''Bloodflowers'' is the eleventh studio album by English

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band

The Cure The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith has re ...

. It was first released in Japan on 2 February 2000, before being released in the UK and Europe on 14 February 2000 and then the day after in the US by

Fiction Records Fiction Records is a British record label founded by Chris Parry in 1978, owned by Universal Music Group and based in the United Kingdom. It is best known for being the home of The Cure for over 20 years. It was originally a part of Polydor, ...

and

Polydor Records Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...

. 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 single A promotional recording, or promo, or plug copy, is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as ...

s to radio in the UK, US, Canada and numerous territories in Europe. ''Bloodflowers'' received mixed reviews from critics. "Watching Me Fall" was featured in the end credits of the 2000 horror film '' American Psycho''.

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 (US), and "Maybe Someday", in January (US) and April (Europe). "Maybe Someday" managed to peak at No. 10 on the

Alternative Airplay Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-playe ...

chart. ''Bloodflowers'' 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 The Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums in the alternative genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Ho ...

in 2001. In subsequent years, Smith identified it as his favourite Cure album in a 2004 ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' interview.

Reception

The album received mixed reviews. ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'' called it "one of the band's most affecting works". ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...

'' titled their review "Goth-Awful!", rating the album 1.5 out of 5. ''

'' criticized the quality of the compositions, saying, " mithcan 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." Similarly, ''

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference to ...

'' stated in their review: "The album sounds completely uninspired, as Smith and company go through the motions of Cure-ness." ''

Les Inrockuptibles ''Les Inrockuptibles'' () is a French cultural magazine. Started as a monthly magazine in 1986, it became weekly in 1995. Now it is a monthly again, since 2021. In the beginning, rock music was the magazine's primary focus, though every issue in ...

'' wrote that the album featured "endless songs" with "dated sounds".

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

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".

Track listing

Personnel

The Cure * Robert Smith – guitar, keyboard, 6-string bass guitar, vocals *

Simon Gallup Simon Jonathon Gallup (born 1 June 1960) is an English musician and bassist with the alternative rock band The Cure. He is the second longest-serving member of the band after lead vocalist/guitarist Robert Smith. Early years Born in Duxhurst ...

– bass guitar *

Perry Bamonte Perry Archangelo Bamonte (born 3 September 1960) is an English musician best known as a member of the rock band The Cure from 1990 to 2005, and again since 2022. Biography Born in London, England, Bamonte became a guitar tech for The Cure in ...

– guitar, 6-string bass guitar *

Jason Cooper Jason Toop Cooper (born 31 January 1967) is an English drummer best known for his work with The Cure. Life and work Born in London, England, Jason studied drums at London's Drumtech (where he is now a patron and visiting artist). He first ca ...

– percussion, drums *

Roger O'Donnell Roger O'Donnell (born 29 October 1955) is an English keyboardist best known for his work with The Cure. O'Donnell has also performed in The Psychedelic Furs, Thompson Twins and Berlin, as well as having an active solo career. Background O'Do ...

– keyboards Production *Robert Smith – production, mixing *

Paul Corkett Paul Corkett is a British record producer, engineer and arranger. Biography Paul got his start as an engineer in the mid-1980s, engineering singles and albums for bands as varied as ABC, the Chameleons, Twelfth Night and the Heart Throbs. He l ...

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

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Charts

Certifications and sales

References

{{Authority control 2000 albums Albums recorded at RAK Studios The Cure albums Elektra Records albums Fiction Records albums Polydor Records albums