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| Boys Don't Cry | |
|---|---|
| Name | Boys Don't Cry |
| Type | studio |
| Artist | The Cure |
| Released | 1979 |
| Recorded | 1978–1979 |
| Studio | Morgan Studios |
| Genre | Post-punk, New Wave |
| Length | 35:39 |
| Label | Fiction Records |
| Producer | Chris Parry |
Boys Don't Cry Boys Don't Cry is a 1979 album associated with the English rock band The Cure. The release followed earlier singles and sessions involving members of The Cure, featuring production by Chris Parry and engineering at Morgan Studios. The record contributed to the group's early identity within the post-punk and new wave movements, influencing peers and successors across the UK and international scenes.
The album emerged after The Cure's formation in the mid-1970s, when Robert Smith had collaborated with Michael Dempsey and Lol Tolhurst during sessions at Morgan Studios and performances at venues such as the 100 Club and Marquee Club. Fiction Records, under Chris Parry, issued the record during a period when contemporaries like Joy Division, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Echo & the Bunnymen were reshaping British popular music. The release coincided with tours that included dates at Hammersmith Odeon and festivals like Reading Festival, while peer labels such as Factory Records and Rough Trade were also gaining prominence. The album's packaging linked The Cure with other post-punk acts on the UK independent scene, and distribution networks involving Polydor and Sire Records helped reach audiences in the United States and Europe.
Musically, the album draws from influences including David Bowie, Roxy Music, and The Velvet Underground, while echoing contemporaneous textures from Magazine, Ultravox, and Wire. Robert Smith's songwriting combined concise melodic hooks with stark arrangements reminiscent of early Television and Patti Smith Group, incorporating guitar lines that recall Johnny Marr-era jangle and Brian Eno-style atmospherics. Lyrically, themes of alienation, introspection, and emotional restraint place the record alongside works by Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, and Lou Reed, while the concise pop structures nod toward Kraftwerk and The Police. The instrumentation features melodic bass work akin to Peter Hook, angular guitar reminiscent of John McGeoch, and rhythmic approaches comparable to Budgie and Stephen Morris, producing a hybrid of post-punk urgency and pop sensibility.
Contemporary reviewers compared the album to releases by Siouxsie Sioux, Peter Gabriel-era Genesis, and The Smiths' emerging sound, noting its balance of bleakness and melody in the lineage of Gale, Reed, and Bowie. Retrospective assessments situate the record within broader narratives alongside albums by New Order, The Jam, and Blondie, crediting it with influencing indie rock acts such as The Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, and Interpol. Music critics referenced the album when discussing shifts in alternative music alongside magazines like NME, Melody Maker, and Rolling Stone, and radio programmers at BBC Radio 1 and KROQ highlighted its singles. The work's legacy is often cited in scholarship that traces links from post-punk to shoegaze, Britpop, and emo scenes, connecting to bands like Oasis, Radiohead, and Death Cab for Cutie.
Initial sales were modest compared with charting contemporaries such as The Clash, The Police, and Duran Duran, though the album established The Cure within indie charts alongside acts like Bauhaus and The Smiths. Distribution through Fiction and partnerships with larger entities enabled placements on UK Albums Chart and college radio playlists in the United States, where labels such as Sire and Elektra facilitated exposure. Over time, catalog sales and reissues paralleled the commercial growth of Robert Smith's later work, drawing comparisons with catalog performances by U2, The Cure's contemporaries Joy Division/New Order, and Simple Minds.
Promotional efforts included video clips and TV appearances on programs such as Top of the Pops and The Old Grey Whistle Test, leveraging broadcast slots alongside peers like Duran Duran, XTC, and Blondie. Visual presentation adopted an aesthetic related to early MTV-era imagery, intersecting with stylings seen in works by David Bowie, Kate Bush, and Siouxsie and the Banshees. Radio promotion engaged DJs at BBC Radio 1, John Peel sessions, and college radio shows across North America, while print interviews appeared in NME, Melody Maker, and Creem, situating the band within the narratives crafted by producers like Martin Hannett and labels such as Factory Records.
Songs from the album have been covered or referenced by a range of artists including Morrissey, Robert Smith collaborators, members of The Smashing Pumpkins, and indie acts inspired by post-punk aesthetics such as Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys, and Interpol. The album's influence is evident in film soundtracks and television series that draw on post-punk atmospheres alongside directors and composers influenced by David Lynch, John Hughes, and Martin Scorsese. Academics studying late 20th-century popular music link the work to cultural movements involving venues like CBGB, the Haçienda, and club scenes in Berlin, while curated compilations alongside tracks by Kraftwerk, The Stooges, and Wire underscore its ongoing relevance. The record's artistic footprint can be traced through festival lineups featuring bands like Pixies, Sonic Youth, and REM, demonstrating its role in shaping alternative music trajectories.
Category:1979 albums Category:The Cure albums