FDF Volume 1 Issue 20:-The Cure - Disintegration

Album - disintegration
Artist - The Cure
Key Players - Simon Gallup - Bass/Keyboards. Robert Smith - lead vocals/guitar/keyboard, Porl Thompson - Guitar, Laurence "Lol" Tolhurst - "other instruments", Boris Williams - drums.
Produced by - Robert Smith and David M. Allen

Released - May 2, 1989

Overview - This is the eighth studio album from the Cure. Recorded specifically for cd in 1989. Once, and still dark and brooding band that formed in the late 1970's found their first mainstream and Billboard chart success with this record. It peaked at #12 of the Billboard chart. This album, considered by many, to be their best, is actually part two of a Robert Smith penned trilogy. The first being the Pornography album and the third Bloodflowers. All three were played live in their entirety in Berlin and released on DVD in 2003. The band was mostly Smith and Tolhurst for many many years with dozens of people coming in at various roles. Porl left here and there but currently appears to be a member. Before the release of disintegration Tolhurst left the band permanently. Rumors had it that he did not even play on the album and was thus listed as "other instruments". At the time this was rumored to be the bands final tour. The "last show" at Wembly arena, announced as "probably our last" clocked in at over 3hrs and 30 minutes. Tolhurst a few years later sued for royalty as well as naming rights on "the cure" but lost.


FDF Comments (aka the Songs). Virtually every song on the cd clocks in at over 6 minutes. The songs are so long that 2 songs were omitted from the vinyl release. Vinyl started to lose its hold on sales around this time. "Pictures of You", now forever associated with a Hewlett Packard printer has such a haunting guitar and an equally as cool video shot in the snow. It just all seemed to sum it up. "Love Song", one of the albums biggest hits, has all the elements of Cure song. Its got the keyboard intro, the basic back beat, swinging bassline and punchy guitar. Its easy to see why this song was so accepted to new Cure fans. Down to the cymbals that go "splash" when you hit them its also one of the shorter songs on the album. Further in the cd is "Lullaby" which pairs so perfect with the next track "Fascination Street". The two songs really could be pressed in to one long song. Smith whispers the opening lines and almost shivers when he sings "The spiderman is having me for dinner tonight". It all ends abruptly and goes into "Fascination Street". I remember this song being on the radio and the DJs all but fondling themselves as they had well over two minutes of intro music to talk over. For me personally this is a top five Cure song. Its a comfortable length yet just interesting enough to hold you. The midi guitar solo towards the end also has just the right amount of that 80's cheesy sound we got all but too used to.

Where are they now? Even with the ever revolving door of players the band is still around. They performed a five song set at the 2005 Live 8 Concert and are
slated to release a new album in late 2006 or early 2007. The band has released a b'sides collect and 3 of the mid 80's Cure albums will get the deluxe repacakaging treatment (Head on the Door, Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me and The Top) come August of 2006.


FDF Personal comments (aka the live experience) - I saw the Cure live only one time, and it was on this tour. Septemeber 22, 1989. What stands out in my mind so vividly was the fact that Hurricane Gloria was either about to arrive or had just left. The wind driven rain and the jackasss in front of me that would chant "Glor-ee-ah Glor-ee-ah" every time the wind blew. As good as the band sounded live it was a horribly dull show. The band stood like statues. At the time it was thought to be "the end" so it was even more important to be there, but like many bands, a final show, rarely is as planned.

FDF Overall take -Although my favorite cure record to this day remains Head on the Door this really is the record that defines this band. Its still dark and mysterious and the band never compromised their sound. I don't think it was selling out, it was more people paying attention.