Bloodflowers

Bloodflowers is the eleventh studio album by English rock band the Cure, released on 15 February 2000 by Fiction Records and Polydor Records. Singer Robert Smith chose to not release any single from the album, against the will of the record company. However, "Maybe Someday" and "Out of This World" were issued as promotional singles to radio in the UK, US, Canada and numerous territories in Europe. Bloodflowers received to mixed reviews from critics.

Bloodflowers
Studio album by
the Cure
Released15 February 2000
Recorded1998–1999
Studio
GenreGothic rock
Length64:29
Label
Producer
The Cure chronology
Galore
(1997)		 Bloodflowers
(2000)		 Greatest Hits
(2001)

Release and promotion

No commercial singles were released from Bloodflowers, but two promotional singles were released to DJs and radio stations: "Out of This World", in January (Europe) and May (U.S.), and "Maybe Someday", in January (U.S.) and April (Europe). It was a moderate success, debuting at number 16 on the US Billboard 200. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 2001. In subsequent years, Smith identified it as his favourite Cure album in a 2004 Rolling Stone interview.[1]

Reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic69/100[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[4]
The Guardian[5]
Los Angeles Times[6]
Melody Maker[7]
NME7/10[8]
Pitchfork7.5/10[9]
Q[10]
Rolling Stone[11]
Uncut[12]

The album received mixed reviews. Entertainment Weekly called it "one of the band's most affecting works".[13]

Melody Maker titled their review "Goth-Awful!", rating the album 1.5 out of 5.[7] Rolling Stone criticized the quality of the compositions, saying, "[Smith] can write four bad songs in a row, and Cure albums tend to leak filler like an attic spilling insulation" and concluded, "Bloodflowers, is half dismissible droning, an unforgivable ratio considering it's only nine tracks long."[11] Similarly, Trouser Press stated in their review: "The album sounds completely uninspired, as Smith and company go through the motions of Cure-ness."[14] Les Inrockuptibles wrote that the album featured "endless songs" with "dated sounds".[15] AllMusic noted that although Bloodflowers contained all the Cure's musical trademarks, "morose lyrics, keening vocals, long running times", "the album falls short of the mark, largely because it sounds too self-conscious".[3]

Track listing

All tracks are written by the Cure (Smith, Gallup, Bamonte, Cooper, O'Donnell).

No.TitleLength
1."Out of This World"6:44
2."Watching Me Fall"11:13
3."Where the Birds Always Sing"5:44
4."Maybe Someday"5:04
5."Coming Up" (only on vinyl and Australian, Japanese, Colombian CD editions)6:27
6."The Last Day of Summer"5:36
7."There Is No If..."3:44
8."The Loudest Sound"5:09
9."39"7:20
10."Bloodflowers"7:31
Bonus track only available through the Internet
No.TitleLength
11."Spilt Milk"4:53

Personnel

The Cure

Production

  • Robert Smith – production, mixing
  • Paul Corkett – production, engineer, mixing
  • Sacha Jankovich – engineer
  • Ian Cooper – mastering
  • Daryl Bamonte – project coordinator
  • Perry Bamonte – photography
  • Paul Cox – photography
  • Alex Smith – photography
  • Alexis Yraola – logo

Charts
2000 chart performance for Bloodflowers
Chart (2000) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[16] 11
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[17] 22
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[18] 11
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[19] 9
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[20] 15
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[21] 7
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[22] 2
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[23] 50
European Albums (Music & Media)[24] 2
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[25] 15
French Albums (SNEP)[26] 3
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[27] 5
Greek Albums (IFPI)[28] 8
Irish Albums (IRMA)[29] 32
Italian Albums (FIMI)[30] 8
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[31] 41
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[32] 5
Scottish Albums (OCC)[33] 52
Spanish Albums (AFYVE)[34] 18
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[35] 5
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[36] 3
UK Albums (OCC)[37] 14
US Billboard 200[38] 16
2020 chart performance for Bloodflowers
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[39] 42
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[40] 20
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[41] 31
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[42] 9

Certifications and sales
Certifications and sales for Bloodflowers
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[43] Gold 25,000^
United States — 285,000[44]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Crandall, Bill (2004). "The Cure's Discography: Robert Smith Looks Back". Rolling Stone.
  2. "Bloodflowers by The Cure Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  3. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Bloodflowers – The Cure". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  4. Schinder, Scott (18 February 2000). "The Cure: Bloodflowers". Entertainment Weekly. No. 526. p. 86.
  5. Simpson, Dave (18 February 2000). "The Cure: Bloodflowers (Fiction)". The Guardian.
  6. Hochman, Steve (12 February 2000). "The Cure, 'Bloodflowers,' Elektra/Fiction". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  7. Beaumont, Mark (2–8 February 2000). "Goth-Awful!". Melody Maker. p. 46.
  8. Long, April (8 February 2000). "The Cure – Bloodflowers". NME. Archived from the original on 16 August 2000. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  9. Ott, Chris (15 February 2000). "The Cure: Bloodflowers". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 18 March 2009. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  10. Kane, Peter (March 2000). "Winding Down". Q. No. 162. p. 102. Archived from the original on 21 November 2000. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  11. Berger, Arion (2 March 2000). "Bloodflowers". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  12. Dalton, Stephen (March 2000). "Prophet of bloom". Uncut. No. 34. p. 78.
  13. Schinder, Scott (18 February 2000). "Bloodflowers". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 1 April 2007. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  14. Grant, Steven; Robbins, Ira; Reno, Brad. "Cure". Trouser Press. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  15. Besse=, Marc (15 February 2000). "Bloodflowers [review]". Les Inrockuptibles.
  16. "Australiancharts.com – The Cure – Bloodflowers". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  17. "Austriancharts.at – The Cure – Bloodflowers" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  18. "Ultratop.be – The Cure – Bloodflowers" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  19. "Ultratop.be – The Cure – Bloodflowers" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  20. "The Cure Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  21. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 12. 18 March 2000. p. 13. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  22. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 11. 11 March 2000. p. 13. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  23. "Dutchcharts.nl – The Cure – Bloodflowers" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  24. "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 10. 4 March 2000. p. 12. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  25. "The Cure: Bloodflowers" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  26. "Lescharts.com – The Cure – Bloodflowers". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  27. "Offiziellecharts.de – The Cure – Bloodflowers" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  28. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 13. 25 March 2000. p. 13. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  29. "Irish-charts.com – Discography The Cure". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  30. "Italiancharts.com – The Cure – Bloodflowers". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  31. "Charts.nz – The Cure – Bloodflowers". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  32. "Norwegiancharts.com – The Cure – Bloodflowers". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  33. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  34. Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  35. "Swedishcharts.com – The Cure – Bloodflowers". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  36. "Swisscharts.com – The Cure – Bloodflowers". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  37. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  38. "The Cure Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  39. "Portuguesecharts.com – The Cure – Bloodflowers". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  40. "The Cure Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  41. "The Cure Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  42. "The Cure Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  43. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (The cure; 'The Cure')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  44. "The Cure Signs to I AM/ARTISTdirect". Billboard. 26 February 2003.
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