I intend over the coming months; as my school life has finished, to chronologically review the Cure's entire studio discography.
I shall be rating on a scale of:
Excellent
Very good
Good
Mediocre
Poor
Awful
As compared to my feelings about the album, in general, in context of the time, and in context of the artist's catalogue.
First up is.....
Three Imaginary Boys (1979)
"10.15 Saturday Night" – 3:42
"Accuracy" – 2:17
"Grinding Halt" – 2:49
"Another Day" – 3:44
"Object" – 3:03
"Subway Song" – 2:00
"Foxy Lady" (Jimi Hendrix) – 2:29
"Meathook" – 2:17
"So What" – 2:37
"Fire in Cairo" – 3:23
"It's Not You" – 2:49
"Three Imaginary Boys" – 3:17
Untitled (a.k.a. "The Weedy Burton", hidden track) – 1:04
The Cure's debut album tends to be quite overlooked, possibly due to its subsequent overshadowing by later releases or perhaps as it too clearly bares the mark of its influences in early releases by Wire and the Fall.
However, as a collection of short, sharp, jagged pop songs, it more than stands on its own. Despite its obvious short comings in terms of production, the experience of the band and the development of Robert Smith's vocal style, songs such as Accuracy and 10:15 Saturday night have been sporadically retained in the bands set since the albums release.
The seeds of the Robert Smith's pop songwriting is apparent here, albeit in stripped down punk form. The lineup mirrors the current day incarnation of the cure, that of two guitars, a bass and drums. There are no Fender bass Vis or synthesizers in sight and the emphasis is equally on the guitar alongside the bass as foundation for the song. This hints that Robert smith's writing style (building the foundation of drums and bass, layering keys and guitars from there) had not yet been developed. The real oddity is in the simplicity and pop hooks of the songs, there are no dirges, long suites such as pictures of you and not atmosphere developed beyond catchy youthful fun.
The arrangements and riffs are simple, as are the tones created by the instruments themselves. The guitars are dry and scratchy sitting atop the mix and dominating the melodic propulsion and instrumental hook. The bass provides support in slightly muddy tones. The drums provide a simple close miked back beat. The record is singularly dry in comparison to the rest of the cure's catalogue which is drenched in reverb and echo. This goes a long way to reducing the sense of scope and atmosphere which would become prevalent in their later music.
According to wikipedia, the band did not have final choice with regards to either track listing or album art, and perhaps this is the cause for it being only vaguely representory of anything the Cure would go on to do.
Notable at this point also, is that the iconic image of Robert Smith had not yet been developed, and the band followed a purportedly "anti-image" look.
For a committed fan of the Cure, this record sits as an anomaly, jammed alongside the rest of their expansive catalogue and relegated to a corner as the 'eponymous' debut that sparked their first minor hits. A notion not helped by the fact that bar robert Smith's voice, it sounds like a completely different band from the one that would emerge later with 17 seconds.
Key tracks: Accuracy, 10:15 Saturday Night and Fire in Cairo
Overall Impression:
Good
Three Imaginary Boys is an enjoyable romp through the early phase of the Cure, possessed with energy and fun but still struggling to find their voice. However the album is compromised by a poor track listing that prevents an engaging listen, poor production and songwriting and stylistic traits that do not fit in context.
*Note: I don't like individual song reviews as I feel the overall quality of the album is more important than the 'singles' mentality that that structure can impose.