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Disintegration information

 

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OVERVIEW
 
Disintegration is The Cure's eighth studio album, released in 1989. It peaked at #12 on Billboard's Top 200 Album countdown.
 
Released: 2 May 1989
 
Recorded: --
 
Genre: Gothic Rock, Alternative rock
 
Length: 71:42
 
Label: Elektra Records, Fiction
        Records
 
Producer(s): David Allen, Robert
              Smith
 
HISTORY
 
The album is considered part two of Robert Smith's "trilogy", also including Pornography and Bloodflowers. In 2002, they performed all three albums in their entirety to a Berlin audience, and it was released on DVD as Trilogy in 2003.

The Cure had pigeon-holed themselves as a dark and brooding goth-rock band in the early 80s with albums such as Faith and Pornography. They broke away from this image with light pop singles, such as "Let's Go to Bed" and "The Lovecats" and their accompanying Tim Pope videos. The following albums The Top, The Head on the Door and Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me had largely continued in the more upbeat direction, although all three showed elements of Smith's darker side, both musically and lyrically. Disintegration represented a return of the earlier, darker styles while still retaining some of the newer ones.

It was the first Cure album to be specifically recorded for CD and this is the reason that the vinyl release is without the songs "Last Dance" and "Homesick". The CD version is over 71 minutes in length, well over the average rock album's length. In fact, half of the songs on the 12-song album are over six minutes in length.

The album debuted at #3 in the UK and slowly climbed to #12 in the US during a 55 week stay on the Billboard Album Chart. It was certified gold by the RIAA on June 28, 1989. The album was also certified platinum on October 20 of the same year. On July 1, 2004, the album was multi-platinum twice.

In the South Park episode Mecha-Streisand, Kyle Broflovski declares Disintegration "the best album ever".

In 2003, the album was ranked number 326 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

TRACK LISTING

All songs by Gallup, O'Donnell, Smith, Thompson, Tolhurst and Williams.

  1. "Plainsong" - 5:12
  2. "Pictures of You" - 7:24
  3. "Closedown" - 4:16
  4. "Lovesong" - 3:28
  5. "Last Dance" - 4:42
  6. "Lullaby" - 4:08
  7. "Fascination Street" - 5:16
  8. "Prayers for Rain" - 6:04
  9. "The Same Deep Water as You" - 9:18
  10. "Disintegration" - 8:18
  11. "Homesick" - 7:06
  12. "Untitled" - 6:30

"Last Dance" and "Homesick" are only on the CD and cassette versions.

PERSONNEL

SINGLES

  • "Fascination Street", released only in the U.S. in December, 1988
  • "Lullaby" released in April, 1989
  • "Lovesong" released in August, 1989
  • "Pictures of You" released in January, 1990

CHARTING SINGLES

Year
Single
Chart
Peak position
1989
"Fascination Street"
The Billboard Hot 100
46
1989
"Lullaby"
The Billboard Hot 100
74
1989
"Fascination Street"
Mainstream Rock Tracks
24
1989
"Fascination Street"
Modern Rock Tracks
1
1989
"Lovesong"
The Billboard Hot 100
2
1989
"Lovesong"
Modern Rock Tracks
2
1989
"Lullaby"
Modern Rock Tracks
23
1989
"Fascination Street"
Hot Dance Music/Club Play
7
1989
"Lovesong"
Hot Dance Music/Club Play
8
1989
"Lullaby"
Hot Dance Music/Club Play
31
1989
"Fascination Street"
Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales
13
1990
"Pictures Of You"
The Billboard Hot 100
71
1990
"Pictures Of You"
Modern Rock Tracks
19
1990
"Pictures Of You"
Hot Dance Music/Club Play
33

 
 
                The Cure chronology
 
Kiss Me Kiss Me          Disintegration          Mixed Up
    Kiss Me
 
    (1987)                    (1989)                (1990)