Seventeen Seconds
| The Cure
Seventeen Seconds
Seventeen Seconds is the second studio album by British alternative rock band the Cure, recorded at Morgan Studio and released on 22 April 1980 by Fiction Records. For Seventeen Seconds, Robert Smith co-produced for the first time with Mike Hedges. After the departure of original bassist Michael Dempsey, Simon Gallupbecame an official member along with keyboardist Matthieu Hartley. The single “A Forest” was the band’s first entry in the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart.-Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
Start with Seventeen Seconds, which is a perfect example of the kind of record that's been subdivided out of existence-- a lying-in-bed-dreaming record, a guitar record that make no distinction between pop pulse, rock catharsis, and the atmospheric space we now mostly get from computers. With this album, it's all three at once . . . .
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AllMusic
. . . Seventeen Seconds is an even, subtle work that grows on the listener over time. . . . From short instrumental pieces to robotic pop, Seventeen Seconds is where the Cure shed all the outside input and became their own band.
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The Guardian
Back in 1980, Seventeen Seconds was considered sufficiently solemn, but compared to what was to follow it was like a night out on Bournemouth pier.
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Punknews.org
As probably the most unsuccessful album in the Cure's early career, their second album, Seventeen Seconds feels too cold for its own good. So, as "A Forest" might be around long after we die, sadly the same can't be said about much of the rest of Seventeen Seconds.
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everythingsgonegreen
. . . Seventeen Seconds quickly established itself as the benchmark by which I would judge all future Cure releases.
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Exclaim!
Seventeen Seconds was the album where the band found their sound an austere blend of subtle pop hooks and proficient instrumentation.
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Norman Records UK
There's no denying though that Seventeen Seconds marks a major turning point for The Cure . . . .
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PopMatters
The Cure lurches from off-kilter power-pop to pensive icy soundscapes on their brilliant second album, Seventeen Seconds. Although it wasn't a huge smash, in retrospect it's clear this is the album where it became apparent that the Cure wasn't just an ordinary band.
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George Starostin's Reviews
. . . even if the album is wimpy and doesn't rock out, it's still a great combination that works; too bad they actually had to abuse it and almost ruin it by proving that whenever it works, it always works the same friggin' way.
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Rolling Stone.de
Between dark synth pads, bubbling bass runs and existential gravity, The Cure found themselves on "Seventeen Seconds" - and Robert Smith's pale voice, one of the most striking and beautiful of the eighties.
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alex63
For me it somehow conjures up shadows of the past. It is about the lightness of being sad. And it has the most mysterious title of all their records.
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Hard Rock
As a singular listening experience, Seventeen Seconds offers little hope and wraps the listener in an unsettled calm that borders on uncomfortable. Much like Bowie’s Low, this album lures you into a sonic wormhole that will run its course over three brilliantly realized albums.
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Ultimate Classic Rock
A year after their debut, the Cure returned darker, more focused and moving closer to the sound that would help define their reputation.
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Coke Machine Glow
. . . that album straight sucks. In the trilogy, it’s said to represent the narrator’s desolation and emotional emptiness, which is the revisionist’s way of calling it boring.
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El Portal del Metal
With this reinforced line-up was born Seventeen Seconds, an album that as I anticipated, hits hard without resorting to force. The music of The Cure does not require an excessive distortion or a blunt drum to hurt, quite the opposite, . . . .
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THE MINIMAL BEAT
The second release from goth pioneers The Cure, Seventeen Seconds strayed from their punk roots and began to explore darker and more Avant-garde territory. The experimental moments seem to float in space, punctuated with sharp drums beats and single sustained notes that somehow seem to drive the emptiness in a real direction.
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Humo: The Wild Site
. . . on 'Seventeen Seconds' The Cure is no longer at all what you hoped it would be or even if necessary: a strong, uncomplicated company of factory rockers with songs that stand up like tents, and no bullshit; because he has now, disguised as artistry and Even Deeper, Gentlemen, made his entrance.
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Louder
But Seventeen Seconds is amazing. It almost sounds like a four-track recording, and essentially it’s Robert Smith and a drum machine, but there’s a great atmosphere and vibe on that record.
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Music Fan Clubs
Buy Seventeen Seconds, of all the records available at the moment, it stands triumphant. It is an album of captivating excellence.
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Midnight Punk
Seventeen Seconds showcases minimal sounds in a near widescreen format. Stirring. Slow. Brewing melodies.
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