Boys Don't Cry (The Cure album)
Boys Don't Cry is the Cure's first compilation album.[1] Released in February 1980, this album is composed of several tracks from the band's May 1979 debut album Three Imaginary Boys (which had yet to see a U.S. release) with material from the band's 1978-1979 era.
Boys Don't Cry | ||||
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Compilation album by | ||||
Released | 5 February 1980 | |||
Recorded | 1978–1979 | |||
Genre | Post-punk | |||
Length | 34:09 (CD version) | |||
Label | Fiction (UK) PVC (original US LP) Elektra (later US CD issues) | |||
Producer | Chris Parry | |||
The Cure chronology | ||||
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Singles from Boys Don't Cry | ||||
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Release
Boys Don't Cry was released on 5 February 1980 by record label Fiction. According to AllMusic, the album "[falls] somewhere between [an] official release and compilation", and was released "in hopes of increasing the band's exposure outside of the U.K."[2]
A new version of the title track was released in April 1986.[3]
Reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
Q | |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
The Village Voice | B+[6] |
Boys Don't Cry has been generally well received by critics. Debra Rae Cohen of Rolling Stone wrote that the album "proves they can transcend their Comp. Lit. 201 (Elementary Angst) scenarios".[7] Robert Christgau of The Village Voice called the band's sound "dry post-punk, never pretty but treated with a properly mnemonic pop overlay" and was more reserved in his praise, adding, "I can look over the titles and recall a phrase from all but a few of these 13 songs. Intelligent phrases they are, too, yet somehow I find it hard to get really excited about them".[6]
In 2000 it was voted number 775 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.[8]
In 2003, the album was ranked at No. 442 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 best albums ever. In the 2012 update of the same list, it moved up the list to No. 438.[9]
Track listing
All tracks are written by The Cure (Robert Smith, Michael Dempsey and Lol Tolhurst).
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Boys Don't Cry" | 2:37 |
2. | "Plastic Passion" | 2:15 |
3. | "10:15 Saturday Night" | 3:40 |
4. | "Accuracy" | 2:16 |
5. | "Object" | 3:03 |
6. | "Jumping Someone Else's Train" | 2:58 |
7. | "Subway Song" | 1:54 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Killing an Arab" | 2:22 |
2. | "Fire in Cairo" | 3:21 |
3. | "Another Day" | 3:43 |
4. | "Grinding Halt" | 2:49 |
5. | "World War" | 2:36 |
6. | "Three Imaginary Boys" | 3:14 |
- On most CD versions of the album, "Object" was replaced by "So What", the scream at the end of "Subway Song" was shortened and "World War" was removed.
Personnel
The Cure
- Robert Smith – guitar, vocals, harmonica
- Michael Dempsey – bass guitar, vocals
- Lol Tolhurst – drums
Technical
Certifications and sales
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
France (SNEP)[10] | Gold | 100,000* |
United Kingdom (BPI)[11] | Gold | 100,000^ |
*sales figures based on certification alone |
References
- https://www.post-punk.com/the-cure-boys-dont-cry/
- True, Chris. "Boys Don't Cry – The Cure". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
- https://www.discogs.com/The-Cure-Boys-Dont-Cry-New-Voice-Club-Mix/release/5066369
- Mulholland, Garry (June 2005). "Back Catalogue". Q (227): 124.
- Sheffield, Rob (2004). "The Cure". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 205–06. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- Christgau, Robert (28 April 1980). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
- Cohen, Debra Rae (21 August 1980). "Boys Don't Cry". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
- Colin Larkin (2000). All Time Top 1000 Albums (3rd ed.). Virgin Books. p. 244. ISBN 0-7535-0493-6.
- "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
- "Les Certifications depuis 1973: Albums". Infodisc.fr. Retrieved 1 June 2019. (select "The Cure" from drop-down list)
- "British album certifications – The Cure – Boys don't cry". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Boys don't cry in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
External links
- Boys Don't Cry at Discogs (list of releases)