Moody singer Robert Smith, icon of gothic art rock and a godlike figure to millions of fans, has led the Cure into their third decade of music making. This critical review provides an incisive commentary on their successes, as well as their few failures, over the period 1979-1989, during which time they produced some of their definitive work. A group of leading rock critics examines and contextualizes every album from this time, while rare archive footage shows the band in concert. They perform such songs as "The Top," "Banannafishbones," and "Piggy in the Mirror."