The Cure Reissues Seventeen Seconds, Faith and Pornography

For over 25 years The Cure has been one of the most popular and influential alternative bands in the world. Rhino Records is revisiting their early days with re-releases of several albums.

The Cure's first album, Three Imaginary Boys, was released late last year, and now three more albums are available: 1980's Seventeen Seconds, 1981's Faith and 1982's Pornography.

All three albums have been remastered and each are being re-released with a second disc of rarities. There are also lyrics, photos from Robert Smith's personal collection and track-by-track commentary from UK music writer Johnny Black.

Seventeen Seconds saw a couple lineup changes with the addition of keyboardist Mathieu Hartley and the replacement of bassist Michael Dempsey with Simon Gallup. It was a more sparse album as the new lineup gelled, but showed The Cure developing a strong identity of their own. They also had their first UK hit single "The Forest" on this album.

Faith was a darker, depressing album with lush arrangements. Robert Smith's lyrics were melancholy, but much improved. This was a breakthrough album for The Cure that tends to be overlooked. The reissue includes the original 8 songs, plus "Carnage Visors" on CD for the first time.

Pornography was even darker than Faith, but had a little more anger. It is one of the seminal goth albums of the '80s. It hit the top 10 on the album charts in the UK.

Fans of The Cure will definitely want to own these three reissues. The albums themselves have been remastered, so the sound quality is a little better. It's the bonus discs that hardcore fans will really enjoy. There are a lot of demos, b-sides and live tracks for The Cure completist.

Here's a rundown of the tracks on the reissued CDs:

Seventeen Seconds

Disc 1
A Reflection
Play For Today
Secrets
In Your House
Three
The Final Sound
A Forest
M
At Night
Seventeen Seconds

Disc 2
I'm A Cult Hero (vinyl single by Cult Hero)
I Dig You (vinyl single b-side by Cult Hero)
Another Journey By Train (instrumental demo)
Secrets (instrumental demo)
Seventeen Seconds (live)
In Your House (live)
Three (alternate studio mix)
I Dig You (live)
I'm A Cult Hero (live)
M (live)
The Final Sound (live)
A Reflection (live)
Play For Today (live)
At Night (live)
A Forest (live)

Faith

Disc 1
The Holy Hour
Primary
Other Voices
All Cats Are Grey
The Funeral Party
Doubt
The Drowning Man
Faith
Carnage Visors: The Soundtrack

Disc 2
Faith (instrumental demo)
Doubt (instrumental demo)
Drowning (instrumental demo)
The Holy Hour (home demo)
Primary (studio outtake)
Going Home Time (studio guide vocal outtake)
The Violin Song (studio guide vocal outtake)
A Normal Story (studio guide vocal outtake)
All Cats Are Grey (live)
The Funeral Party (live)
Other Voices (live)
The Drowning Man (live)
Faith (live)
Forever (live)
Charlotte Sometimes (single)

Pornography

Disc 1
One Hundred Years
A Short Term Effect
The Hanging Garden
Siamese Twins
The Figurehead
A Strange Day
Cold
Pornography

Disc 2
Break (instrumental demo)
Demise (instrumental demo)
Temptation (instrumental demo)
The Figurehead (studio demo)
The Hanging Garden (studio demo)
One Hundred Years (studio demo)
Airlock: The Soundtrack
Cold (live)
A Strange Day (live)
Pornography (live)
All Mine (live)
A Short Term Effect (live)
Siamese Twins (live)
Temptation Two (aka LGBT) (studio demo)

The reissues are in stores now.