The Top

Performer: The Cure
Engineer: Dave Allen
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Producers: Robert Smith, Chris Parry, Dave Allen. The Cure: Robert Smith (vocals, various instruments); Laurence Tolhurst (various instruments); Porl Thompson (saxophone); Andy Anderson (drums). Recorded in the midst of Robert Smith's tenuous tenure with Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Top is arguably the most hedonistic record the Cure ever produced. Essentially Smith and Lol Tolhurst working with studio musicians (this being the period when the Cure's lineup was never assured), it's an album obviously recorded under stress, drink, and drugs. More wildly experimental musically than anything before it, it laid the foundations for the Cure's pattern of unpigeonholable albums that were to erase their reputation built by Pornography and eventually culminating in Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. That said, it's still very much a Cure record. Heavy on the percussion and quaint keyboard effects that were so big in the '80s, the melodies ("The Caterpillar," "Shake Dog Shake") are unmistakably Robert Smith. The big change this time around is his ability to fuse the paranoia and neuroses of former work (Pornography) with his newfound use of pop melody and outside influences (i.e., world travels, sounds, instruments) to moderate success ("Wailing Wall," "Piggy in the Mirror"). A more psychedelic descent than Pornography, The Top is a transition, never really feeling like a full-length release, but it does meld all former phases of Rob and company, which would fully gel on The Head on the Door. At best an imperfect record, The Top is a necessary step in the evolution of the band. ~ Chris True The virtual definition of a "transitional album," the Cure's 1984 outing, THE TOP, was created during a turbulent time in the band's history, during which the group nearly disintegrated, and Smith was occupying himself by filling in as guitarist for Siouxsie & the Banshees (see their album HYAENA). THE TOP exemplifies Smith's restlessness, as fierce rock ("Shake Dog Shake," "Give Me It") mixes with PORNOGRAPHY-like gloom ("Wailing Wall") and quirky pop ("Birdmad Girl," "The Caterpillar"), the latter of which the Cure would explore further on THE HEAD ON THE DOOR and KISS ME, KISS ME, KISS ME. Although this isn't one of the group's most consistent albums, it's invaluable as a portrait of a band on the brink, and essential for hardcore Cure fans.

Uncut (p.102) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[The album] finds Smith altering his voice to express himself differently in song for the first time."

Led by depressive pop prince Robert Smith, the Cure have taken their legions of fans on a journey from post-punk to gothic to new wave to art rock, stopping only for refills of hairspray along the way. An amazing band both live and in the studio, the Cure may have shifted its lineup numerous times, but Smith has remained a consistently fascinating rock icon throughout the changes. The group's most popular work (DISINTEGRATION, THE HEAD ON THE DOOR) was recorded in the 1980s, but it has held up incredibly well, leading to continued tours and albums despite exaggerated rumors of their demise.

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