Wild Mood Swings

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Wild Mood Swings
The Cure - Wild Mood Swings.jpg
Studio album by
the Cure
Released6 May 1996
Recorded1995–1996
Studio
Length61:36
Label Fiction
Producer
The Cure chronology
Paris
(1993)		Wild Mood Swings
(1996)		 Galore
(1997)
Singles from Wild Mood Swings
  1. "The 13th"
    Released: 22 April 1996
  2. "Mint Car"
    Released: 17 June 1996
  3. "Strange Attraction"
    Released: 8 October 1996
  4. "Gone!"
    Released: 2 December 1996

Wild Mood Swings is the tenth studio album by English rock band the Cure, released on 6 May 1996 by Fiction Records. [1] The album charted at number nine on the UK Albums Chart, staying on chart for six weeks, and charted at number 12 in the US Billboard 200. [2] [3]

Contents

Four singles were released from the album, the first being "The 13th", released in 22 April 1996, followed by "Mint Car" released on 17 June, "Strange Attraction" released in United States on 8 October and "Gone!" released in Europe on 2 December 1996.

Background

Wild Mood Swings was an album which saw various different changes towards the way the band approached recording their songs, such as the prominent use of computers and music software like Cubase, as well as live strings and brass instrumentation. [4]

The album marked the first time the band did not work with David M. Allen as a producer since Japanese Whispers (1983). Robert Smith said of his departure, "I thought that it was time to have a change from working with Dave Allen. I was worried that nothing new was going to happen. We've never really needed anyone to help on the creative or artistic side, but I thought it would be best to get someone in who was younger and didn't have any preconceptions about the group." [4]

Additionally the band used live brass instruments and string quartets in their songs. something which had previously not occurred in their recording processes, featuring on tracks such as 'This Is A Lie' which started out as a song based around an acoustic guitar by Perry Bamonte, Smith recalled, "when I started playing around with it, it evolved into a string piece on the keyboard. I always had in mind that we'd be using strings, right from the very outset. In that way, the house helped — there was an instant atmosphere for any string quartet walking into that room." The band chose Audrey Riley's string quartet for the album as Smith felt she was "very aware of recording for contemporary pop" and that he had difficulties with previous musicians. [4]

The mastering of the album was complete at Metropolis Studios, London with Robert Smith alongside Ian Cooper, who was suggested to Smith by producer Flood. This made for the first time Smith would be directly involved with the mastering process, which was to due to his frustration towards being absent on the band's previous albums' mastering. [4]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Chicago Sun-Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Entertainment Weekly B [7]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Houston Chronicle Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [10]
NME 7/10 [11]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Spin 6/10 [13]
USA Today Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [14]

Wild Mood Swings received a mixed response from critics. A favourable review came from Trouser Press , which described the album as "a potent and sweeping dissertation on melancholy and tentative dreams denied," calling it "consistently compelling." [15] However, the album was the lowest-selling Cure album in 12 years, and it marked the beginning of a downward trend in the Cure's future album sales. [16]

Smith said of the album's poor reception. "The album suffers from being too long. And it's disjointed. I was trying to write in different styles, and wanted us to sound like different bands, almost going after the Kiss Me idea. But, because we’d lost Boris [Williams], and before Jason [Cooper] settled in, we had a different drummer every week. I would often forget the name of the person who was drumming."... Smith felt that after Wish he "got that sense of fun back. And it shows in the album; there are some pretty demented songs on there. But it was a shame, because it got slagged when it came out. Fans hated it as well. It’s the only time I've been hugely disappointed." He believed that fans were unsatisfied with the lead single "The 13th" due to its "sort of crackpot salsa feel." [17]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic commented: "After the relatively straightforward pop of Wish, the Cure moved back toward stranger, edgier territory with Wild Mood Swings.... As the title suggests, there's a vast array of textures and emotions on Wild Mood Swings, from the woozy mariachi lounge horns of 'The 13th' to the perfect pop of 'Mint Car' and the monolithic dirge of 'Want.'" He praised the album's variety saying that the band "explore some simpler territory, from contemplative acoustic numbers tinged with strings to swooning neo-psychedelia." He concluded "but the variety of sounds and strength of performance offers enough surprises to make Wild Mood Swings more than just another Cure record." [18]

Chris Gerard of Metro Weekly gave a retrospective review on the album with a mixed perspective. "There is no disputing the power of the album’s opener, though", praising the song "Want" which he believes to be one of the band's strongest work. "Starting with a swirling guitar riff and then building slowly in intensity as it goes, “Want” is another in a long line of powerhouse opening tracks on Cure albums." He also felt that the single choices were poor and led to the album's poor reception, stating "Particularly atrocious is “Gone!” a throwaway that was somehow deemed worthy not only to be on the album, but to be a single. “Strange Attraction” is one of the band’s weaker attempts at a pop hit, and the utterly inconsequential “Mint Car” is a pale imitation of far better guitar-based pop songs like "In Between Days" and “Friday I’m in Love.”" as well as believing that "certain B-Sides would've provided a much better collection of songs with the exclusion of some album tracks", and concluded that he felt the album "didn’t have to be the commercial and critical disaster that it turned out to be. The core of a great album is there — it’s just a matter of joining the right dots." [19]

Michael Gallucci of Diffuser FM gave an unenthusiastic review, saying "A tired, and often bored, mood drifts through Wild Mood Swings. It's not even the gloom-and-doom lethargy we usually get from the band. Rather, Smith and the group can't muster much enthusiasm for the songs", while also saying "The few times the band sparks to life are the few times it seems to latch onto a groove: 'Strange Attraction', 'Mint Car', 'Gone!'." [20]

Track listing

All songs by Bamonte, Cooper, Gallup, O'Donnell and Smith.

No.TitleLength
1."Want"5:06
2."Club America"5:02
3."This Is a Lie"4:29
4."The 13th"4:08
5."Strange Attraction"4:19
6."Mint Car"3:32
7."Jupiter Crash"4:15
8."Round & Round & Round"2:39
9."Gone!"4:31
10."Numb"4:49
11."Return"3:28
12."Trap"3:37
13."Treasure"3:45
14."Bare"7:57
Bonus track
No.TitleLength
15."It Used to Be Me" (Japanese edition only - available worldwide as the B-side of "The 13th" single)6:50

Personnel

The Cure

Additional personnel

Technical

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Wild Mood Swings
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [43] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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References

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  43. ↑ "American album certifications – The Cure – Wild Mood Swings". Recording Industry Association of America.
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