Listening through The Cure’s discography is like reading through a stranger’s diary. All of these mystical moments are held in one place. Shifts in personality and perspective are evident and produce a wondrous array of tones. If you were around in 1979 when the band’s debut album was released, you’ve watched young hopefuls explode into a worldwide phenomenon. What makes The Cure so unique is how palpable the emotions in their songs are. You can almost feel them growing up and adjusting to the fame through these albums. While The Cure’s gothic music has always been emotionally vulnerable, there are moments where their story dips to heartbreaking agony. The weight of the world was placed upon frontman Robert Smith’s shoulders as more and more success rolled in, and by the time they began recording their 1989 LP, the blinding light of fame was beginning to take a toll on the band.
The Cure released their eighth album, Disintegration, on May 2, 1989. Thirty-five years later, the eerie psychedelia of the album is just as haunting and mystifying as the first time you heard it. This album marked a lot of changes for the band. Their sonics returned to the gothic rock sound they coined on earlier releases; this was the last album founding member Lol Tolhurst would perform on, and more importantly, Robert Smith turned 30 during the recording process. Coming to terms with aging and the strife one can cause by realizing your mortality only added pressure to the frontman. Famously, Smith slipped back into drug use. He took up the practice of hallucinogenic drugs, which inspired the warping guitar work and psychedelic ambiance of Disintegration.
The Cure put it all into the music amid band turmoil and grappling with the spotlight. Lyrically, it is hard to point to another Cure release that is this vulnerable. At the time of recording, The Cure was becoming one of the most popular bands in the world, and Smith was resentful. According to the book Never Enough: The Story of The Cure, the band became something the frontman hated: “A stadium rock band.” The Cure had just wrapped up a massive tour for their 1987 LP, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. Jumping right off the tour bus and into the recording process, Smith, bassist Simon Gallup, keyboardist Roger O’Donnell (who pursued a solo career after the tour for Disintegration), guitarist Pearl Thompson, and drummer Boris Williams began writing songs separately. Once they reconvened with many demos to look through, the band recorded 32 songs at Williams’ home on a 16-track recorder.
To be a fly on the wall in those recording sessions. With tensions between the band rising with every bit of notoriety, Disintegration feels like it named itself. The album is moody and expansive, hypnotically captivating. Thirty-five years have passed, and The Cure has released albums that shift from one sound to another since. The magic captured in these songs is to be distinct. The strings of “Prayers for Rain” cascade down like a bird of prey, the murky chugging drums of “Closedown,” every note of this album holds the complexity of the human experience. The dark undertones of this album are juxtaposed by hits like the bright and heartfelt “Lovesong.” Therein lies the magic of The Cure. Even in their attempts to go against fame and write songs from their unique perspective, their ability to resonate with the sad and lost is incomparable. Singles like “Fascination Street,” with its gritty guitars and echoing vocals, and the poetic “Pictures of You” continue to be some of the band’s most popular songs. Whether they like it or not, Disintegration proves the band to be natural hit-makers.
The Cure’s ability to contain the fame, pain, and talent into a tight 12-track album that thrives on its consistency is a testament to their songwriting prowess. Disintegration represents The Cure’s ability to adapt to the heaviest emotions and emerge on the other side with pure intentions. Despite their best efforts, The Cure created another hit album. The proceeding tour would cause more problems for the band as drugs become more and more frequent. With O’Donnell and Tolhurst gone and a stressful agonizing tour behind them, Robert Smith seemed to be closing the book on The Cure. Thankfully, The Cure returned in 1992 with Wish. Even if Disintegration were the final Cure album, the band would’ve left a storied legacy. These 12 songs represent personal lows and artistic highs for a legendary band who, overall, just wants to be understood.
