Disintegration - The Cure
Revisiting "The Best Album Ever"
As The Cure returns to form with Songs of a Lost World and introduces itself to a new generation, those of use who were there for the first time around are reminded why they are so important. I felt this was the perfect time to revisit just how important Disintegration and Robert Smith’s band generally was, not just to popular music but more specifically to the goth subculture.
^Yep. This is one of those must own on vinyl albums for me.
Through their career The Cure cover immense territory (they were originally a punk band), so I am going to focus on what is to me their most important work, Disintegration. In the infamous words of Kyle Broflovski, “Disintegration is the Best Album Ever”. I agree that it is definitely up there.
There has never been an album like Disintegration. Considered to be the keystone of the Cure’s Dark Trilogy (Pornography, Disintegration and Bloodflowers), it was popularly acclaimed reaching #3 on the British charts. Proving that reviewers can get it really wrong, Rolling Stone gave it 3.5 stars (from 5). While the four singles Lullaby, Lovesong, Pictures of You and Fascination street were commercially successful with Lullaby charting at 5, it is the depth of the album and its coherence as an LP that stands it alone. There are a few albums that are just end to end beautiful and interesting (e.g. Air’s Moon Safari, Portishead Dummy), and Disintegration is one of them. Some of the best tracks were only ever released on an album including the amazing Same Deep Water as You and introduction Plainsong. The former remains my favourite Cure track.
The album is also a lesson in context, as its dark qualities largely stemmed from Robert Smith struggling with his impending old age (he was turning 30). I expect this would almost be amusing to the modern Robert Smith some 35 years later. It was also a time of immense change for the band as long term and founding member Lol Tolhurst was booted from the band during recording due to his unmanageable alcoholism. Touring keyboardist Roger O’Donnell received his full time membership at about the same time.
The album may seem like the last gasp of the 80’s, but it is fairer to consider it a new start for the 90s. It is immensely important in terms of youth culture as, beyond its popular appeal, The Cure were central to the goth subculture (which would subsequently be diminished and misidentified as Emo - Not bitter about this at all). These were times when being different was immensely isolating, especially in regional Australia, and subcultures and music were how we found our tribe. Music was connection, and for the relationships we formed we would endure full length black clothing, even in an Australian summer.
If you haven’t listened to disintegration for a while, or you have never had the pleasure, take the time. Turn off your socials. Don’t multi task. Do nothing else. Sit in a comfortable chair, with or without a glass of whiskey. Play it on vinyl if you possibly can. Start at Plainsong, through pictures of you and closedown and slip away. Come up for air with Fascination Street and sink again into Prayers for Rain, and Same Deep Water as you. Float on through to Homesick and Untitled.
Dark, deep and beautiful.