Customer Reviews

Disintegration (Deluxe Edition) (3CD)

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When The Cure's reissue campaign began in 2004, many fans were anxiously awaiting the release of the Disintegration deluxe edition. Due to the band's lengthy touring schedule and album recordings, the reissue series began to falter and some years passed without any word on future releases. Fortunately, Robert Smith announced late last year that the Disintegration project was underway and scheduled for release. Unlike previous Cure reissues, the Disintegration deluxe features an extra bonus disc which consists of live material from the 1989 Prayer tour. Entitled Entreat Plus, this new mix expands on the original Entreat album by capturing the four missing album tracks from the Wembley concert. After six long years and several release date postponements, the Disintegration deluxe has finally arrived.

The original album was remastered by Kevin Metcalfe with Robert Smith at The Soundmasters in London. Although this is Metcalfe's first mastering stint with the Cure, he has an exhaustive resume that spans many decades of mastering expertise. On the first few listens, the remastered album didn't sound dramatically different to the original 1989 CD release. Although it wasn't much louder than the original (which is a good thing), the murkiness of the recording was unfortunately still evident. It wasn't until I A/B'd the remaster to the original which ultimately exposed some noticeable differences. One of the most obvious improvements of the remaster is in the bass region. There's more bass impact in this remaster than any other Cure reissue I've heard. I even remember Robert mentioning in an old interview once on how they couldn't flood the original CD with bass due to some technological restrictions at the time. And although I echo another reviewer's comments that the bass can sometimes be overbearing, the only real problem with this is in Prayers for Rain -- which is a bassy song to begin with. Robert's vocals are not only higher in the mix but cleaner as well. The keyboards, as well as Boris Williams drums, are more pronounced and better defined. Stereo separation has been improved and the whole album sounds a bit cleaner; the entire thing just sounds more convincing.

While the rarities disc is probably best served for only the diehard fans of the band, it does contain several interesting instrumental demos and even some unreleased songs from the era. The only true worthy songs that require repeated listens are Esten, Delirious Night, and Robert's cover of Pirate Ships. The alternative version of the songs are quite different as well and I actually prefer the alt. version of Babble to the released b-side. The only real disappointment with the set is the bonus disc, Entreat Plus. It does not retain the same quality of the original Entreat album and has been mixed to sound identical to the 2009 live Cure sound more than anything. Seeing that Robert has mixed many high quality live albums in the past like the original Entreat and Paris, the new mix will disappoint many who already have high expectations. It does not capture the true sound of the 1989 Prayer tour and the dynamics are pretty lousy to boot.

Despite Entreat Plus's shortcomings, the Disintegration deluxe can be chalked up as a success due to the improvements in the original album. While the remastering is far from perfect, it offers an improvement over the original album and is sonically superior to anything the Cure has released since 2000. It may be a bit louder and bassier, but it's still listenable and enjoyable at louder volumes and in the year 2010 that's a hard feat to do (try playing 4:13 Dream loud in a decent setup, ouch!!!). Let's hope that the Mixed Up and Wish deluxe editions, as well as the future "Dark album", will soon see the light of day and are mastered with the same amount of care which Disintegration has received, albeit with even more headroom to spare.

Disintegration is a landmark achievement in popular music. Frequently heralded as one of the best records of the 1980's and of the new wave/alternative movement, this newly remastered and expanded edition features the original album in new remastered form, mixed louder and with more punch, but at the cost of some dynamic range. As expected from a modern remaster, the overall levels have been increased, but not in an offensive way and the record doesn't suffer from the heinous clipping that some remaster jobs get. Guitars sparkle anew, vocals echo and soar, bass slinks, and drums boom and pop on the twelve original tracks, all of which are classics in their own right. I'll forgo discussing the album in and of itself, because anyone considering buying this already knows that Disintegration is must-own. If all you're looking for is a more modern sound, then you've come to the right place, but never one to skimp, Robert has put together a very solid 3 disc set for the 20th anniversary of the album. The additional discs feature a fleshed out version of the 1990 Entreat live album, including a live take of each of the tracks from Disintegration, in the album's sequential order. These live cuts show the Cure in very solid, if not stellar, form, and is a definite treat for fans. The other disc is a collection of rarities, demos, and unreleased tracks recorded during the Disintegration sessions. Truly one for the fans, this collection of cuts will not likely appeal to casual fans, but for someone interested in hearing the evolution of these songs and of the album as a whole, the rarities collection is an interesting historical piece. I just wouldn't expect it to spend a whole lot of time in your car's CD player in lieu of the album proper. Another excellent addition to the Cure remaster series, I just wish it hadn't taken so long for the album to get arrive. Here's hoping the rest of the planned remasters are a little more expedient in their release.

It always grates on me when all a person has to do is see the word "remastered" and they immediately spew out the blind praise that it "sounds amazing". In most cases, that's a very incorrect statement. The two recent Duran Duran reissues are some of the worst I've heard, (and notice the difference between reviews of those CD's on Amazon's UK site compared to here). "Disintegration" is no exception in the world of bad remasters.

On the plus side, the CD had not been brickwalled and compressed to the point that the dynamics are squashed out. However, it's the re-equalizing that's been done that destroyed it for me. The bass has been WAY too enhanced. My headphones were distorting and thumping, and I've never heard these powerful headphone respond this way. "Plainsong" also displays very obvious distortion during the crashing sounds if you view the wave file in a program that displays a spectral view. After I listened to three songs from this lousy "remaster", I sold it on eBay and will stick to the original CD I purchased 21 years ago.

So all of you can praise this release for the supposed improved sound, but as a long time audiophile I can tell you that this CD had not been improved..., unless you consider distorted bass and increased volume an improvement.

So, I was considering purchasing the new re-matered release of REM's Fables of the Reconstruction, but decided, partially based on price, to restrain myself and read a few reviews before I spend the money. My first stop was Amazon.com. Overwhelmingly, the critics gave a positive reviews of the remastered original CD, but did not like the "extras." OK. But, one reviewer, claiming to be an audiophile (with initials S.D.), gave a clear thumbs down. This put me off (momentarily). I also have been very disappointed with remasters over the years--i could not appreciate the differences they introduced--if any.

So, logically, I went to see what Mr. D. had to say about the new Disintegration remaster (if anything).

After reading the glowing reviews of the Disintegration remaster in the popular audiophile mags, and, being a Cure and Disintegration album lover, I decided to make the purchase. I can't say enough. Dynamic range has been expanded--and yes, this means the loudest parts are going to be more louder on average. Guitar twang now had body and definition (reminds me slightly of Nick Drake's acoustic twang). Bass has been extended to make the drama of Plainsong fantastic. [BTW: if your systems can't handle this without booming and distortion, well than...].

Suggestion to Mr.D.: My new favorite contemporary "reference" song in OK Go's "This Too Shall Pass." The recording has been pushed to the limits regarding low compression. You should be able to follow each part through every crescendo and not notice clipping or distortion within the limits of your system.

One final note: this remaster was fully supervised by Robert Smith. Think about it folks. This is not someone else's interpretation.

I think that it seems a little easy to start off by saying that I am a Cure fan, and that I think "Disintegration" is brilliant. Though not my favorite Cure record to listen to (that's their 1985 masterpiece "The Head on the Door"), this is easily their masterpiece, combining their talent for epic grandeur and pop melodies with the more depressing, crushing instincts. "Disintegration" owns and this is pretty much a fact.
However, I have to say that I am not particularly pleased with this deluxe reissue of the album.
The original record has been remastered. In some ways this is a good thing, as the bass parts are more distinctive in the mix and the vocals sound clearer than they did on the original printings. In the process of remastering the record though it seems to have lost a little bit of it's warmth and claustrophobic quality that enhanced the overall listening experience of the record as a whole. Though rich in it's production the songs themselves, especially as the record progresses, were dense, and the remastering, which opens the sound up a little more, takes away that quality slightly.
The bonuses are hit or miss. The demos are almost entirely one timers, the sort of thing that you listen once as a curiosity and probably never go back to again. And the remastered version of "Entreat" is suitable, now featuring the entire record live in concert, but I have to wonder how many times it will be played. The Cure live is a terrific experience in person, but on disc sounds a little flat and sticks too closely to the script to be considered a new experience of hearing these songs.
The packaging is decent, with the booklet of photos and album notes you would expect following the previous Cure reissues that found their way to shelves over the past few years. Nothing you probably didn't already know if you are a fan of the record, but nice to have to look at occasionally.
Really, decent describes how I feel about this package. After plumbing through all of it I can't say that I feel that this something that I felt was a necessary buy. Many fans may really dig it, but for me the original CD pressing (and vinyl as well) top this one on sound, and the bonuses aren't essential to anyone except the most die-hard fan.
And that person wouldn't even read this review because they already have it. But if you are new to the Cure and have heard good things about this record I suggest you get the standard pressing first. It would be a better investment in my opinion.

The Cure's finest work manifested in these 12 songs - they are intricate in detail and grand in scale - you could call it Cure Cinema - this kind of emotionally charged fragile musical onslaught happens rarely because it is so demanding of the artist to reach into the grayest depths of one's soul and have courage to translate it, effectively, to music and lryic. This is not only The Cure's masterpiece, but an album that ranks with the greatest of all albums ever produced. Particularly, if you are a fan of high concept albums as Pink Floyd's The Wall, you likely will appreciate this one.

The remastering is excellent - all the crisp fine-details in each song is brought to the front, and in surround sound it is even better, so you can feel it all stronger than in the original CD issue - the vocals are clearer, in a good way, as well.

As for the bonus discs, they are good but not essential - if you love the album you'll appreciate the extra stuff. If you're a casual fan of it then the bonus you may find too repetitive.

Overall, highly recommended!

This expanded, remastered reissue of the Cure's penultimate release will not fail to impress long-time fans of the band or to hook new fans who are finding their way into UK Indie/Britpop/Goth/Shoegaze/Alt genres. As stated in the liner notes, "this music has been mixed to be played loud, so turn it up" and the sentiment holds true now better than ever. Also included is a full length live performance known as "Entreat." This "Entreat" reissue, unlike it's predecessor, is complete and sequentially identical to the studio album. Outstanding. Packaging is filled with the usual mix of photos, rare and previously unreleased songs, demo tracks and b-sides, and anecdotal bits and pieces concerning the process which led to "Disintegration." The collector will appreciate the packaging, the devout will appreciate the pre-studio home demo versions of songs which eventually evolved into some of the Cure's highest-charting singles. This album was already extraordinary, something of a top-three or top-five "music you want with you if you were stranded on a remote island" albums. The reissue elevates "Disintegration" to a higher plane of sonic enchantment. Music evokes memories of events and people and seasons from the past, like a listening-post for events long past, some good, some bad, all now obscured by time and accomplishments. Every track has the potential to be this kind of portable time-machine. What may be considered one of the Cure's defining, pinnacle creative endeavors, "Disintegration" is yet more than that; this album helped to define a musical genre (or three), and stands out as Fine Art among the work of the Cure's contemporaries. With the release of this reissue, a great album has been awarded an equally great reissue, fulfilling the notion that "Disintegration" is one of those rare, high-water-mark masterpieces that every band wants to achieve. Stay tuned, though. The rain isn't done pouring just yet.

Disintegration is one of the best albums ever composed, period! This review and rating is specifically directed at this 3 CD set, not the album itself. The album itself is a perfect 10.

The remaster of Disintegration sounds great whether played on an mp3 player or high quality CD player and sound system. The songs have a little bit more power and "oomph" to them. The difference from the original album isn't too drastic though and it really didn't need to be. The original album was already fantastic, so not much needed to be changed. The rarities disc was fantastic as well. I really enjoyed the instrumental demos for Lovesong, Disintegration, Pictures of You, and other tracks. The inclusion of an unreleased version of Babble was an excellent addition as well. The rarities disc is really the main highlight of this collection.

Now for the major negative...

Entreat Plus is CRAP! It is barely listenable. At first I thought my headphones were actually broken because it sounded like I wasn't getting any stereo feedback. After playing a few songs from other albums, I realized my headphones were perfectly fine. After searching google for half an hour, I've come to learn that this problem is inherent to the album itself. Whomever remixed Entreat Plus did a shoddy job! It sounds very flat without any musical dynamics whatsoever. When turning up the volume, it almost sounds like a low level static pervades over the entire album. When comparing the song Disintegration from the original Entreat to Entreat Plus, I discovered that all the various instrumentals were remixed to almost the same volume level. Who the hell decided to do that? In any live performance there will be certain instruments that sound louder than other instruments and that have more impact or other unique musical qualities. That is what makes a live performance truly great! Whomever remixed this album apparently decided that it was better to edit the instrumentals and vocals so they all sound like one uniform continuous stream, which is probably the reason why Entreat Plus sounds mono instead of stereo. All in all, Entreat Plus is a musical abomination. I have to wonder whether the task of remixing this album was given to a deaf man? It sure seems like it.

If the original, unmolested tracks from Entreat had been included, along with the 4 extra tracks (Unmolested), then this entire package would be 5 stars. But since the remix of Entreat Plus is so poor, I had to deduct 3 entire stars! Yes it really is that bad. This should be a lesson for those recording companies and artists who want to go back and remaster or remix their older music. Pay attention to what the hell you're doing! And maybe have a small test group of fans listen to the remix or remaster before it is released, as a form of quality control.

I'm not sure that it isn't counterproductive to remaster a CD and then offer it for sale as compressed mp3 files. Disintegration is a great album, the peak of The Cure's "big band" sound, with some of Robert Smith's best lyrics and vocals, and a cohesive sound that maximizes the band's strength at musically evoking a mood while avoiding the band's occasional pop excesses. The decision to let the songs really extend musically was a good one, taking advantage of the CD format to produce a longer album that's still engaging all the way through. As to the remasters, though, I can't say that I notice an audible difference, let alone improvment, between the original CD and these tracks, and these compressed files are unlikely to offer any revelation. At least the price for the entire set in this format is reasonable.

The rarities--largely instrumental, as you can see--are interesting but not likely to deserve the kind of repeat play either the first or third discs should get, unless you like to host Cure karaoke. At least you can select the ones you like here based on the samples. The exceptions are the non-album songs, which are worth it.

The real treat here is the live disc. The Cure aren't exactly a stage phenomenon on the level of U2 or Springsteen. However, this edited selection reproducing the album live, while slightly out of the context of the original performances, and apparently remixed to sound a little more contemporary (mainly Smith's vocals aren't quite as prominent as on the original Entreat release of these songs), gives a little added oomph!, particularly in the urgency of Smith's delivery. He convincingly tries to express the feelings of the lyrics as he sings them. "Disintegration" itself is glorious and "Prayers For Rain" is another standout but the rest of the songs hold up well in a live context and the band succeeds at delivering the consistent mood of the album in a real-time performance. (Or maybe that's the production. In the original shows, songs like "Just Like Heaven" and "Let's Go To Bed" interrupted the sequence and presumably the mood.)

Unfortunately, "Same Deep Water As You" just barely cracks that cursed 10 second barrier beyond which you can't buy the song individually, which means you can't purchase the whole live set alone, but again the overall package price is pretty good considering the number of tracks, even if you already have Disintegration.

In case you miss the fringe benefits that come with buying a physical package, the band and label have set up a dedicated website where you can access for free the liner notes from this release. It also features some complete songs from each of the discs as well as audio for an entirely different selection of rarities (albeit of the same mostly instrumental nature) and an entirely different performance of the album (from Dallas), and videos from the singles. [After a deeper listen to the online "Alternate Rarities" selection, my favorite song on the entire set is the performance of "Faith" from a 1989 concert in Rome. You have to hear it to believe it, and it's a shame that this song wasn't selected for inclusion on the actual release of this set.]

Robert Smith and The Cure are one of the most influential bands of the post classic rock era IMO. Not in that super obvious way like Zep or Sabbath (and not to that caliber either), but it is there. The single melody song builds, the mysterious tones and arrangements, the dark pop overtones...simply brilliant. From Tool to the Surfers to Artic Monkeys, plenty of bands pay homage to the Cure in one way or another. This album marked, for me at least, their last gasp of greatness before entering into what i consider to be something of a musical decline. Fascination Street (rumored to be about Jack the Ripper) in particular will go down as one of the all time greatest songs recorded. Anyway, i am uncertain if i can hear a difference with the remastering or not, since i dont have anything to compare it with, but this is a great album, and if you arent already familiar with it, you owe yourself a listen.

Enjoy!

p.s. This was also a great tour. I remember the show well, even though i was in my mid teens at the time.