4,992Shows
249,891Spins
Thursday, May 2 2019, 6AM
Happy 30th Disintegration from our pals at KEXP. Did you know, The lyrics on the album reflected on the fact that Robert Smith was about to turn 30 years old on 21 April 1989. This milestone, plus The Cure’s huge worldwide success with their preceding album, Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me, prompted Smith to write a deep, heartfelt and occasionally gloomy follow-up. The title of the album summed up how he felt hitting the big 3-0.
Credit: www.radiox.co.uk
On this day in 1980 Joy Division played what would be their last gig with singer Ian Curtis when they appeared at Birmingham University’s High Hall in England. Curtis committed suicide two weeks later (May 18th). Joy Division used this concert to debut one of their new songs, "Ceremony".
Disintegration is the eighth studio album by the Cure, released 30-years ago today by Fiction Records. As he neared the age of 30, vocalist and guitarist Robert Smith had felt an increased pressure to follow up on the group's pop successes with a more enduring work. This, coupled with a distaste for the group's newfound popularity, caused Smith to lapse back into the use of hallucinogenic drugs, the effects of which had a strong influence on the production of the album. Huh, weird.
The album's cover is an image taken from the booklet of the 1977 album Consequences by Godley & Creme.The artwork is that of a motorway or autobahn from the point of view of the rear of an early British Chieftain Main Battle Tank turret; looking out over the gun, behind the commander of the tank, toward the empty highway ahead. The 'cloud face' on the cover of 'Consequences' is visible in the sky.
In 1985 The Stone Roses were locked in a room by their record producer Martin Hannett and told they weren't allowed out until they wrote a song. This tune was the result of this curfew.
They're playing Third Man Records in Nashville on Monday, May 6th. That's too much awesome for one show. Oh, and the Tractor on Saturday, May 18th.
Disintegration was the first time that Cure singer Robert Smith’s face appeared in a recognizable manner on a Cure album cover. Smith (along with bassist Simon Gallup and drummer Lol Tolhurst) had appeared on the cover of 1982’s Pornography, but they were all wearing masks and the image was blurred beyond recognition. www.radiox.co.uk
A listener writes in: "I received the news late last night that my dear friend took his own life. Its incredibly difficulty at this time to process all of this as it is so fresh. The one thing that does help me smile is remembering the times were would drive around in his truck listening to Modest Mouse. It was one of his favorite bands and if you could please play Float On I would be forever grateful. Listening to you every morning is always something I look foreword too, especially today.
As soon as you said "you are not alone" I completely broke down, this is all so inconceivable at this time and anything helps. Thank you for having such a powerful show."
Oh dear. Reading facts about this song and well, whoops: Many of Robert Smith's compositions are inspired by literature. "Pictures Of You" was based on an essay called The Dark Power of Ritual Pictures. Smith says that after reading it, he destroyed his old personal photos and many of his home videos in an effort to wipe away his past. He came to regret the decision a few days later.
This song is based upon singer Stina Tweeddale's recurring nightmares, "After months of touring my last album Babes Never Die, I finally came home to rest and developed increasingly vivid and frightening night terrors. At one point they were a weekly occurrence - the same figure would visit me each time hell-bent on either strangling or just plain scaring me to death!"
Hatfield also drew inspiration from a woman named Meg Rafferty, who was seven years older than her and whom Hatfield saw as an older sister. Rafferty dated one of her brothers and even lived with the Hatfield family for a while, making the experience more authentic. However, Rafferty never knew "My Sister" was partly about her until she read Hatfield's book When I Grow Up: A Memoir, released in 2008. Surprise!
David Bowie and Robert Smith once interviewed each other. Everything else was never as good. thecuretc.wordpress.com
Our pal Mark writes: Gents - it is my wife, Kyra"s, b-day today. Can you pls play Jesus and Mary Chain's "Just Like Honey" for her? Thx!!!!
It turns out that today is the 30th anniversary of this album. Who knew. Man, wish someone had told us. GET DON ON THE PHONE!
The cover is a reproduction of the painting "A Basket of Roses" by French artist Henri Fantin-Latour, which is part of the National Gallery's permanent collection in London. The album covers designer had originally planned to use a Renaissance portrait of a dark prince to tie in with the Machiavellian theme of the title, but couldn't find a suitable portrait. At the gallery Saville picked up a postcard with Fantin-Latour's painting, and his girlfriend mockingly asked him if he was going to use it for the cover. Saville then realised it was a great idea. Saville suggested that the flowers "suggested the means by which power, corruption and lies infiltrate our lives. They're seductive."
Siouxsie Sioux's cryptic lyrics were an ode to actress and sex symbol Jayne Mansfield – using the actress's catchword "divoon", referring to her heart-shaped swimming pool and her love of champagne and parties, and to the grisly automobile accident which claimed her life in 1967. Kiss Them for Me was also the name of a 20th Century Fox motion picture made in 1957 starring Mansfield and Cary Grant.
The more you know.
Don't freak out. DO NOT freak out. Don't. As you know, today is the 30th anniversary of the Cure’s 1989 LP Disintegration. To commemorate the album, the Cure have added a fifth performance to their residency at the Sydney Opera House. The concert will take place May 30 and live stream around the world via Facebook and YouTube. It’s part of the Cure’s exclusive 2019 Disintegration shows, during which the group plays the record in full. “We look forward to celebrating the anniversary of this special album with you all... ...and remember: this album was mixed to be played loud… so turn it up!” Credit: Pitchfork
Seriously, we have no idea.