walking upstream…
The Cure
photo: jeffcampion · cc by 3.0 ↗The Cure
The Cure formed in Crawley, England, in 1978 around singer-guitarist Robert Smith, whose smeared lipstick, backcombed hair, and quavering voice became a defining image of gothic rock. Across a restless catalogue they swung between bleak, atmospheric despair — the icy guitar and bass of 'A Forest' — and buoyant, chart-friendly pop like 'Just Like Heaven,' proving the two moods could belong to the same band. Their reverb-soaked, romantic melancholy became a template for decades of alternative and indie acts.
the sound in question
1987
Just Like HeavenThe Cure
walk the tributaries ↓
David Bowie1970s · Art rock / Glam rock
Smith has cited David Bowie as a formative influence, and has said that while making the atmospheric 'Seventeen Seconds' he was listening to Bowie's 'Low' — the cold, spacious art-rock of Bowie's Berlin period feeding directly into The Cure's early atmospheric sound.
listen: upstream & here
1977
Sound and VisionDavid Bowie
1980
A ForestThe Cure
listen forPlay Bowie's 'Sound and Vision' and then 'A Forest' — both hang a sparse, treated guitar and a hypnotic groove in a wide, chilly space, the mood carried more by atmosphere and texture than by any big hook.
Buzzcocks1970s · Punk rock / Pop punk
Smith has cited the Buzzcocks among the punk-era acts that shaped him, describing an ambition to marry their bright pop melodies to a darker wall of noise. Their proof that punk speed and genuine hooks could coexist runs all through The Cure's early singles.
listen: upstream & here
1978
Ever Fallen in LoveBuzzcocks
1979
Boys Don't CryThe Cure
listen forPlay the Buzzcocks' 'Ever Fallen in Love' and then 'Boys Don't Cry' — both fire off a fast, lovesick punk song built on an undeniable pop melody, heartbreak set to a hook you can't shake.
Jimi Hendrix1960s · Rock / Blues rock / Psychedelic rock
Smith has said hearing Jimi Hendrix's 'Purple Haze' as a young child left him awestruck and made Hendrix his first guitar hero; that psychedelic swirl and effects-thickened guitar fed his own instinct to sculpt sound and texture rather than simply play riffs.
listen: upstream & here
1967
Purple HazeJimi Hendrix
1982
The Hanging GardenThe Cure
listen forSet Hendrix's 'Purple Haze' against 'The Hanging Garden' — hear how both bury the melody inside a churning, effect-heavy wall of guitar, the instrument used for overwhelming color as much as for notes.