Recorded in the midst of
Robert Smith's tenuous tenure with
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
The Top is arguably the most hedonistic record
the Cure ever produced. Essentially
Smith and
Lol Tolhurst working with studio musicians (this being the period when
the Cure's lineup was never assured), it's an album obviously recorded under stress, drink, and drugs. More wildly experimental musically than anything before it, it laid the foundations for
the Cure's pattern of unpigeonholable albums that were to erase their reputation built by Pornography and eventually culminating in Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. That said, it's still very much a
Cure record. Heavy on the percussion and quaint keyboard effects that were so big in the '80s, the melodies ("The Caterpillar," "Shake Dog Shake") are unmistakably
Robert Smith. The big change this time around is his ability to fuse the paranoia and neuroses of former work (Pornography) with his newfound use of pop melody and outside influences (i.e., world travels, sounds, instruments) to moderate success ("Wailing Wall," "Piggy in the Mirror"). A more psychedelic descent than Pornography,
The Top is a transition, never really feeling like a full-length release, but it does meld all former phases of
Rob and company, which would fully gel on
The Head on the Door. At best an imperfect record,
The Top is a necessary step in the evolution of the band. [
The Top was re-released on LP in 2016.] ~ Chris True