Wild Mood Swings
Studio album by
the Cure
Released6 May 1996
Recorded1995–1996
Studio
Length61:36
LabelFiction
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]

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.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Chicago Sun-Times[5]
Entertainment WeeklyB[6]
The Guardian[7]
Houston Chronicle[8]
Los Angeles Times[9]
NME7/10[10]
Rolling Stone[11]
Spin6/10[12]
USA Today[13]

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."[14] 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.[15]

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."[16]

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."[17]

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."[18]

Michael Gallucci 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!'."[19]

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

  • Robert Smith – guitar, six-string bass, vocals, production, sleeve art direction
  • Perry Bamonte – guitar, six-string bass, keyboard, sleeve art direction
  • Jason Cooper – percussion, drums (except on "This is a Lie","Club America", "Mint Car", "Trap" and "Treasure"), sleeve art direction
  • Simon Gallup – bass guitar, sleeve art direction
  • Roger O'Donnell – keyboard, sleeve art direction

Additional personnel

  • Jesus Alemany – trumpet
  • John Barclay – trumpet
  • Steve Dawson – trumpet
  • Richard Edwards – trombone
  • Sid Gauld – trumpet
  • Will Gregory – saxophone
  • Steve Sidwell – trumpet
  • Mister Chandrashekhar – violin
  • Sue Dench – viola
  • Leo Payne – violin
  • Audrey Riley – cello
  • Chris Tombling – violin
  • Ronald Austin – drums on "This is a Lie"
  • Louis Pavlou – drums on "Club America"
  • Mark Price – drums on "Mint Car", "Trap" and "Treasure"
  • Ronald Austin – arrangements
  • Sid Gauld – arrangements
  • Will Gregory – arrangements
  • Audrey Riley – arrangements

Technical

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Wild Mood Swings
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[42] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ "The Cure : Official Site: Discography :: Wild Mood Swings". TheCure.com. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  2. ↑ "Artists". OfficialCharts.com.
  3. ↑ "Album Search for "wild mood swings"". AllMusic.
  4. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Wild Mood Swings – The Cure". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  5. ↑ Kim, Jae-Ha (19 May 1996). "The Cure, 'Wild Mood Swings' (Elektra)". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 20 March 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  6. ↑ Sinclair, Tom (10 May 1996). "Wild Mood Swings". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 22 December 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  7. ↑ Sullivan, Caroline (10 May 1996). "The Cure: Wild Mood Swings (Fiction)". The Guardian.
  8. ↑ Vaziri, Aidin (5 May 1996). "The Cure Keeps Its Edge". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  9. ↑ Scribner, Sara (5 May 1996). "'Mood Swings' Strengthens Cure's Effect". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  10. ↑ Sutherland, Mark (4 May 1996). "The Cure – Wild Mood Swings". NME. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  11. ↑ DeCurtis, Anthony (13 June 1996). "Wild Mood Swings". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 30 November 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  12. ↑ Hannaham, James (July 1996). "The Cure: Wild Mood Swings". Spin. 12 (4): 91. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  13. ↑ Gundersen, Edna (18 June 1996). "The Cure, Wild Mood Swings". USA Today. Archived from the original on 23 April 1999. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  14. ↑ Grant, Steven; Robbins, Ira; Reno, Brad. "TrouserPress.com :: Cure". TrouserPress.com. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  15. ↑ Gerard, Chris (16 October 2013). "The Cure's "Wild Mood Swings" Revisited – Metro Weekly". Metro Weekly. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  16. ↑ Crandall, Bill (18 June 2004). "The Cure's Discography: Robert Smith Looks Back". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  17. ↑ "The Cure - Wild Mood Swings Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  18. ↑ Gerard, Chris (16 October 2013). "The Cure's "Wild Mood Swings" revisited". Metro Weekly. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  19. ↑ Gallucci, Michael (7 May 2016). "20 Years Ago: The Cure Get Weird With 'Wild Mood Swings'". Diffuser.fm. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  20. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – The Cure – Wild Mood Swings". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  21. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – The Cure – Wild Mood Swings" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  22. ↑ "Ultratop.be – The Cure – Wild Mood Swings" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  23. ↑ "Ultratop.be – The Cure – Wild Mood Swings" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  24. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 2981". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  25. ↑ "Listen – Danmarks Officielle Hitliste – Udarbejdet af AIM Nielsen for IFPI Danmark – Uge 20". Ekstra Bladet (in Danish). Copenhagen. 19 May 1996.
  26. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Cure – Wild Mood Swings" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  27. ↑ "European Top 100 Albums". Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 22. 1 June 1996. p. 14. OCLC 29800226.
  28. ↑ "The Cure: Wild Mood Swings" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  29. ↑ "Lescharts.com – The Cure – Wild Mood Swings". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  30. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Cure – Wild Mood Swings" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  31. ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 1996. 20. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  32. 1 2 "Top National Sellers". Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 22. 1 June 1996. p. 15. OCLC 29800226.
  33. ↑ "Charts.nz – The Cure – Wild Mood Swings". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  34. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – The Cure – Wild Mood Swings". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  35. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  36. ↑ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  37. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – The Cure – Wild Mood Swings". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  38. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – The Cure – Wild Mood Swings". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  39. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  40. ↑ "The Cure Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  41. ↑ "Year End Sales Charts – European Top 100 Albums 1996". Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 51/52. 21 December 1996. p. 12. OCLC 29800226.
  42. ↑ "American album certifications – The Cure – Wild Mood Swings". Recording Industry Association of America.
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