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Taking Sides: Pornography vs Disintigration?

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A thunderhead of Weeping Pipe Organs or a Acid Firestorm of Shrieking Mutant Geetar?
Is the Cures Pornography a demented masterwork despite the crazed formlessness of its lyrics?
Is the Cures Disintegration a majestic classic despite the thorazine-addled draggy tempos?
And, in your opinion, which of the two is the more satisfying: The adolescent paranoid post-punk screech screed of Pornography or the mature melancholic alt.rock prog-opera of Disintegration?

― Lord Custos 2.0 beta, Tuesday, 7 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

And if you don't like either one, sing the praises of Butt Trumpets Primitive Enema

― Lord Custos 2.0 beta, Tuesday, 7 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I just sang the praises of the porcelin throne and indoor plumbing with my own butt trumpet, thanks. (How'd the ad for that record ever get approved? That, coupled with the Priority ads for a a a PAULY SHORE ALBUM!!! - something about punany, him sticking his weez head through an orifice, getting SLIMED, and licking his lips?! - did more damage to my collegiate career than any amount of plastic-bottled potato juice ever could.)

― Daver, Tuesday, 7 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Well, as much as I prefer listenting to DISINTEGRATION, I'd have to say PORNOGRAPH "got their first," so to speak. I remember reading accusations of "self-plagiarism" when DISINTEGRATION came out. For all intents and purposes, though, I'd say DISINTEGRATION holds together better.

BLOODFLOWERS was crap, tho'.

― Alex in NYC, Tuesday, 7 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

All three (_Pornography_, _Disintegration_, _Bloodflowers_) are great. Since I spent most of yesterday listening to _Pornography_ on repeat, I have to give the nod to that one this week.

― Dan Perry, Tuesday, 7 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Dan is, unsurprisingly, a critical genius in this regard. I've listened to Disintegration the most over time.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 7 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Pornography.

― It does not matter if we all die, Tuesday, 7 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm waffling on this one. Pornography is the best album, bar none, if you are in a really lousy mood and wish that everyone in the world would just keel over/choke on their own vomit/etc. I was at the farewell tour (or so they say) and the absolute highlight of the show was "One Hundred Years". That said, I'll still have to side with Disintegration, because I've got too much invested in that album. It was one of the few albums I can remember from that point in my life where I eagerly anticipated getting my hands on the singles before the release of the album. I got the 12" single of "Fasicination Street" on heavy-duty vinyl, took it into work at the stereo shop/record store where I was working at the time, and just blasted the mother at the rear of the store on a really amazing system. Then when the album came out, I did much the same thing, except I oozed into the sound...it was just so BIG. The languid tempos made that album.

― Sean Carruthers, Wednesday, 8 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

After a long time of adopting the whole "Disintegration = Pornography II" argument I've decided that I don't like it much. There are similarities between the albums but in so many many other ways the differences are quite striking, particularly in Smith's entire outlook. The effect is sort of like if a guy you met who was cleanshaven grew a beard for ten years and then shaved it off again, yeah you'd think "Oh he looks like he did ten years ago", but what's more interesting is being better able to discern how much ten years has *changed* him.

― Tim, Wednesday, 8 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Pornography nearly wins, for having Germaine Greer on satanic backward vocal duty and for providing me with a semi- amusing "Pornography, £9.99" receipt (oh, how easily I am pleased). Disintegration is truly a mighty musical beastie though. I'm perhaps slightly biased in that I think it's the best album in the world EVER! (part 28). Also, I always secretly wish they'd found room to put the rather fabulous 'Fear of Ghosts' on it somewhere. So yes, Disintegration.

― Paz, Wednesday, 8 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

except I oozed into the sound...it was just so BIG. The languid tempos made that album.

Only time I was ever told to turn my music down at home: cranking up Disintegration. And what a noise to get lost in, indeed.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 8 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

one month passes...
Oh man, tough but it has to go to disintegration. it's the only album that after a decade of listening, still blows me away. Pornography is a strong album but disintegration is my favourite album of not just the cure, but of all time. oh i love it. so much to get lost in. And as for bloodflowers, i was aprehensive about it before it came out, but i was converted on one listen, the NZ version has the extra track and all and the whole album i feel is as emotional as disintegration and as beautiful. theres my rant. thanks. and yes, my receipt for pornography gave me hours of entertainment!

― Andrew, Wednesday, 12 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Pornography is like the best album ever but the best is listening to Faith and 17 Seconds IN A ROW!

― chaki, Thursday, 13 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Listening to all of The Cure's albums in chronological order is an amazing experience. The music just keeps expanding and evolving... it's fantastic.

― Dan Perry, Thursday, 13 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Pornography is like the best album ever but the best is listening to Faith and 17 Seconds IN A ROW!
Both albums are available on one CD as ...happily ever after

― Lord Custos X, Thursday, 13 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

They got released as a double album, but I never saw a CD pressing of it that way. You sure?

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 13 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Disintegration has stopped me from killing msyelf. I also fingered a girl to the title song, so um yeah - disintergration any day

― Queen I didn't die in a movie shootout G, Thursday, 13 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

seven years pass...

really liked this review of the disintigration reissue on quietus:

http://thequietus.com/articles/04352-the-cure-disintegration-reissue-album-review

― m@tt (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 28 May 2010 23:24 (fifteen years ago)


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