Classic Albums: Disintegration - The Cure

The Cure was formed by Crawley school friends as rock band Malice in 1976, covering Bowie and Hendrix songs, though some members had played in a one-off school band called The Obelisk in 1973. Robert Smith is the main and only constant member, though song composition on most albums is credited to the band as a whole, rather than just Smith.  They are mostly known for their associations with Gothic rock, a music style they helped develop in the 1980s, though their initial recordings, particularly the single "Killing an Arab" in December 1978, and album Three Imaginary Boys in May 1979,  had the band classed as part of the vague and diverse post-punk and new wave movements which later merged into the equally vague and diverse alternative and  indie music of the 1980s.

With their next three albums, Seventeen Seconds (1980),  Faith (1981), and Pornography (1982), they developed a sound that is seen as gloomy, clinical, cold, and Gothic, utilising synthpop sounds and structures popular at that time. The albums attracted mixed reviews, though sold quite well. After the release of Pornography in 1982, the band were on the verge of breaking up. Smith was keen to move past the gloomy reputation his band had acquired, so began to place a pop sensibility into the band's music; singles like "Let's Go to Bed" (1982), "Love Cats" (1983),   "Close To Me" (1985),  and the re-recorded  "Boys Don't Cry" (1986)  combined with the band's next three albums The Top (1984), The Head On The Door (1985), and  Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (1987), made the band very popular, gaining an international reputation.  The public were buying their pop focused music, and the critics were intrigued by the musical textures and sense of difference about the band.  The world was ready for Disintegration.

Disintegration  (May 1989)

This album stands at a poised mid-point between two different musical cultures and captures the essence of both. The cold, austere, popsynth drenched 80s, and the guitar driven, rock, pop and soul joy of the 90s. Disintegration has the structure and sweep of the 80s, but it also has a more direct guitar driven sound. There is a feel of shoegazing and the Scene That Celebrates Itself , which would be torn about by Madchester, Grunge and BritPop - more direct and populist music that contrasted with the Cure's style, and would later see them lose their popularity. Though at the start of the 90s the band were a global success which would last until the mid 1990s.  The band is estimated to have sold 27 million records as of 2004 and have released thirteen studio albums, ten EPs and over thirty singles during their career.  Disintegration is regarded as the band's commercial and critical peak.


Track list

1.	"Plainsong"	5:12
2.	"Pictures of You"	7:24
3.	"Closedown"	4:16
4.	"Lovesong"	3:29
5.	"Last Dance"	4:42
6.	"Lullaby"	4:08
7.	"Fascination Street"	5:16
8.	"Prayers for Rain"	6:05
9.	"The Same Deep Water as You"	9:19
10.	"Disintegration"	8:18
11.	"Homesick"	7:06
12.	"Untitled"	6:30

Reviews

* Pitchfork
* Billboard 
* The Quietus
* BBC
* AllMusic
* CoS
* Rolling Stone
* Wikipedia
* Classic
* Uncut
* Pop Matters