Artist: The Cure
Album: Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
Released: 25 May 1987 (UK) / 26 May 1987 (US)
Label: Fiction (UK) / Elektra (US)
Producer(s): Robert Smith, David M. Allen
Genre / Style: Alternative rock / gothic pop / new wave (a broad, eclectic mix)
Description
Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me is The Cure’s ambitious seventh studio album — a sprawling, 74-minute double LP that sees the band pushing beyond their prior boundaries, weaving in pop, funk, ambient, and gothic elements.
The album was conceived as a kind of sonic palette, letting the band explore different moods, textures, and sounds. Robert Smith himself described it as “taking bits from everything we’ve done” — a retrospective and progressive statement in one.
Within its eclectic spread, you’ll find gothic atmospheres (“Torture”, “Shiver and Shake”), dreamy pop balladry (“Catch”, “If Only Tonight We Could Sleep”), outright dance grooves (“Why Can’t I Be You?”, “Hot Hot Hot!!!”), and romantic high points like “Just Like Heaven” — which became one of The Cure’s definitive songs and helped bring them into the U.S. mainstream.
The production is lush and adventurous: echoed drums, synths, occasional horns, and guitar textures that shift from delicate to abrasive. The sequence of tracks is deliberate — the transitions between extremes of mood and tone give the album a dramatic ebb and flow.
Commercially, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me was a turning point. It was The Cure’s first album to break into the U.S. Top 40, earned platinum status, and expanded their international presence significantly.