Never Enough - The Story of the Cure

Robert Smith - Nancy J. Price 1985

Written in 2005 and published in 2008, this unofficial biography of the Cure follows the rise of this enigmatic group from their roots in middle class Crawley to their confirmed status as rock nobility some four decades later. The depth of the book reflects Apter’s research skills and extensive knowledge of the music industry.

Although Apter does not manage to interview Smith himself in this book, the many enlightening discussions he has with ex members Laurence Tolhurst, Phil Thornally, Michael Dempsey and producer Steve Lyon help to piece together the fascinating history of the band.

A common thread throughout the book is Apter’s obsession with the surprising duality of musical styles consistently presented by Smith – this was perfected at the height of the band’s commercial success during the mid to late eighties , where the group achieved a balance between melancholic, decidedly boring tracks and well constructed pop tunes.

The Goth Guru and the Pop Tunester

This, as Apter puts it, may well have been the result of Smith hedging his bets in a bid, perhaps, to satisfy both the Cure’s loyal Goth entourage and their growing mainstream audience worldwide. Smith’s involvement with Sioxsie and the Banshees in the post punk era of the early eighties, coupled with his morbid, often drug induced mood during this period (which spawned the Faith album and the even more morose Picture tour), resulted in an output of tracks tailor made for what Apter refers to as the ‘overcoat brigade’.

 Robert Smith- Zoe Bianchi

At the same time, Smith’s discovery that he could compose catchy melodies such as The Lovecats, Let’s Go to Bed, In Between Days , Just Like Heaven and Boys Don’t Cry attracted a whole new cohort of listeners, who also appreciated the slightly dangerous image of the group promoted in Tim Pope’s colourful music videos.

Apter’s account of the backgrounds of Smith and the early members of the group- Tolhurst, Simon Gallup and Dempsey-throws additional light on the band’s peculiar repertoire. All grew up listening to the records of their older siblings and were therefore exposed to rock legends such as Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, Nick Drake and the Beatles from an early age. The concept of not being cool if you couldn’t sit through all the tracks on an album, even if some were absolute rubbish, may have been instilled in them at this point.

Indeed, although Apter observes that some of the Cure’s albums are so dull they could only be of interest to diehard fans, he, too, gives the impression that he concurs with the ‘suffering for one’s art’ philosophy. This is suggested throughout the book when he refers to the hit singles of many of the Cure’s contemporaries as ‘fluff’: purely, it seems, because they have structure and a melody.

Robert Smith the Strategist

This attitude, which, it could be argued, borders on pretentiousness, has nevertheless struck a chord with millions of record buyers and has allowed Smith to experiment with his music in a way other musicians could only hope for. Apter in fact suggests that much of what Smith has said and done over the Cure’s career has been a deliberate strategy to avoid becoming ‘uncool’ and therefore unviable in the music industry. He believes, for instance, that Smith’s write off of Let’s Go to Bed as ‘junk’, ‘stupid and ‘rubbish’ was cleverly calculated; if this single failed, ‘he could defend himself by dismissing it as a lark. That way, the band’s credibility would remain intact.’

Moreover, Apter believes the disinterested manner conveyed by the group on stage and reflected in their music played a part in their success. Referring to an appearance on television, he states that, ‘they looked and acted bored, but all across the nation (viewers) …..interpreted Smith’s stifled yawns as enigmatic arrogance.’ Indeed, Smith himself admitted that he had not had the courage to express honest emotion in his music until he wrote ‘Lovesong’ for his wife, Mary, in 1989.

Other Cure Members and the Band Today

Although acknowledging that the Cure, throughout its many line-ups, has essentially been Robert Smith’s band, Apter also addresses the sizeable contributions of its other members. Considerable amounts of the text discuss the early creative input of Tolhurst and Dempsey, and the later contributions of Simon Gallup, Porl Thompson, Roger O’Donnell, Boris Williams and Jason Cooper.

The inclusion of former Cure roadie Perry Bamonte in the line-up (along with his fascination for pyrotechnics) also makes interesting reading. Apter also devotes time to Tolhurst’s legal wrangle in 1994 with the band over unpaid royalties, and the highs and lows of his relationship with the band over the years.

Over the last two decades, an era which has been less commercially successful for the group (see Richard Gibson's comments on the band in 2010), the band appears to have mellowed to the point of including such upbeat songs as Mint Car and Wrong Number in recent albums. Of course, the plodding, weird tracks still prevail, but as Smith has admitted, he actually likes repetitive music. Although he has often maintained over the years that he doesn’t care what others think of his music, perhaps, for the first time, he genuinely means it.

Reference

•                Apter, J., 2008, 'Never Enough, The Story of The Cure' Omnibus Press

•                Gibson, R., 2010, '413 Dream by The Cure Album Review', Suite 101.com, accessed 12/6/2010

•                Smith, R., Pope, T.,1985, 'In Between Days', youtube.com

•                Smith, R., Pope, T.,1987, 'Just Like Heaven', youtube.com