The Cure - Disintegration [1989]

Disintegration is the eighth studio album by English alternative rock band The Cure, released on 1 May 1989. The record marks a return to the introspective and gloomy gothic rock style the band had established in the early 1980s. As he neared the age of thirty, vocalist and guitarist Robert Smith felt an increased pressure to follow up on the group's pop successes with a more enduring work. This, coupled with a distaste for the group's new-found popularity, caused Smith to lapse back into the use of hallucinogenic drugs, the effects of which had a strong influence on the production of the album. The Cure recorded Disintegration at Hook End Manor Studios in Reading, Berkshire, with co-producer David M. Allen in late 1988 through early 1989. During production, founding member Lol Tolhurst was fired from the band.

In spite of record label fears that the album would be "commercial suicide", Disintegration became the band's commercial peak. It charted at number three in the United Kingdom and at number twelve in the United States, and produced several hit singles including "Lovesong", which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. Disintegration remains The Cure's highest selling record to date, with over three million copies sold worldwide. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic called it the "culmination of all the musical directions the Cure were pursuing over the course of the '80s."

Disintegration was also a critical success and it has been included in numerous "Best Of" lists. Rolling Stone placed the record at number 326 on its 2003 compilation of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". The magazine's German counterpart placed Disintegration at number 184 on the same list. The album was considered to be the best album of 1989 by Melody Maker, 17th on Q magazine's "80 Best Albums of the 80s", and 38th on Pitchfork's "Best Albums of the 80s".

Following completion of Disintegration, Smith noted that The Cure had "despite my best efforts, actually became everything that I didn't want us to become: a stadium rock band." Furthermore, Smith claimed the album's title was the most appropriate one he could think of: "Most of the relationship with the band outside of the band fell apart. Calling it Disintegration was kind of tempting fate, and fate retaliated. The family idea of the group really fell apart too after Disintegration. It was the end of a golden period."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disintegration


Review by Allmusic: Expanding the latent arena rock sensibilities that peppered Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me by slowing them down and stretching them to the breaking point, the Cure reached the peak of their popularity with the crawling, darkly seductive Disintegration. It's a hypnotic, mesmerizing record, comprised almost entirely of epics like the soaring, icy "Pictures of You." The handful of pop songs, like the concise and utterly charming "Love Song," don't alleviate the doom-laden atmosphere. The Cure's gloomy soundscapes have rarely sounded so alluring, however, and the songs — from the pulsating, ominous "Fascination Street" to the eerie, string-laced "Lullaby" — have rarely been so well-constructed and memorable. It's fitting that Disintegration was their commercial breakthrough, since, in many ways, the album is the culmination of all the musical directions the Cure were pursuing over the course of the '80s.

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Artist: The Cure
Country: UK (Crawley, England)
Album: Disintegration
Genre: Gothic Rock

Robert Smith – Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards, 6-String Bass
Simon Gallup – Bass Guitar, Keyboards
Porl Thompson – Guitars
Boris Williams – Drums
Roger O'Donnell – Keyboards


Track listing:

The Cure - Disintegration
01. Plainsong (5:16)
02. Pictures of You (7:29)
03. Closedown (4:21)
04. Love Song (3:30)
05. Last Dance (4:47)
06. Lullaby (4:13)
07. Fascination Street (5:16)
08. Prayers for Rain (6:08)
09. The Same Deep Water as You (9:22)
10. Disintegration (8:24)
11. Homesick (7:09)
12. Untitled (6:30)


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