Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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48 of 51 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Wish Come True, May 24, 2001
There are really 2 kinds of Cure albums: The "thematic" and the "versatile." By thematic, I mean that several Cure albums (usually those preferred by the hardcore fans) tend to be more consistent (i.e., very few upbeat "pop" songs), slightly less daring instrumentally, and laden with darker, harsher lyrics. (Bloodflowers, Disintegration, Pornography and Faith). These are beautifully written albums, though, and can more easily be listened to over and over. "Wish" is of the second type. It is "versatile;" like Head on the Door, Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me, and Wild Mood Swings, it has much greater range, and like those albums, contains most of the hit singles that casual fans are familiar with from the radio. Of these albums, Wish clearly stands out as the best. The album contains such giddy songs as "Friday I'm in Love," "Wendy Time," and "High," and another which is probably the best song the Cure never released as a single, "Doing the Unstuck." This album was completed by one of the strongest of the ever-changing Cure lineups, and the guitar on this album is many, often and harsh. Songs like "From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea" and "Open" are classics now for concert goers; "Cut" is a quickly-paced scathing commentary on failed relationships, and "Trust" is a beautiful opus of hope and optimism. Fans will also recognize "A Letter to Elise," a beautiful single that might have been accurately called "Pictures of You II." The album closes, appropriately, with "End"-a majestic and thickly layered guitar romp that was supposed to signal this album as the last by the Cure. Luckily for us, it wasn't. I would comfortably say that this is one of the three best albums by the Cure (along with Disintegration and Bloodflowers), and probably the one most likely to be labeled a masterpiece by both hardcore and casual Cure fans alike.
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The album I was wishing for, December 11, 2001
This is probably The Cure's best selling album to date, and deservedly so. While those who remember The Cure when they were a relatively obscure band with a small but loyal following in the United States may find this album's popularity annoying, the artistry here is something not much seen in previous albums. The music is classic Cure, not breaking any new ground, with driving rhythms and jangling guitar. I guess it is the lyrics that set this album apart. This is an extremely personal album for Robert Smith. He goes beyond the typical melancholy of his usual songs and reaches to depths that produce pure heartbreak. With "Open" he discusses his drinking problem, and "Apart" and "A Letter to Elise" appear to chronicle a failed marriage. And while "Elise" and "Friday I'm In Love" received a lot of airplay ("Friday" I think even cracked the Top 40, a rarity for The Cure), the most underrated song on the album is "Doing the Unstuck". Getting past the goofy name, it is a perfect rendering of those emotions one feels when your life seems to be going to hell and all you wish for is that one perfect day with someone you love to forget all your troubles. Thank you, Robert, for daring to share your wishes with us. It is amazing how, with all our differences, people all wish for the same (sometimes impossible) things.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Out of the shadows, August 2, 2000
With this album the band broke to remarkable commercial success, and "Friday I'm in love" was 1992's summer hit in Europe, receiving massive radio airplay. The Cure's throng of hardcore fans didn't like this song and even Robert himself said, "people who bought this single are not real Cure fans", but I think it's a great tune and one of the best pop singles of the '90s. The most notable shift The Cure made was getting rid of "Disintegration"'s epic keyboard arrangements in favor of a more guitar-dominated alternative rock approach. Although "Wish" contains a few happy songs in contrast to its predecessor, "Friday I'm in love" is not representative of the album's prevailing tone. "Open" with its nagging, feedback-powered guitar sound is one of the most despairing songs Robert has ever written. "Apart" and "From the edge" are also pretty bleak, so there's really no reason to believe that Robert has lost his depression. The happier songs, "High", "Wendy time", "Doing the unstuck" (which says, "Kick out the gloom"), and "Friday.." are certainly great, but in the album context these songs seem to be a little misplaced. "A letter.." is a solid ballad, and "End" closes things on a more aggressive note. There are a few nods to earlier songs -- "Wendy time" is very similar to "Why can't I be you?", and "To wish.." duplicates the opening riff of "Lullaby" -- and a few subtractions wouldn't have hurt the 66-minute length any, but on the strength of the album's singles, "Wish" is quite a rewarding and enjoyable affair. The CD-single releases of "High", "Friday..", and "A letter.." are also very worthwhile: Each disc contains two non-album tracks and a remix of the title song.
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by The Cure 
