Ocean Rain
Echo And The Bunnymen
1984
Album Summary
Ocean Rain is the fourth studio album by the English post-punk band Echo & the Bunnymen. It was released on 4 May 1984 and reached number four on the UK Albums Chart, number 87 on the United States Billboard 200, number 41 on the Canadian RPM 100 Albums and number 22 on the Swedish chart. Since 1984 the album has been certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry. Ocean Rain includes the singles "The Killing Moon", "Silver" and "Seven Seas". The band wrote the songs for the new album in 1983. In early 1984 they recorded most of the album in Paris using a 35-piece orchestra, with other sessions taking place in Bath and Liverpool. Receiving mixed reviews the album was originally released as an LP and a cassette in May 1984 before it was reissued on CD in August. The album was reissued on CD in 2003, along with the other four of the band's first five studio albums, having been remastered and expanded before again being reissued in 2008 with a live bonus disc. The artwork for the album was designed by Martyn Atkins and the photography was by Brian Griffin. Echo & the Bunnymen played a number of concerts in 2008 where they performed Ocean Rain in full and with the backing of an orchestra.
WikipediaHad to listen to this twice for it to even sink in. It just kind of washed over me. The vocal delivery is like Bono trying to channel Jim Morrison's ghost (especially on thorn of crowns). Ambitious and moody. Like a strange hybrid of The Cure, Bauhaus, XTC, and U2. "The Killing Moon" reminds me of Radiohead. I listened to it a third time (this time in the day) and it started to grow on me. Went from 3 to 4 overnight. At night it seemed so melodramatic but in the daytime it sounded a little more balanced.
Amazing album, definitely a bridge between Madchester music and 90s alt/indies rock. You can hear them influencing almost every 90s non pop musician.
As I listen to this I sit and wonder. I wonder, should I let that Filipino child that I stole from the hospital out of her cage? You almost had me there for a minute, Echo. I almost let her out. She stays. The Bunnymen can come visit whenever they want. She'll be here. Caged. Ready.
Ce qu'il s'est passé est tout bonnement effroyable. Comme annoncé dans notre review précédente, robpalombière et moi même sommes entré par effraction au sein du domicile de Robert. Ce que nous y avons découvert dépasse l'entendement. Tout d'abord, dès l'entrée dans le salon, nous découvrions une centaine d'ordinateurs diffusant en boucle le dernier album de Mike Ladd, ce qui provoquait un brouhaha absolument insupportable. Mais nous n'étions pas venu pour cela. Nous descendions alors au sous-sols à pas feutrés, chaque avancée du genous nous éloignant des sonorités slam de Mike Ladd, mais nous rapprochant d'une mélodie bien familière... "ique ton coeur", *avancée du genou*, "qui pique ton coeur", *avancée du genou*, "l'as de trèfle qui pique ton coeur"... Nous touchions au but. Dans cette cave, spécialement amménagée pour l'occasion, nous pouvions deviner la silhouette de MC Solaar, faisant face au mur de sa gêole, et répétant inlassablement les quelques vers du refrain de Caroline t'envoles pas. Tout se passa alors très vite, tandis que je crochetais la serrure, robpalombière tendit la main à MC Solaar. Il fallut peu de temps pour que nous remontions discrètement les marches menant au rez de chaussée, et nous eclipsions discrètement du domicile de Robert pour rejoindre notre véhicule garé quelques rues plus loin. Nous l'avions fait, nous avions délivré MC Solaar. Mais alors que nous laissions notre joie éclater, rob poussa alors un cri: "Merde!! J'ai fait une connerie!! J'ai oublié nos cartes d'identité sur la table basse du salon!!!" - En effet, rob avait fait une connerie, puisqu'il avait oublié nos cartes d'identité sur la table basse du salon. Sur ces cartes d'identité figurent nos pseudos d'auditeur du générateur, ce qui laisse désormais à Robert toute liberté de nous localiser, dès l'instant ou il réalisera que MC Solaar avait été retrouvé...
Genuinely didn’t know what I expected from this album. I hadn’t heard overly good things about Echo & the Bunnymen - I was pleasantly surprised. This sounds quite a bit like some of the more obscure alt/indie rock from the mid 2000s. I dig it. “The Killing Moon” is a straight-up great song.
The prefect cocktail of mystery and magic, haunting lyrics and an exquisite score underpinning it all expertly. I think if that boat was sinking, Big Sam would keep them up.
Comme vous le savez probablement, la journée d'hier a été marquée par l'opération de sauvetage de MC Solaar au domicile de Robert Dimery. Je vous invite à vous référer à la critique de mon compère elgomez pour avoir connaissance de la chronologie des faits. Ocean Rain est un bon album. On notera cependant la déception qui suit le moment où l'on se rend compte qu'il ne s'agit pas de l'album Purple Rain, que beaucoup de fans d'Echo And The Bunnymen ont connu le jour de sa sortie.
I REALLY liked this. It’s got a cool art rock, post-punk vibes. Some Jim Morrison style vocals at time, with some really cool arrangements. Just liked this a lot. Surprised at how good I thought it was. Back half is phenomenal
I like it. I came of age in the eighties and was an indie kid, but for some reason had an aversion to this band. I should have listened to this album.
An archeological relic of a genre long gone, and frankly, I'm not in tears.
hell yeah, i love this album i’ve liked Echo & The Bunnymen for years and i’ve heard most of the songs on this album already but i don’t think i’ve actually heard the whole thing front to back before and it was a really great experience. least favorite song was Thorn of Crowns, it was just kind of lame to listen to but i loved all the other songs. my favorite song has to be the one that got me into them in the first place: Nocturnal Me, and The Killing Moon is a close second. i think it’s fair to give it a 10/10, i’m a sucker for Joy Division and The Smiths, this album is great for me
I think I've heard of this artist, but never gave them a listen. I can see the appeal, the vocals are definitely interesting and engaging. The guys voice is something almost enigmatic? I'm not sure if that's the right word, but it draws you in and captures you.
Lush Orchestral Moody Melodic I enjoyed this - I missed a lot of the 80s new wave in my teen guitar-solo-oriented days and often to my detriment. Most of this is an enjoyable and elegant-sounding slice of early80s British music that at the time I thought was moodier and more somber than I do now. Or maybe I'm just moody and somber at this point in my life. Possible. "Thorn of Crowns" is an odd one... I can't decide if it's ridiculous or I actually like it. ... although maybe both apply. Overall the minor keys with a soaring production is a combination I find myself enjoying - even though it's very "of its age" is that a bad thing here? I say not. A keeper. 7/10 4 stars.
p526. 1984. 2 stars Sounds like the bastard love child of Nick Cave and The Cure's Robert Smith, but without the talent. Perfectly acceptable without being exceptional in any way. A couple of OK singles, but that's it. On the plus side, it's short, so it doesn't outstay its welcome.
Nothing to write home about. Pretty amusing psychobabble by wannabe weirdos who don't mind sounding silly, which is just as well, but struggle to sound fun, which isn't.
Discazo de New Wave. No sobra ni falta nada. A la altura de los mejores The Cure. Bajo espectacular, buenas melodías y bien instrumentalizado. Y encima incluye The Killing Moon..
One of my favorite albums of all-time, though just my 2nd favorite Bunnymen album. Love me some Crocodiles. 5 🌟 without question.
British 84's post-punk. The band's fourth album. Since 1984 the album has been certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry. Great! Will listen it again many times.
Criminally underrated album thats full of strong influences but in turn influenced so many others through the late 80s and 90s.
Brilliant album, played it non stop when it came out & still sounds epic today
This album really impressed me. I would even hesitate to call it post-punk due to the wide musical scope this album encompasses. It is clearly influenced by 60s garage rock and the Doors, has a driving post punk feel, and is backed by well placed string arrangements. This synthesis of influences is not limited to a backward looking focus. There are melodic moments that wouldn’t be out of place on a 2000s indie record as well.
My favorite album from one of my all time favorite bands. Ian McCulloch has never been in better voice. The lyrics are beautifully obtuse but fun and provoking and at times achingly beautiful. Will Sargeants guitar is tasteful and never overdone, alwaysserving the song. And there are so many great songs; Silver, Seven Seas, Thorn of Crowns, Yo Yo Man, Ocean Rain, Kingdom and of course The Killing Moon. A 5 🌟 album if I've ever heard one.
I’m starting to feel like this kind of music (late 1970s through the 1980s, British, reverb-y) was engineered in a mad scientist’s lab especially for me. (Also, re: the Beach Boys album I neglected to say anything about yesterday, it is very good early 70s psych-pop. Like the rest of their music, it took me some time to warm up to Surf’s Up, despite being a fan of the genre.) 4.5
Det är ett så stabilt album. Detta är allt the smiths önskade att de var. Det är deppigt det är gitarrigt det är poppigt utan att vara sockersött.
Love Killing Moon one of my favs also a good album I like his haunting voice
Ei nyt yhtään missään järjestyksessä, mutta mulla on surkea mieli ja halusin kuunnella jotain tuttua ja turvallista ja aidosti hyvää, joten tää, halaa minua kuin lämmin peitto, on ollut rakas alusta asti ja oon monet itkut tätä kuunnellessani itkenyt, muistan yhdenkin kesän Ateenassa, 40 asteen helteessä hikoilin ja itkin - en enää muista mitä itkin, mutta Ocean Rain auttoi silloinkin.
This album is a full blown classic! Lush, atmospheric, melodic and flat out beautiful from beginning to end. The guitar work from Marc Sargent is fantastic. This is the high water mark for the Bunnymen.
Oooh, I really like this one. Nocutnal Me grabbed me from the first listen and I think I like it more than Killing Moon.
Brilliant, perfect, moving, highlight of the Echo catalogue. Killing Moon of course the classic track, Thorn of Crowns my favorite. Memories of Ian McCulloch performing it live, concert hall in entire darkness, only light to be seen his burning cigarette. Much of the music of then now is outdated, this one alive as can be.
Dásamleg plata. Emo meets nýrómantík. Mikið orchestra. The Killing Moon eitt af stórkostlegustu lögum 80s.
Såg dem -83 i nån jympasal i Hultsfred. Då var det bra och nu är det bra.
I have loved the song The Killing Moon since I first heard it shortly after its release. It’s such an incredibly-crafted song - one of the very best of the 80s. Somehow this never translated into my listening to this album. As a fan or orchestra in pop I really missed out. The lush strings give the album a darker, cinematic tone. Still there are lighter cinematic moments to enjoy. Crystal Days had me happily be-bopping along, but that orchestra lifts the song above being a lightweight 80’s confection. I love it! This is one of my favorite albums of the 80s. I’m glad I found it even if it took nearly 40 years.
I do like the sound of a Bunnymen song. Lots of la-las and do-dos. Pretty!
I realized that I mostly knew Echo and the Bunnymen from 80s movie soundtracks, including "Lost Boys" and "Pretty in Pink." This album is one that I wish I had had back in the 80s, as I know it would have been a favorite. "The Killing Moon" is an incredible song I've not spent enough time with, and "Silver" is a new favorite. I've always liked Ian McCulloch's voice, and I really loved the orchestration of this music. It was interesting and enjoyable and made me quite happy today.
Echo and the Bunnymen have achieved a rare feat here, combining thoughtful lyrics with interesting melodies, backed by a 35-piece orchestra. Unfortunately, I had a hard time feeling much of anything while listening to the album, mostly because the lead singer is horribly bland and generic. Best track: Seven Seas
!!prettttyttyy!! kinda timeless, really talented and catchy. I liked when he said c c c c c c c c cucumber🥒
Kind of liking this! I did not know they were the ones who did "The Killing Moon" but I really like that song. I like the unstable, on-the-edge feel they have going on in some of the songs. Solid!
Pretty good -- thought it sounded like the artist from the Donny Darko song (because it is!).
Ook dit moet ik nog een keer goed luisteren. M'n eerste indruk is een 3,5 maar met het voordeel van de twijfel wordt dat dus een 4.
Saved Prior: The Killing Moon Off Rip: Silver, Nocturnal Me, Crystal Days, The Yo Yo Man, Seven Seas, My Kingdom, Ocean Rain Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: One of those albums where I like damn near every song on the album, but nothing floors me. I love the mellow atmosphere of this album and the production was much better than the other Echo album in here. The Killing Moon is one of my favorite songs ever too, but there wasn't enough here to push this into 5 territory. Just a thoroughly good, sometimes great album.
Found the Killing Moon after going a bit into Bunnymen's discography following Crocodiles and immediately liked it. Felt the same after listening to this album, very nice flow and makes me feel like I'm on that album cover with them. A very good album Already Saved: The Killing Moon Saved After Listening: Silver, Seven Seas
Moglo bi se reći upliftični postopunkski album sa odličnim otvaranjem pjesmom "Silver" (ujedno najdraža sa albuma) i sa odličnim orkestralni finišom pjesme 'Ocean Rain'. Neočekivan rasplet kod mene, već sam preslušao album možda 2 puta, ali ovaj puta je ipak više kliknuo. Sve u svemu na prvi puta mi je drugi dio albuma bio bolji, ali drugim slušanjem mi je podjednako pokazao kvalitetu. 4/5 P. S. Album cover podsjeća na pjesmu od Nick Cavea & Bad Seedsa - Weeping Song.
Loved the songs on this album. It is one of the best albums compared to the ones I have listened to on this list.
Simple, easy listen. Funny enough I heard the title track played on the episode of Good Girls I watched the same day. Strange coincidence.
I like the killing moon and most of the songs are enjoyable. Crown of thorns is weird af..
Sort of a more superficially optimistic The Cure… vocalist sounds incredibly familiar, although I’ve never *consciously* listened to the Bunnymen before. I’ve probably heard a song but didn’t know it was them. Or some other vocalist sounding like him. I like this. It’s easy to listen to, while still being interesting.
I was pleasantly surprised that I recognized a song from Inglorious Basterds. Very 70's/80's vibe for sure.
Almost perfect. Would def go back for more listens. Some amazing gems hidden between the hits.
I had never heard this band before (heard of, but not heard). I enjoyed the album - seemed to be like U2 with lots of odd sounds added in (which I enjoyed). It wasn't sticking with me in terms of being memorable but I'd definitely listen again and check out their other albums. I'd say 3.5 rounded up to a 4.
Good album by a slightly underrated band. Favorite tracks so far: Thorn of Crowns, Killing Moon and My Kingdom.
Was really getting the Bowie vibes on this one, and to be honest, didn’t really give this the serious listen it deserves. Listened twice all the way through, but had other things going on. Will perhaps go back and listen again later as nothing really grabbed me except for The Killing Moon. Third listen getting better. 3.5 could go either way
Possiblement el millor disc de la banda, transició entre el post punk dels començaments i el pop més elegant que anirien desenvolupant durant els '80 i '90. Aquí aglutinen el millor dels dos mons i temes com 'Nocturnal Me', 'Crown of Thorns', 'Silver' o, és clar, 'The Killing Moon' destaquen, no només al disc sinó com alguns dels millors temes de l'època
killing moon really is a huge tune. the rest of the album was decent too, which is a nice change from the usual fare offered up by albums with an absolute massive banger on them.
Echo and the Bunnymen was one of those bands that got massive play in my house when I was a teenager. I had a concert tee that I wore down to nothing, I loved it so much. Ocean Rain is probably the best album the band ever made. The musical arrangements are lovely, but properly subtle and restrained. I was surprised to read they had an actual 35-piece orchestra backing them up. It’s beautifully done, an example of the right way to use strings in rock music. Special mention to Will Sergeant, whose resonant guitar work is distinctive, but interplays really elegantly with some rather delicate arrangements. The lyrics are darkly poetic and ambiguous, delivered in the way only an English post punk singer can do it, dead serious but then yet… not really. I mean how serious can you be if you're comparing your girlfriend to a cold cucumber in the fridge? Ian McCulloch is playing with language, being deliberately obtuse a lot of the time. He has a way of turning a phrase that is really idiosyncratic but beautiful. McCulloch is clearly influenced by both David Bowie and Jim Morrison as a songwriter as well as a vocalist. There is really one song everyone must know from this album, which is of course "The Killing Moon." If you ever want to share with someone why 80s music matters, that's really the song you've got to go with. It's such a darkly beautiful song, certainly the best they ever made, and also one of the best of that genre/era. As a teenager I was less of a fan of the slower tempo “Ocean Rain,” but I’ve got to say, I really loved it on relistening now. “Thorn of Crowns” seems very much of that time (not to mention fairly silly), but overall, the album has aged beautifully. Fave songs: The Killing Moon, Ocean Rain, My Kingdom, Seven Seas, Crystal Days
A few memorable tracks, but on second listen the first 2 songs are already growing on me.
This is pretty high tier. And the cover looks really good. Wtf is "Thorn of Crowns" Solid 4