Cure Three Imaginary Boys: Deluxe Edition CD

Package includes THREE IMAGINARY BOYS (1979) and RARITIES 1977-1979.
The Cure: Robert Smith (vocals); Michael Dempsey (bass guitar); Laurence Tolhurst (drums).
Personnel: Porl Thompson (guitar).
Liner Note Author: Johnny Black.
Illustrator: Connie Jude.
Photographers: Bill Airey Smith; Martyn Goddard; John Taw; Bunny Lake; Tony Mottram; Porl Thompson.
Unknown Contributor Role: Mark Leviton.
Maybe it was youthful exuberance or perhaps it was the fact that the band itself was not pulling all the strings, Three Imaginary Boys is not only a very strong debut, but a near oddity (it's an admittedly "catchy" record) in the Cure catalog. More poppy and representative of the times than any other album during their long career, Three Imaginary Boys is a semi-detached bit of late-'70s English pop-punk. Angular and lyrically abstract, it's strong points are in its utter simplicity. There are no dirges here, no long suites, just short bursts of energy and a rather strange cover of Hendrix's "Foxy Lady." For some, this is the last good Cure record, many fans of this album being in no way prepared for the sparse emptiness and gloom that would be the cornerstone of future releases. For the most die-hard Cure-head, however, it's an interesting sidenote, hard to place in the general flow of the band's discography. Cure leader Robert Smith has voiced many times over his mixed feelings about the record, most notably the cover art (the three "representative" appliances on the cover, the lack of a real track listing -- all the songs are represented with arty type pictures -- and in no real order) and the production, which at times is admittedly a little muddy, but even that lends it a certain youthful charm. What the Cure would do next wasn't entirely obvious to the listener of this album, but there are some definite hints. ~ Chris True
The 2004 US release of THREE IMAGINARY BOYS was a momentous event for stateside Cure fans, as it marked the first time the band's 1979 debut album had ever been available on CD in America. Equally enticing is the bonus disc containing '77-'79 demos, live tracks, and other rarities. The Cure's first US release was 1980's BOYS DON'T CRY, which replaced a number of TIB's tracks with previously non-LP singles, presenting a significantly different picture of the band.
Far from the cloudy, effects-drenched goth-pop sound that later became its trademark, the Cure is in stripped-down mode here, delivering fairly straight-ahead post-punk tunes suggestive of a less angst-ridden Joy Division or a funkless Gang of Four. The stark, rhythm-guitar-dominated sound makes excellent use of space, suggesting a familiarity with dub that's confirmed by the reggae-tinged "Meat Hook" (one of the tracks left off BOYS DON'T CRY). The rarities disc completes the picture, showing the earliest developmental stages of the band and presenting staples such as "Boys Don't Cry" and "10:15 Saturday Night" in embryonic form.
How to handle the B-sides, rarities, and sock-drawer discoveries? It's the dilemma of any band with an exhaustive series of reissues ahead of it. The results, no matter what they might be, are bound to cause a mix of jubilation, confusion, and frustration throughout the fan base -- especially when the band in question is the Cure. There's no clean, obvious way to do it. Rhino's elaborate overhauling of the Cure's back catalog assumes that you have been a rabid follower throughout the years and will want every piece of the puzzle. Cure fans being Cure fans, it's not a foolish judgment to make, and it's the one that should cause the least amount of consternation. Following the four-disc Join the Dots box, Rhino continued with a two-disc expanded form of Three Imaginary Boys, originally released in 1979 as the band's first album. Since the B-sides from this era appear on the box, they aren't included on the rarities disc that accompanies the album proper. This allows plenty of room for demos, live versioUncut (p.146) - 4 stars out of 5 - "In 1978, The Cure, suburban teens indebted to punk, sounded fresh and unusual even then, penning unorthodox pop like 'Fire In Cairo'."
Alternative Press (p.98) - "[A]mazing..."