I’m not sure if there’s a band that I can claim as my favorite of all time, because the reality is I have a different favorite every day. This process of choosing one favorite over all others seems futile. But, for me, The Cure, is about as close as it gets. For me, their music is irreplaceable. There are things that I feel when I put on a Cure record that I can’t experience with anything else. For the month of June, I hope to share some of this as a I cover a different Cure song each day – counting down from #30 to #1. And, in this case, I have no qualms stating my #1. #30DaysofTheCure
U.S. original release: Disintegration (1989) - Track 1
Ranking: 14
Before Disintegration was released, I heard a few individual tracks on my local alt rock radio station WDRE. If my memory serves me correctly, I heard at least three or four songs before I heard the full album. But that didn’t take anything away from the power of the album for me. There isn’t a mediocre track on the entire record. It’s also an incredibly cohesive album. And then there’s the fact that it opens with one of the strongest, most memorable, most mindblowing openers in music history. The one with the understated title: “Plainsong”.
There’s certainly nothing plain about it. “Plainsong” The track seems to awaken itself. Its slumber is disturbed by movement in the air with opening wind chimes. Then before you know it, the song has thrown itself into a state of catharsis. “Plainsong” is utterly lush. Almost stately in its orchestral wanderings. The protagonist in the lyrics could potentially be caught in a downpour, but it also might very well be a baptism. Smith’s echoing vocals sound like he’s underwater. The synthesizers sound like crystalline reflections sparkling along the surface, joined by Gallup’s bass meanderings that are higher than usual a la Hooky. By the end of the track, the listener is fully submerged. It’s unavoidable every single time.
“Sometimes you make me feel like I'm living at the edge of the world.”