Release Date: 1978

Previously Owned: No

First Time Listen: Yes

Impressions: Much like the way I enjoy the Smiths, I like my mopey served up with a side order of catchy. The Cure certainly fits that bill. Boys Don’t Cry is an early compliation of The Cure smashing together stuff from their first album Three Imaginary Boys and other singles for a US audience. Let’s put it on…The title track is still a simple classic single– with a chiming guitar and lean production that sounds more like the Buzzcocks, Wire or even early R.E.M. The whole album captures the young band playing lean, spooky yet highly melodic songs like “10:15 Saturday Night” and “Jumping Someone Else’s Train.” Minimal, angular stuff that is mostly before they figured out what they are supposed to sound like. Some of these songs are so simple sounding like they turned off any guitar filters and recorded everything dry (like the driving “Object”) but others feature Robert Smith try all kinds of different things–including instrumentals. Either way, the hooks stick with you. “Killing An Arab,” about Albert’s Camus’ existential novel The Stranger, has over the years garnered a lot of controversy for the title and has been mostly left off this compilation over the years and even live they’ve changed the title to “Kissing An Arab” or “Killing Another.”

Starred Songs: “Boys Don’t Cry,” “Killing an Arab, “

Sneaky Track: “10:15 Saturday Night,” “Jumping Someone Else’s Train”

Should this be on the list: Yes
Will you listen to this again? Yes.
Summary: A nice overview of early Cure shows off their great melodies and features plenty of moodiness.

Rating: ★★★ 3/4