Greatest Hits is a 2001 compilation album

Compilation album

A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...

 by The Cure

The Cure

The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...

. The band's relationship with longtime label Fiction Records came to a close, and The Cure were obliged to release one final album for the label. Robert Smith agreed to release a greatest hits album under the condition that he could choose the tracks himself. The band also recorded a special studio album

Studio album

A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...

 released as a bonus disc to some versions of the album. The disc, titled Acoustic Hits, is the eighteen songs from the North American release re-recorded using acoustic guitar

Acoustic guitar

An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...

s.

History

The subsequently-released Greatest Hits features select singles from their then-25 year history, along with the two new tracks "Cut Here" and "Just Say Yes". All songs were newly-remastered specifically for the collection.

In an effort to provide something new for the hardcore fans who owned the previously-released songs, Robert arranged for the band and former member Boris Williams

Boris Williams

Boris Peter Bransby-Williams is an English drummer best known for his extensive work with The Cure . He had previously worked with various artists, including Thompson Twins, Kim Wilde, Strawberry Switchblade and Tomato City...

 to re-record acoustic versions of the Greatest Hits. Only the select first pressings of Greatest Hits were bundled with the bonus disc of Acoustic Hits.

Greatest Hits was also released on VHS and DVD. The video track listing mirrors that of the North American audio CD, with the exception of "The Caterpillar", "Pictures of You" and "Close to Me (Closest Mix)" which appear as hidden easter eggs. Six of the acoustic performances also appear on the DVD.

Track listing

North American release (Elektra) "Boys Don't Cry Boys Don't Cry (song) "Boys Don't Cry" was the second single to be released by The Cure, released in June 1979. It was released in the UK as a stand-alone single, and was included as the title track on Boys Don't Cry, the American equivalent to Three Imaginary Boys.... " "A Forest A Forest "A Forest" is a single by the English rock band The Cure, released on March 28, 1980 as the only single from their second album Seventeen Seconds. It was their first chart single in the UK, reaching #31; the song was also a hit in the Netherlands, reaching #26. It was also their first single to be... " (Shortened Edit) "Let's Go to Bed" "The Walk The Walk (The Cure song) "The Walk" is the name of a 1983 single by The Cure. It later appeared on their album Japanese Whispers"The Walk" was something of a commercial breakthrough for the group with regard to their singles output, peaking at #12 to give them their first entry into the UK top 20... " "The Lovecats The Lovecats "The Love Cats" is a 1983 single by The Cure. It was the band's first Top 10 hit in the UK, peaking at number seven, and also hit number six in Australia. It later appeared on the compilation album Japanese Whispers.... " "In Between Days In Between Days "In Between Days" is a song by the English new wave/rock band The Cure.... " "Close to Me" "Why Can't I Be You? Why Can't I Be You? Why Can't I Be You? is a 1987 single by The Cure from their album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me.-History:The German CD single was the first for the band... " "Just Like Heaven Just like Heaven (song) "Just Like Heaven" is a song by the British alternative rock band The Cure. The group wrote most of the song during recording sessions in southern France in 1987. The lyrics were written by the band's frontman Robert Smith, who drew inspiration from a past trip to the sea shore with his future wife... " "Lullaby" (Single Mix) "Lovesong" "Never Enough" (Single Version) "High High (The Cure song) "High" is the first single from the 1992 album Wish by The Cure. The track reached number one on Billboards Modern Rock Tracks chart, and number eight in the UK Singles Chart... " "Friday I'm in Love Friday I'm in Love "Friday I'm in Love" is a song by British rock band The Cure. It is the second single taken from the album Wish , and is among the band's most well-known songs... " "Mint Car Mint Car "Mint Car" is the name of a single released by the British group The Cure in 1996. The song was initially released on the album Wild Mood Swings, and reached #31 on the UK Singles Chart and #14 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart... " "Wrong Number Wrong Number (song) "Wrong Number" is the name of a single released by the British group the Cure in 1997. The single was the new song on the Galore singles compilation 1987-1997... " (Single Mix) "Cut Here Cut Here "Cut Here" is the name of a single released by the British group The Cure in 2001 on Fiction Records / Elektra Records. The song was initially released on the album Greatest Hits and reached number 54 on the UK Singles Chart-History:... " "Just Say Yes"

UK release (Fiction/Polydor) "Boys Don't Cry" "A Forest" (Shortened Edit) "Let's Go to Bed" "The Lovecats" "The Caterpillar The Caterpillar (song) "The Caterpillar" is the name of a 1984 single and song written by Robert Smith and Lol Tolhurst. The song is performed by The Cure and is from their album The Top... " "In Between Days" "Close to Me" (Remix) "Why Can't I Be You?" "Just Like Heaven" (Single Mix) "Lullaby" (Single Mix) "Lovesong" "Pictures of You" (Single Mix) "Never Enough" (Single Version) "High" "Friday I'm in Love" "Mint Car" "Wrong Number" (Single Mix) "Cut Here" "Just Say Yes"

Bonus disc (Acoustic Hits)

Acoustic Hits, the bonus disc features newly recorded acoustic versions of songs.

1. "Boys Don't Cry"
2. "A Forest"
3. "Let's Go to Bed"
4. "The Walk"
5. "The Lovecats"
6. "In Between Days"
7. "Close to Me"
8. "Why Can't I Be You?"
9. "Just Like Heaven"
10. "Lullaby"
11. "Lovesong"
12. "Never Enough"
13. "High"
14. "Friday I'm in Love"
15. "Mint Car"
16. "Wrong Number"
17. "Cut Here"
18. "Just Say Yes"

Personnel

The following are the personnel for the acoustic bonus disc only.

• Robert Smith
  Robert Smith (musician)
  Robert James Smith is an English musician. He is the lead singer, guitar player and principal songwriter of the rock band The Cure, and its only constant member since its founding in 1976...
  
   – vocals, guitar
• Simon Gallup
  Simon Gallup
  Simon Jonathon Gallup is an English musician and bassist of the post-punk band The Cure.-Early years:...
  
   – bass
• Perry Bamonte
  Perry Bamonte
  Perry Archangelo Bamonte is an Anglo-Italian musician best known for his work with The Cure.-Life and work:...
  
   – guitar
• Roger O'Donnell
  Roger O'Donnell
  Roger O'Donnell is an English keyboardist best known for his work with The Cure. O'Donnell has also performed in the Psychedelic Furs, the Thompson Twins and Berlin, as well as having an active solo career.- Background :...
  
   – piano, harmonium
• Jason Cooper – drums, percussion
• Boris Williams
  Boris Williams
  Boris Peter Bransby-Williams is an English drummer best known for his extensive work with The Cure . He had previously worked with various artists, including Thompson Twins, Kim Wilde, Strawberry Switchblade and Tomato City...
  
   – percussion