The Cure's second is possibly their worst, please stop that drumming, Lol Tolhurst! (Seventeen Seconds - The Cure)

Member Name: DanielKemp

Product:	Seventeen Seconds - The Cure
Date:	06/05/09 (101 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A couple of the songs don't stink... um...

Disadvantages: Robert Smith was trying to be clever in his sparse instrumental arrangements and it back-fired!

In 1980 Robert Smith ensured that for the band's second release he would have complete creative control over the direction of their music.
There have been two changes to the line-up of the band since Three Imaginary Boys. Firstly, Simon Gallup has replaced Michael Dempsey on bass. Secondly, Smith has employed Matthieu Hartley to play keyboards.

It's fair to say that Matthieu's synth work adds a new dimension to The Cure, giving the band's music further depth. It's a far cry away from the New Wave/Punk sound that the band had fostered on their debut.

So, without a further a do, let's crack on with the songs.
I'm going to mention the three instrumentals first. We have A Reflection, which starts the album, then, Three and The Final Sound, which make an appearance half way through the LP. All of which are absolutely horrendous pieces of garbage.

Creating an unsettling atmosphere and a genuine sense of danger is one thing, but to create a boring, unengaging and unlistenable mess, is quite another. A Reflection is almost laughable - little more than a few solemn piano notes roll out, as the occasional strike of the guitar attempts to provide backup. Using instruments sparingly to add layers of depth is something I'm all for, but here the execution of simplified instrumentation is just appalling.

I'd go on to describe the other two instrumentals but I just don't have it in me. Robert Smith, why have you forsaken me!

Play For Today is the first 'proper' song on the album. The track is underpinned by Lol Tolhurst's deadpan drumming, and Smith hasn't really let go of his punk roots just yet. I'd say that it was as good as anything from their debut, if it wasn't for the dismal programmed smacks that occur at regular intervals in the background. You will find that one of the album's greatest weaknesses is that when a song is working well, Smith has to introduce at least one unpleasant piece of extra instrumentation to the soundscape.

Secrets and In Your House are the best tracks on the LP. The former has a mellow guitar groove to it, which is matched by Gallup's intimidating bass lines. In Your House has a solid introduction in which multiple layers of instrumentation are slowly introduced; each one managing to complement the other well. It's probably the first time on the album where the band sounds comfortable playing with one another.

A Forest is the big daddy on the second side of the LP. With a longer introduction than its single-release counterpart, it has to be admired. In fact it is the introduction which makes the song; because by the time it starts 'properly' it is yet another song to descend into the realms of atrocity. This is mostly thanks to Tolhurst's soul destroying drumming which digs away at your inner-being. Robert Smith obviously didn't think ill of it though as it remains a band favourite when playing live.

The title track brings the album to a close in a most inadequate way. It does little to light the musical fire in my heart, and I'd call it formulaic stagnation if this wasn't the band's first album to boast the 'new' Cure sound. A very forced and selective group of guitar chords ring out as Smith decrees, "Time slips away, and the light begins to fade...". I couldn't agree more Bob, as that is indeed what happens every time I listen to this album.

It was pretty obvious from the outset that Robert Smith was unhappy with how the band's debut had turned out, so it's only a fair conclusion when I say that Seventeen Seconds is the anti-Three Imaginary Boys. It was certainly a new direction for the band, but unfortunately the ideas found on this album wouldn't come to fruition until later recordings.

Q: What is Seventeen Seconds?
A: It's exactly how long I can listen to this LP in one sitting.

5/10

Daniel Kemp

Read more of my reviews at www.danielkempreviews.co.uk

Summary: Ignore the critics, heed my warning, if you buy this LP, you shall be mourning!