Editing Wild Mood Swings

{{Short description|1996 studio album by the Cure}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox album
| name         = Wild Mood Swings
| type         = studio
| artist       = [[the Cure]]
| cover        = The Cure - Wild Mood Swings.jpg
| alt          = 
| released     = 6 May 1996
| recorded     = Late 1994–1996<ref>{{Cite web |title=THE CURE: Recording Wild Mood Swings |url=https://www.soundonsound.com/people/cure-recording-wild-mood-swings |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=www.soundonsound.com}}</ref>
| studio       = * [[St Catherine's Court]] ([[Bath, Somerset|Bath]], England)
* [[Haremere Hall]] ([[Etchingham]], England)
| genre        = [[Alternative rock]], [[neo-psychedelia]]<ref name="allmusic.com">{{Cite web |title=The Cure - Wild Mood Swings Album Reviews, Songs & More |publisher= AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/wild-mood-swings-mw0000646830 |access-date=2023-07-08 |language=en}}</ref>
| length       = 61:36
| label        = [[Fiction Records|Fiction]]
| producer     = * Steve Lyon
* [[Robert Smith (musician)|Robert Smith]]
| prev_title   = [[Paris (The Cure album)|Paris]]
| prev_year    = 1993
| next_title   = [[Galore (The Cure album)|Galore]]
| next_year    = 1997
| misc         = {{Singles
 | name        = Wild Mood Swings
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = [[The 13th]]
 | single1date = 22 April 1996
 | single2     = [[Mint Car]]
 | single2date = 17 June 1996
 | single3     = [[Strange Attraction]]
 | single3date = 8 October 1996
 | single4     = [[Gone! (The Cure song)|Gone!]]
 | single4date = 2 December 1996
}}
}}

'''''Wild Mood Swings''''' is the tenth studio album by English [[Rock music|rock]] band [[the Cure]], released on 6 May 1996 by [[Fiction Records]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thecure.com/discography/1231/wild_mood_swings|title=The Cure : Official Site: Discography :: Wild Mood Swings|website=TheCure.com|access-date=10 December 2013}}</ref> The album charted at number nine on the [[UK Albums Chart]], staying on chart for six weeks, and number 12 on the US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Artists |url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/Cure/ |website=[[OfficialCharts.com]]}}</ref><ref name="uscharts">{{Cite web |title=Album Search for "wild mood swings" |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/wild-mood-swings-mw0000646830/awards |website=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref>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.<ref name=":5" />

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! (The Cure song)|Gone!]]" released in Europe on 2 December 1996.

The album saw the band explore various styles, similar to their double album [[Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me|''Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me'']] (1987),<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-15 |title=The Cure's 'Wild Mood Swings' Indulges the Glories of Genre-Jumping |url=https://www.popmatters.com/cure-wild-mood-swings-genre-jumping |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=www.popmatters.com |language=en-US}}</ref> incorporating [[jangle pop]], with Mint Car<ref>{{Citation |title=Galore: The Singles 1987-1997 - The Cure {{!}} Album {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/galore-the-singles-1987-1997-mw0000596100 |access-date=2024-10-24 |language=en}}</ref> and Return,<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2000-08-17 |title=NME.COM - THE CURE - Wild Mood Swings - 4/5/1996 |website=[[NME]] |url=http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19980101001084reviews.html |access-date=2024-10-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000817221217/http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19980101001084reviews.html |archive-date=17 August 2000 }}</ref> [[jazz]], with Gone, [[mariachi]], with The 13th.<ref>{{Citation |title=Wild Mood Swings - The Cure {{!}} Album {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/wild-mood-swings-mw0000646830#review |access-date=2024-10-24 |language=en}}</ref> [[Robert Smith (musician)|Robert Smith]] said the album title came from the fact that "Lyrically and musically, we cover more stuff than we have done in the past."<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=PopCultureClassics.com |url=https://www.popcultureclassics.com/robert_smith.html |access-date=2025-04-18 |website=www.popcultureclassics.com}}</ref>. The album exhibits jarring track placements, which contribute to the erratic and eclectic nature of the material, from lighter poppier songs to introspective, darker material, often paired next to one another, which ''[[NME]]'' described as, "rather like a [[compilation album]], with all the disjointedness that implies."<ref name=":1" />

== Background ==
''Wild Mood Swings'' was an album which saw various different changes towards the way the band approached recording their songs, such as the prominent use of computers and music software like [[Steinberg Cubase|Cubase]], as well as live strings and brass instrumentation.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=THE CURE: Recording Wild Mood Swings |url=https://www.soundonsound.com/people/cure-recording-wild-mood-swings |access-date=2024-05-11 |website=www.soundonsound.com}}</ref> It was also the first album released since drummer [[Boris Williams]] left the band, due to personal reasons in 1994,<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Price |first=Simon |title=Curepedia: An A-Z of The Cure |publisher=[[William Morrow and Company|William Morrow]] |year=2023 |isbn=978-0-06-306864-3 |location=New York, NY |publication-date=2023 |pages=415–416}}</ref> while guitarist [[Pearl Thompson|Porl Thompson]] also left the group in 1993 to look after his children<ref name=":03">Price, pp. 356-359.</ref> and joined English rock band [[Page and Plant]].<ref name="PopCultureClassics.com">{{Cite web |title=PopCultureClassics.com |url=https://www.popcultureclassics.com/robert_smith.html |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=www.popcultureclassics.com}}</ref>

Smith felt at the time that the previous line-up that had made ''[[Wish (The Cure album)|Wish]]'' (1992) had "really done as much as we could. In some ways, in the back of my mind, I was slightly unsure as to what we could achieve, because we all knew each other so well. So the fact that it all kind of fell apart was a good thing. It was one of those haphazard, serendipitous things that worked in our favour."<ref name="PopCultureClassics.com"/>[[File:Boris Williams photo.jpg|thumb|248x248px|Drummer Boris Williams quit the band due to personal reasons.<ref name=":0" /> He was joined by [[Pearl Thompson|Porl Thompson]] and formed the band [[Babacar (band)|Babacar]] in the late 90s.<ref>Price, p. 25.</ref>]]However, Smith found it difficult to replace Boris Williams as he felt he was "a phenomenally good drummer," and found "replacing him was the most difficult thing. Not only did we have to find someone who would fit, who would get on with us and understand what the Cure is about, [he] also had to be as good a drummer as Boris, and it took months finding someone." [[Jason Cooper]], formerly of the band [[My Life Story]], replaced Williams on drums in 1995, answering to a ''[[Melody Maker]]'' advertisement made by the band anonymously with the brief "…famous group requires drummer – no metal heads…".<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Online |first=Hip |date=2008-01-14 |title=The Cure |url=https://www.hiponline.com/749/the-cure.html |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Hip Online - music biographies, reviews & interviews |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> Prior to Cooper's recruitment, other potential drummers included Ron Austin ([[The God Machine (band)|The God Machine]]), [[Mark Price (musician)|Mark Price]] ([[All About Eve (band)|All About Eve]]), and Louis Pavlou ([[Pink Turns Blue]]). All three drummers ultimately appeared on ''Wild Mood Swings''. [[Perry Bamonte]] replaced Porl Thompson as the group's lead guitarist,<ref>{{Cite news |date=2005-05-29 |title=The Cure band members say goodbye |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4591191.stm |access-date=2025-04-20 |language=en-GB}}</ref> leaving [[Roger O'Donnell]], who returned in 1995 after leaving in 1990, to fulfil keyboard parts.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Considine |first=J. d |date=1996-06-05 |title=The Cure Finds a Remedy in Changes |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-06-05-ca-11791-story.html |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

The album marked the first time the band did not work with [[David M. Allen]] as a producer since ''[[Japanese Whispers]]'' (1983). [[Robert Smith (musician)|Robert Smith]] feared "that nothing new" would happen, had they worked with him again, saying "We've never really needed anyone to help on the creative or artistic side" and opted to get Steve Lyon, due to his younger age and his lack of "any preconceptions about the group."<ref name=":0" />

The track "Club America", is inspired by a summer trip in 1994 that Smith had to New York in with [[Perry Bamonte]] to watch the Football [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]]. After playing football with electronic band [[Depeche Mode]] and [[Daryl Bamonte]], brother of Perry who would go on to work with the Cure shortly after, they all went clubbing. Smith admitted to playing "up to it then and awful lot more than I should have, and on the plane home, I wrote the song, because I was trying to, like, explain it away to myself. It's ironic, you know. I've had this photo taken with these celebrities, and I was there, and I did that, and I was full of self loathing! And that song is not anti-the girl in the "canary feather dress," it's actually anti-me because I was part of it."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rabid |first=Jack |date=1996-01-01 |title=A Foolish Arrangement :Interview :1/1/1996 The Big Takeover #40 |url=http://www.afoolisharrangement.com/Cure/interview.asp?InterviewID=74 |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.afoolisharrangement.com}}</ref> Rolling Stone noted Smith's put-on deeper voice on the song, citing borrowed "vocal tricks" from [[David Bowie]] and [[Iggy Pop]], while also describing the sound as "upbeat" and that its sound invoked the "jaded thrills of nightclubbing in the American [[Funhouse|fun house]]."<ref name=":3">{{Cite magazine |last=DeCurtis |first=Anthony |date=1998-02-02 |title=Wild Mood Swings |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/wild-mood-swings-116332/ |access-date=2024-10-13 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref>Meanwhile, ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' felt the song resembled English rock band [[Happy Mondays]], due to its [[Psychedelic music|psychedelic]] sound<ref name="Hannaham 91">{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dTM_D4UWqXQC&pg=PA91 |title=The Cure: ''Wild Mood Swings'' |journal=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] |volume=12 |issue=4 |date=July 1996 |access-date=21 June 2016 |last=Hannaham |first=James |page=91}}</ref> and ''[[NME]]'' compared it unfavourably to [[Tin Machine]].<ref name=":1" />

The song "Treasure" is inspired by the [[Christina Rossetti]] poem "Remember".<ref>{{Cite web |author1=Paul Brannigan |date=2024-10-16 |title="Again, a bit of doom and gloom." Robert Smith selects one song from every Cure album which reflects the mood of their new record Songs of a Lost World, and reveals which Cure album is his least favourite |url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/robert-smith-curated-cure-playlist |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=louder |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2021-05-05 |title=Revisiting The Cure's 'Wild Mood Swings' (1996) {{!}} Tribute |url=https://albumism.com/features/the-cure-wild-mood-swings-turns-25-anniversary-retrospective |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=Albumism |language=en-US}}</ref> Smith felt that the most personal songs on the album were "Want" and "Bare".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Robert Smith Interview - Zillo (Feb. 2000) |url=http://www.ossh.com/thecure/ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ChainofFlowers/zillo2000.html |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=www.ossh.com}}</ref>
[[File:Porl Thompson - The Cure (22627810165).jpg|left|thumb|227x227px|Porl Thomspon left the band in 1993 to look after his children and joined the English rock band [[Page and Plant]]. According to Robert Smith, his departure was not "acrimonious"<ref name=":7" /> He would rejoin the band in 2005.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Porl Thompson Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & Mo... |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/porl-thompson-mn0000298582#credits |access-date=2025-04-18 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}</ref>]]

=== Recording ===
Initial recording began around the end of 1994, with just Robert Smith and Perry Bamonte. [[Simon Gallup]] fell ill shortly before the band scheduled to record and Boris Williams left the band the day before they began recording, and other members had yet to be found. The following year Roger O'Donnell and Jason Cooper would be hired.<ref name=":8" />

The band settled in [[St Catherine's Court|St. Catherine's Court]], a Tudor house which was owned by actress [[Jane Seymour (actress)|Jane Seymour]] at the time, and were the first band to record there, since she began renting it out as a film set and recording studio since 1992.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Keel |first=Toby |date=2024-05-23 |title=Live and let live in the gorgeous former monastery that's been home to everyone from iconic Bond girls to legends of music |url=https://www.countrylife.co.uk/property/live-and-let-live-in-the-gorgeous-former-monastery-thats-been-home-to-everyone-from-iconic-bond-girls-to-legends-of-music-269199 |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=Country Life |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kredenser |first=Peter |date=2016-09-13 |title=Look Inside Jane Seymour's House in England |url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/jane-seymour-english-manor |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=Architectural Digest |language=en-US}}</ref>Other bands and musicians who would record there include [[Radiohead]], for their acclaimed album ''[[OK Computer]]'' (1997), [[Robbie Williams]] and [[New Order (band)|New Order]]. The band themselves would return there for the initial 1998 sessions of the follow up album ''[[Bloodflowers]]'' (2000).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-02-02 |title=St. Catherine's Court - Bath, England (1996) :: Music :: Features :: england :: Paste |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2004/06/st-catherines-court-bath-england-1996.html |access-date=2025-01-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202055018/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2004/06/st-catherines-court-bath-england-1996.html |archive-date=2 February 2017 }}</ref>

Alongside many other changes to the band's working methods, they opted to use live brass instruments and string quartets in their songs. something which had previously not occurred in their recording processes. Strings would see use most notably on "This Is a Lie",which started out as a song based around an acoustic guitar played by [[Perry Bamonte]]. Smith recalled, "when I started playing around with it, it evolved into a string piece on the keyboard. I always had in mind that we'd be using strings, right from the very outset." He said recording in the house helped as "there was an instant atmosphere" for the string quartets. The band chose [[Audrey Riley|Audrey Riley's]] string quartet for the album as Smith felt she was "very aware of recording for contemporary pop" and that he had difficulties with previous musicians.<ref name=":0" />

Smith said the band also used an Indian orchestra, a [[jazz quartet]] and Mexican trumpet players, and clarified "Everything on the album is real. In the past, I would have tried to keep it in the family, so to speak, and tried to attain a realistic sound through emulation or simulation. Now I feel much more comfortable having people around who are really good musicians."<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=Considine |first=J. d |date=1996-06-05 |title=The Cure Finds a Remedy in Changes |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-06-05-ca-11791-story.html |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

The whole band were given much more input on the songs, allowing their ideas to be tested for inclusion "no matter how silly it was".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Robert Smith Interview - Zillo (Feb. 2000) |url=http://www.ossh.com/thecure/ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ChainofFlowers/zillo2000.html |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=www.ossh.com}}</ref> Smith felt at the time, "It was the most fun I've ever had making a record, actually; it was brilliant. And that's why it took quite a long time, 'cause no one wanted it to stop. It was really good fun. We were paying for ourselves to live together in a house and make music, so why should we stop? Why should we go home?"<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 7, 1997 |title=A Foolish Arrangement:Interview:1/1/1996The Big Takeover#40 |url=http://www.afoolisharrangement.com/Cure/interview.asp?InterviewID=74 |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=www.afoolisharrangement.com}}</ref>{{Blockquote|text="It's been so relaxed here. There wasn't a deadline, so we kept pushing it back. It's comfortable and big enough that you can get away from everybody else — so everyone's not on top of each other."|source=|title=[[Roger O'Donnell]] discussing the album's recording environment.}}The mastering of the album was complete at [[Metropolis Group|Metropolis Studios]], London with Robert Smith alongside Ian Cooper, who was suggested to Smith by producer [[Flood (music producer)|Flood]]. This made for the first time Smith would be directly involved with the mastering process, which was to due to his frustration towards being absent on the band's previous albums' mastering.<ref name=":0" />

== Sleeve Design and Art Direction ==
The album art features a toy clown, this [[toy]] motif would become a recurring theme for all of the related sleeve designs, such as the sleeve art for the [[Single (music)|singles]] released for the album. Bassist Simon Gallup discussed the origin to the cover and motif in a contemporary interview, "Robert had this catalogue of toys from Germany. He sent away for these different types of metal toys. They're actually really sharp on the edges and bizarre things like these cars you wind up. The clown is really quite frightening. When we were recording, we had all these toys put over our amps and things. We thought they were such bizarre images that we tried to incorporate them into the record sleeve."<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Interview: The Cure's Wild Mood Swings |url=https://www.musicfanclubs.org/cure/press/I77.html |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=www.musicfanclubs.org}}</ref>

The band's website featured St Catherine's Court, which was titled "The Cure's House".<ref>{{Cite web |date=1996-12-28 |title=THE CURE'S OFFICIAL WEB SITE |url=https://www.thecure.com/ |access-date=2025-01-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961228171030/https://www.thecure.com/ |archive-date=28 December 1996 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1997-01-26 |title=THE CURE'S HOUSE |url=http://www.thecure.com/house.html |access-date=2025-01-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970126113640/http://www.thecure.com/house.html |archive-date=26 January 1997 }}</ref>This also came with an interactive game that gave all of the band members rooms.<ref name=":4" />

== Reception ==
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name=allmusic>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/wild-mood-swings-mw0000646830 |title=''Wild Mood Swings'' – The Cure |publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=21 June 2016 |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]''
| rev2Score = {{Rating|2.5|4}}<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4334912.html |title=The Cure, 'Wild Mood Swings' (Elektra) |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |date=19 May 1996 |access-date=19 March 2017 |last=Kim |first=Jae-Ha |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320051902/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4334912.html |archive-date=20 March 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
| rev3Score = B<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.ew.com/article/1996/05/10/wild-mood-swings |title=''Wild Mood Swings'' |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=10 May 1996 |access-date=21 June 2016 |last=Sinclair |first=Tom |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222050931/http://ew.com/article/1996/05/10/wild-mood-swings/ |archive-date=22 December 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[The Guardian]]''
| rev4Score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref>{{cite news |title=The Cure: ''Wild Mood Swings'' (Fiction) |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=10 May 1996 |last=Sullivan |first=Caroline}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[Houston Chronicle]]''
| rev5Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.chron.com/entertainment/article/The-Cure-Keeps-Its-Edge-2983730.php |title=The Cure Keeps Its Edge |work=[[Houston Chronicle]] |date=5 May 1996 |access-date=20 September 2017 |last=Vaziri |first=Aidin}}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''
| rev6Score = {{Rating|2.5|4}}<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/159363198/ |title='Mood Swings' Strengthens Cure's Effect |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=5 May 1996 |access-date=21 June 2016 |last=Scribner |first=Sara |url-access=subscription}}</ref>
| rev7 = ''[[NME]]''
| rev7Score = 7/10<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19980101001084reviews.html |title=The Cure – ''Wild Mood Swings'' |journal=[[NME]]|date=4 May 1996 |access-date=21 June 2016 |last=Sutherland |first=Mark |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000817221217/http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19980101001084reviews.html |archive-date=17 August 2000 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| rev8 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rev8Score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/wild-mood-swings-19980202 |title=''Wild Mood Swings'' |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=13 June 1996 |access-date=21 June 2016 |last=DeCurtis |first=Anthony |author-link=Anthony DeCurtis |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151130171755/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/wild-mood-swings-19980202 |archive-date=30 November 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| rev9 = ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''
| rev9Score = 6/10<ref name="Hannaham 91">{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dTM_D4UWqXQC&pg=PA91 |title=The Cure: ''Wild Mood Swings'' |journal=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] |volume=12 |issue=4 |date=July 1996 |access-date=21 June 2016 |last=Hannaham |first=James |page=91}}</ref>
| rev10 = ''[[USA Today]]''
| rev10Score = {{Rating|3|4}}<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/enter/music/lem269.htm |title=The Cure, ''Wild Mood Swings'' |work=[[USA Today]] |date=18 June 1996 |access-date=23 April 2020 |last=Gundersen |first=Edna |author-link=Edna Gundersen |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990423202219/http://www.usatoday.com/life/enter/music/lem269.htm |archive-date=23 April 1999 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}

''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."<ref name="Trouser Press">{{cite web |url=http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=cure |title=TrouserPress.com :: Cure |last1=Grant |first1=Steven |last2=Robbins |first2=Ira |last3=Reno |first3=Brad |website=[[Trouser Press|TrouserPress.com]] |access-date=7 July 2016}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":5">{{cite web |url=http://www.metroweekly.com/2013/10/the-cures-wild-mood-swings-rev/ |title=The Cure's "''Wild Mood Swings''" Revisited – Metro Weekly |last=Gerard |first=Chris |date=16 October 2013 |website=[[Metro Weekly]] |access-date=7 June 2014}}</ref>

=== Contemporary ===
Aidin Vaziri of ''[[Houston Chronicle|Houston Chronical]]'' claimed the band were "not even close to losing its creative edge." and praised the lighter tone of the album, compared to the band<nowiki>''</nowiki>s earlier output, " the group sounds remarkably accessible. The Cure is just as relevant now as it was when it was paving the way for the modern rock revolution. The only challenge is getting the die-hard fans to set aside the black lipstick, tune in and lighten up."<ref>{{cite news |last=Vaziri |first=Aidin |date=5 May 1996 |title=The Cure Keeps Its Edge |url=http://www.chron.com/entertainment/article/The-Cure-Keeps-Its-Edge-2983730.php |access-date=20 September 2017 |work=[[Houston Chronicle]]}}</ref>

James Hannaham of ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' observed, "Smith and the Cure remain fixated on cheap thrills throughout ''Wild Mood Swings''. They try on degraded versions of rock genre as deftly as they put on their makeup and lipstick." and felt, "Smith's three-note hooks never sounded less catchy, and the occasional arena-rock pretensions the band displays don't exactly hit home." concluding, "''Wild Mood Swings'' is the album you'd expect from the Cure if they'd suddenly become filthy rich, got drunk and high all the time, and had a midlife crisis."<ref name="Hannaham 91" />

Edna Gundersen of ''[[USA Today]]'' praised the album's sound, giving it three out of four stars, "a fun and deliberately trashy celebration of life's pleasures. ''On Want'', he expresses uncorked desire for "more fun, more pain, more flesh, more stars,<nowiki>''</nowiki> and Mint Car finds him chirping happily about romance. ''Moods'' do shift wildly, from a salsa-flavored ''The 13th'', horn-pumped ''Return'' and zippy ''Gone!'' to trademark Cure downers like ''Bare and Numb''. The album is uneven, but highlights outweigh the low points on this [[Bipolar disorder|bipolar]] flight of fancy."<ref>{{Cite web |date=1999-04-23 |title=POP/ROCK ALBUM REVIEW |url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/enter/music/lem269.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990423202219/http://www.usatoday.com/life/enter/music/lem269.htm |archive-date=23 April 1999 |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=[[USA Today]]}}</ref>

When Simon Gallup was asked in an interview if he was looking forward to touring considering the album's mixed reception, he responded "Reviews really don't bother us. We feel very much at home now that the British press hate us once again. We found it a bit disconcerting when we released ''Wish'' and we were suddenly the British journalists' favourite band"<ref name=":2" />

Smith's initial response to the poorer reception was one of surprise,  "I have been surprised at the differences of opinion with regards to ‘Wild Mood Swings,’ because I think it’s really good." He also said that the variety and strength of the material made it "the best thing we’ve done". He felt confident in the album from the early stages of its creation, finding most of the criticism was illogical, saying that most them complained "that it sounds like The Cure", and believed the media perceived the band as out of touch with contemporary music, which amused him "because I’m a consumer, as well. I buy records. I listen to music. I know very well what’s going on. But the hilarity is, had we come back and released a [[Jungle music|jungle]] album, and tried to be very 90s, it would have been completely absurd. I mean, we listen to jungle backstage, but I can’t really see us playing it. To me, it’s like I’ve never felt that we’re in competition with other people. I’ve always thought they we just offer another choice."<ref name=":6" />

=== Retrospective ===
In a 2004 interview with ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', however, Smith's opinion changed, saying 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, Kiss Me, Kiss Me|Kiss Me]]'' idea. But, because we’d lost [[Boris Williams|Boris [Williams]]], and before [[Jason Cooper|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 (The Cure album)|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 music|salsa]] feel."<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Crandall |first=Bill |date=2004-06-18 |title=The Cure's Discography: Robert Smith Looks Back |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-cures-discography-robert-smith-looks-back-246129/ |access-date=2023-07-18 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref>

[[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] of [[AllMusic]] noted the album's variety, commenting: "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."<ref name="allmusic.com">{{Cite web |title=The Cure - Wild Mood Swings Album Reviews, Songs & More |publisher= AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/wild-mood-swings-mw0000646830 |access-date=2023-07-08 |language=en}}</ref>

Chris Gerard of [[Metro Weekly]] gave 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. However he believed that "certain B-Sides would've provided a much better collection of songs with the exclusion of some album tracks", and concluded that 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."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gerard |first=Chris |date=2013-10-16 |title=The Cure's "Wild Mood Swings" revisited |url=https://www.metroweekly.com/2013/10/the-cures-wild-mood-swings-rev/ |access-date=2023-07-08 |website=Metro Weekly |language=en-US}}</ref>

Michael Gallucci of [[Diffuser.fm|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!'."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gallucci |first=Michael|date=2016-05-07 |title=20 Years Ago: The Cure Get Weird With 'Wild Mood Swings' |url=https://diffuser.fm/cure-wild-mood-swings-album-released/ |access-date=2023-07-08 |website=Diffuser.fm |language=en}}</ref>

==Track listing==
All songs by Bamonte, Cooper, Gallup, O'Donnell and Smith.
{{Track listing
|title1 =Want 
|length1 = 5:06
|title2 =Club America 
|length2 = 5:02
|title3 =This Is a Lie 
|length3 = 4:29
|title4 =[[The 13th]] 
|length4 = 4:08
|title5 =[[Strange Attraction]] 
|length5 = 4:19
|title6 =[[Mint Car]] 
|length6 = 3:32
|title7 =Jupiter Crash 
|length7 = 4:15
|title8 =Round & Round & Round 
|length8 = 2:39
|title9 =[[Gone! (The Cure song)|Gone!]] 
|length9 = 4:31
|title10 =Numb 
|length10 = 4:49
|title11 =Return 
|length11 = 3:28
|title12 =Trap 
|length12 = 3:37
|title13 =Treasure 
|length13 = 3:45
|title14 =Bare 
|length14 = 7:57
}}

;Bonus track
{{Track listing
|title15 = It Used to Be Me
|note15 =Japanese edition only - available worldwide as the B-side of "The 13th" single
|length15 = 6:50
}}

==Personnel==
'''The Cure'''
*[[Robert Smith (musician)|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'''
{{div col}}
*Jesus Alemany – trumpet
*John Barclay – trumpet
*Steve Dawson – trumpet
*Richard Edwards – trombone
*Sid Gauld – trumpet
*[[Will Gregory]] – saxophone
*[[Steve Sidwell (musician)|Steve Sidwell]] – trumpet
*Mister Chandrashekhar – violin
*Sue Dench – viola
*Leo Payne – violin
*[[Audrey Riley]] – cello
*Chris Tombling – violin
*[[The God Machine (band)|Ronald Austin]] – drums on "This is a Lie"
*Louis Pavlou – drums on "Club America"
*[[Mark Price (musician)|Mark Price]] – drums on "Mint Car", "Trap" and "Treasure"
* Ronald Austin – arrangements
* Sid Gauld – arrangements
* Will Gregory – arrangements
* Audrey Riley – arrangements
{{div col end}}

'''Technical'''
{{div col}}
* Steve Lyon – production, [[Audio engineering|engineering]], [[Audio mixing (recorded music)|mixing]]
* [[Paul Corkett]] – mixing
* Spike Drake – mixing
* [[Paul Q. Kolderie]] – mixing
* [[Tom Lord-Alge]] – mixing
* [[Alan Moulder]] – mixing
* [[Tim Palmer (record producer)|Tim Palmer]] – mixing
* [[Mark Saunders (record producer)|Mark Saunders]] – mixing
* [[Adrian Sherwood|Adrian Maxwell Sherwood]] – mixing
* [[Sean Slade]] – mixing
* Ian Cooper – [[Audio mastering|mastering]]
* Andy Vella – sleeve art direction
{{div col end}}

==Charts==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

===Weekly charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Weekly chart performance for ''Wild Mood Swings''
! scope="col"| Chart (1996)
! scope="col"| Peak<br>position
|-
{{album chart|Australia|5|artist=The Cure|album=Wild Mood Swings|rowheader=true|access-date=10 December 2013}}
|-
{{album chart|Austria|12|artist=The Cure|album=Wild Mood Swings|rowheader=true|access-date=10 December 2013}}
|-
{{album chart|Flanders|13|artist=The Cure|album=Wild Mood Swings|rowheader=true|access-date=30 March 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|Wallonia|5|artist=The Cure|album=Wild Mood Swings|rowheader=true|access-date=30 March 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|Canada|11|chartid=2981|rowheader=true|access-date=30 March 2022}}
|-
! scope="row"| Danish Albums ([[Hitlisten]])<ref>{{cite news |title=Listen – Danmarks Officielle Hitliste – Udarbejdet af AIM Nielsen for IFPI Danmark – Uge 20 |newspaper=[[Ekstra Bladet]] |language=da |location=Copenhagen |date=19 May 1996}}</ref>
| 17
|-
{{album chart|Netherlands|37|artist=The Cure|album=Wild Mood Swings|rowheader=true|access-date=10 December 2013}}
|-
! scope="row"| [[European Top 100 Albums|European Albums]] (''[[Music & Media]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine |title=European Top 100 Albums |magazine=[[Music & Media]] |volume=13 |issue=22 |date=1 June 1996 |page=14 |oclc=29800226}}</ref>
| 7
|-
{{album chart|Finland|24|artist=The Cure|album=Wild Mood Swings|rowheader=true|access-date=30 March 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|France|27|artist=The Cure|album=Wild Mood Swings|rowheader=true|access-date=30 March 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|Germany4|17|id=2303|artist=The Cure|album=Wild Mood Swings|rowheader=true|access-date=30 March 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|Hungary|17|year=1996|week=20|rowheader=true|access-date=30 March 2022}}
|-
! scope="row"| Italian Albums ([[Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana|FIMI]])<ref name="MM-1996-06-01">{{cite magazine |title=Top National Sellers |magazine=Music & Media |volume=13 |issue=22 |date=1 June 1996 |page=15 |oclc=29800226}}</ref>
| 6
|-
{{album chart|New Zealand|10|artist=The Cure|album=Wild Mood Swings|rowheader=true|access-date=10 December 2013}}
|-
{{album chart|Norway|13|artist=The Cure|album=Wild Mood Swings|rowheader=true|access-date=10 December 2013}}
|-
! scope="row"| Portuguese Albums ([[Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa|AFP]])<ref name="MM-1996-06-01"/>
| 6
|-
{{album chart|Scotland|46|date=19960512|rowheader=true|access-date=30 March 2022}}
|-
! scope="row"| Spanish Albums ([[Productores de Música de España|AFYVE]])<ref>{{cite book |last=Salaverrie |first=Fernando |date=September 2005 |title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 |language=es |edition=1st |location=Madrid |publisher=[[Sociedad General de Autores y Editores|Fundación Autor/SGAE]] |isbn=84-8048-639-2}}</ref>
| 18
|-
{{album chart|Sweden|2|artist=The Cure|album=Wild Mood Swings|rowheader=true|access-date=10 December 2013}}
|-
{{album chart|Switzerland|9|artist=The Cure|album=Wild Mood Swings|rowheader=true|access-date=10 December 2013}}
|-
{{album chart|UK2|9|date=19960512|rowheader=true|access-date=30 March 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|Billboard200|12|artist=The Cure|rowheader=true|access-date=30 March 2022}}
|}
{{col-2}}

===Year-end charts===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Year-end chart performance for ''Wild Mood Swings''
! scope="col"| Chart (1996)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| European Albums (''Music & Media'')<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Year End Sales Charts – European Top 100 Albums 1996 |magazine=Music & Media |volume=13 |issue=51/52 |date=21 December 1996 |page=12 |oclc=29800226}}</ref>
| 91
|}
{{col-end}}

==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for ''Wild Mood Swings''}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=The Cure|title=Wild Mood Swings|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1996|certyear=1996}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{The Cure}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1996 albums]]
[[Category:The Cure albums]]
[[Category:Elektra Records albums]]
[[Category:Fiction Records albums]]