Disintegration

The Cure's masterpiece. Robert Smith's aching vocals singing some of his best lyrics; Picturtes of You, Lovesong, Fascination Street all just beautiful. Musically it gets pretty heavy at times but then lightens up just in time to keep it very accessible. 5 stars

Hmmm, not my choice of music

Probably the cure's best in my opinion, but what do I know?

Pretty good. I already liked a few songs on here so it’s good to listen to the whole thing

not my jam. sounded a bit off

I love the first 3 album of theirs better but this one was one that I was really unfamiliar with and I loved it from start to finish. A nice 8/10 for me

Man. Now I’m just sad.

I’m not one to shy away from my feelings, but I really have to be in the mood for 72 minutes of doom and gloom (no matter how gorgeous or iconic it might be).

Loved the opening track and Pictures of You.

Probably the greatest Cure album and it is a mighty thing. Sparkling, gloomy exhilarating, echoes of early New Order.

Epic soundscapes with delicate melodies woven through.

I have depression and I approve of this album. But yeah, Lovesong and Pictures of You are hits, the decision through the album to just ride the instrumentals and listen to bass riffs on loop is great, its so moody and full.

I often think about the South Park episode where they say this is the best album ever made, and sometimes I’ll give this a play and think that they were a 100% right.

3.5

Plainsong // Pictures Of You // Lovesong // Lullaby // The Same Deep Water As You // Disintegration // Untitled 3.5-4/5

AJ: At least it’s got Pictures of You on it. Oh and this 311 song!!

When this was released it would probably have been an easy 5*. 34 years of life later it has lost something of its relevance.

Crime is a disease. Here’s The Cure.

the art of falling apart

all time great album Favorite Songs: Lovesong, Pictures of You 5/5

On a rainy night, this album feels different. Dark and comforting at the same time. Definitely a favorite album of mine. Favorite track: The Same Deep Water As You

Never really paid attention to The Cure but man this is some good shit.

Cool album. Most of it was a quite a bit different than the singles I'm familiar with. Enjoyable.

Loved the instrumentation. Ro ert smith is a good singer.

A great soundscape with even greater songs punctuating

Strangely the first time I heard these tunes was on the "Mixed Up" LP that had a bunch of guest remixes. It was my first foray into "alternative" music as a new teen, and I really liked it. Hearing the originals not long after that, I remember having to adjust to the cure's *actual* sound and not the remix stuff, warming up to it, then preferring it. It holds up well I think, and many of the songs should be regarded as classics now. It's not quality all the way through but it's generally at a high level of craft, creativity, and pop sensibility.

Solid overall album with mainstream influence throughout that Cure rock sound.

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

This is the 4th album on this list that I know and like every note of.

Musically creative. Don't care for lead singer's voice, but the instruments make up for it. Title track least favorite. Standout is the catchy "Lovesong".

Time flew by in an enjoyable way

Very 80s - amazed it's 89 as it feels older. Almost like muzak or the crap music played by a prom band in a late 90s high school comedy. Don't think I'll get through the whole thing to be honest

Boring

pretty good. he has a drunk voice

Not my favourite cure album but still almost perfect

I honestly tried to like this. It's just so damn boring to me. I listened twice thinking I must be missing something, but still just hmmmmmm. Not for me I guess

I think this was like a 3.5 for me. Pretty decent. Some of the songs just keep going though but it overall wasn't bad

More mellow than I thought

fua

Favorite album from The Cure. It hits wherever 2006 lives in my body—I loved this album in high school, and had Lullaby and Same Deep Water on repeat on those Sad Goth Girl days. That watery, sad sound is just so good. 4.5/5

I’ve realized that the Cure is so much more than their hits. This is another complete album. I’ve become a fan. 4.3/5

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

If i can say one thing about the 1001 is that it turns out i really like the cure, joy division whereas in the past i had put it aside as i was more into metal. Loving the overall feel of the album. Period.

The last classic Cure album, but around the period when they started to make these inconsistent double albums. Disintegration is way too long but contains a hidden 5 star 38-minute album if you simply cut it to Plainsong (5 star, in need of a proper shoegaze remake - after all the song is a blueprint for the sound of a band like M83), Love Song (5 star), Lullaby (super 5 star), the title track (5 star), Pictures of You (4 star), Homesick (4 star) and, say, one out of the set {Closedown, Prayers of Rain, The Same Deep Water As You, Untitled}.

"Disintegration is the best album ever!" (Kyle Broflovski, 1998). I would go as far as that, but it is definitely out there.

Carefully built up, atmospheric songs, well executed. One has to be in the mood for this.

7.5/10

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.

An interesting stroll down sadsack lane couldn't see myself rocking this on a leisurely stroll next to the beach or on a nice winding road trip through the mountains, so I don't know where I would connect with this, maybe a drama movie perhaps.

One of my favorites that I haven't heard in a LONG while. I think this is going to hit harder for me these days.

While I’m still a bigger fan of boys don’t cry, this is by far my favorite cure album I’ve gotten on this list. It’s a little long and sometimes the songs start to drag since they average around 5 minutes in length but overall I was never annoyed like I was when I listened to pornography. This is a good balance of their earlier, lighter stuff and their later heavier stuff. Homesick and love song were standouts.

As perfect of an album as I have ever heard. So consistent in tone and theme, but it still feels like a journey. And despite being so morose, it's a great sunny day album. A rare achievement.

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

TIL The Cure are boss :O

It was okay

Much better than I remember l, back in the day I never had much time for Cure as I found their music so melancholy. This was a lot more listenable than I had remember and enjoyed the album

This is a masterpiece. This was an album I only listened to with headphones. My community had a notion that the Cure were weird. When I got away to college, I was more comfortable publicly expressing my acclaim for this album. It's beautiful in sound and texture. This blew me away in 1989 and I believe it still holds up today.

Depressing and beautiful. This helped define the genres that I love. I really appreciate this album upon the first listen. It has a few songs I know and love, but even the others had dynamic appeal. Accompanying, whiny-guitar arpeggios and soft delayed vocals. The spacey sadness cuts right though me!

Incredible album. Atmospheric masterpiece.

Sweet album! Pictures of You.

I’ve heard it before but I love the cure definitely their best album

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.

boring ahh hell

title track is my fav, album itself is sadly a little overrated but still great.

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.

It's good. I think. It's just not my thing

A classic, atmospheric and works well as an album

#16: Um… I don't see what the hype is about this album. Long drawn out instrumental sections made it slow. 116 on the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of all time. Favourite track for me was Lullaby.

Listened Before? Y This is a Cure classic. Accessable enough to new listeners but with lots of complexity they're known for. I love it. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Pictures of You

Fine, didn't grab me

A simmering beast of an album. A sonic soundscape of love and misery. The height of goth and The Cure's definitive album. Listen, enjoy, and lose yourself in the mood. Lullaby is one of his highest of high points - though the single version had a much better drum track.

🤠

je mets 1000 sur 5 pour lullaby

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.

bastante escuchable

nice mood but not the one for me

I was pleasantly surprised by this album, especially for its age. I loved the atmosphere it created throughout and how tastefully the synths were done. I also never noticed how good the bass guitar was on Cure songs until now, the production is just great. I definitely see why this album is lauded.

Classic emo/goth

Amazing collection of early emo/synth pop. Instruments create a consistent mood throughout the album. Whispers of 80s pop apparent throughout, with more darkness and hopelessness.

Listened Before? No A full 7 years after Pornography, which I really enjoyed; we'll see how their sound matured... Opens on a super spacey synth ballad Plainsong. Feels awfully shoegazey (not that that is a bad thing, just a departure from Pornography). Pictures of You is a bit more confident sounding, but maintains a similarly astral soundscape. I really enjoyed this song. Lovesong is a jam that was first introduced to me by 311. I prefer the original in its 80s punky glory. Bassline on Fascination Street is super throaty.. reminds me a lot of Mudshovel by Staind. Jam. The guitar progression on Homesick feels really familiar, but hard to place. This was background noise for a data entry task for most of the mid-section, but I enjoyed it being there. I will say that from Pornography to this album, The Cure certainly refined and changed their sound quite a bit. I have a preference for the earlier album, but this one is quite nice in its own way. This album was much more "flowy" and spacious in tone and felt much more laid back and/or depressed. While the album runtime is a bit lengthy, I honestly didn't mind. I never found myself bored or looking forward to the exit. This is a strong 4, leaning 5 for me. Perhaps on repeated listens I'll give it the nudge, but for now, 4 seems appropriate. Added to Library? Yes

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.

on my first listen i this was instantly one of my favorite albums, over time that diminished a little bit there’s no way i’m not giving this a 5

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

I liked that a lot. I didn’t want to change it and I didn’t want it to end.

Moody, gothic, and hypnotic. The instrumentation was beautiful. Standouts: Prayers for Rain; The Same Deep Water As You; Disintegration. 5/5.

Cure is awesome!

I've always been a bit on the fence with the Cure. On one hand, I like some of their early stuff, remember it having a place at goth night clubs back in the early to mid 80s, nothing that would ever induce me to listen to a whole album, but not awful. One the other hand, they released "Love Cats", which was monstrous. This album didn't really change my view. I found myself hoping for instrumentals, as Robert Smith's voice was just a tiny bit too petulant and whiny in places. Many times he didn't start up any singing until halfway through a track, which suited me fine. By the end I was actually quite enjoying it.

Really cool

- Great music to contemplate to - Guitars sound very dreamlike - Great vocals and instruments that blend together in one moody, yet bombastic package - Pictures of You, Last Dance, Lovesong, Fascination Street

- First time I’ve heard The Cure - Very unique sound that I’m loving - Pleasantly surprised with it, but a little long with some snoozing

The beginning of the album seemed very promising - I loved how expansive the sound was and there was some good groove to it. But everything kind of started to sound the same by about halfway through and the second half of the record was a real slog for me. I wasn't a huge The Cure fan before this. I have some new appreciation now but mostly I wasn't supremely impressed.

Dark, mysterious and ethereal. Highlight was Plainsong.

actually really good

Actually got into this one just recently before starting the 1001 albums project. I have to say, it's gonna be my first 5 of the bunch. I haven't heard anything else from the '80s that sounds quite like this. It's often catchy, yet vast and adventurous. It's depressing, yet uplifting. An absolutely immersive experience of an album with gorgeous melodies and lush atmospheres galore. These days, it may have the reputation of being a basic hipster album. I actually put off listening to it for a while for that reason. But that doesn't really matter when it's THIS GOOD. I can't imagine how magical it must have felt to hear this when it first came out.

Wat een goed album! Vette vibe, goede nummers.

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. Transporting, defining music of the last 2 decades of the 20thC. And of my generation for sure Yes, they belong on a list like this. They are good, too good, at what they do. I had forgotten what it is to listen to, and then enter, beautiful discomfort. at first you resist it as moody angsty stuff. but if you want to remember the feelings of teenage alienation, unrequited love, and the complex moods of those hormonal, transitional, and so formative and yet whimsical/melancholic/exciting/hopeful and disoriented times? Disintegration, is sounds almost glib to say it, but it evokes all the longing, pain, empty moody depressed emotions of a teen breakup, or alientation, or sense of isolation so well.... Their melodies and lyrics (their strange so beautifully evoke emptiness, sadness, and Hopelessness with a capital H. As an online reveiwer from Immortal Reviews wrote: "The Cure's Disintegration is an ode to depression, capturing the hopelessness of it in a perfectly..." and then there is this : “A protracted wallow in the misery of love unrequited or recalled in hopeless desolation” is what Britain's Q magazine called Disintegration. And that is their artistry. I always liked (and needed, as an antidote for any listening to their painful cure) their 1 or 2 "happy" tracks best. (Just Like Heaven, "Friday I'm In Love", lovecats. They do make pain beautiful. they do sadnes well, so they also know how to evoke an exquisite joy. I am reluctantly giving this a 5, despite not *wanting* to listent to this at the outsiet, but its quite the psychological exploration. and then the music; they were masters. Small doses.

Well, here it is Robert deciding that everything was giving him the shits, and Lol deciding to go and get pissed. And it shows, I bought this back in the day and it was the one that killed it for me as it was the proverbial dog returning to its vomit. There's nothing wrong with it, there are some quite good tunes but seriously they were standing still. Sorry death freaks, if you are looking for something while they hook the horse up to your arm to see you out and you want a bit of gothy doom, go and get 17 Seconds and give this the flick.

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.

This one is so good. The atmosphere is fantastic - the spaciness lets the gloomy mood shine. The melodies are amazing and instantly memorable - just listen to that bass on ‘Lovesong’. Lastly, I love the lyrics - ‘A woman now standing where once there was only a girl’ particularly hits me hard, even though I’m a guy who hasn’t been in a relationship before. It is a good album. The end.

Nice in a fun way

Never given The Cure the time of day after hearing Boys Don't Cry and Friday I'm in Love years ago and dismissing them as some kind of poppy prototype emo. This was great though. Certainly one to come back to.

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.

Amazing moodscapes. Haunting. Grabs you by the soul and yanks.

1. love plainsong, it sounds not plain. Makes me feel like i have went to space. 2: love the guitars 🎸 . GORGEOUS. amazing. Every adjectives. 3. If only I could fill my heart with love 4. The panning

I like some stuff by the cure but it gets kinda dull after awhile for me. Always been a bit on the “emo meets new-wavy” side. With that being said, pictures of you and love song are fun songs.

I didn't understand The Cure in the 1980's and I don't understand them now. Why is this popular?

Slog city.

Not my favourite cure album, lacks focus

Not a super huge fan very dark but not in the way that i like, lowers my mood. Never the less, great musicians, extremely talented. Not a fan of gothic rock, but the cure make it hard to hate. 4/5

A great mix of energetic post punk and slower 80s dream pop. The only drawback is I feel the 80s digital reverb kinda drags it down at points but at the same time I couldn't imagine the album without it.

4* despite it being a sunny Friday afternoon listen!

Hyvä mutta.. Naulaa popilla.. Poppi on viesti.. ei viestin väline(niikuin joissain kauneissa teoksissa).. Not the medium of the album.. just.. the album... ......pop....... ...Mainstream sonnakaivelua siis.. Mutta hyväähän siis neljää pukkaa..

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.

Don't really know The Cure beyond their radio hits, so interested to see what a full album is like. Pictures of You -- 2 songs in, very much enjoying the vibe so far Cool album overall. I don't know that many songs particularly stood out, but nice vibes and a kinda "falling apart" type feeling most of the way through. Like it felt rickety somehow?

A brilliant album. Listened to 4 times all the way through since last night, and Fascination Street about 10 times

Surely their best album. A masterpiece front to back. Still sounds so bright and moody at the same time. Love it.

Found this very boring. Borderline annoying. I guess I don’t like the Cure. 1 star.

fire

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

better so far. Like a chill version of stuff. almost a 5.

Decent this

Goth GOAT

Brill.

Such a great album, feels like putting on something comfortable. I was hooked from the opening strains of Plainsong. With my favourites this time around being Pictures of You and Fascination Street.

Simply lovely - could be the type specimen for "cohesive albums". Wonderfully consistent atmosphere where moods wax and wane but never introduce imbalance. I think this project has really switched me on to The Cure, and I now wish I could go back and bump my score for "Pornography" from a 4 up to a 5. Fave track - well, this is all about the totality of the album, so I'm not sure it makes sense to pick faves, but even if I did pick faves, more than half the tracks would qualify. If I had to give a short shortlist, let's go with "Pictures of You", "Lullaby", "Fascination Street" and "Homesick" ♠️

Meh

Lullaby <3 Fascination Street <3 Pictures of You <3

post punk alt art rock from 89, uncomplete but 10\7 so far

1 good/well known song

I never really understood why people love The Cure so much. And when I started out with this album, I didn't feel much. Then it got better at the end somehow. I wasn't particularly fond of Lovesong which was the most listened to song, but The Same Deep Water as You, Lullaby, abd Homesick stood out to me. And after re-listening a bit, I think I have to give this a 4 since I feel like the overall bar was still quite high, and like I mentioned, there were some good songs that I definitely liked. And yet when I look back, it probably isn't any album I'll remember as being "particularly good". It's weird; deciding it must be rated a 4 and still not understanding what people like so much about a band.

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.

12/10

Most of my favourite Cure tracks are not on Disintegration (though Plainsong and Lullaby are definitely up there). Somehow, though, the individual tracks almost don’t matter. It’s a 70-minute long mood piece exploring that space between dark, intense emotion and big, glassy emptiness. Honestly, such long songs with such little structural variation shouldn’t hold the attention nearly as well as they do (and I’ll deduct half a star because inevitably there are times when the spell does break and I just want them to get on with it), but for the most part they keep me entranced. Maybe because the guitar and synth textures are always on point? I dunno, it just *feels* like The Cure achieved exactly what they set out to with this album.

But if you open your mouth Then I can't be responsible For quite what goes in Or to care what comes out

I hate his voice so much; 1.4/5

This album is sooo good. I always knew that if I got into The Cure, I'd love them and I was so right

Top 3 Songs: 1 - Lovesong (4) 2 - Lullaby (6) 3 - Pictures of You (2)

ojalá sigas eso, se ve re bueno

Unique voice, great music and lyrics. Pretty good album!

I'm always surprised at how much I enjoy listening to The Cure, but I still will rarely ever choose to put it on. The song writing is so good, but there's just something about the vibe overall I don't seek out, but enjoy once I'm there.

I liked this but didn't love it. It felt a little over-long, and the songs ended up being too similar. Wish I liked it more. 3.5/5

I’ll be honest, this would be a top 5 or 10 album if it was instrumental. I’m not the biggest fan of Robert Smith’s voice (again, not an emo guy), but I love his music. A-

It turns out The Cure for my headache was turning off this album. Some classic cheesy 80s parts, but otherwise got really boring and repetitive as it wore on.

Started off good, but quickly started to lose interest in the album. A lot of the songs sounded the same. I enjoyed the piano, as well as some guitar and bass parts, but I could really do without the singing in almost every song.

The synthiness was awesome on this album. It went very well with all of the instruments especially the bass on Lullaby I could listen to this album on repeat while taking down the almighty Mecha-Streisand

Never really dug into the Cure, just know that 311 covered Love Song. Really like the gloominess of the album. This would slap on a rainy day. Really dig the guitar effects and synths on a lot of these songs. I'm going to listen to more of The Cure.

This album was so good but god it was long. I'd be more mad if it wasn't so atmospheric and beautiful.

I was so blind to The Cure for so long. Something went click about a year ago and I totally get it now. This is an epic album. Robert Smith has a voice that captivates. Totally worth repeat listens.

Wow, what an epic album. This has to show everything The Cure is capable of. Some of it I really like, a lot I find okay, some I'm not into. But I have to give credit where credit is due.

This was excellent. I was familiar with a few tracks but this album is stacked, such a full sound on this one, the attention to detail in the musical arrangement is so impressive. It’s sprawling and beautiful, think I’ll add this to my rainy day listens. 5 stars

This album hits every time. I love The Cure and this one of their best albums.

no es su mejor album pero q gran banda the cure

not nearly as good as seventeen seconds

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

Die angegebene von Länge 72 min lässt beim Lesen bereits erste Zumutungsgefühle aufkommen. Das ist die Platte, wo Lullaby drauf ist, aber soweit hab ich’s dann nicht mehr geschafft und vorher aufgegeben.

Wow I couldn’t stay awake it was so moody and chill. Loved it!

I'm currently listening to this album as I write this. Incredible output from the kings of introspective goth rock, one of the best sad bands of all time. This album is #116 on the RS500. My dad loves The Cure and would play them frequently for me as a young kid. This album has several standout tracks: Plainsong to open, Pictures of You (the long intro could go forever without me getting bored, I almost get sad when Robert Smith's voice comes across, but I think that's the point of the track), Lovesong and Fascination Street and the best song: Lullaby. In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave Disintegration four-and-a-half out of five stars, and applauded the band by saying, "The Cure's gloomy soundscapes have rarely sounded so alluring [and] the songs – from the pulsating, ominous 'Fascination Street' to the eerie, string-laced 'Lullaby' – have rarely been so well-constructed and memorable." Erlewine went on to praise Disintegration for being "darkly seductive", and "a hypnotic, mesmerizing record". Pitchfork praised the record, admitting "Disintegration stands unquestionably as Robert Smith's magnum opus." Writer Chris Ott noted that "scant few albums released in the 1980s can boast an opener as grand as 'Plainsong', the most breathtaking, shimmering anthem the band ever recorded."

really enjoy!

A classic 80s album

this album is fantastic new wave gothic beautiful guitar magic. its brooding and thoughtful. the single is icing on the cake for the album. it starts off with power and grace and mood. it end sharp and succint. the glossy, angelic riffs all over the synths is top tier. i love the guitar tones and the energy. wow. i didnt think id like the cure like this, but yowza, it deserves repeat listens and study.

Easily one of the best things to come out of the 80s

Yeah I like me some Cure...

Gloomy, gorgeous, dark and dreamy, total mood of an album. Quintessential album by the Cure, the album it took a decade for the band to evolve their way up to, but totally the sound you hear in your head when you think of the Cure. The band takes their time laying out each musical idea, with only two songs clocking in under five minutes. It takes a little patience to settle into this vibe, but it's a pleasure to just let the sound wash over you. Fave Songs: Fascination Street, Lovesong, Pictures of You, Lullaby, Disintegration

Honestly, better than I expected, nice usage of instruments

I wasn't excited to pull this album, but ended up enjoying it a lot. The Cure and Robert Smith are widely known to be so very very sad all the time, and I generally don't want music to bum me out. With that said this album wasn't quite so sad and gloomy as I expected. The melodies are deep and have a hopefulness to them, and even at times get a bit jaunty. Overall a pleasant listen and subverted my expectations.

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

This album has a couple of very strong tracks (Plainsong, Lovesong, Lullaby), but overstays its welcome in the second half, particularly because the last couple of songs are extremely long compared to the rest. This wouldn't be a problem if The Cure managed to fill this excess time with additional interesting ideas. Sadly, they don't, making the album quite uneven. It's still very good, but misses the mark of true greatness. 3.5/5

Love songs for days!!!

Not mine, but they know what they're doing

Couple of great songs, medium

One of my favorite albums of all time and The Cure's magnum opus. Disintegration is a masterclass in gothic rock, that was able to break further into the mainstream and take the band to a career-high. While singles like Pictures of You, Lullaby, and Love Song are staples of their career, the albums' deep tracks like Plain Song, Untitled, Prayers for Rain, and The Same Deep Waters As You are staples of the genre. Would recommend it to anyone that wants to hear a masterpiece.

This took me a few listens to appreciate, but I’ve come to really like it. Fav songs: Lovesong, Homesick, Pictures of You

The Cure is one of those bands that I was never super into but still had a positive perception of. This is probably the first time I've ever listened to a complete album from them, start to finish, and I must say I'm impressed. It's a really beautiful album with an ambience and sound all its own. Bridges the gaps between goth, alternative, emo, art rock, pop, and more. 4 stars.

I've always been a sucker for moody and ethereal post punk, and The Cure are easily one of the best to every do it. Every track on this record carries so much emotion and creates a whole soundscape of overwhelming melancholy. And it manages to do this without every becoming dour or static, despite an impressive 77 minute runtime and only one track below 4 minutes its hard to get bored listening to Disintegration. The album blends these beautiful overwhelming ambient walls of synth with jangly guitar riffs and strong baselines, its truly the kind of album you need to listen to with no other surrounding stimuli and just get lost in the world the band have created. All of this is perfectly topped off with Robert Smith's beautiful vocals crafting images of long lost romance and forgotten emotions, his voice perfect for the dramatic and gothic world of Disintegration. This is probably the easiest 5 I've given so far. Highlights: Plainsong, Pictures of You, Fascination Street, Prayers for Rain, Disintegration

gr8

Long tracks. Was it a pretentious part of the era that people would make songs that are far too long for their own good!? Nice enough tunes though. I remember hearing snippets of ‘Lullaby’ on MTV, perhaps building up to an EMA show and just being blown away by the soundscape of the track and the visuals of the video. For that alone, I have to give this a 4…

Sad white people music

5 stars all the way. Moody, epic, lyrical, multi-layered and BIG.

Fascination Street was a winner. Unsure about the rest.

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!

Atmosferisch

The Cure is amazing. I probably listened to this album more than any other in High School.

I thought I knew what this album was because I'd heard three of the tracks, but it turns out all the other ones were better. Best track: Plainsong

Solid, cant go wrong with the cure.

This album is just like a sad, dreamy hug and I love it.

Five stars! Weird goth kids forever!

This was The Cures goodbye to the 1980s and what a farewell it was! Lyrically this is Robert Smith crafting masterworks with a pen, even if musically it doesn’t stray too far from the familiar sounds. A masterpiece indeed.

I just want a new one… come on now. Who hasn’t heard this one? 10/10

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."

Great album. I first listened to it around 2021 Christmas and nothing really click with me. But it has grown on me a lot the past however long.

A very soothing album with a very nice psychedelia type-a-touch. Bangers such as Lovesong, Pictures Of You and Plainsong might be my favorite. Will I listen again? - Definitely 5/5

Oh wow, just yesterday my husband and I decided to go see The Cure this summer, as they’re coming to our city for the first time in nearly 20 years. I said I hadn’t really listened to them before. Thanks, algorithm! I enjoyed it!

A damn good album. I'm not going to lie: I never gave this album a chance because all I ever heard on the radio was Love Song. The rest of this album is worth the time.

robert smith? more like she rob on my smith till i cure 😤 (fav songs: Pictures Of You, Lovesong, Lullaby)

2023/03/07 Superb!

Good

A magical album with so much atmosphere. It definitely wants me to listen more to The Cure which I often put a bit to the side!

Ah, classic era Cure. I find I have to be in the right mood to listen to this all the way through, but I am today, and that's when it's masterpiece shines through. Pictures of You is the very definition of shimmering. And Lullaby. It's kind of Psych-goth in places, if that is even a thing. Over-long at 72 minutes for certain, but this also adds to its oppressive nature. You do feel swallowed up by this album.

Definitely in my top 100

The music is quite nice, gives me post-rock vibes. The lyrics are interesting, but the lead singer's voice can be irritating. Always sounds like he's straining.

Was pleasantly surprised by this one. The album is definitely a "sad" one, but it works, and doesn't overstay it's welcome.

Absolutely loved this album. Could have been my mood, my years, or the possibility that I didn't feel like I would like 'The Cure', but this album shocked me from the beginning.

Really liked the atmosphere

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

definitely 80's

I love The Cure so much, the band's music will always hold a special place in my gothic heart. This album was pretty stellar and I love the otherworldly sound the band makes. Of course "Lovesong" will always be my favorite from the album, but I'm glad I gave the whole album a full play-through at long last, because it had so many other good songs, some with not nearly as much streams, that I ended up liking a lot, such as "Prayers for Rain." Despite the length of their songs, I don't tire of them because I get swept off my feet in the soundscape each one creates and totally absorbed. <3

According to Wikipedia when this was written the guy was on drugs, and to be fair you can tell. The whole album consists of whining/talking over some dead demo-track sounding guitar and drums. I don’t know how this peaked in the charts. The only explanation I can think of is everyone was collectively depressed that year and felt like being edgy. Well you’re not being edgy, you’ve just got not taste in music.

I really like the shoe gaze vibe from this album. Most songs are something I can listen to anytime.

Lovesong and disintegration have to be two of my favorite songs of all time. I already knew half of this album and i'm happy that i listened to it in full thanks to this site. It's so perfect.

norm

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.

My favorite version of them, the masters of gloomy, gothy, wonderful stuff. I’d only heard the hits from this album but the rest is great, too.

Two good albums in a row, what's happening here.

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.

4.5/5

4.5/5

Lovely album, really captures a mood and some catchy songs

I was familiar with Lovesong. The rest of the album was way too long. I do not need several 8 minute songs. It wasn't that good. No need to revisit.

Ikke helt min kopp te, 80-90-talls sounden med synthene har ikke truffet helt, men det er jo musikk som svinger på sin egen måte

Some filler but still a good Cure album.

Really enjoyed this one.

Sad, white man wanking music. I love it immensely.

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.

Damn, this is some serious sad boy music. Pictures of You kicked me in the guts, then I realised it's because a cover was used on a TAC ad about road fatalities with people holding up pictures of their dead family members. Great song but. This wasn't The Cure album I expected to see on this list. I also didn't realise their big songs were so spread out across albums and a long period of time, I thought they were all concentrated around The Head On The Door.

Bland album

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.

Honestly, this album is the perfect intersection of post-punk, dream pop, gothic rock, and new wave; it does an outstanding job of being a shining example of all of these genres, all in one album (and oftentimes, these genres even intersect in individual songs). All of these genres were done to some extent by The Cure over the years, and this album is really a culmination and reflection of their involvement in all of them. Robert Smith's depression, which he hoped to convey in this album, is incredibly palpable, as the sound is very much dark, dreary, and cold all throughout. This album just has such a presence and a mood about it. Each song conveys that mood and the previously mentioned themes well, and the album as a whole cohesively enhances the experience. Even the song titles are aligned with this vision, each reading as melancholy in their own rights. This isn't an album I would want to listen to ALL of the time. But the artistry and darkness of it all is delicious and irresistible. The whole package is just very well executed.

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

Great!

Dark, gothic, excellent

VIBES

My favorite Cure album which put's it that with my my favorite albums. Easy 5 stars.

One of my favorite Cure albums, and immediately transported me back to the time when it came out. Which was kind of a relief after Just Like Heaven started getting played at frat parties. Back to gloomy songs about being cold, dark, and alone. Probably in the rain.

This is the third Cure album we're doing. As good as the others. I don't think i knew any of these songs going in.

I liked this one about as much as I liked Seventeen Seconds. Good moody, gothy music. Stuff to listen to on a rainy day, by yourself.

The ur album for an entire wave of recent nostalgia music? Well balanced mix of drone-y slow core and goth jangle pop. Like a warm blanket for your ears.

Is it even a question?

8/10 soooo moody in the best ways

8/10. I was expecting this to drag over its long runtime, but it was great to just put on in the background and let wash over me.

Kind of made me feel like shit but in the way that they intended. Not sure how often I’d listen to this but it has a very effective atmosphere and consistent sound despite having lots of long songs. 8/10

This gives me a hint as to why people love the Cure so much.

fairytale like album

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

pleasant indie rock

Atmospheric, emphatic, almost euphoric in it’s melancholy. Absolutely tremendous album. Enjoyed from the first minute to the last! Now, where’s my eyeliner… Easy 4 stars!

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

Some fantastic tracks, all good ones

This a good, but not great album. Something of a concept record, much of it feels repetitive. However, it is punctuated by some strong, and familiar, tracks like Lovesong, Lullaby, and the excellent Fascination Street.

SO ethereal and beautiful I love it...Lullaby is *_* gorgeous. One of the most perfect songs they ever made.

Good album, but a little slow

Was expecting an overhyped eighties album. Got a brilliant album (which is undeniably eighties). 5 stars.

Meh

Post punk, gothic. Although this album is their breakthrough album. The bands music style is a little too gothic for my tastes. Too dark and dismal.

Powerful instrumentals, yet also dreamy. Decent vocals. 12-82 DO COME BACK TO

The instrumental lead, into the vocals on this album were so satisfying. Synths and overall production was nothing short of fantastic. I have never listened a Cure album before. I’m sure I will continue now. Awesome 80s vibe and feel. Really an overall great listen. 4! T3B 1. Lovesong 2. Prayers for Rain 3. Closedown 4. Last Dance

Genre: Gothic Rock Favorite songs: Pictures of you, Lovesong, Lullaby and Fascination Street

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.

harrowing /ˈharəʊɪŋ/ adjective acutely distressing. "a harrowing album about doomed love, addiction and death" downcast /ˈdaʊnkɑːst/ adjective (of a person) feeling despondent. "Robert Smith is quite a downcast character, is he not?" depressive /dɪˈprɛsɪv/ adjective causing feelings of severe despondency and dejection "How depressive the mood is on *Disintegration*!" Goth /ɡɒθ/ noun a style of rock music derived from punk, typically with apocalyptic or mystical lyrics. "The Cure has produced many records that fans of Goth music love, but *Disintegration* is the rare one where said label can be used for the album in full." dreamy /ˈdriːmi/ adjective having a magical or pleasantly unreal quality; dreamlike. "The dreamy atmosphere on The Cure's eighth studio album makes the latter particularly stand out for shoegaze fans." long /lɒŋ/ adjective lasting or taking a great amount of time. "The Cure loved to play long tracks with repetitive patterns at the end of the eighties, thereby providing many hypnotic cuts for their fans." disintegration /dɪsˌɪntɪˈɡreɪʃn/ noun the process of losing cohesion or strength. "As rambling and shapeless as The Cure' *Disintegration* may seem on first listens, with its lengthy cuts and ever-circling vocal lines, its entopic music actually mirrors the album's artistic point (and lyrical intent): taking a series of snapshots of a soul slowly dissolving." Number of albums left to review: 695 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 148 (including this one, with a 4.5/5 grade, here rounded up to 5/5) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 71 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 85

Love the Cure!

A Gothic classic.

Robert Smith is a mopey genius.

The Cure strike a unique and dreamy sonic atmosphere throughout the record, lending many of the tracks not only an otherworldly quality but a thread of consistency through the various musical ideas the record explores. Lyrically the album is consistently engrossing and evocative. The back half of the record in particular (Fascination Street onwards) is a very strong statement and breaks a bit of the haze, lack of distinction, and bloat that the tracks on front half suffered from to a degree (mind, a very slight degree). This is a dark, brooding, swirling listen that draws you strongly into Smith's sound world and psyche. If there's a fault to take, it's that the albums overall length, particularly when combined with such specifically styled production, can feel a little excessive. Favorite Tracks: Fascination Street Prayers for Rain* Homesick

Love love love this

Very cool

man i loved this album when i was in high school lmao i still do, just not as much. this album is perfect for a tragic period of lost love and mourning, but it does NOT hit the same when you’re in a stable relationship still respect the craft and the experimentation. the cure is widely regarded as post-rock/new wave essentials for a reason. love u robert

This album is worth five stars just for Pictures of You. The rest of it is almost irrelevant. I mean, fortunately the rest of the album isn't bad.

alternativo demais pra mim… n tankei

Non mi piace la voce di Smith, non è il loro miglior album

My first 5!!

Nice flashback album I hadn’t heard in many years!

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

I loved this album about 10 years ago; I remember playing "Fascination Street" at a Halloween party and it went down a treat. I think it's got even better in the intervening years; it's beautifully desolate. Had I been born 10 years earlier, I would have been the biggest Cure fan.

Excellent album

This was really good. Not really listened to much of The Cure but I enjoyed this

that's 8:20 of my life I'll never get back very repetitive not even in a trance way pass for me

I like this. Nice walls of synth pop

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

Not very good

is good

These British sadboys need to have shorter intros and outros. There is absolutely no reason for these songs to be as long as they are.

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.

Sounds really good production-wise. Love the minimalistic ambient sound.

Musical perfection. I have no funny quip for this one, it's just genuinely one of the best albums of all time.

Quite good to start with, but drags a lot with very long songs

Heard this album in Rs500 and I'm not going to do it again. It was fine, a little dull, with some really good parts. 3/5

With a spattering of gothic melancholy and a healthy dose of New Wave, the Cure manage to make one of their more complete albums. Playing host to not only the darker melodies of want and sadness, this is also home to several of their larger songs and radio-friendly hits. While pushing the genre and innovating music the Cure were able to make their own path with albums like this.

Honestly I was excited to hear something I was familiar with but it was kind of a disappointment. I thought his voice sounded droopy and dragged along. Obviously they have talent and they were generally good but to me it wasn’t anything special.

The idea of me ~30 yrs ago giving The Cure any respect whatsoever is hilarious; I was so stupidly-prejudiced against this band that I never gave them any semblance of a chance while I was basking in late 80s loud/turn it up to 11 guitar rock. Robert Smith's kinda whiny and somewhat prancy British vocals :P were an immediate and stubborn NOPE for me - "man somebody get me some David Lee Roth dammit." Times change but the music remains for me to have re-evaluated many many times over and this album is awesome - no apologies to 17 yr old me. I knew years ago I'd like the Cure as soon as I'd set my mind to it - moody synths combined with minor-key guitar riffs and emotional vocals - there's nothing *not* to like for me, even (or even especially?) while still affirming any semblance of guitar-worship I once had. There are so many hilites here - starting with the perfect album opener "Plainsong" - lush and melodic but (of course) at the same time moody and sad; it washes over the listener giving a perfect intro to the next hour. "Pictures of You" and "Lovesong" were/are the perfect singles and really hold up ... "Last Dance" has almost an 80s/modern prog feel at times - not unlike Marillion in parts ... the hypnotic and almost evil-sounding "Prayers for Rain" might be my favourite. I haven't heard this in its entirety in years and one of the great aspects that strikes me is that it sounds both from the 80s yet not *of* the 80s. It's not nearly as dated as I'd expected. If I had one complaint it's that it runs too long for my liking - ideally would have cut maybe 2-3 of the uber-long tracks at the end - but with no bad cuts this is still an easy keeper. 9/10 4 stars