The Cure Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me

By 1987 the Cure were among the most successful “alternative” rock bands in the world. Their previous album, 1985’s The Head on the Door, had been a massive hit and expectations were high. After years of single-minded leadership, Robert Smith was opening the band up to be more of a democracy and the additional input of his fellow bandmates led to such an overabundance of material that the group determined Kiss Me would need to be a double album. From the long instrumental passages that add to the album’s intense, epic mood to the ornate, ‘80s psychedelic flourishes that color the tracks, Kiss Me is a headphone listener’s dream. “Why Can’t I Be You?” and “Just Like Heaven” are the obvious radio-friendly pop songs, while “The Kiss,” “If Only Tonight We Could Sleep,” “How Beautiful You Are…” and “The Perfect Girl” reflect the heavy romance that replaced the group’s earlier unnerving despair. Emotions continue to dominate with overstated urgency, but it’s with a bit more sense of play.