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Amazon.co.uk
When Robert Smith's long-running group made this debut (actually the resequenced American version of the British Three Imaginary Boys), they weren't the Goth-and-reverb, new wave heroes they later became; they were just a trio of disaffected kids who didn't like what was on the radio, because it wasn't smart enough or dark enough. Smith's lyrics are bleakly sarcastic (as when he spells out the title of "Fire in Cairo") and literate (the single "Killing an Arab," a nihilistic sketch based on a scene from Albert Camus's The Stranger). The band matches them with swift, tingling arrangements that dodge skilfully around rock's machismo and self-indulgence, even when Smith launches into the occasional gnarled solo. --Douglas Wolk
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This US alternative to The Cure's UK debut album includes their feted NME 'single of the week,' 'Killing An Arab.' Based on a shocking Albert Camus novel, 'The Outsider,' that has always fascinated me, this track is one of the high points of the New Wave era. The trio sound like a fledgling teenage band recording in their Mum's front room with cheap, basic equipment, yet the production is clear and their gift for invention turns each track into a compelling performance.
The title track is the poppiest item here, a single not included on the UK debut. The real interest lies in the inventive touches, such as the 'drip drip drip' of '10.15 Saturday Night' and the blood-curdling scream on 'Subway Song.' Frequently beaty, always cutting to the bone of human behaviour, the album also abounds with melodic hooks. This and the next two albums represent The Cure I remember most fondly.
The title track is the poppiest item here, a single not included on the UK debut. The real interest lies in the inventive touches, such as the 'drip drip drip' of '10.15 Saturday Night' and the blood-curdling scream on 'Subway Song.' Frequently beaty, always cutting to the bone of human behaviour, the album also abounds with melodic hooks. This and the next two albums represent The Cure I remember most fondly.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By Bored
Format:Audio CD
How times change. If anyone had told me that Robert Smith and co. were to go from their inauspicious post-punk days to become one of the most well-known UK pop bands there'd ever been, I probably would have accused them of lying. If you're a fan of their later works, or even their not-so-later works, this album will certainly surprise you, but you will probably find it to be a pleasant one.
Displaying a heavy punk influence, especially from The Clash, it seems, Boys Don't Cry is extremely impressive in its own right. The sense of melody in Fire in Cairo, my personal favourite, shines through and displays perhaps the first inkling of Robert Smith's wonderfully abstract lyrics that would first start to show up in a couple of years on their 1981 release, Faith.
But overall, I find this album difficult to fault, other than that Robert's voice seems extremely raw in comparison to their more polished releases, but some may find this a plus point, rather than a minus one. I would recommend this to someone who has already bought a couple of Cure albums and wants to find out how diverse their style has turned out to be.
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I find The Cure's later albums to be quite laborious and heavy. But this early album serves up some very carefree tunes, with a far more devil may care attitude, revealing The Cure's Punk origins. The pacier tracks such as 'Killing an Arab' , 'Jumping someone elses train' and the excellent 'Fire in Cairo' are countered by the slower, atmospheric songs such as 'World War', '3 Imaginary Boys' and the shocking 'Subway song' that mark their future direction.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
THE BEST VERSION
this is the version to get of first album includes all the best tracks dont bother with deluxe edition the extras are poor
Published 13 months ago by P. Storey
5.0 out of 5 stars
Boys Don't Cry (Audio CD) ~ The Cure
One of my favorite dark rock groups and this album remains the most beautiful and smooth to listen
Published on 12 April 2010 by D. Belli
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pure Cure
Strictly speaking, this album is a combination of the Cure's debut album Three Imaginary Boys and the singles they released throughout 1979. Read more
Published on 1 Oct 2003 by A. Moynihan
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty damn cool
Ok, when I first purchased this album, I was a little unsure of what I was going to hear. I really liked "Pornography" and this one was in the same basic era, so I... Read more
Published on 12 Jan 2001
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