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| Fiction Deluxe FIX 1 |
release date: May 8, 1979
format: vinyl (FIX 1) / 2 cd (2004 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]
producer: Chris Parry
label: Fiction Records - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: 1. "10:15 Saturday Night" (4 / 5) - 3. "Grinding Halt" (4 / 5) - 7. "Foxy Lady" - 9. "So What?" - 10. "Fire in Cairo"
Studio album debut by The Cure released on Fiction Records. At this point the band was a trio consisting of Robert Smith on lead vocals, guitar (and harmonica on "Subway Song"), Michael Dempsey on bass, background vocals (as well as lead vocals on "Foxy Lady"), and Laurence (aka 'Lol') Tolhurst on drums. The album was not my first purchase with the band, as I started out listening to and buying their third album Faith (1981), after which I immediately bought the second album Seventeen Seconds before acquiring this, all in the spring of '81. The style is rather difficult to pin down but post-punk is definite a fitting label. Like most bands jumping from the punk rock era into new territory the music was rather experimental, which is another label that fits this first effort. Some tracks are very fine and simple compositions with traces to proto-punk artists and with a touch of new wave to it, whereas other tracks like "Another Day", "Subway Song", and the title track all are more art rock styled with bonds to contemporary American no wave.
The album was never a true favourite, as I found it unfinished, but it still had a fascinating touch with some great tracks on it, and The Cure surely didn't sound like anyone else at the time.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5 stars ]
[ collectors' item - from ~ €40,- ]
