Product Description

Undoubtedly more commercial than previous albums, Wish nevertheless represented the Cure doing what they do best, oblivious to prevailing musical trends. Once again, Robert Smith tore out his innards and offered them to the listener (the wrenching and chilling 'Apart'), spitting bile in 'Cut' and effectively evoking the feeling of wretched, helpless drunkenness in 'Open'. Amid the darkness, there is still time for acouple of classic pop songs, particularly the catchy 'Friday I'm In Love', and the customary obsessive love odes. Although frequently dismissed by hardcore Cure fans as too pop-orientated, Wish managed to strike a balance between the extremes of utter despair and intoxicating joy.

Track Listing

1. Open
2. High
3. Apart
4. From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea
5. Wendy Time
6. Doing The Unstuck
7. Friday I'm In Love
8. Trust
9. A Letter To Elise
10. Cut
11. To Wish Impossible Things
12. End

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2398 in Music
• Released on: 2001-03-19
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 65 minutes

Customer Reviews

Wish the World Away
1992 must have been an unusual time to be in the Cure. After having released "Disintegration", a record that would eventually come to define the band, and having had to fight to get that album released, the world finally succumbed to the charms of the band. American success, hit singles, big tours, etc. However, in between 1989 and 1992, the entire musical climate had shifted, and the world into which "Wish" was released was very different from the times when "Disintegration" had appeared.

Faced with the prospect of being challenged by grunge, baggy, and shoegazing, the three major genres of the day, the Cure retreated into their own little soundworld, releasing an album that didn't rely on current trends or sounds, and as such has stood the test of time somewhat better than some of the contemporary music of the time. By not being allied to a particular sound, it still sounds relevant.

Much more guitar dominated than previously, guitars swirl and crash in a more confident way than they have on any previous Cure album. Opener, 'Open' rides a churning bass-line with all manner of melodic, but slightly disjointed guitars. Robert Smith's lyrics detail a particularly boozy night out, and the consequences that might arise from it. There is something satisfying in the fact that the music possesses all kind of sonic touches, tones and textures, but the lyrics remain steadfastly earth-bound, dealing with a variety of subjects that frequently verge on the mundane. The music has it's head in the clouds, but the lyrics have their feet planted firmly on the ground.

There is also a sweeping romance to the album, with a number of the songs hinting at the simple pleasure of spending one satisfying day with a lover, doing nothing in particular, but praising the little things we all do. Once again, the music has a majestic sweep that echoes this theme, elevating the simple pleasures of the lyrics into high (melo)drama.

The major fault of the album is a general lack of focus. Unlike "Disintegration", which held together as a piece, every song sounding better in the context of the one before and after, "Wish" is more of a collection of songs which don't have too much in common, other than the points raised above. There is an unbalance of songs which are light to the point of being throwaway juxtaposed beside very heavy, emotionally taxing songs. One minute we're being told "Friday I'm in love", and being introduced to the pleasure of watching someone eat in the middle of the night, and then the next minute, relationships are ending, and people are committing suicide in front of us. It's a slightly schizophrenic approach, that doesn't always work, and as such, "Wish" often sounds better when certain songs are skipped, depending on the mood of the listener.

Some of the songs are also very long and drawn out, the majority of which average out at around the five and a half minute mark, but due to the emotionally draining nature of some of the songs, they often feel much longer. This is quite a draining album, and is not for the faint hearted.

On the other hand, it has some of the best lyrics Robert Smith ever wrote, observing and celebrating the minutiae of life and presenting it to us as something new, and the band are in top form. It's just that it's not a particularly good introduction to the band, and it is possible to imagine this being a far stronger album if a bit of preening had been done, trimming down the length of certain songs, re-sequencing, and possibly dropping one or two of the songs (is 'Wendy Time' really necessary? I don't think so). But still a very strong album and worth checking out.

Wish Come TRUE!!!
I have been a life long fan of The Cure,...and this album is just sumblime.......... To me I regard it as the the finest alternative rock album ever made. It simply fascinates and evolves everytime you listen to it. By far the most amazing achievement from The Cure yet. A cohesive tapestry of the cure MAJIC. Just buy it.....

Very underrated
This album came out in 1992, when the Cure were pretty much past the peak of their popularity, and other musical styles, such as grunge and Britpop, were taking over our hearts and minds. Cure fans at the time responded to this album with their customary loyalty, but even they had a sense that something was not quite right, that the magic had faded slightly after the moody masterpiece, 'Disintegration'...

A fresh listen to this album reveals that it is blessed with its fair share of Cure magic. There is some exquisite sadness ('To wish Impossible Things', 'Trust', 'Apart'), a mysterious, dreamlike yet uplifting love song (the underrated 'High'), and a moment of pure pop, which is one of the best pop songs they've ever recorded ('Friday I'm in Love'). The two brooding, guitar-driven nightmare visions that open and close the album ('Open' and 'End') rank among the best of the Cure's darker moments. There is also the obligatory emotionally wrenching tale of doomed love ('From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea').

I regard 'Wish' as the last great Cure album. It works as a kind of summation of their career up until 1992, and it's one of their most accessible albums, so it would be a good place to start for new fans. It beautifully represents all of the styles and moods that the Cure do so well, without any sense of dilution or inconsistency. Their two recent releases have shown a decent return to form, but looking back, 'Wish' was really the last dance for the classic Cure of the 'eighties and early 'nineties.