The Cure: Pornography and Disintegration as Variations of Gothic Rock

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Previous to the development of the record company, there was no specific Gothic genre. Often, classical pieces would have Gothic elements, but never a period of Gothic classical music. As rock developed, Gothic rock formed from influences present in the English punk and post-punk scenes. Such music would be defined by its atmospheric elements—very similar, in concept, to the use of scenery and atmosphere in Gothic literature—and often dark, introspective lyrical content. As the importance of image increased due to the ever growing influence of MTV many bands would adopt black clothing that often drew on influences from the Victorian period. One band that would become noted for its image is The Cure. With its fourth release, 1982’s Pornography, The Cure created a Gothic rock masterpiece. The album ushered in many attributes that would become standard for the genre. These attributes included musical fixtures such as driving tribal-like tom beats, dreary lyrics, and the aforementioned Gothic fashion. In part influenced by lead singer Robert Smith’s mental stress, the album was critically dismissed upon release, however it would prove to be influential to many artists (Mason Online). After a period of pop-oriented albums, The Cure returned to Gothic rock with 1989’s Disintegration. This album would become The Cure’s most popular and iconic album. However, while being recognized as a return to the band’s previous style, these two albums differ immensely in their relation to Gothic rock due to musical, lyrical, and visual differences. The first difference between the two albums is one that is readily apparent, the stark contrast of the musicianship can be noticed by simply listening to one song from each; however, it becomes much more distinct when thoroughly analyzed. With Pornography, Smith created an album with “the drums, guitars, voice and production

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