The Cure’s eighth studio album, released in 1989, is the dark tour de force Disintegration. Following on from 1987's outstanding Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me release, and spurred by the hits “Lullaby”, “Fascination Street“, “Lovesong” and “Pictures Of You”, the album quickly became the group’s most successful yet, with sales topping more than 3 million, as the band sold out stadiums and arenas around the world.
Polydor/Universal reissues this landmark album, remastering the original, adding a disc of unreleased out-takes and demos, plus a third disc that contains a live performance of the entire album recorded in 1989 over 3 nights at Wembley Arena, London, the European climax of the The Cure's global ‘Prayer Tour‘. This Deluxe Edition comes with a 20 page booklet containing previously unseen pictures and art, as well as lyrics and an in depth overview of the period by the band's founder Robert Smith.
Robert Smith compiled, produced, and supervised the mastering of this three-disc collection, which covers the evolution of Disintegration, from demos and rehearsals to studio and stage. The first disc contains newly remastered versions of the album’s original 12 tracks.
Gathering 20 unreleased tracks, the second disc trawls through Smith’s home recordings to find early instrumental demos of fan favourites “Pictures Of You”, “Prayers For Rain” and “Fascination Street.” The Cure can be heard rehearsing and arranging various instrumental versions, including ”Homesick”, “Closedown” and “The Same Deep Water As You”, as well as playing studio out-takes of several other tracks, including “Plainsong”. The disc also contains four unreleased songs: “Noheart”, “Esten”, “Delirious Night” and a cover of Judy Collins’ “Pirate Ships”, the latter a solo performance by Smith that was recorded for, but ultimately not included on, Rubáiyát, a 1990 album celebrating Elektra Records’ 40th anniversary.
For the final disc, Smith remixes and expands Entreat, a live album recorded in 1989 at Wembley Arena. Entreat Plus combines the original’s eight tracks, remixed with the four 'missing' songs to create a complete contemporary live version of Disintegration.
Comments Stuart Braithwaite of Mogwai: “Disintegration by The Cure is one of the greatest records of all time. It has the feel that only a tiny amount of albums have, that it exists completely in its own universe, immune to context or fashion. I literally cannot imagine the band members in a room playing these songs for the first time, its as if they've always been there. From stunning opener “Plainsong” through to “Untitled”, it is unrelentingly beautiful and achingly sad. Disintegration is a simply wonderful record.”
DISINTEGRATION: DELUXE EDITION
Disc One: Remastered Album
01: Plainsong
02: Pictures Of You
03: Closedown
04: Lovesong
05: Last Dance
06: Lullaby
07: Fascination Street
08: Prayers For Rain
09: The Same Deep Water As You
10: Disintegration
11: Homesick
12: Untitled
Disc Two: Rarities (1988 – 1989)
01: Prayers For Rain – RS Home Demo (Instrumental)
02: Pictures Of You – RS Home Demo (Instrumental)
03: Fascination Street – RS Home Demo (Instrumental)
04: Homesick – Band Rehearsal (Instrumental)
05: Fear Of Ghosts – Band Rehearsal (Instrumental)
06: Noheart – Band Rehearsal (Instrumental)*
07: Esten – Band Demo (Instrumental)*
08: Closedown – Band Demo (Instrumental)
09: Lovesong – Band Demo (Instrumental)
10: 2 Late (alternate version) – Band Demo (Instrumental)
11: The Same Deep Water As You – Band Demo (Instrumental)
12: Disintegration – Band Demo (Instrumental)
13: Untitled (alternate version) – Studio Rough (Instrumental)
14: Babble (alternate version) – Studio Rough (Instrumental)
15: Plainsong – Studio Rough (Guide Vocal)
16: Last Dance – Studio Rough (Guide Vocal)
17: Lullaby – Studio Rough (Guide Vocal)
18: Out Of Mind – Studio Rough (Guide Vocal)
19: Delirious Night – Rough Mix (Vocal)*
20: Pirate Ships – RS Solo, Rough Mix (Vocal)*
• Previously Unreleased Song
Disc Three: Entreat Plus
01: Plainsong*
02: Pictures Of You
03: Closedown
04: Lovesong*
05: Last Dance
06: Lullaby*
07: Fascination Street
08: Prayers For Rain
09: The Same Deep Water As You*
10: Disintegration
11: Homesick
12: Untitled
* Previously Unreleased Live Performance