338) The Cure - Three Imaginary Boys

We have already done two Cure albums, my favourite Head on the Door and the most recent, Songs of a Lost World.

From this most recent release I think we can say their legacy is now assured as that record has been rightly lauded and The Cure are, and will be always, known as one of the UK’s best bands.

Since they arrived back in 1979, they have had thirteen band members and have released fourteen records.

Let me take you back (picture The Young Ones scene at the start of the episode called Nasty where they all start shimmering from side to side) to album number one and the original three members of the band. Robert Smith, Lol Tolhurst and Michael Dempsey who had played in various bands together and signed a record deal in 1978 and released their debut album, Three Imaginary Boys, in 1979

All the tracks (apart from a poor version of the Jimi Hendrix song, Foxy Lady with Dempsey on lead vocals) are credited to The Cure so Smith was not the dominant force he was to become.

If you saw a picture of me, you would find it hard to believe that I was too young for this record when it was released so can only now listen to this knowing what an institution this band have become.

I would split this record into three. First is we have the negatives so let’s get them out of the way if you never hear the Hendrix cover or the final track The Weedy Burton then you will never regret this and Meat Hook and So What are a band finding their feet, slowly.

Second, we have the good tracks that you will enjoy repeatedly, this back then would have shown real potential  and for that I would highly recommend Accuracy, Grinding Halt, Another Day, Object and Subway Song and It’s Not You.

Third, for me anyway, there are three excellent songs on this debut. The album opens with minimal music and nearly forty seconds in before the band kicks in and as Smith sings “drip, drip, drip, drip…..,”and slowly fades away before a frantic guitar solo arrives this is clever excellent post punk music. Fire in Cairo gives us a hint that The Cure would be able to do perfect radio friendly singles, except it wasn’t one, should have been and then we have the title track, beautifully sung by Smith and never moving out of second gear and happily cruising there, a classic.

I am sure no one, including Smith, would have predicted what they would become but, on this debut, they were clearly destined for greater things.

8/10

GIVE IT A STREAM: Three Imaginary Boys