Why is there no thread for The Cure's Disintegration?

The picture at the start of the thread used to be the album cover (I swear!). Now I don't know what the hell it is!

it's better this way

Crazy coincidence: I was listening to Disintegration this morning for the first time in years.

Ok, maybe not massively crazy.

Anyway, I wanted to confirm that a track on the new Guillemots album sounds like 'Pictures Of You' - at least its chords do. Not a great story. As you were, everyone.

Read on a Cure blog:

Why did so many bands that made their careers in the 80's seem to peek at or around 1988-89? The Cure had Disintegration, New Order had Technique, Siouxsie had Peepshow, Depeche had Violator, etc... The next album after all of these were "good" and then the rest just...ok.

Were these not the pinnacle of these band's careers? Or were these just great albums to me because I was starting college, booze, and sex at that time?

the epitome of a "DUH" comment

That's for sure!

Esp. with regards to Peepshow. I mean, I like that album a lot but compare it to Juju, Tinderbox, The Scream, Kalaidescope...

For those of us who are actually fans of Depeche Mode, we know that they had released several great records before "Violator", and also did release several after. Those who expect them to be a "rock" band may think otherwise though.

(And The Cure did most of their best work before "Disintegration" too - in fact 1980-85 mainly)

Well apart from Peepshow, those are basically my favorite albums from these bands

I considered starting a "thread in which HOOS discovers the music of The Cure" but I am plenty self-indulgent already.

Just started hearing my first proper Cure albums this week. Porno didn't hit right away, was sort of coldly "impressive" but didn't kick me like I'd hoped it would. This on the other hand, Disintegration, is perfect and I wish I had discovered it when I was 15.

"Head On The Door" is better IMO but also a completely different thing musically.

I haven't listened to Disintegration in years. Are all the synths still as badly dated sounding? I was wondering if maybe those tones have come full circle and aren't as cringe-worthy anymore.

I was actually thinking it sounded like the M83 album I've been listening to all year.

i've never found the synths dated or cringe inducing.

The synths on this album are fantastic (except for "Closedown").

BTW on this most recent tour, the Boston setlist opened with "Plainsong" even though they had no keyboardist and I thought it was the first time the live context had the full-on bombast found on the album.

I'm thinking the synths sounded dated to me in the mid 90s. So by now, they're probably just right.

Are all the synths still as badly dated sounding?

We're speaking 1989. All synths from 1989 sound dated. Actually to a much larger extent than synths from 1981.

In another few years 1989's synths will sound perfect and hip, Geir. All you have to do is keep breathing and it all comes 'round... :)

Another useless post, but: Great album.

Welcome to the fold, Hoos!

"We're speaking 1989. All synths from 1989 sound dated. Actually to a much larger extent than synths from 1981."

See, I completely agree with this statement.

In another few years 1989's synths will sound perfect and hip, Geir.

Badly sampled "authentic" instruments played on synths will never, ever sound hip again. Never!

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn306/Floridian_20/stop_sign.jpg

i thought the picture at the top of this thread was originally the album cover? now it's something a lot... weirder

Roger O'Donnell on the making of Disintegration

Good lord, this is essential reading. Thanks!

I peeked through that earlier, was great stuff! It doesn't surprise me in the least that they were basically a light-hearted bunch of gadabouts. Clay pigeon shooting picture is U+K

Ah ha! Now I know what Paul Cox the photographer looks like thanks to that! I rather enjoyed seeing "Photo by..." and having my own name be there on my Cure posters in high school.

This says a lot:

I remember very clearly laughing and joking and fooling around in the control room while Robert was singing Disintegration and then all of us trying to be serious when he came in to listen back, I don’t know how he put up with it really. It was never a serious atmosphere in the studio and when you think about the album and how dark it is I'm sure people think we were sitting around slitting our wrists with candles and chains hanging from the walls. In fact years later working with Ross Robinson, he actually thought thats how we should work and he had this presumed idea of what the Cure should act like. It was completely wrong and false and just felt fake like we were trying to be the Cure, we were the Cure ... He never really understood that but thats another story..

basically a light-hearted bunch of gadabouts ...

... with a sub-schoolboy understanding of interpersonal relationships, by the sound of it. Either way: fascinating, fascinating reading. Thank you!

Very interesting stuff.

Plainsong?

Yes a wonderful song especially if you are a keyboard player. I loved to play that song live incredible feeling starting the show just Boris and I.

awesome

I keep laughing at how everyone has Land Rovers, Jeeps, and MG, but Robert was driving a weird Russian Lada 4x4.

Has this been addressed yet?

The Cure - Disintegration... THE PUFF...

Deluxe Edition - Polydor/Universal

Date : 24th May 2010

Three-Disc Deluxe Edition Produced & Compiled by Robert Smith, Including a Remastered Version of the Original Album, plus Unreleased Songs, Demos, Out-takes and Live Performances.

The Cure’s eighth studio album, released in 1989, is the dark tour de force Disintegration.

Following on from 1987's outstanding Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me release, and spurred by the hits “Lullaby”, “Fascination Street“, “Lovesong” and “Pictures Of You”, the album quickly became the group’s most successful yet, with sales topping more than 3 million, as the band sold out stadiums and arenas around the world.

Polydor/Universal reissues this landmark album, remastering the original, adding a disc of unreleased out-takes and demos, plus a third disc that contains a live performance of the entire album recorded in 1989 over 3 nights at Wembley Arena, London, the European climax of the The Cure's global ‘Prayer Tour‘. This Deluxe Edition comes with a 20 page booklet containing previously unseen pictures and art, as well as lyrics and an in depth overview of the period by the band's founder Robert Smith.

Robert Smith compiled, produced, and supervised the mastering of this three-disc collection, which covers the evolution of Disintegration, from demos and rehearsals to studio and stage. The first disc contains newly remastered versions of the album’s original 12 tracks.

Gathering 20 unreleased tracks, the second disc trawls through Smith’s home recordings to find early instrumental demos of fan favourites “Pictures Of You”, “Prayers For Rain” and “Fascination Street.” The Cure can be heard rehearsing and arranging various instrumental versions, including ”Homesick”, “Closedown” and “The Same Deep Water As You”, as well as playing studio out-takes of several other tracks, including “Plainsong”. The disc also contains four unreleased songs: “Noheart”, “Esten”, “Delirious Night” and a cover of Judy Collins’ “Pirate Ships”, the latter a solo performance by Smith that was recorded for, but ultimately not included on, Rubáiyát, a 1990 album celebrating Elektra Records’ 40th anniversary.

For the final disc, Smith remixes and expands Entreat, a live album recorded in 1989 at Wembley Arena. Entreat Plus combines the original’s eight tracks, remixed with the four 'missing' songs to create a complete contemporary live version of Disintegration.

Comments Stuart Braithwaite of Mogwai: “Disintegration by The Cure is one of the greatest records of all time. It has the feel that only a tiny amount of albums have, that it exists completely in its own universe, immune to context or fashion. I literally cannot imagine the band members in a room playing these songs for the first time, its as if they've always been there. From stunning opener “Plainsong” through to “Untitled”, it is unrelentingly beautiful and achingly sad. Disintegration is a simply wonderful record.”

DISINTEGRATION: DELUXE EDITION

Disc One: Remastered Album

01: Plainsong

02: Pictures Of You

03: Closedown

04: Lovesong

05: Last Dance

06: Lullaby

07: Fascination Street

08: Prayers For Rain

09: The Same Deep Water As You

10: Disintegration

11: Homesick

12: Untitled

Disc Two: Rarities (1988 - 1989)

01: Prayers For Rain – RS Home Demo (Instrumental)

02: Pictures Of You – RS Home Demo (Instrumental)

03: Fascination Street – RS Home Demo (Instrumental)

04: Homesick – Band Rehearsal (Instrumental)

05: Fear Of Ghosts – Band Rehearsal (Instrumental)

06: Noheart – Band Rehearsal (Instrumental)*

07: Esten – Band Demo (Instrumental)*

08: Closedown – Band Demo (Instrumental)

09: Lovesong – Band Demo (Instrumental)

10: 2 Late (alternate version) – Band Demo (Instrumental)

11: The Same Deep Water As You – Band Demo (Instrumental)

12: Disintegration – Band Demo (Instrumental)

13: Untitled (alternate version) – Studio Rough (Instrumental)

14: Babble (alternate version) – Studio Rough (Instrumental)

15: Plainsong – Studio Rough (Guide Vocal)

16: Last Dance – Studio Rough (Guide Vocal)

17: Lullaby – Studio Rough (Guide Vocal)

18: Out Of Mind – Studio Rough (Guide Vocal)

19: Delirious Night – Rough Mix (Vocal)*

20: Pirate Ships – RS Solo, Rough Mix (Vocal)*

* Previously Unreleased Song

Disc Three: Entreat Plus

01: Plainsong*

02: Pictures Of You

03: Closedown

04: Lovesong*

05: Last Dance

06: Lullaby*

07: Fascination Street

08: Prayers For Rain

09: The Same Deep Water As You*

10: Disintegration

11: Homesick

12: Untitled

* Previously Unreleased Live Performance

Very much talked about a lot on the Cure reissues thread. And I am waiting very (im)patiently for it.

Ahh, I missed all that then. Today was the first time I saw the contents. Exciting!

found on youtube, not sure if legit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shJmHOkJXDA

fancy new website for this reissue :

http://www.thecuredisintegration.com

The alternative rarities have been discussed somewhat on the Cure reissues thread.

Quite right:

http://www.austin360.com/music/music-blogs/the-epic-sound-of-falling-apart-731267.html?cxtype=rss_a-list_123074

There are two kinds of Cure fans in the world: those who believe that "Disintegration" is not only the best Cure album but one of the signature albums of the 1980s and those who were born before roughly 1969 or after, say, 1976.

Before '69, you probably have vivid high school memories of "The Head on the Door," the Cure's epic singles collection, or "Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me." After '77, you probably have warm feelings toward the radio smash "Friday I'm in Love."

But for those of us in that sweet spot, for lots of girls and for lots of guys who thought girls would like them if they acted more like girls, "Disintegration" is "Dark Side of the Moon," a generational landmark up there with the Challenger disaster and seeing your first Mac. Suffice it to say that had "Donnie Darko" been set one year later, "Disintegration" might as well have played through the whole thing.

Why yes I was born in 1971.

After '77, you probably have warm feelings toward the radio smash "Friday I'm in Love."

not especially!!

Disintegration is one of the greatest albums of all time obv

yeah i don't agree with that theory at all

re: years, i agree with crut's theory

i believe this is the all-time greatest "coming down" album ever

coming down from...?

i believe this is the all-time greatest "coming down" album ever

yeah i don't agree with that theory at all

it's pretty dopey, stuff like standing on a beach and disintegration are canonical enough that plenty of young folks get into them first. and he ignores the pornography cult entirely.

i was just going to say, that's a daft theory. what about those of us who think the cure never bettered seventeen seconds/faith/pornography? where do we fit into his supersmug theory?