Disintegration

More poppy than I’d anticipated!

An indulgently long record that ray-gunned my misconception of The Cure as well-made novelty pop: this is submarine chamber music, chilly in mood, obscure in intent, but irresistible with its thick layers of synth, bass and guitar distortion, R Smith’s vocals reaching up from under. During my formative years much scorn was directed at The Cure and any man who dabbled with eyeliner, Cobain aside, and I drank it in. My unease admitting to this prejudice has been softened by my wife’s reaction on seeing a photo of The Cure on the hotel TV screen, on which I finished this playthrough: “Oh what nice make-up you’re wearing. Are you 15? Oh no, my mistake, you’re 60. Hahaha. Get a grip!” She was born a year or so before this came out. O goths, one day a generation will come that will love you.

Disntegration came out the month I graduated - I spent that summer prior to going to college with my brother in Belmont Shore in Long Beach, CA. I had been previously familiar with their Head in the Door Album and their dark, but pop-oriented sound. My favorite station that summer was KROQ and of course they played plenty of the Cure and so much of the New Wave I was so into and loved it. At that time I didn't pick up the album and this is the first time I've given it a full listen. This does have a much darker feel in comparison to Head in the Door and Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. Many of the songs have moody instrumentals at the beginning before the lyrics come in and creates a wistful atmosphere. Lullaby and Fascination Street remain my hands down favorites, but I have new favorites in Prayers for Rain and Homesick. I suspect this will get better over time for me.

Good album has a pretty distinct vibe about it. Of course Lovesong is great, but I really liked Lullaby and Fascination Song.

Music was great, took a while to get into the vocals (controversial I know)

Really sets a mood. Not mad at it.

Fun but long.

Love song is an instantly recognizable classic that I had forgotten about. Thanks 1001albumsgenerator.com

Disco de calidad de The Cure. Grupo molón y disco molón.

The first half was great. The second half was good with the exception of 2 songs I didn't really like. But all in all, really good album.

Good stuff

Wasnt that impressed the first time I heard it, or with the first couple of songs. But after a few listened I like disintegration and the long songs with extended instrumental parts.

Lovely smooth sound. None of the songs reallyy captured me.

brooding new wave pastel Brit rock with Morrissey-style vocals. Overstays its welcome with some long tracks towards the end, but Lovesong is a legendary song

Music probably would be better knowing more about context, but without that it's merely fine.

Gothic sadboy goodness

Classic the cure

För långa låtar och för navelskådande. Helt rätt helt enkelt.

Great cohesive album.

sublime…this album was the soundtrack to losing a glove and the journey it toom to try to find it. i didn’t find it but i did end up finding a new pair of even better gloves. this album is kinda like that. fantastic instrumentation, lyrics, overall vibe is soothing for a sad boy. too long of course but it might he justified. there’s only like one or two true bangers here but not a bad song.

Man, few things take me back to 1989 than this album. The emotion, the melancholy, the synths.

Void submerged me in a good way.

I have an idea for when this will truly resonate. It isn't right now. But I'm excited for that moment!

<3

Good album, not my fav but it stays in the playlist

Great album, super atmospheric. Fav track: lullaby

Didn't know The Cure got so proggy! Had really only listened to the hits comp and this showcases much more versatility while retaining some hooky hits. Not a brain-breaker but really enjoyed! Fave track: Prayers for Rain

Rock, alternative. La chitarra accompagna l'ascoltatore in questo splendido viaggio dove ogni melodia sembra comunicare qualcosa e creare un profondo senso di sollievo. In questa splendida armonia, l'unico elemento leggermente ripetitivo sono le voci.

This was an interesting and diverse album. The tracks alternated between instrumentals, pop rock/new wave, and a gloomy, or perhaps psychedelic, dark rock. This album birthed such hits, such as "Pictures of You" and "Lovesong," transcended time

Some of it is great, the rest is good. I don't have the patience for all of the songs. Favorite song: lullaby

Opening song is killer. Pretty great album. Lots of fun listening to it.

Anyone who disagrees with listening to music in its Album format clearly hasn’t listened to this album.

I liked it

Lovely

I absolutely love the depressive, ethereal mood of this, and the complementary textures of synth and guitar. The sound is quite spacious and organic feeling, and yet the mood is oppressively downbeat. It's a strong album, with nice attention to detail whichever instrument you focus on. I like Smith's voice quite a lot, and it's instantly recognisable and evocative. The album feels too long for me at 72 mins, and there's definitely some fat/repetition that could have been shaved off to make this perfect. 4*

Very cool

Not my thinking but actually interesting

Extremely solid record. Has a dark, almost psychedelic feel to it. Even the more pop-oriented tracks are strong. One thing that I've found out through listening to the albums on this list is that I really like The Cure.

8/10, great album, reflective music if I’m a bit down

интересно, но паттерны слишком легко просчитываются под конец

Yas to more pretentious sad girl music. I do love The Cure, so excited to dive into this album. My first thoughts are that it feels very scenic and more like background chill vibes, which I still really enjoy. All songs have a super long intro, which I feel like I can get annoyed by. Both album and songs seem longer than they need to be? The album starts strong for me and trails off by the end, feeling like songs were similar to the last. Didn't love: Last Dance, Close Down, Prayers for Rain Loved: Plainsong - good for high vibes Pictures of you Lovesong - slaps Lullaby - most diff on the album, really enjoyed though Disintegration Untitled

Fun fact: there was a brief period of time in which I called The Cure my favorite band despite knowing less than a dozen songs by them. As much as I loathe that principle, I find there's something endearing about its innocence. Album #9. As much as I admire what's going on here, I tend to prefer The Cure in tight pop mode, which I think is fair given that mode has produced some of the best singles of all time. Still, this has impeccable (impeccable!) atmosphere for days, even if the languid song structure can feel repetitive. Most of these tracks taken in isolation are perfectly devastating; put them together and I start to feel lost. Still, this is more than just an early influence, it's a fully-formed work on its own, and I'm glad to have finally heard it.

Great pop music. Very atmospheric. Better than expected.

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this album. I liked the synth in it and how it just had this grove. Some of the vocals I could have gone with out but overall I’ll have to check more of the cure out.

I like this album more than I thought I would. While it’s a pretty sad sounding album, there’s a lot of pretty musical moments. The vocals weren’t bad, but often the weaker parts of the album for me. I’ll likely return to this. 4/5

Very introspective, seems like the root of a lot of things that came after

atmospheric

My toddler wanted to know the name of multiple songs and he danced through the whole thing, but he had a meltdown through 2 songs for unrelated reasons. 4/5

Lots of "the hits" on this album. One or two I'd not heard. Plainsong was a surprising opener for the album. Much better than I expected it to be based on its name.

Really strong album that, surprisingly perhaps, has aged very well - a lot here even beyond the hits. (Though the music video for Lullaby used to give me nightmares as a kid).

Schönes, melancholisch aber nicht deprimierendes Album, typisch Cure.

7/10, very experimental, but i do like other albums from them more. Lovesong is one of my favorite songs.

cold, and dark, and ominous. And with some bangers. But thats it, for me at least

Really liked this one. Feels like the precursor to the indie bands Plainsong, Pictures of you, Love Song

Lullaby song MUST have been the inspo for Charlie’s spider song on Its Always Sunny In Philadelphia, surely. This is pretty good I don’t actively seek out The Cure beyond the obvious hits (Friday I’m In Love, Boys Don’t Cry) but I found some bangers in here for sure. Don’t love how LONG most of the songs are but whatever!

I am ashamed to admit I never listened to a Cure album before. This was really good and something I will definitely come back to again.

I liked this one more than I thought I would. As someone who owns a shit ton of emo/pop-punk, I was familiar with The Cure as a big influence on a bunch of my favorite bands, but I'd only heard a few of their original songs before (I've heard a bunch of covers). This still sounded very much like an album from the 80s, but it was also pretty good.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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}.

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

7.5/10

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.

TIL The Cure are boss :O

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

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!

Sweet album! Pictures of You.

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

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

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

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

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

- 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

Dark, mysterious and ethereal. Highlight was Plainsong.

actually really good

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.

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..

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?

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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-

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.

really enjoy!

A classic 80s album

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

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.

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

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.

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

Atmosferisch

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

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.

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)

Good

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

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

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

norm

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

4.5/5

Lovely album, really captures a mood and some catchy songs

Some filler but still a good Cure album.

Really enjoyed this one.

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.

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.

Dark, gothic, excellent

VIBES

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

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

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

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

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

I like this. Nice walls of synth pop

is good

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

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.

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

The Cure har något

WOOOOOOOHOOOO

Probably my favorite Cure record, idk Pornography’s up there as a favorite too, but still, a great record overall

Initial Favorites: pictures of you, love song, disintegration, homesick Disliked:

Like it!

Intro 700 minuuttia - sama kitara - puhelaulu. Tylsää, mutta toimii. Etenkin marraskuussa. Lovesong on huippu.

Another really good album by these guys. And this time you get a full 72 minutes. Exactly what LP should mean!

Good.

Wey good

back half of the album hit the spot

Good. Enjoyed the instrumental parts. Would listen to it again

4.5 stars. What I love about the cure is that they take what made the 80s great ( over the top, moody, and reverberating sounds) and combine that with music and lyrics that have aged well.

Never really heard the cure much but damn if that wasnt a reminder of how much alone one can be even when surrounded by people and yet it is ok to feel that way. my take anyway

A powerful dark and looming, yet saccharine sweet and lush at the same time - very representative of the Cure o general. The wonderful Fascination Street, Pictures of You, Lullaby and of course Lovesong are just a perfect example of Robert Smith bass-driven and gorgeous pop songwriting - and on the flip side Plainsong and Closedown among the rest of the album tracks are seriously strong musical pieces. My only gripe is it is a tiny bit too long - and some songs overstay their welcome a little - which while this is a close to perfect album makes it JUST miss the mark for me.

This is the album to listen to when you want to indulge your depression or after a recent break up. I love that there is not a single song that is written by a template. Listening to the instruments for 2 mins be fire lyrics comes in. The change in lyrical patterns. I was thinking of Robert Smith the 80’s version of Jim Morrison. Some are very obscure and worth delving I. To their meaning and the passion of the intonation. My first album happened to be one I owned already. 😀

One of the seminal gothic rock albums that they tried to go back into that 'indie' space, away from the commercial success, however it just catapulted them into the full force of the mainstream. This album as a whole is decidedly depressing, with the use of slow synthesisers and guitar progressions, it allowed Smith to really get into his feels. However there are glimpses of some more - well I wouldn't call it upbeat, perhaps not as depressing - songs. It feels like they are at their most comfortable throughout this record. Best: Pictures of You Worst: The Same Deep Water As You

First time listening to a full album by the cure, really enjoyed the variety of styles that still held together as a cohesive album. Pictures of you was a real highlight. 4.5 stars.

Classic cure sound, some bangers, some songs just blend in. P dope

One of their most best (and most depressing) albums, rated by me as: best is Pornograhy (5 stars), then The Top (5 stars) en then this one (4 stars). Hope Pornography shows up one of these days in the 1001 albums.

Great album but feel some songs could of been more dynamic with shorter time

I have never heard this in full before, despite knowing the highlights from their Mixed Up versions. I was really into The Cure at a young age (before this!) and the late '80s/early 90's stuff passed me by. Sounds fantastic as a whole, would probably have been into it in a big way at the time if I was paying attention!

Very good!

Enjoyed the album! The Cure is growing on me.

Nice vibes. No big hitters.

Lots of great singles I remember.

this album takes me back to high school. so moody, but often danceable. easy to get lost in. favorite tracks: fascination street and disintegration.

Some great tracks but the album drags a little due to its length. I now like the Cure more than I thought I did which is neat

Interesting. Not sure I could listen to the whole album again since it all sounds so repetitive, but not bad.

proposal: goth as a musical genre is primarily about clothes. the group of pasty faced people rockin bed head wearin all black, maybe some chains? whatever they're listening to? that's goth how else do you get a connection between the cure and marilyn manson??

Definitely have listened to this album before. I really gotta dig into the back half of this album. The front is phenomenal, but the album kinda meanders with those 8-9 minute jams at the end. 4/5

The cure, estilo propio. Dos megahits.

I think The Cure and I were more in sync in 1989 than in 1982. I found this a much more interesting, enjoyable, and engaging album than Pornography. "Lovesong" has always been one of my favorite songs (very much including when sung by Adele). I still might struggle some with Robert Smith's voice, but I think it is in a really good setting here with the band's arrangements. I was not familiar with most of the other songs, but I found "Lullaby" to be an interesting, creepy piece with Smith using his voice in a different way. I enjoyed this.

I didn’t think I much liked The Cure but the first half of this album had me thinking it was going to get 5-stars from me. It kind of wore out its welcome after about 30 minutes but I really did love the first half.

Similar to their other album, lovingly created music. Missing stand out thrilling tunes to be a 5 but could listen to this over and over.

Blir da cure te høsten eller?

Goth but also v 80s in its sounds

Topzwaar, maar wel echt steengoed.

Geweldige band en erg tof album👍

This is the third cure album here (I think?) and none of them disappoint. It does exactly what you'd expect. Like the sisters of mercy if they were bullied at school. Only gripes are that the production is thin, and it's over an hour. Still, 4/5.

Moody, inquisitive, gets right to me. Probably my favourite Cure album. Also, between Lovesong and Lullaby, it packs some hit heat in addition to its epics (and I'm a sucker for good long pieces).

Genre: Gothic Rock 4/5 One of the best rock albums from the 80s, and a perfect swan song for the decade, The Cure hit it out of the park with Disintegration. A real full-length gem, with dark and atmospheric qualities, heavy on brooding synths and echoey guitars. Robert Smith, whose voice and lyrics are on the album, are some of the best the decade has to offer. Themes of introspection and loneliness adds to the overall heaviness of the instrumentation. There are big choruses on every track, and overall the songs have some real influential production and arrangements, telegraphing a lot of what made early 90s alt rock so popular. While I chose to listen to the CD version, a 72-minute, 12-track version, the only real problem that comes with this album is the general runtime of most of the tracks. As beautiful as some moments are on songs like The Same Deep Water..., with fairly standard arrangements and not too many mood or tempo changes, the 9+ minute runtime is felt as the song progresses. Nitpicking aside, the album starting off with Plainsong and Pictures of You, one of the best 1-2 punches of the decade and two Dream Pop essentials, is a real treat. Other highlights, the title track and the big hit Lullaby, make this a well-rounded experience, but the overall length of the project as a whole made it feel a little too droning at times. Very good album that I will certainly look forward to listening to again soon.

Faith is one of my all time faves and I was always disappointed in their later stuff thinking they were basically a pop band with a safe Goth pose. However I've listened to this 3 times today and each time it's grown more on me. It's still the same couple of famous tracks and a few weaker songs like most albums but the remaining ditties are quite varied and interesting. It's basically a quite sophisticated sound.

n/a

Het album van the cure met denk wel de meeste hits, steengoed en goede vibe

listened to again there's something about the synths on this album that i really like

Not their best, but I still love it.

Love the cure. Not their best Cover art 3/5

A Gen X classic - I had this on a pirate cassette tape bought in Indonesia. The Cure were huge in Australia in the 80s and 90s. This album still creates the same mood now, but I can understand if it doesn't work so well for younger listeners.

Moody and melancholy but also muscular rock. Lead singer Robert Smith is great — so expressive! I like that the songs aren’t afraid to take their time. The album is long but I don’t think there’s any filler here.

Great album, surprisingly sparse? Really didn't expect so much instrumental outtros and intros but I thought it was nice. It's a tight album! I love this super emo kind of sound when taken real seriously and they take it seriously I think.

Return to miserabilist form after a few years from 'Faith'

4.0 - For me, this one doesn’t quite live up to the hype, mostly because it drags at certain stretches (e.g. the beginning of the title track). Still, it’s got “Pictures of You” and “Lovesong”, which are among the best pop songs ever. Porl Thompson sounds incredible on guitar.

The masters of misery appear with their goth love songs. However miserable they are though they never forget a melody. Cry in to your tea while listening to this band. Best Tracks: Pictures of You; Lovesong; Fascination Street

As a whole album it captures every facet of the cure. A sweeping and lush often morose sound, but gorgeous with it. A gem.

Good album - one of the best of the genre.

Definitely enjoyed the instrumentals and the whole vibe. Would be perfect for a rainy drive.

I had only heard The Cure on radio - so only their hits. Hearing this full LP was a pleasant surprise.

The best Cure album I think, certainly of the ones I've heard. Probably too miserable for some but its a perfect execution of what they were going for

Great album. A little long for my liking as it's a 70 minutes single album. Regardless I really enjoyed it. Most tracks sound pretty same-ish but all of them are very wrll made and it doesn't make the monotonous.

Świetny, mroczny (w większości) klimat The Cure. Album dość spójny brzmieniowo i choć nie jestem największym fanem wokalu Smitha to na pewno jeszcze wrócę do tego albumu.

A pleasant experience. Liked the sophisticated melodies and ethereal vocals. Album didn't drag by despite being more than an hour long. Will likely come back to it in the future.

Z The Cure mam jeden problem - nigdy nie miałem wystarczającej depresji, żeby słuchanie takiej muzyki sprawiało mi przyjemność lub bym chociaż zrozumiał motyw za nią stojący. Mimo kilku znanych, radiowych utworów w zdecydowanie żywszym i weselszym wydaniu, Disintegration jest wręcz na pokaz depresyjne. Kilka utworów wyrywa się z tego schematu, po kolei - Pictures of You, Love Song i Lullaby. Druga z nich do płyty nie pasuje w ogóle, co moim zdaniem sprawia, że jest na niej najlepsza - a zaraz po niej Lullaby. Wokal Smitha pasuje o wiele bardziej do poprockowych, chwytliwych kawałków, niż ciężkiej w brzmieniu muzyki. Jak zawsze w skali ocen brakuje mi połówek, opisowo daję 3.5 - ocenę podciągnę jednak do 4 gwiazdek, bo album jest spójny, przemyślany, wprowadza wiele warstw muzycznych i po prostu dobrze brzmi.

Całkiem przyjemne, spokojne nutki. Album zawiera większość najpopularniejszych utworów więc nic dziwnego, że się tu znalazł.

Bardzo przyjemny album. Bardzo spójny i ma niesamowitą atmosferę (szczególnie jeśli by go słuchać na spacerku w jakiś deszczowy dzień). Oczywiście to czysto subiektywne, ale nie zgodziłbym się, że jest depresyjny - z pewnością jednak zdolny do wywoływania intensywnych emocji, również negatywnych. Od strony technicznej jest to bardzo solidne. Krążek reprezentuje fajny dualizm - jest kilka hitów, a jednocześnie całościowo jest spójny i utwory są do siebie dość podobne brzmieniowo. Jakoś nigdy nie słuchałem sporo The Cure, a jak już to innych kawałków raczej, lecz cieszę się, że to się zmieniło. Z chęcią wrócę. Myślę, że dałbym 4.5 jakbym mógł, a tak poprzestanę przy solidnym 4

Cure 101

Wow, I'm kind of shocked to say that I've found an album by The Cure that I really like. Music from The Cure was, I thought, not really my thing: too dour and depressing. But apparently I hadn't been listening to the right albums/songs.That's not to say that some of the songs don't make me feel a little down, but it's not a wholly unpleasant experience. The beats and instrumentals are really, really good throughout, and songs like 'Lovesong,' 'Plainsong,' and 'Pictures of You' stand out as exemplary music. Hell, I'm having trouble finding a song on here I don't like. The album, however, does feel a bit front-loaded. It's not that the second half is bad, but it just doesn't stand out as much as the first half.

Das beste the cure Album, zwar etwas lang, aber hat halt die besten Songs mit Abstand. Kann da jetzt sonst nicht viel zu sagen, aber habs letztens eh nochmal gehört, kann sein, dass ichs heute nicht mal mehr anschmeiß.

curto o som deles, mas não chega a um 5 por não empolgar tanto

Hmm I’m surprisingly into this. So easy to listen to, great instrumentals, vocals are solid.

Ugh, I didn't want to be depressed today...

It's good, I like it. Very different to what I was expecting, not so hard and angsty, more new romantic and morose. Very sadboy but enjoyable.

His arms are all around me and his tongue in my eye! Classic. 4/5

The progression of this album as an entire piece I found really interesting and cohesive. I'm not sure if I need to listen again but I enjoyed it in the moment.

I really enjoyed this and will definitely be listening again. I much preferred it to the previous Cure album we had. I see what Luke means that the Cure really did copy the style of New Order and Joy Division, particuarlyl the first song was so like JD I couldn't believe it! Regardless, if that's what made it good I don't mind.

I do really like the Cure. I thoroughly enjoy the whole thing but I don't really know what any of the songs are about and it does mostly sound the same, but sounds good the same.

The best cure album for me, Lullaby, Disintegration and Pictures of You are beautiful songs. The cure are still a bit to drab for me in places to be 5 stars but I enjoyed it a lot

Uuuh, been looking forward to this one. "Lovesong" and "Pictures Of You" are incredibly powerful songs if you can relate it to something. Or someone. The low frequencies gets kind of samey after a while and a little dizzying to listen to, but overall a hard-hitting melancholic cure for love that's unreciprocated or impossible. Very long songs, but they wouldn't feel complete unless they were. Very good. I don't appreciate when artists just calls their songs Untitled. Especially when the song that gets depreciated with that honor is so nice. I just heard a lot of Adele's music including her cover of lovesong yesterday, too often it feels like this website is collecting cookies haha. low 4, cool atmosphere.

The vocalist (Robert Smith) is quite moody with his delivery of the lyrics. Pounding drums create a very 80s sound. Lots of good effects and editing.

Somehow all new to me. Brooding, but enjoyable. I particularly enjoyed 'Lullaby'

dark and brilliant - very close to a 5

January 19th 2022. The best of this album IMO: - Pictures of You - Lovesong - Lullaby - The Same Deep Water As You It's dark, mostly slow, I like it... It's a mood... Songs are long but it doesn't bother me this time. 3.8/5

One of those albums that manage to grab listeners attention from start to finish. It's like one song with different type of levels flowing to one another flawlessly.

El mas The Cure de los discos de The Cure. Pictures of you, que joya! Me sorprende que ninguno de los singles más conocidos y escuchados en la radio del grupo haya salido de este disco.

Many years ago I was scuba diving off the coast of Luxembourg. A young Japanese girl by the name of Stacey approached me and broke down in tears. Her father, a former book salesman had recently passed and she wanted to keep his memory alive by riding my penis underwater, I'm not sure how the two events were linked. Anyway, six hours passed and she swam away gleefully. I never saw her again.

4.5

Quite a fan of the Cure so not a new listen. Will never not be amazed at just how modern so many of the cures songs still sound.

Atmospheric goth rock at its best

This album is something of a triumphant and thematic return to the black and mawkish aesthetic they had explored in the early 1980s, the culmination of almost every musical direction The Cure had ever explored. (7/10) FT: Love Song, Pictures Of You

There a few good tunes on here, but they all start to sound the same to me after a while, no very innovative within their feel

Moody, early goth. Unfortunately it was so long that it detracted from my overall listening experience of what should have been a knock it out of the park sound.

Always love this band.

I didn't like it a ton during the first few songs: I found the songs' composition to be very simplistic and not that interesting. But as the album progressed, I became hypnotized by some of the darker songs. I REALLY enjoyed the mood of a lot of the songs here. Though I didn't find the music as complex as I tend to like; it was very slow at times and not very technically impressive. But the album flows very well. Some really enjoyable soundscapes. One of the best 80s albums I've heard that doesn't fall under rock/metal. I really struggled with whether to give a 4 or 5, it was close.

J'ai passé un excellent moment en compagnie de ces joyeux gothiques. Bien malheureusement, celui-ci a été gâché par mon rival et compagnon d'écoute elclapet. Voici comment il s'y est pris. Hier, comme vous le savez, la plateforme Spotify donnait la possibilité à chacun d'accéder à un récapitulatif de son année musicale. J'appris très vite par l'intermédiaire de connaissances communes qu'elclapet avait écouté exactement 2505 artistes différents au cours de l'année. N'ayant pas bien conscience de ce que cela représentait, je m'en allai voir combien j'en avais moi-même écouté, pensant tout naturellement que j'allais battre ce chiffre à plate couture. Quelle ne fut pas ma surprise de découvrir que le mien n'était que de 1188. Fou de rage, j'appelai immédiatement Robert pour lui demander comment cela était possible. Ce dernier connaissant très bien le PDG de Spotify Daniel Ek, il l'appela en direct tout en me laissant assister à la conversation. Au fil de celle-ci, Ek nous signala qu'en effet, un problème venait d'être détecté sur le compte d'elclapet. Pour que vous compreniez la suite de cette critique de The Cure, je me dois de vous donner quelques éléments de contexte. Elclapet travaille depuis plusieurs années en tant que démarcheur pakistanais au sein d'une entreprise de télécom. Il appelle en effet à longueur de journée des clients potentiels situés aux quatre coins du globe pour leur proposer différents services proposés par son entreprise, en empruntant un très fort accent indien que d'aucuns jugeraient d'extrêmement raciste s'il était entendu hors des murs de son lieu de travail. Parallèlement à cette mission, elclapet travaille de nuit comme conseiller au service après vente de la marque afin de boucler ses fins de mois. Les clients font donc la queue au bout du fil pour le joindre et tenter de régler des problèmes liés à leurs forfaits ou à leurs téléphones (très bas de gamme, il faut le dire). Une fois la situation précaire d'elclapet évoquée et parfaitement claire pour vous, je peux reprendre là où j'en étais. Le PDG de Spotify appela donc le service après vente de l'entreprise d'elclapet en laissant Robert et moi en ligne. « Si vous voulez vous abonner à ce qu'on propose, tapez 1. Si vous voulez être mis en relation avec un de nos conseillers pakistanais parmi lesquels elclapet, tapez 2. » proposa la boîte vocale. Ek choisit la deuxième option. « Si vous voulez être mis en relation avec n'importe lequel de nos conseillers pakistanais, tapez 1. Si c'est elclapet que vous voulez, tapez 2. » proposa ensuite la voix. Le PDG choisit encore une fois la deuxième option et fut connecté à la ligne d'elclapet : « Tuuuuut. Tuuuuuut. Tuuuuut. *décroche le téléphone* Bijour Missié ici ci elclapé commé jpé foussédé ? - Bonjour, je vous appelle au sujet d'un problème au sujet de mon téléphone. - Kississé comm problém ? - Je n'arrive plus à l'ouvrir - Kississé comme tép dé téléphoun ? - Un téléphone à trapèze. - Tré bieng, ji vou mé on attenté. Tuuut. Tuuuut. » Robert et moi demandâmes alors à Daniel Ek ce qu'il avait pensé de cette conversation. Celui-ci nous confia que pendant toute la durée de l'appel, il était écrit sur son ordinateur qu'elclapet streamait au même moment différentes playlists sur son application. « Ci bon missié ji soui drétrour... - ... Excusez-moi elclapet, êtes-vous concentré sur mon problème de téléphone où êtes-vous en train d'écouter de la musique ? - Ji souis cocentré sir vou. - Vous me jurez que vous n'écoutez pas de la musique ? - Ji fou lé jire. » Elclapet venait d'avouer. Il travaillait donc en laissant son application enchaîner les chansons sans les écouter. « Vous êtes en état d'arrestation, elclapet. Tout ce que vous direz avec un accent indien pourra être retenu contre vous. » déclara Daniel Ek à mon compère pris la main dans le sac. Elclapet passa la journée suivante en garde à vue et fut relâché le lendemain, Robert ayant payé la caution de son protégé avec un goût extrêmement amer et une déception incommensurable.

Such a great album, bringing back so many great memories, this is The Cure at their very best, rich and melodic, with Robert Smith’s characteristic vocals at the front of the mix, ably supported by a beautifully tight and menacing musical soundtrack. This is a classic Top tracks: Fascination Street, Plainsong, Pictures of You, Disintegration

Not totally my style but appreciate it

The best of the Cure albums on the list although I probably would have enjoyed this less had I been listening on a bright sunny day. It's better suited for night time wallowing.

Atmospheric, very deep themes of love with depressing undertones Fav tracks: plainsong, love song, last dance, fascination Street, same deep water as you

Sags a little in the middle third.

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Lovesong

This was a great album, liked it more than I thought I would

I dig it

Pleasantly surprised, but not in love w/ the vocals.

Robert Smith describes this record better than I could on its opening track - "It's so cold". Not cold as in without soul or devoid of feeling - in fact this album provokes lots of feelings - sadness, heartache, pain, and even hope. The music feels frigid, yet it's remarkably relatable and impactful. "Plainsong" is a beautiful opener. "Pictures of You" is for me the most lyrically potent track. It's long, but enjoyable all the way through. "Lovesong" is quite the dramatic mood shift, yet there are still somber undertones to this track that fit it in nicely with the gloominess of the rest of the album. The instrumentation across the album has a lot of reverb and a lot of repetitive layers, which creates lots of physical space on each song. This sound is what pulls each record together and allows for the album to sound sonically cohesive. I really love the subtle touch to the transition between "Prayers For Rain" and "The Same Deep Water As You" where the narrator of the first track begs for rain and in the beginning of the next track, it begins to thunder and pour. It's minor additions like that that bring life to this album.

Toll!

Das fand ich viel viel besser als erwartet

Понравился, красиво и мелодично

I don't recall owning this CD or cassette, but I felt an strong connected to each one of these songs. This will be going into rotation for me.

The sound is set out early and they run with it all the way. Hypnotic stuff.

sounds relaxing, there are beautiful space in sound, typical for The Cure, good album in general

I enjoyed this more now, remembering my youth, than I remember enjoying it then. Some great songs, such as Spiderman.

very spooky!

1. Wow I did not expect this sound

I only knew of "Close to me" before this, so the overall vibe of the album was somewhat surprising. It was excellent though, I love the singer's voice, the synths, and the wafting depressingness of it was in sync with my current surrounds, so it worked for me. Favourite song: Homesick

Moody but uplifting at the same time. The epic sound of the 80's bowing out.

Great album

It was way better than I thought. Not really my style but good for working.

The cure, estilo propio. Dos megahits.

Herkenbare sound van 'The Cure' met heel wat deprimerende tekst en muziek. Wel een goed album, maar niet meteen iets om spontaan nog eens op te leggen

Good jam band music

30th July 2021 Listened on my way to Ryder's wedding!! It is amazing, it's urgent and glamorous and emotional. I think the more listens it gets the more it will reward you.