[Still on the Door] -- The Head on the Door, The Cure's sixth studio album, was released this week in 1985, or maybe earlier this month. The specific release date, which varies according to the source one uses, matters less than the fact that The Head on the Door is now 40 years old as of August 2025.
Now, I must confess that I did not discover this record in the summer of 1985. No, that treat was reserved for the fall of 1986. And even then, my own discovery was a bit reverse chronological: First, I had to be introduced to The Cure's 1986 greatest hits album, Standing on a Beach, and then work back. See, the greatest hits collection included two singles from The Head on the Door, "In Between Days" and "Close to Me". Once my college friends had me hooked on Standing in general and those singles in particular, they got me on the previous album. At least ... that is how I recall it happening. So, at this point, I must ask: Do fans of the Cure still use Standing on a Beach as a gateway album to lure their non-Cure-listening friends into the fray?
Back to The Head on the Door.
It might seem strange to long-term fans that, after digging The Head on the Door, I also became a fan of earlier Cure records. The Head on the Door was a significant departure from the band's earlier sound, particularly the dark trilogy of Seventeen Seconds (1980), Faith (1981). and Pornography (1982). I would say that The Head on the Door had different moods rather than being entirely moody. Musically, the album was rather bouncy, feeling quite upbeat in places. Steve Sutherland, writing in Melody Maker, called the album "a collection of pop songs". Retrospectively, AllMusic critic Tim Sendra said this album's new musical direction "had managed to make the band's trademark 'gloom and doom' style both 'danceable and popular'" [AllMusic]. The record peaked at #7 on the UK Albums chart and a respectable #59 on the US Billboard 200, as well as the top 20 of several other country's charts.
The first single, "In Between Days", charted well worldwide, and is regarded as one of The Cure's best songs. My college roommate confidently called it THE BEST Cure song. Well, for about a week. I don't recall if he maintained that claim moving forward. But I do know I'm always happy when it appears in a playlist or comes up on one of my shuffles. It sounds kind of happy, with the acoustic strumming and the keyboard riff. But the lyrics hint at something sadder, if not altogether darker, regarding loss.
The second single, "Close to Me", has a music video with all the band members crammed inside a wardrobe that falls off a cliff and into the sea. I don't know if that video helped, but the track charted even better than the first single. And, like that first single, the dour and enigmatic lyrics are in opposition to the the almost peppy arrangement.
My favorite non-single tracks include "A Night Like This", "Push" (with its incredible intro), and "Six Different Ways." But I so love to listen to this album from start to finish when I have the time.
Flashback: The Head on the Door (August 1985)
And that's all till next week. Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the Prophet or Madman archives or via Bookended's 80s Flashback tag. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.
See you in seven!
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