The Cure, “Seventeen Seconds” (Fiction, 1980)
Their second album, and the first of their greatest works, the doom-trilogy that continued with “Faith” and “Pornography.” Their minimalist post-punk guitar-bass-drums thing still has some of “Boys Don’t Cry”’s sardonic pop chirpiness, but the buzz of neurosis, detachment, and terror is already rising on all sides.
Try 7, 10
7/29/13

The Cure, “Pornography” (Fiction, 1982)
The last and most extreme of the Cure’s post-punk minimalist gloom-rock works before their their pop transformation. This oscillates between roiling, tormented cacophony and eerily detached, brooding drones, and is great.
Try 3, 4, 8.
1/13/13