It was exactly 45 years ago that The Cure released their UK debut album, Three Imaginary Boys. The three school friends, led by singer Robert Smith, created an album of raw post punk that can be both gloomy and energetic. The first three tracks are all fine examples of this. “10:15 Saturday Night” starts with a distant guitar and tapping of drums that mimics the tapping of water from a leaky faucet. The song written when Smith was just 16 creates the image of sitting in a lonely bedsit and waiting for someone to call. The lowkey riffing of “Accuracy” is still tuneful before the upbeat and bouncy “Grinding Halt”.
“Subway Song” is an eerie slice of life with a great bassline from original bassist Stephen Dempsey and a harmonica that mimics a train. It lasts for just one verse then ends with a blood curdling scream. “So What” takes the absurd lyrics of describing a cake decorating set and sets it to a punk blast. “Fire In Cairo” is a standout with a deep groove held down by the rhythm section including drummer Lol Tulhurst and Smith’s poetic lyrics, this one seems like there was more thought taken into the recording. The title track adds reverb and produces a haunting atmosphere while Smith sings “close my eyes and hold so tightly/scared of what the morning brings”. An almost heavy metal sounding lyric.
These songs stand in contrast to filler songs that also appear including the atrocious cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady” and the in joke “Meat Hook”. It would be reported later that the band had little say in what ended up on the album. North America and Australia were better served by the compilation Boys Don’t Cry that keeps the good tracks from the UK debut and adds the stellar single “Boys Don’t Cry”, the controversial (and misunderstood) first single “Killing An Arab” plus the energetic song about chasing fads “Jumping Someone Else’s Train”.
In 2004 the band released the deluxe version of Three Imaginary Boys that adds demos, outtakes and a few live tracks all of which appear in varying sound quality. Crucially it adds two of the three singles released around that time including the aforementioned “Boys Don’t Cry” that is considered one of The Cure’s finest songs. “10:15 Saturday Night” appears in a home demo recording that uses a Casio keyboard and electronic beat for backing music on a version that greatly amps up the despair and isolation. “Fire In Cairo” appears in demo form with Smith making the song sound sexy before a couple of decent outtakes appear including “Winter” and the Undertones soundalike “Play With Me”.
Three Imaginary Boys – 8.5/10
Extras – 6/10
The Light Appears 