Disintegration (studio album) by The Cure

This was the first album I had listened to by The Cure. Judging by the name, and album artwork, it was nothing to what I expected. Truly brilliant, especially how most times when I listen to a new album, I’ll get bored near the end, even more so after many more previous albums, as this was my fourth on this day. Yet I was never bored, and held me to the end.

The Cure's masterpiece, a complete journey and for sure one of my favorite albums to listen from start to finish. Here are my ratings:

1. Pictures Of You 100/100
2. Lullaby 99/100 -> 100/100
3. Fascination Street 98/100 -> 100/100
4. Disintegration 98/100 -> 100/100
5. Lovesong 96/100 -> 100/100
6. Plainsong 94/100 -> 95/100
7. Untitled 91/100 -> 95/100
8. Prayers For Rain 90/100
9. The Same Deep Water As You 89/100 -> 90/100
10. Closedown 88/100 -> 90/100
11. Last Dance 86/100 -> 90/100
12. Homesick 85/100

I'm not as excited about tracks like "The Same Deep Water As You" as others might be, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed the album.

This album is phenomenal. My second favorite album of the 80s, behind Talk Talk's Spirit of Eden. It could be a tiring album due to the number of long songs, but the quality stands out in each song. The Cure's masterpiece.

From HoldenM 09/08/2023 19:50

I've been listening to this album for close to two decades at this point. It's a formative record of mine if ever there was one. And yet, it never fails to transport me. Disintegration recalls the heavy atmosphere of the goth trilogy, but where those albums all recall specific places--terrifying cathedrals, eerie woods, lingering nightmares--the sounds of these songs feel like they could go on forever. Celestial textures that capture the transcendental. If there is a heaven, it probably feels a lot like Disintegration. The notion of eroding into oblivion, each particle a part of everything else. Unadulterated bliss.

The world could be about to end and no one would give a shit as long as this album was playing it's that good , it's absolutely beautiful 10/10

Melancholic in a very good way.

What a beautiful album it is, as close to pefection as The Cure ever got simultaneously creating the definitive goth rock album. Slow-pacing of this album with its tracks lenght and long instrumental parts only gets you into a better mood to listen to this dark, magical piece of music. In the first half we have some of their most original and well executed songs like Pictures Of You depicting the feeling of love that cannot be realised, Lovesong which is in fact one of the best love songs ever written and sung with as much clear passion as it could have, nostalgic Last Dance evoking feelings of lost love and reminding that things won't ever be again as they were before, unsettling Lullaby with nightmarish imagery and explosive Fascination Street. What is even more amazing to me is second half made of long songs giving you lasting feeling of loneliness and hopelessness through their melancholic melodies and depressive lyrics. Prayers For Rain sets stage perfectly for the rest of it, especially The Same Deep Water As You and Disintegration are beautiful, dark and haunting songs of despair. And Untitled closes this album as perfectly as Plainsong is opening it. This also feels like their most fully realised concept since Pornography, but in a bigger, less apocalyptic and more charming way. And here they're as instrumentally great as they never were before.

A dark, foreboding masterpiece that is consistently fantastic for the entire run time. The Cure know how to make a brilliant atmosphere and this record is the pinnacle of that for the group. It is pessimistic, moody and extremely over powering. The music almost forces you to become introspective with every listen making me ponder everything I have ever known even though I have listened to it countless times. There is truly nothing better in my opinion than sitting alone in a pitch black room with the sound of this record playing in the background and just getting completely lost in the gloom and despair. The album opens with Plainsong which perfectly introduces us to The Cure's sound with a grand and beautiful instrumental display that will hook you straight away. Then on the other end of the album, Untitled closes the release on a much darker note with about a 3 minute instrumental conclusion that gives you enough time to truly take in what you experienced. Everything in the middle of the bookends are just as phenomenal as well with the obvious huge hits being absolute masterpieces. The ones that are a little less well known are just as good as the big songs as well with the run of tracks 8-10 being a personal highlight. I really could pick out any song on this album and it would be amazing as the music is just that consistent on here with not a single song letting it down. This is primarily due to the outstanding instrumental work across the whole group as well as the lyrical and vocal contributions from Robert Smith. The lyrics on here might not be his darkest, as that belongs to Pornography, but they surely are melancholic and every track deserves attention for its words. He truly is a genius with his writing and if you have never looked into his lyrics then you really should as he is in my opinion the greatest song writer of all time. Finally, we have his delivery which suits the style and atmosphere perfectly creating a cohesive and consistent masterpiece that is a monument to how good records can be. Overall, not only is this album packed full of quality from the start right up to the very end but it is also one of the most important releases I have ever come across as it has changed my life completely which is a testament to just how outstanding it is.

The absolute benchmark for the growth of shoegaze and dream pop of the following years,
the peak of drama of a specific musical era, there will be no album like Disintegration in the future. Pure essence of despair and expressive power

From Brandon8 12/23/2022 04:10

It all came together on this album and they produced a masterpiece. Plain Song, Pictures of You, Lovesong, Lullaby and Fascination Street are my favorites and the rest is strong throughout.