Disintegration

I know people love this one, but I found it a bit of a slog. I seem to give all of their albums a 3, but I'd give The Love Cats at least a 4. Too bad they didn't put it on an album.

lots of instrumentals

I was puzzled by the choice of this album, given that it seems like the tail end of the Cure's career (it clearly wasn't, even before they were reborn with a album in 2024, but I think of them as an 80's band). Though after listening to the full disc, I have to say its a decent choice. Its much more polished than their early work, and Smith's voice and guitar are crisp. That said, I prefer the early discs, which had more of a Joy Division feel.

I don't care for this band but the album was better than I expected. At least it was more guitar rather than synth driven. Still, I can't get past Smith's whiny voice.

The Cure was never my personal favorite... but they sure do have a classic sound from that era that I appreciate.

...

I’m not a huge cure fan, but have always been fond of their stuff. Saw them live as well. Put on a great show.

A little meandery, but not bad.

Good working music - some songs I recognised.6/10

I could never be a superfan of the cure bc of their dark, heavy ambience, but I can definitely appreciate the unique style shining through in this album. If anything stands out the most in their work for me, it’s the lyrics. It’s someone’s heart bleeding out on a plate in front of you, and I feel it strongly in “pictures of you” and “homesick”. Solid album for wallowing in bed waiting for them to text back! 👍

I liked the sound and I always appreciate a unique style and point of view. But it really dragged on for the last few songs

Meh. A very long album.

I enjoyed this album a little less compared to the previous ones. Still a good album tho! I would give it 3.5 stars if I could Best song: Lovesong

I liked it :) in a haze of super strong cough medicine

I liked it! Some really interesting sounds on here but it just didn't make that big of an impression. Perhaps I'll revisit soon

I admittedly don't have a super deep knowledge of The Cure's discography, and I think this was my first time listening to one of their albums straight through. You can definitely hear a lot of 2000s synth-driven pop presaged here, combined with a lot of decidedly 80s choices (especially in the gated reverb drums, and kind of strange vocal delivery). A lot of the songs here strike me as kind of patient explorations of the moods and shapes created by the short chord loops that permeate all of these songs, at their best (as in lovesong and prayers for rain) this can means a lot of interesting non-chord tones and dissonances explored against the shimmering echoey textures. At its worst this leads to songs like Pictures of You where the first 6 minutes is a snoozer vamp between the I and IV chords, with only the pleading prose (which is admittedly quite lovely and moving) to really give much shape or direction to the proceedings. I'm admittedly a harder sell on music that requires a strong engagement with text as one of the primary factors to making it work, and a lot of what makes this album feel like it doesn't quite hit me as hard as it could is related to that. For this to work as an *album* I feel like I need more shape or direction in the song to song textual material and overall tonalities of the music. The sixth song in a row written as a first person recollection of remembered comforts of lost love and it feels less impactful for the lack of real stylistic flexibility in how it communicates in the literal lyrics and from the fact that it's yet another midtempo reverb-drenched ballad with the same modes of interacting with said text. There are, of course, great standouts on this album. Even if it's not breaking any bold new ground in terms of harmonic construction, Lullaby is a great thematic departure from its surrounding moments (and I love how discordant the horrifying lyrics and hushed creepy vocal delivery are from the bouncy assured backing music). The propulsive toms work in Closedown is great, and I loved that the song chose to close on this ambiguous chord without any real resolution to it (making me wish the following song was more of a contrast/response to it). There are a lot of really committed vocal performances here that are almost load-bearing on their own, too ("Disintegration" doesn't need to be half as long as it is, but I love the conviction). I think this'll be an album I have to revisit in the future with fresh ears, there are definitely cool melodic elements sprinkled throughout here that I'm sure my ears were too tired to appreciate fully (especially some of the lovely bass playing operating as a rich counterpoint toward the end of the album). For now though, doesn't rise much beyond "eh, it's fine" for me.

I've only listened to 2 songs by The Cure before listening to this (Just Like Heaven, Friday I'm in Love), but I'm a big fan of all the synth & instrumentals so far! not as big of a fan of Robert Smith's vocals, but I'm just picky w/ singer vocals, and they didn't bother me as much the longer the album went on. the back half of the album kind of drags, but overall a pretty good album! I'd put it on in the background while working but prob won't try actively listening in full again. 3.5/5 rounded down to 3/5

Dosta dobro, iako su mi neki singlovi izvan ovoga albuma draži nego pjesme sa slušanog

Pictures of you is one of my favorite songs of all time, and I love the Cure overall. But this album kind of drones on and on. It's not bad, but as a whole it's nothing spectacular.

6/10

Decent but not my cup of tea

3, goths. Favorite songs: love song, disintegration and pictures of you

Was nice sounding, but so many of the songs are way way too long

Lyrics: 3/5 Music: 3/5 Production: 3/5 Cohesiveness: 3/5 Overall: 3/5 Stand out songs: Pictures of you Love song Lullaby The different rythmns between the guitars bass and synths are amazing. They all sit well in their own space in the mix and blend around each other so well. Some parts seem drawn out but at the same time I like the slow build up of the songs and the space and atmosphere created. However after many long songs it does get quite slightly boring. I am however reminded of my belief that the Cures only good album is their greatest hits album. There’s a lot of meh in amongst the great Lullaby is an incredible song.

C’est long

It starts off very nice, but it is all a bit samey. Not bad by any stretch, but that’s it.

A decent group that seemed dedicated to producing largely non-objectionable music. Their sound is definitely memorable, though very few individual songs are.

No puedo empatizar fácilmente con la propuesta de White, Cure me trae en constante lucha interna, pero su propuesta no deja de ser interesante

Not bad, not spectacular, but definitely important.

Not as bad as I thought it would be considering how much the Cure annoy me, but still not great

smá spooky vibes i like it, soldið 80s, sum lögin alveg geggjuð en sum soldið langdregin að mínu mati Heildar rating 7/10 held ég bara

Besser als erwartet. Hatte befürchtet es wir ne Emo-Parade, aber konnte man sich eigentlich ganz gut anhören, für vier Sterne reicht es aber dennoch nicht

Ganz nett, aber nichts was mich vom Hocker gehauen hat. Songs der Playlist hinzugefügt: Keine

Approaches but doesn't succumb to 80s overly dramatic self-importance. While I can appreciate the vocals, I like more the rhythmic droning. Hard to tell one song from the next, but that's a mostly good thing. 5, 6, 7, 8, (9!) minute songs helps. Okay so yeah there is some aimless wanderings but the overall aesthetic holds.

Recognized some of the songs, which was kind of nice, but overall this album turned out to be a little bit boring.

I don’t know, man. I remember the girls in 8th grade that were listening to this while I was bumping NWA and Public Enemy. A couple of tracks stood out for me — Pictures of You and Fascination Street. Glad to finally give these guys a gig listen, but must admit that I was down a rabbit hole, learning about Ian Curtis and Joy Division, while this (and Lakers/Grizzles with the sound off) played in the background. Oh and “discovered” that Lips Like Sugar was Echo & the Bunnymen. Was aware of the band, but didn’t know any of their stuff. Knew of the song but didn’t know the artist. All in all, an educational evening.

Fine. Left no impression

This is a really dodgy one for me. They are a band I have wanted to listen to more of for a long time. Close to me is a brilliant track. Unfortunately it's not on here. There are some really good bits to this, but somehow it just doesn't float my boat. It doesn't do it for me. But still worth a 3. Just imagine what it would have got if it did work for me.

Album was all right

Does the carpet match the drapes? Nay. Came in expecting emo rock, instead received emU2. Really liked the sound, almost like a mix between Cocteau Twins and U2. Did drag on too damn long though, felt like it had already been an hour by the 5th song, and then it actually went on for an hour. Still kinda fire, albeit extremely repetitive

first album lets go!!! start of the album is very chill and mellow - pictures of you is such a delightful song, it feels meaty (vocals are beaut) and properly down to earth - really really nice loving the buildup of drums and synth in closedown as someone whos listened to basically only the cures best hits, this is great. lovesong is already a song i loveee, you make me feel like i am whole again. AAH oops i deleted half the review i think i said i love rain sounds at the start and end of one of the songs, along with it feeling a bit bland up until song 7/8 as it felt repetative. adoring disintegration as a song though, its quite fun, the vocals feel like the singer is almost pleading to be heard, ive not really listened to the lyrics but the vibe is vv good. i cant pick out any songs that really stand out to me because there seems to be a single constant vibe, but its a good vibe!! i did enjoy it. no negative comments, but also no overwhelmingly positive ones

One hit among mediocrity. Music is good but kind of goes nowhere. Would benefit from a better vocalist. Overall not bad

Good music, it changes my routine, a sad album 3,5/5

Not a bad album. Never really explored The Cure, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. And to be honest, I think I set the bar low when preparing for the listen. Not a happy listen, which I anticipated, but I enjoyed the music for a large portion of the album. Plenty of textures throughout the music with the use of keys, synths and guitar effects. Robert Smith’s vocals are not my favorite, but it’s not the worst. Fascination Street was added to my liked list, so that’s something.

Feel like I'm missing something? This is pretty boring. This is my least favorite type of 80s production. Some of the songs are ok.

Ya' know... it's the Cure. Not unlike your goth phase, it sticks around a little longer than it should.

Ethereal emo 3.5*

The Cure are from a town I went to very regularly when I lived in England. That's fun. Generally speaking, the gloomy introspective ambient instrumentals don't really do it for me. However, I did like a lot of the music on this album. "Last Dance" had some cool guitar sounds. They're doing a lot of stuff with pedals in this record. "Lovesong" is the song I recognize. I like a lot about it, and about the album in general, but I have a hard time getting into the singing style. "Lullaby" is cool, I like the instrumental sections a lot. "Fascination Street" is also cool. I am enjoying this section of the album with less singing a lot more. "Prayers of Rain" also has cool instrumental. I feel like I'd like a vocal-free version of this album. The vocals are a little droning and get old quickly for me. The album is depressing, in a way that is more often tedious than interesting. I like the instrumentals in a lot of places, but I always tune out when the singing starts again. 6/10

Cool album, didnt listen to it too much, will listen more. Not many lyrics thi

not quite my tempo

6.5/10

I dont super get it hm. Hopefully that's what this is for.

Lots of good stuff on here. More atmospheric than I think I realized.

I struggled with this being a two star, but ultimately I chose a three because I actually like the sound of this album. It tends to get a bit repetitive towards the end I think, and the sad lyrics don’t tend to let up… but that’s The Cure for ya. Ultimately I could see myself listening to this again and definitely recognized Lovesong.

I actually really liked this album. It was too long and somewhat repetitive, but the sound was solid. To me that’s the most important thing. If I like something a lot I’m more willing to listen to it for 75 mins. This is a low 4 or a high 3.

I listened to this album once on Friday, and again on Sunday. It’s not bad, but aside from Lovesong not much was all that memorable. Great for background music, but I don’t think I’ll have a strong desire to listen to it again.

3/5 Would def listen to on occasion Fav song: Prayers for Rain

There are some great songs from my teenage years, but I never really understood the draw of The Cure. I never got into the moody subculture that fans seemed to be a part of. I do still like some of their songs, but it doesn't really resonate with me.

3 at best. This was boring AND put me in a bad mood (but I love The Cure prior to 1987) 🙁

Good album. I like the sounds (moody) and it gets a bit heavy in places in a great way. I think it sounds of its time, which is not bad. There are some catchy songs, I really like Prayers for Rain, Fascination Street, and Lullaby. Also like his voice. I would listen again, but I probably wouldn't seek it out to listen to. I think it was a bit too long as I got bored towards the end. And, it didn't really resonate on a deep level with me, like the songs are good and it sounds good, the lyrics are not bad but they don't exactly hit me in a very impactful way, they're just fine. Torn between 3 and 4 stars but I'm rating according to my personal enjoyment, so it has to be a 3.

I guess I’m the odd one out here. It’s ok, I guess. A bit melodramatic, but that’s the Cure’s whole schtick.

Atmospheric, melancholy, with a bit of an edge that you would want from "the" goth band. The album was a little long, but if you appreciate Robert Smith, it has enough variation to not overstay its welcome.

I'm somewhat aware of The Cure and their contributions to post-punk and new wave in the 80s, but it felt many of the tracks on this particular record were the same. Long, droning guitar progressions as the intro, followed by the first of a few introspective verses 1-2 min later. A formula was certainly followed here and the allure isn't as special when there's only a slight variation of it a few minutes later. They certainly nailed the gloomy aesthetic they were setting out for though, I can't deny that. I guess I just don't have the nostalgia everyone on the review board seems to have for this album. I didn't hate it entirely, but there's definitely a specific subset of listeners that would really dig this.

This is sort of fine indie rock, but I really don't care for the singer's voice. It's also really, really 80s. It's alright, but I wouldn't have pulled any of their work out of a lineup.

Pensavo peggio, ma finora nulla di memorabile.

I came around on the Cure in my thirties -- and I feel like I'm kinda backing away now. If there's an instrumental sound that's not aged well -- it's the late 80's "lush synthesizer" which sounded ethereal in 1989, but now just sounds pretty stale. Especially for the long, weepy interludes that the boys throw in throughout. Fun fact: when I was working a Cure show as a tech in college after pulling a near all-nighter the day before, I fell asleep backstage to one of those eternal chords. There are some good tunes here, for sure. The Cure's best work is when they maintain some focus. Fascination Street, Plainsong, Lullaby -- they all work. But what really hit me this time around is just so goddamn creepy Lovesong is. It's like when I understood that "Every Breath You Take" wasn't really a love song. Lovesong evokes a middle-aged man grooming a teenager on the downlow and now I can't get it out of my head. Unexpected banger: The Same Deep Water as You

This was! Good. I don't know how much I personally liked it, but I can appreciate it. He was whiny 3.5 or 4/5?? Can't decide. I think I'm exhausted and that's why I didn't like it as much as I usually would Maybe 3. Idk

Melancholic and symphonic. The Cure represents the 80s in its purest form. The vocals are dreary and the music is wavy. Moments of upbeat rhythms, but this is mostly a very emotional and heartfelt record. I’d revisit it.

This is a band i knew because of their hits, but hits can be deceiving. They were more electric, trippy, sometimes rockier than I expected. In my high school brooding days I probably could have gotten really into it, but today it starts to blend together after a while. Sounds are interesting and different, Prayers for Rain for example had some really interesting melodies and sounds. Vocals overall were interesting and different (compared to other bands) but eventually all sounded the same.

I guess maybe I don’t like The Cure as much as I thought. The hits on this are great, and I enjoyed some of the earlier songs, but this felt like it got worse as it went on. I dunno. The songs are long and drawn out and all start to sound the same. It’s ok.

Eh? Not really my thing, but I get Cure fans, at least. They seem to represent the transition of punk from the early 80's into the pop-punk/emo era. I think I could grow to like them. There's a lot there. This is definitely an album I want to give another listen to in a month or so.

Ganske deprimerende

Zzzzzzzzzz

Too many long, droning tracks. But “pictures of you” is an all-timer. “Lovesong” also rules.

My thesis is been that this album is a shibboleth for genuine Goths. Genuine Goths all LOVE it. People, who just like The Cure a bit (even the early stuff), like me, don't. I think it's okay. I like Lullaby but I also think it's overlong and more than a bit self-indulgent.

My pallet is not configured for the Cure sound

Another fine album by the Cure. Definitely like the way they build their songs, find their lyrics interesting, and they really create some solids hooks.

I don’t think I like the cure that much they have captured a feeling of disintegration however

There are some good songs on here, but goth just ain’t my thing. And I definitely grew out of that broody sad phase by my thirties.

Bit ethereal for pub music, but I can see them playing it later at night when they want people to mellow out a bit.

Decent album.

I can't decide whether I really like this or if I find it grating. I don't think I'm a fan of the vocals. There are definitely aspects of the music that I think are unique and sound quality entering my ear. I think I would enjoy it less if it didn't sound like the whole hand was barely containing a certain type of rage. Standout track: Fascination Street

I'm not sure how to review The Cure. Their sound and feel is ephemeral and unpredictable. Sometimes I miss the point completely. Sometimes it surprises me out of nowhere, like walking through a spiderweb in the forest. I can only respect the poetry and magic the band seems to continue to conjure.

I found it more appealing than I had expected.

I find the cure’s albums to be too long and uneventful. I liked the overall sound but I wouldt listen again. In my opinion the cure owe me a balmy summers evening

It's not bad, but all a little too depressing

3.5, never been a massive fan but a solid enough album

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this album! 3.5

Not my usual genre but there were some interesting songs. Some of them were wayyyyy too long and half the song was instrumental. Not for me but I do think I got something out of this.

It's fine. Some good songs but a bit samey, and we've definitely had more records from The Cure than this list needs. 2.5 stars

Good sounds

Was OK

I’d like to like The Cure, but I just don’t

Classic, gloomy, Curr

That was not what I expected. 3 stars

banger

OG emo

3 stars

Great album

This was a good album. I have only heard their radio songs before this so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed their other work

So 80s, feeling pre-grunge, teenage anxty... definitely enjoyed the beginning of the album after starting call me by your name - made me feel like the lead in a rom com. Bit same after that. 3.25

Pretty decent. 3.8

very sad but very good, i cried. i laughed, but i mostly jizzed.

This feels like an instrumental album with the occasional random lyric thrown in. Why such long intros to each song? The meat of the song is good though as is the instrumentation.

Yeah alright

Getting more into the Cure more over recent years. Not loving an album yet, still a bit of a Greatest Hits band for me, but there is a cohesiveness to a lot of their albums I like.

I found this album to be pretty boring. It's slow and relaxed, but I think that's why it didn't grab me. I think if I want to listen to music like this, I'll probably just fall back on old favorites.

Moody, slow, gothic, one or two to hold onto or to throw on when feeling melancholy sad vibes. Rainy day?

The Cure zzz, aunque pinta buena atmósfera

Plainsong sounds so familiar to me. Was it in a movie? - YES, the fight scene in Ant-Man!

I'm still not a fan, I don't get the appeal. Whiny new wave, not interesting in my opinion. The music is okay but there's not really anything here that grabs my attention.

Not bad, but I didn’t find it super engaging and thought it ran a bit too long.

Very solid album - not as heavy hitting as I would have thought for a "gothic" band. I enjoyed this as a solid listen - would not be going out of my way to listen again.

A master work of dark blue hopelessness and pain. The tempo, tone, and overall message are depressing. Other than that, it’s enjoyable. Lovesong is the only one I remember from when the album came out and it’s the best song of the album. Sadly, only (3.3*s) for this effort. Nice work boys!

Slow burn. The album has some good ones plus mellow groove and beat on the lesser knowns. It lulled at moments but i was overall satisfied. The cover is a bit creepy but makes sense knowing Smith was back on the hallucinogenics. Grab a glass of wine (maybe a few caps) and chill by some glowing embers in that outdoor fire pit and melt away...3.3.

STANDOUTS: Pictures of You Lovesong OVERALL: 3/5

I was pleasantly surprised by this album. In general, I'm not a huge The Cure fan, but this was quite decent.

A little bit flowery and whimsical for me. I could still appreciate the songwriting though.

Not my thing, I’m a bit disappointed because I love their greatest hits collections,.. but that’s not The Cure’s problem

This is supposed to be a classic of the 80s. I never was a big fan.

Though not my taste, I can understand the appeal. I hope that I will be able to better 'connect' with next album......

Pretty good, not something I would usually listen to but overall good album

Ratings: 5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background Have to be in the right mood for this one. Lovesong and Fascination Street were the highlights for me. Closer to a 3.5 really....I might spin this one up of my own accord someday....when I'm not trying to get through 950 more albums...

Eher ruhiger Rock, ganz schön, aber auch etwas beliebig. Die Lieder bzw. der Sound der Lieder ähnenlich sich z.T. sehr.

They call themselves The Cure and I am still wondering: for which infliction? I think a more fitting name would have been "The Placebo". Not saying it's bad, just that you probably have to project a lot of your own thoughts and experiences into it to rate this one highly. Considering on the overall rating and reviews praising this album, I didn't expect to be this unaffected by it.

Tosi maalailevaa ja tunnelmallista rockia, mutta se käy vähän tylsäksi kun kaikki kuullostaa samalta. Kaikissa tosi pitkät alutkin. Arvasin senkin että Fascination Street on tällä levyllä siitä että aikaisemmatkin kappaleet kuulosti siltä. Parhaat: Fascination Street, Homesick

The Cure delivered with their signature dreamy synth works that is imo among the epitome not only of mainstream goth but also '80s synth pop. Speaking of '80s synth pop, the vocals sound like it came straight out of it. Annoying whininess and all. At this point, I can conclude that their strong suit is their instrumental stuff.

An amazing listen, fantastic instrumentation, wondrous vocals, way too long for what it is. Perhaps drags out the start of each song a little.

Really enjoyed Plainsong, Pictures of You, and Closedown. If the rest of the album was good as those, this review would be 5 stars. The album is too long and really drags by the end. Having said that, it has made me want to listen to more of The Cure

They definitely are sad lads. Can imagine being well into this if depressed. Not really my kinda thing but it did have some interesting vibes, might see if I can get into them more in the future.

The Cures sound is like the British weather, it's all gray and gloomy, however occasionally there is a ray of sunshine. Unfortunately the sunshine is not on this album.  Although gloomy doesn't necessarily mean bad

This album started off strong but didn’t do much beyond its initial impression. It took me on a journey, sure, but it was in 3rd gear the whole way. I wanted to like it but it was just too dull. It’s well done which is what saved it from a 2

3.5 stars

Opzich prima, maar niks bijzonders

Brooding and melancholy. Dark and a bit Gothic. Oddly didn't feel nearly as long as it's run time. Fans of The Cure will love it, most others will recognize the one or two singles that everybody knows.

Decent

An interesting, full psychedelic sound and a pretty decent pace. But the whole thing was just super long-winded, none of those tracks needed to go on as long as they did.

Splits the difference between Seventeen Seconds and Pornography. A few snappy, catchy tunes, with Lullaby standing out as the best song on the album. But also a few overly-echoey, garbled moan-fests that I wanted to skip.

I've always seen this album on best albums of all time lists, but never got around to listening to it. After listening I see why so many people include it in those lists. For me, the instrumentals are incredible throughout with the only drawback being that the vocals are hit or miss depending on the song.

This is the first I've ever really listened to The Cure. I know their reputation as the O.G. emo kids, which made me think I wasn't going to like it, but it's actually pretty good. I can tell the influence they had. Would have been huge for a teen in the day. Gets a little same-y after a while. 3.7

Ive probably listened to it 5-6 times, both actively and in the background the songs go in and out just as fast as they come so I cant give it more than a 3 but I think its really decent, some songs are 5s imo

I liked this way more than I was expecting. I never listened to the Cure because I assumed it was just crybaby cut-yourself-music, but it is so much more than that. I love the production of this album and the 80s feel. I stand corrected!

I was surprised I didn’t know more of those songs. I didn’t realize just how synthesizer, moody they really were. I enjoyed listening to the album, but was underwhelmed. I had a different recollection of what I thought the Cure were at the time. When the Cure sang of angst and love, the songs popped. It was an okay album.

it sounded like it was some sort of lullaby. really weird

Cool but mopey. Cheers up the cure

classic album from The Cure

I enjoy a lot of Cure songs, but they all sound similar to me. I can't BELIEVE how long these song intros are. I think you have to be in the right mind space to listen to a full album and I've never been in that mind space.

It felt very repetitive throughout - not much distinguishing each song. Maybe a closer listen would get me more into it, but overall not quite my thing.

cure kuulostaa sentään omanlaiselta, semmonen shuegazempimainen post punk paska. hyvästä syystä kuulunut bändistä ennenkin, ei rahahimokkaita... näkyy että työtä tehty työn innosta.. valitettavasti genre on objektiivisesti huono. itkevää vokalisti, itkumies. en jaksaisi pillittävää poikaa kuunnella yli tunnin putkeen prayers for rain

I love the Cure, but I think I would like to take their melancholy in smaller doses than this.

Pretty solid - a lot more instrumental than I expected.

Ultimately not as bad as I remembered it was. But still not really my kind of music.

I didn't enjoy this as much as a lot of the goth music that I've gotten on this list. It wasn't unpleasant in anyway, but it was more subdued than a lot of the goth music I've enjoyed. I want to dance while I'm sad, goddamn it! 3/5

Though I recognize their relevance in the alt landscape, I never have been a big fan of their music. Their lead singer always seem too whiny.

3. Got to be a little too much at the end.

A decent album, but probably requires more than two listens to really love it

I like 2 or 3 of these. Good album but I like their later albums better

Better than I thought it would be

Found it chill and enjoyable, 7 /10

Really like the cure as a singles band though I find this as a complete work gets very ponderous.

Lovely lovely, nice tunes from the og goths.

I was having too much fun to give a proper.listen to this dreary nonsense when it was released, took me a while to get over my initial hankering for the whimsical joy of earlier Cure but I did come to appreciate it some years later. Bonus point for nostalgic associations.

Some good tracks and solid guitar work. I see why it could be someone's greatest of all time album, but it's not mine.

I think if I’d have discovered The Cure in my teenage years I’d be a big fan, as it is, I lack the angst to get really into this at 44 years of age. That said, I agree with most of what you say Tom. Good songs, but there’s a bit of a formula. Production is very 80s, but I can dig it. Who doesn’t love chorus pedals? Plainsong is a decent scene-setter, Pictures of You gets things off to a promising start. It’s so very 80s - fairly sure this must play over a Molly Ringwald montage somewhere in John Hughes’ back catalogue. Then Closedown comes on, and it’s the same song but a few bpm slower. Lovesong is pretty straightforward pop. Pretty enough if slightly twee. It hits its stride again with Lullaby and Fascination Street, but after those two only the title track sticks out. It’s another I’d happily listen to again without being bowled over

Disintegration I did a bit of a listen to the ‘classic’ cure albums not that long ago, but I do struggle a bit to differentiate their albums. I think they are a great band with some incredible songs, but I’ve never been able to really get into their catalogue. I like them when I listen but then I kind of forget about them. I think they may generally be growers though, this album included. Love the drum sound and the overall production. Kind of big and spacey but not too distant, with some great keyboard and guitar textures and layers. The good songs are very good, the middling songs are by no means bad, but they do sound similar, and can feel a little flat. Pictures of you - superb Lovesong - great Lullaby - superb Fascination street - great Untitled - great Overall I really like the atmosphere and feel of the whole thing, but there are some undoubted dips. It’s quite long at 1hr 10, it could probably have done with a bit of editing down a bit. It’s somewhere between a 3 and 4, I’ll go 3 for now but I will re listen and probably re-appraise ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Very goth, very slutty and horny. I just didn't want to be at this particular orgy

Enjoyed it more than I thought! Even better on round 2.

The more I listen to shoegaze the more I can hang with the Cure. I think my only caveat is that Robert Smith’s crystal clear voice singing those lyrics is not great for my mental health.

Great mood an atmosphere. Only complaint is that the album is too long and drawn out. "The same deep water" is 9:22 of repetition. I had to make sure Spotify wasn't stuck on repeat.

Typical The Cure, same sound as their most known songs. Enjoyable!

If you're looking for British sad-boi rock, listen to this one

I like this version of The Cure.

Cure disintegration I like the simplicity and minimalism of it. some cool textural elements and synths. I think I like all the major key songs, the first few songs were my favorite (plain song, pictures of you, close down) it lost me a bit by “prayers for rain” . Last song was good too. “Same deep water”was day too long. So is “ disintegration”None of these songs should be more than 5 minutes long.

There were a few good songs in here but it kind of dragged on a bit. It is a whole unique vibe which is cool, but I was definitely ready for it to be over

I think I would give this a better score if I was more interested in the singer.

This album was a mix of stereotypical late 80s sounds and some creative music. As an album, I'd rate it a 3 because I wouldn't seek out listening to it. But there are several tracks that I would add to my library. Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.

Hm in eerste instantie lijkt dit wel weer heel erg op je standaard Britpop album. Ik moet wel zeggen Pictures of You is een heel erg mooi nummer! Ik trek deze britpop echt beduidend beter dan de andere albums in deze lijst. Het is wel nog steeds vooral achtergrond muziek, maar ik heb hier wel bij meerdere nummers dat ze er echt uitspringen voor me! Het strijkersstuk voor Lullaby bijvoorbeeld, komt me ontzetten bekend voor en klinkt ook nog eens heel gaaf! Alleen, het duurt te lang. De highs zijn echt ontzettend hoog, maar de rest van het album kabbelt een beetje voort en is echt ook saai naar mijn mening. FAVO: Pictures of you, Lovesong, Lullaby

Pleasantly surprised. A lot better than Seventeen Seconds. Mixing was better, the songs were more complex and interesting, and I could hear the vocals. Lullaby and Fascination Street are dark bangers and the first two songs go off as well. Nice job, Cure!

I’ve never listened to the Cure (before this). My impression is based on their reputation as providing “introspective gothic rock” for this kids who dressed all in black and moaned about hating life. I watched their induction ceremony to the rock and roll hall of fame, which pretty much reinforced that. So let’s actually listen to an album and see what we think: The sound is pretty lush, a “big room” feel. Lots of synth. The pacing is generally sluggish, the vocals are sort of strained, a tormented soul calling out. Modern English meets Dumptruck. Wikipedia called the band’s sound “dark and tormented”, and I guess that fits. But this album isn’t that harsh, and it rather works. Not the kind of thing that’ll end up in my collection, but I can certainly respect it. The hit Lovesong is pretty good, pulls the elements together nicely. A bit faster, a bit less mopey, the keyboards are brighter, and an accessible 3:29. A nice change from most of the album’s 5-9 minute songs. Now this mix could be really irritating, but like many releases in the early days of CDs, it is excessively long, clocking over 70 minutes. Overall, I’ll give this a 3/5, I’d go 3.5 if I could.

Lo escuché mientras trabajaba, por lo cual casi que no le presté atención. De todas maneras, debo destacar dos cualidades: (i) fue lo suficientemente atrapante y armonioso como para que me concentre durante la duración del disco entero; (ii) las veces que me daba cuenta que estaba escuchando música, disfruté mucho la música. También es el primer disco que voy a calificar, así que no tengo un parámetro certero. Le daré una calificación moderada.

Interesting album. At times felt I was listening to two different albums. Checked Spotify to make sure I was still listening to the same album

I wasn't expecting this album to be full of so much atmospheric instrumental sections. Not bad though although it gets a little tiresome towards the end. 3/5

When it's good it's very good, but the highs are relatively few and far between

As a GenX'er I was excited when Plainsong kicked things off with that BIG quintessential 80s synth wall of sound, but that was the highlight. Not a horrible album, maybe as background listening. But sitting to listen intentionally I found myself feeling bored and impatient. Robert Smith is awesome. I just shouldn't be looking at my watch waiting for him to sing again while I listen to another 32 bars of layered synths that go nowhere.

Can tell there's some deep personal lore around this album that I am ignorant towards, would need much more time with it

Meh

Pictures of you är ett mästerverk. Om än lite lång. De andra låtarna är inte mästerverk. Musiken är inte tillräckligt bra i sig själv vilket gör att låtar utan sång och jättelånga intron drar ner.

- Ich habe das Album zwei mal durchgehört, weil ich beim ersten Mal das Gefühl hatte, der Platte von meiner Aufmerksamkeit her nicht gerecht geworden zu sein. Und das zweite mal (und bewusster) Durchhören hat dazu geführt, dass es mir wesentlich besser gefallen hat, auch wenn es mich jetzt im Gesamteindruck nicht restlos begeistern konnte. - Fast schon hypnotisch schwimmt man durch die einzelnen Songs, mit teilweise tollen atmosphärischen Melodien und fesselnden Patterns. - Leider wirken manche Samples, Riffs oder Midis auf mich etwas "draufgesetzt" und haben mich häufiger rausgerissen, weshalb ich nicht wirklich so richtig eintauchen konnte. - Leider fehlte mir in der Gesangsfarbe und Gesangs-Melodie zwischen den Tracks etwas Abwechslung (Abwechslung, die die Tracks an sich durchaus hatten). Ich hatte aber am Ende das Gefühl, dass Robert Smith in einem Duktus über alle Songs hinweggesungen hatte (etwas überspitzt formuliert, aber you get what i mean) - Allem in allem vibey Album, toll arrangiert, zu keinem Zeitpunkt langweilig, aber hat mich auch zu keinem Zeitpunkt richtig geflashed. 3,25

Interesting...pretty dark tone. It doesn't sound bad but it's not exactly my type of music

Decent album

Some amazing tracks, some so so

I like it.

Top Song: Fascination Street Buy Vinyl?: No Songs Added To Playlist: 2 Notes: Every song is at least a 6/10, but they all sound a little similar and kinda boring in my opinion.

01/07/2024

I enjoyed listening to the album, Disintegration by The Cure. I gave it 3 stars, but only because it's not exactly my taste in music.

Singer needs to sound less… distressed? Some songs sounded like they influenced Modest Mouse but were slow and repetitive. Kinda boring and same-y sounding through the album. I can see why some people would like it but not for me. Prayers For Rain sounds cool.

Classic late 80s synth-pop. Like plainsong (big orchestration) and Proayers For Rain. Think I probably hear Love Song a million times in the late 80s' early 90s

Enjoying the guitar/wall of sound of opening tracks. Overall a 3*. Highlights: pictures of you, lovesong (a classic)

Slow but good

My quest to fall in love with The Cure remains ongoing. Perhaps it’s just a stylistic thing, but I’ve yet to feel this deep emotional connection to Robert Smith’s voice or guitar playing. His songwriting is a different story; “Last Dance” and “Untitled” are phenomenal pieces of writing in particular, though his lyrics are strong across the board. And there are still certainly a handful of highlights in my book; “Lullaby” is far and away my favorite track here, and kicks off an excellent three-song run with “Fascination Street” and “Prayers for Rain”. I also see why “Pictures of You” is celebrated - the relationship between its lyrics and melody is pretty fantastic - but I can never get all the way there with it due to Smith’s weak-sounding single-string guitar approach. It honestly bugs me quite a bit, as it does on “Plainsong”, which is further tanked for me by the bothersome echo and lackluster synth sounds. Which I’m sure is an infuriating sentence to read, assuming you’re part of the vast majority that thinks this album is a sonic triumph, but after multiple listens, I simply don’t hear it that way. “Closedown”, “The Same Deep Water as You”, and “Last Dance”, despite their strong compositional core, don’t amount to songs I care to listen to very much. The highlights are enough to get it to 3.5 in my book, and I’m still hoping I’ll have an a-ha moment with it eventually, but I’m not there yet. 3.5/5

Doesn't quite live up to the early promise. A band I prefer in small doses.

This is a good one. We can see the ‘skater’ in it, but it’s more stoner than skater. Pictures Of You will always be a fav.

Pretty could. I’ve heard people say how good this album is but never given it a listen. Could see myself listening to some of the songs in the future but others I’d get bored of quickly.

A very well made album. Not every song is a winner and it starts to feel bit samey towards the end, but I will definitely be returning to a good amount of these tracks.

Not my favorite

Listened to this while playing Lost Ruins of Arnak solo. I won. I definitely recognized a couple of these songs. It was a great album for an overcast day and it reminded me of what I imagine it was like to be a teenager in the 80s...though I wasn't a teen til the mid 90s. I was into it for a while...but the album kind of keeps going. A 3.5, but I'm rounding down to 3 stars because I'm feeling stingy.

Makes me want to fall asleep, but in a good way.

I LOVE LOVESONG!!! The rest of the album meh

Good but not the stone cold classic some would have you believe.

The album has a very full, heavy sound that fits The Cure perfectly. But it drags too long.

This The Cure album is better than the first one I reviewed (Seventeen Seconds). It seems more polished or something. I mean it's still goth rock, so it's gloomy as fuck, but this is definately better. My only complaint about this album is the God damn songs are too long. They average like 7 minutes in length. There is like a 2 minute intro, a 2 minute outro, and like 3 minutes of actual substance.... They could have easily shaved like 15-20 minutes off of the album runtime if they had just got on with it. Favourite songs: Lovesong, Pictures of You, Prayers for Rain Least favourite songs: Last Dance 3/5

So-so.

Interesting long track album. Definitely deep gothic kinda techno rock. A classic of the 80's rock ballad sound as a precursor to the acid/punk rock of the 90's.

It's nice, good moody music, with some great hits.. I think emo music from this phase is just really long and drawn out.

Very dreamy and I really liked the instrumental beginning to the songs.

Best Song: Lovesong. It emos the hardest. Worst Song: Homesick. Homeboy was feeling himself a little too much on this one. Hella melodramatic. Overall: None of it's bad, but it really all blurs together into this singular emo pastiche, to the point where it felt like I was barely recognizing where one song ended and another song began. A good album for getting into your feelings I guess.

Enjoyable, but honestly a fair bit too long.

Honestly really pretty and simple. Nice words and a few classics.

expected more, it was ok without ever really making my ears prick up

Good, but long. TBH not all that memorable. Likely won't be listening again.

This album seems to be in the same vein as depeche mode. Ethereal, but not quite as dark. The album is a bit too long and too slow for me, with no stand out tracks. Best track was their untitled track I guess

No ihan jees

First album that I haven't previously heard. Very nice atmospheric gothrock. Nice to space out to and I can see myself listening to this when I want to chill out sometime. Good listen.

All in its feelings and I’m here for it. Classic.

Nice sound, couple tracks of notable quality.

MID AF BOI

A lot more DMB-esque jams than I expected.

今まで聴いたことなかった。途中まで聴いて、ふむふむ。 やはり好みでは無い…もちろん、カッコ良いと思うサウンドではあるが、声がなぁ…

I think Seventeen Seconds is a better album by The Cure. This one got too much pop influences but it sways to impeccable goth rock at times. But this one almost made me feel like I should stop being a conformist, start reading more Edgar Allan Poe and pick up smoking as a hobby.

First two songs were really cool. I like the way they opened with no vocals for a long period of time, and the music was really interesting. But the next couple of songs were almost unlistenable for me lol I could not stand his voice for whatever reason but as it kept going, I enjoyed the later half of the album more. Likely not some thing I’ll go back to, but it was fine I guess.

Ok

It was okay but it didnt really hit me

Perfect soundtrack for when you get dumped. Closedown was pretty dope on the synths Not entirily my thing but good stuff.

I like that there's a consistent mood on this. It's just that, for me, that mood is quite oppressive for most of the album. A lot of it is quite lo-fi, and there's not many stand-out songs that particularly grab me.

Not really my taste but I could not find anything really "wrong" with it

Love song is an all-time great song just couple other good songs on this album, but a few dragging points

You hear the first song and its unique genre, but then all the other songs follow the same genre of digital synths and drums. Aside from the singles, this is usually the case. Kind of boring if you ask me… Especially if some songs are as long as 8-9 minutes, it doesn’t usually work unless to have something different enough to show for it. Overall, it’s too repetitive and structured for me to enjoy this properly… On the flip side, it’s as if Lou Reed did New Wave.

Not really my cup of tea but it wasn't painful to listen to. Not bad background music.

Every middle school dance, ever

Some of the songs end up feeling like they're dark or heavy for the sake of being dark. They're still played well enough and fit the theme of the album. There are a few fun poppy-happy tunes on the album that sound nice i.e. Lovesong and Fascination Street. Where I think the album shined most for my taste were in songs like Last Dance and The Same Deep Water. These songs were ones where I felt Smith's voiced had some of its more raw and genuine emotion in it. Combined with the great instrumentals throughout most of the tracks this album is realistically a 3.5 for me, but I'll give it a 3 instead of a 4.

Good sound, but a bit long for me.

Definitely a mood. Just not really my mood most the time. Pretty dece tho

I have tried listening to this album many times and I think it’s just not for me. It’s not bad but I don’t see how it is one of the best albums of all time.

Hmmm, not my choice of music

3.5

Hm, weiß nicht, was ich denken soll. Mag die Band, aber ist mir n Bisschen zu düster und so. Schwache 4 bis starke 3, aber tendiere zu 3

pretty good. he has a drunk voice

с зе кьюр сложно. с одной стороны опасаюсь их как палп, кажутся такими же эмо-надрывными, вот-вот сорвутся. с другой вроде просто честно стараются про всякое волнующее петь. но не могу пересилить недоверие

It was fine but got a bit samey and long for me

This is very far from what I know about The Cure. I was expecting something different, and this is not exactly bad, but I guess I need some other listening sessions to evaluate it accurately, honestly. I usually appreciate the Cure, even not being a fan of everything. This album sounds explicitly a bit more down than other of their songs but still has enough energy to help me to reach the end of the album.

Never got into this one. The production is gorgeous, the songs are great for like 4/5 minutes but so many of them drag on for far too long and make it a pretty tedious listen in places

It was okay

I can see why this was a hit, but I'm really not sure I'm into it. It's dark and moody, and there are some really great tracks. Robert Smith's distinctive vocals really shine through. But would I listen to this again? I doubt it.

Look, I had no idea what to expect from it. Plainsong started off really well, and I thought, "hell yeah, man, this is really up my alley," but nothing more really happened after that. It sounds good and all, but I can't see myself listening to this again. It's not the music's fault. I'm sure all the sounds worked really hard to sound good (and I guess the band played those sounds, mmm). It's not you; it's me. I can't see myself going on with my day-to-day life listening to this, which is how I listen to most music. I can chalk it up to me not being in the "right" mood for it, but what mood do I have to be in for this? I like my sad music to be really sad, so it doesn't fit there. It's not heavy enough for me; I can't see myself just chilling out to this. It makes me feel... nothing? Hard to do when it's music, but I can't go either way. This is like that pizza topping that you don't mind if it's at a party, but are you ever going to eat it on your own accord? That's the best way I can describe it. It does nothing to me, which is even more strange since this does seem like something I like. I expected myself to like this album based on what I've heard, but nothing. There's no cure for this; it's just me.

First three songs are nice, good chord progressions and nice instrumentals. After those three songs it got a little repetitive, with exception to love song and lullaby. Good production, decent lyrics. Not bad, just not my jam.

My favourites are Closedown, Lovesong, Disintegration. I only knew Lovesong before. I didn't really like Prayers for Rain, but I liked the transition to The same deep water as you because it started to rain in that song.

Full disclosure - I did not listen to the whole 3+ hours of this album. But I did enjoy what I heard.

Good, probably would have been a bigger fan at the time just a bit over the sound atm

I love the cure. I dislike the cure. I think smith is underrated. I think smith is extremely overrated. I think this is extraordinary musicianship. I think this is simplistic pap. On balance you can excise every second sentence from that paragraph. But then again the whole thing is how I feel. This album is about as cute as you can get. And I love it. And it bores me. And it’s timeless. But it screams that time. The three stars represents the five stars and the one star I want to give this album.

The Cure have always been a great singles band for me, but I’ve never been that enamoured of their albums. Their late 70’s/80’s output was full of great singles ( Killing An Arab, Boys Don’t Cry, A Forest, Let’s Go To Bed, The Lovecats, In Between Days, Close To Me), but their albums didn’t do it for me. And the singles from this album were never on my jukebox. So I really wasn’t expecting to enjoy this, but I did. There’s a certain grandeur about the way synthesisers are used, right from the opening track, Plainsong. I have the single of Pictures Of You, & it still wouldn’t make it to my jukebox, but somehow it fits in this album. There’s not a tune here I’ll remember, but the album flows & I did enjoy it.

Rumour has it, the recording of this album completely depleted world reserves of digital reverb. But seriously, this album is the Cure's most cinematic album. It's pretty gloomy and depressing, but the songwriting is stronger than their early 80s gloom albums. There are few memorable songs (Lovesong, Lullaby, Fascination St), but generally this is a wash of atmosphere, deservedly beloved by goths everywhere. How it sold 3 million copies, I'll never know. If you were going to pick one Cure album to listen to, this would probably be a good choice. But better off playing their singles compilation.

Nice in a fun way

Feels like I’m walking through the streets of Gotham. Some songs drag on a bit but when it’s good, it really nails the dreamy gothic sound and is very unique.

3/5. The bigger songs are awesome, so catchy and dark. There is a lot of filler though and many start to sound similar to each other. At some points, I didn’t realize it moved to the next song, the backing instrumentation sounded exactly the same. But some songs are great and noticeably unique.

Not my favourite cure album, lacks focus

Me gustó, pero qué álbum tan más LARGO. Al ver que era de The Cure, me emocioné, pues había escuchado cosas buenas de ellos, lamentablemente, esto se vio muy opacado por su excesivamente larga duración. Cada canción dura el doble de lo que debería, es como si tuvieras que escucharlas dos veces aunque no quieras. Si tan solo duraran lo que deberían, el álbum sería muchísimo mejor, lamentablemente no es el caso, por lo que le doy 3 al final de todo.

some songs in it are better than others, I liked it quite a bit but it feels a bit bloated, stuff like homesick sounds unfinished, it's instrumentals without vocals I feel like. Not bad though overall

Decent this

Meh

I've noticed a pattern when I'm listening to this type of 90s music (yes i know this album was released in 89). I never feel like listening to it. It's always with a sigh I find it on spotify and start it preparing for some more shoegazy introspective music. Then a few tracks in I find myself enjoying it. Disintegration is no different, I thoroughly enjoyed it, I'm just seldom in the mood for listening to it. A very strong 3 starts from me and I will try to come back to it as the songs are catchy and I feel like it has the potential to grow on me.

no es su mejor album pero q gran banda the cure

Classic Cure Standouts: Pictures of You, Lovesong, Lullaby, Fascination Street, Others: Plainsong, Closedown, Last Dance, Disintegration, Homesick, Rating: 3.5/5

Honestly, better than I expected, nice usage of instruments

It was interesting although not what I am used to. I listened to it while I cleaned my room.

Not mine, but they know what they're doing

Couple of great songs, medium

Somehow I've managed to never have listened to this album before although the four singles off it I'm pretty familiar with. These were the tracks I enjoyed and the rest landed a bit like filler although I'll concede it feels like an album which would reward repeated listening. It's exactly what I was expecting: very long 80s guitar and synth soundscapes with poetry sung yearningly over the top of it. Love the sparkly synths, some of the synth strings, however, have not aged well!

Solid, cant go wrong with the cure.

Definitely feeling the 80s chill vibe here with a lot of ambient guitars and crooning, distorted vocals. I enjoyed the album, but I didn't think it was anything special. However, credit to The Cure and their immediately recognizable "sound," as when I heard the first song, I thought "well this is definitely The Cure."

Pretty good, probably not the right day/mood for it. Bit samey and low energy for me atm, would probably love it in the right circumstances though, will need to try it again. 3.5 stars

Todas las canciones que no son las de la radio son impresionantemente iguales. No me fascinó su fascination.

Some good songs for sure but I didn't like every song.

Quite a gloomy album, but the better sort of gloomy. A solid 7/10.

Very weird. It's like a fusion of rock and pop but it's way before its time. Not for me so far.

Nice album. Enjoyed it more than I expected.

An okay listen, didn't really resonate with me, but I listened to the whole thing without feeling I didn't like it. Seems to be a lot of Cure on the list.

i've previously listened to a prior album of the cure's, seventeen seconds, as part of this list. the cure has more of an evolved sound here, and they do more, too. they're still dark, but there's more depth in general, notably in their lyrics. and of course there's "love song," and it's no wonder it's still such a well known song often covered. i do think this is an album i would've enjoyed more as a teenager. the cure create good music, but this album didn't hit so much for me at my current age. so a 3 to show i respect and value this album's place on this list but it's an album not for me.

Favourites: -Pictures of you -Fascination Street -Desintegration -Untitled Even if I liked some songs I don't really think this album it's an album I'll listen to everyday

This was fine. I enjoyed one of their other albums, Seventeen Seconds, more than this.

I think I listened to it but I honestly don't remember, so three stars

This album was alright. The Cure don't really move me too much, but this was fine to listen to. Favorite track: Fascination Street

Ok here we finally have a gothy entry that I'm more neutral on. Mellower than I was hoping for. Release date surprised me a bit, it released further back than I would've expected

Good album, but a little slow

I'm not the biggest fan of The Cure. That being said, they are a great band. This was an album that when I hear it, I immediately think of the 80's and all the culture that comes with it. So even though it's not a go-to album for me, it does carry some nostalgia.

Love the Cure!

J'aime beaucoup cet album. Lovesong est ma chanson préférée du groupe.

This album was alright. The Cure don't really move me too much, but this was fine to listen to. Favorite track: Fascination Street

3.5 - I was digging some of these songs.

3.5

I enjoy the sound of this, but it was a bit long and nothing really stood out.