, because you’ll essentially be getting 34 Cure tracks for the price of one CD.
