I discovered the Cure when this album was released in France. Those were the days. Therefore, I guess I'm sort of stuck with my fond memories of these fantastic tunes, as I don't quite agree with other reviewers. To put things simply : this first album is my favorite.

I remember that upon discovering this record, I thought : How did these guys manage to construct such a powerful debut ? The first tune was arresting (10:15), then it got better and better. I was amazed. They were confident enough to keep the best tunes buried inside !

Sure, the Cure evolved after this first opus, they got more experimental (Seventeen seconds, my second best), onright depressing (Pornography, "the black gem"), or playful (Japanese whispers), and then they toyed with these ideas, fleshing them out, creating variations (Disintegration, Kiss...). But they never captured again the brilliance of their debut, this obvious display of Robert Smith's genius.

My guess is that Robert was disappointed with the response to his first songs, got weird, depressed, then gradually decided, I'm able to give them the tunes they want. Consequently, the Cure released "Japanese whispers" and the others. I confess I listened to each one of them. But at the time I did not want to admit that I was gradually losing interest (yeah, that's right, I was getting older. But hey, I don't dribble all over yet).

This first record has got it all. This IS "the Cure". Any "real fan" should, in my opinion, listen to it. Try to forget about those "synth layers". Had this first record been the succes it deserved, my guess is that the Cure would have subsequently followed a quite different path. But then again, who knows ? Art is such a mystery...

So, there we are. I don't think I'm a purist. I'm glad the Cure got the immense following it rightly deserves. I don't systematically consider first albums as the best albums. But. This one is the one. Believe me. Treat yourself. Do it for Robert Smith. Whatever. THIS IS THE REAL STUFF.


The FIRST, The Original.   May 27, 2000
 6 out of 8 found this review helpful

I hate to say it, but I'm old enough to recall searching racks and racks of vinyl albums for this one!

This album was The Cure's first. (Their Peel session EP doesn't contain enough tracks to make it a real album....but it has a fantastic version of Boys Don't Cry.) Any semi-serious Cure fan will quickly realize that most of the tracks on "Three Imaginary Boys" made it onto their U.S. Debut album: "Boys Don't Cry".

While moody and quirky, this album is not a showcase for The Cure. This early work shows Robert Smith's attempts at defining a sound for the group before they knew what they were doing. Its heavy Punk influence overshadows the dark and sad mood of the words of most of the songs.

This album does contain a few gems like Meathook, Plastic Passion, and 10:15 Saturday Night, and it MUST be part of any Cure fan's collection... but if you like the layered, synth-heavy tones of "Disintegration", or the angry and loud "Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me", then this one is NOT for you.


Simply a classic   October 12, 2003
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

This is the record that sounds odd when the rest of their discography is taken into consideration. But at the same time, it makes perfect sense that they made an album that sounded like this. It's very representative of its time period, but at the same time, it doesn't sound dated. On the contrary. I like this record so much more than when I first heard it. It's a very subtle album, but in the subtleties is where its charm lies. The songs are some of Mr. Smith's most enduring and catchy. No less than three post punk classics are included in the form of "Subway Song," "Fire In Cairo," and the undeniably great "10.15 Saturday Night." All Cure fans should hear this album at least once to hear one of the band's finest albums, and one of the finest albums of the initial post-punk/new wave movement.


Auspicious Debut by Cult Giants   February 19, 2004
 3 out of 6 found this review helpful

While not a landmark album, except that it is the Cure's debut, `3IB' was a creative mixture of punk and post-punk, released in 1979 right as the cusp between the 2 scenes was developing; Siouxsie and the Sisters were formed right on this same razor's edge. The key song's were the suicidal "10:15 Saturday Night" and the title track. 10:15 is basically a minimal, almost brushed rather than outright strummed acoustic sound with a very nervous, desperate undercurrent. Then the jarring, jagged electric guitar screams in making a sound that truly sounds like someone cutting his or her wrists - it's simple but brilliant. The title track remains one of the band's best ever, a brooding, iconic post-punk masterpiece similar to Bauhaus' classic "She's in Parties". Here is a quick summary of the other tracks:

Accuracy - short & sweet punk

Grinding Halt - like above but with clever beat/rhythm that slows down to come to a grinding halt

Another Day & object - short & bratty punk; Smith sounds like he's 12

Subway Song - minimal and very creepy... a well kept Goth secret

Foxy Lady - a funny, fast-paced cover of Hendrix (Cure doing Jimmy - ha!)

Meathook & So What - back to short, bratty punk

Fire in Cairo - quirky punk... funny chorus when he quickly spells out
"f-i-r-e-i-n-c-a-i-r-o"

Solid and punchy throughout with a pair of great songs. Auspicious start with some towering moments.


For Die Hard Cure Fans Only   August 5, 1998
 2 out of 5 found this review helpful

This is an interesting look at the early days of The Cure. This recording of an 18 year old Robert Smith may sound different to later Cure fans but it gives you an idea of how their music evolved from a garage band to a goth supergroup