Crocodiles

I barely remember it tbh

A band that has probably suffered in my rating of them because i’ve heard too many similar bands.. its not that the music or lyrics are bad, its just that there are better in this genre.. so for me this was an enjoyable but forgettable listen

Good, not outstanding

Good, solid album that ended strongly

Great record - 3 stars❤️❤️❤️ I re-listened to first 4 the E&TB albums one afternoon about 10 years ago and was slightly surprised to find they were a singles band really, “Rescue” is an excellent one but not quite among their very best. Tom.

1.5

a very easy and enjoyable listen. works especially great as background music, but still works well if you're focusing on it.

Really enjoyed this one. I do have a knack for that early 80's British dour sound.

Really good album, I thought I'd listened to their debut but here we are lol but still really good

Much of the backing instrumentation is similar to every other song, but I think they should have added/changed them up more. Dude’s voice is cool

Very average british rock album. Similar to getting fish and chips at a pub in Britain. Very very average. 6/10 Top song... Do it clean

I like the music on the opening song,Gping Up.” The sound on this album appeals to me much more than “Porcupine” did—it’s a music taste thing. Their lyrics still elude me—“bopshow waddy waddy”—but it’s more about the sound for me. The title song “Crocodiles” is bouncy beat fun.

Have I listened to this album before No How familiar am I with this album A little familiar How do I feel about this artist? I like their sound, this is one of those artists that I have been looking forward to exploring on here Pre-Listen Thoughts: I’m generally a fan of this genre, I think I will like this. Favorite track(s): Do It Clean, Villiers Terrace Post-Listen Thoughts: I like this one quite a bit, I was busy at work while listening to it so I might give another listen and see if that changes my rating. It was very solid, but the songs kind of ran together a little bit.

Joojaa. Siis kyllähän tää on aivan hyvää musaa, mut ei oikein herättäny mitään vahvoja tunteita. Ehkä tosiaan vähemmälläkin ois pärjänny tän yhtyeen osalta.

Ihan jeppis oli tämä. Vähän semmonen The Smiths meets U2 -fiilis hetkittäin. Paperilla ois voinu siis imasta mukaansa isostikin, mut sit jotenki vähän jäi kuitenkin mitäänsanomattomaksi.

Tykkäsin tästä enemmän kuin aiemmasta Kaiku & Pupumiehet -levystä. Mut tää laulajan saundi tökkii ja huomaan et nää levyt jää mulle tosi taustakohinaksi, halusin tai en. En edelleenkään usko et tää on välttämättömyys ennen kuolemaa. Mikään biisi ei nouse massasta edukseen.

Mid album - nothing much to note there, another one for the background for me

Weird but nice in parts. Generally not great songs though and no real stand out ones

Ok

this was fine

Por inúmeras ocasiões tentei realmente gostar dos discos da banda, sem sucesso. Sua música sempre soa desinteressante e sem personalidade.

Fantastic early 80’s new wave album. You can hear their influences as well as how they influenced others as the decade goes on.

Not bad! 3/5

Hmm. While I recognize that their style and approach are creatively different, none of this was especially affecting or musical in any compelling way. Don’t feel as if this aged well.

Reminded me of other British albums/bands of the time period. While I like it, I think I like some of their later work better. I'd give this a 3.5 if I could.

Allow me to describe this album's experience. So, you're at a restaurant that advertises live music on deck. The band at the restaurant is named The 40 Year Old Virgin Band, and you've obviously never heard of them. They're the typical four piece band, and just play mediocre Rock 'n' Roll music in the background. You don't hate it, but you also don't want to listen to it again; it just fills the void. Favorite Track: "Going Up".

This sounds like something I would expect to really like, but just didn't quite do it for me. Also sounds like it was recorded in a tin can.

This sounds like every other British new wave band, and nothing particularly stands out as unique to me. That said, the music's not bad, it just doesn't really do anything for me. It makes for decent background noise I guess. This is one I doubt I'll be going back to any time soon, if at all.

3.5

Top notch sister core.

If The Smiths are entry level to alternative music, Echo And The Bunnymen are the final boss. Not sure I’m quite there with them yet. But never say never.

Just perfect post punk. Its no ocean rain but its top. Going up the song itself is perfect. Its missing a hit like. Needs the cutter or summut.

2.5! Just one of them bands that do absolutely nothing for me.

Theyre just alright arent rhey. Dont excite me or make me have any strong feelings either way. Can imagine em writing a song about anything. Like a handful of crisps or their favourite pencil Theyve got the same tinkly samey guitar vibe as The Cure in my opinion. If 'The Cutter' was on here id like it more

Although eclipsed by Ocean Rain Crocodiles is a class album especially for a debut. Very accomplished bands like Interpol and Fontaines DC haven’t topped it after several attempts. U2 and Simple Minds ripped it off badly and played stadiums.

My second album by these guys. I think I'm officially a fan.

This is ok, but it’s very samey. It’s not a surprise they developed and became influential, but it’s not very exciting.

interesting phenomena here where only every other song is a banger to me.... like perfect 1:1 split on yeses and nos. the lows mean i can't give it a 5 but the highs are too good to leave at a 3 still glad this album ended up solid tho i was a little disappointed to not like the other EatB tracks ive heard before this

Surprised by how much I liked this. 4 Boolean: True

*Crocodiles* is Echo & The Bunnymen's 1980 debut, a dark, brooding record that arrived at the height of the UK post-punk scene and immediately established the band as one of its most distinctive voices. Forged in the crucible of Liverpool's Eric's Club, the album blends the raw energy of punk with a fascination for 1960s psychedelia, creating a sound that was both of its moment and entirely its own. ### 🎸 Music and Lyrics The music on *Crocodiles* is defined by a sharp tension between atmosphere and aggression. Will Sergeant's guitar work is a standout—chiming, echo-drenched, and often avoiding conventional rock phrasing in favor of something more textural and unsettling. The rhythm section, anchored by Les Pattinson's propulsive bass and the arrival of drummer Pete De Freitas (replacing the drum machine used on early singles), provides a relentless, almost tribal pulse that drives the album forward. Ian McCulloch's lyrics are impressionistic and deliberately oblique, favoring mood and imagery over clear narrative. Reviewers at the time noted that his words were "scattered with themes of sorrow, horror, and despair," often reinforced by stormy, animalistic, and sexual imagery. Songs like "Villiers Terrace" offer a vivid, unsettling snapshot of drug casualties ("There's people rolling round on the carpet / Mixing up the medicine"), while tracks like "Pictures on My Wall" and "Monkeys" explore themes of isolation, paranoia, and psychological tension. ### 🎛️ Production The album was recorded over three weeks at Rockfield Studios in Wales, with "Pride" and "Rescue" tracked separately at Eden Studios. It was co-produced by Bill Drummond and David Balfe (credited as "The Chameleons"), with Ian Broudie handling production on "Rescue". The production strikes a careful balance: it's spacey and atmospheric enough to match the band's psychedelic leanings, yet retains a raw, garage-like immediacy that prevents the record from becoming self-indulgent. The result is a sound that feels cavernous and cold, perfectly suited to the album's anxious themes. ### 🌑 Themes The overarching mood of *Crocodiles* is one of dread and introspection. As *Rolling Stone* noted upon the album's US release, McCulloch doesn't romanticize drugs or escape; instead, he "trips out on his worst fears: isolation, death, sexual and emotional bankruptcy". There's a strong sense of place, too—a melancholic, rain-soaked Liverpool aesthetic that pervades the record and creates a cohesive, immersive world for the listener. ### 🌍 Influence *Crocodiles* was released on the newly formed Korova label (named after the milk bar in *A Clockwork Orange*) and reached No. 17 in the UK charts. *NME* ranked it among the 50 greatest albums of the 1980s. Its impact on the emerging indie and alternative scenes was significant. Terry Bickers of The House of Love has cited the record as a major influence, noting its "punchy, well-arranged songs" and the way it "created a world" that listeners could immerse themselves in. The album helped codify a strain of post-punk that was moody, literate, and atmospheric—a template that countless bands would follow. ### ⚖️ Pros and Cons **Pros:** * **Distinctive Guitar Work:** Will Sergeant's playing is inventive and atmospheric, standing out even in a crowded post-punk field. * **Atmospheric Production:** The record creates a vivid, cohesive mood that feels both spacious and claustrophobic. * **Strong Songwriting:** Tracks like "Rescue," "Villiers Terrace," and "Do It Clean" are memorable and well-crafted, blending accessibility with experimental edges. * **Historical Significance:** A landmark debut that helped define the darker, more introspective side of British post-punk. **Cons:** * **Derivative Tendencies:** The band's debt to The Doors is sometimes so pronounced that McCulloch's vocals can feel like pastiche, which drew criticism from some contemporary reviewers like Robert Christgau. * **Opaque Lyrics:** The impressionistic writing, while atmospheric, can occasionally feel like style over substance, with meaning deliberately obscured. * **Dated Production Elements:** For some modern listeners, the drum sound and certain production choices may feel distinctly of their era, lacking the timeless polish of the band's later work. *Crocodiles* is a striking and influential debut that captures a band on the cusp of greatness, already in possession of a unique sonic identity even as they worked through their influences.

Smooth rock

its okay. A good example of post-punk new wave I guess. Although its always interesting to hear stuff from the early 80's before the synth stuff started making its way into so many albums. I cant get behind this style of vocals, and I think its taken me 1000+ albums to realize that it just sounds like yelling statements instead of singing. It works just fine as some background filler music, but I cant really sit back and give this a recommendation unless the genre itself is your thing.

Listened to this album twice and it washed over me like warm piss. I retained absolutely nothing from it other than it was very 80’s new waveish.

Day986 - listened,liked,probably won’t return to it

Perfectly adequate. Nothing stood out for me.

6/10 Good but not great new wave. There is, unfortunately, nothing particularly spectacular here, but some of the music is pretty good - which is sort of messed up by the vocal aesthetic choices and production, which is very standard for this genre at the time but is never really good.

Formative tape for me. I got it from a bargain bin at the mall after seeing Urgh! A Music War on Night Flight and I made my own badge of their lead singer Echo (bc I didn't know any better) from a page I ripped out of a Smash Hits, also from the mall. It all still holds up.

I've always liked Echo and the Bunnymen — “The Killing Moon” and “Bring on the Dancing Horses” are among my favorite songs from the 1980s — but I had never really investigated further. That’s a pity, because this is excellent. Rooted in the dark thrum of postpunk, laced with pyschedelia and married with a songwriter’s sense of pop, the band sound sophisticated and fully formed right out of the starting chute. Musically, they’re on par with the talent of The Smiths. And they’re still going; I just learned with dismay that I missed them on their recent tour in June.

High school me loves these early records, but current me still cant forgive the insipid breakthrough hit "Lips like sugar" that came later.

A decent album, and I thought the somewhat darker sound of this album fits Echo and the Bunnymen well. There were several tracks I thought were pretty good although it is not the most memorable album all told. It's been a while since I got the other two albums by this group, Maybe it is time to revisit them. Favorite track(s): "Read It in Books," "Do It Clean," "All That Jazz"

I enjoyed that, even if I mostly didn't understand it.

I liked Echo and the Bunnymen when they came out. I always thought U2 was an imitation, albeit one of the most successful imitations ever. But the sound was fresh and it helped define the 80's feel. Maybe that was due to the use of the drum machine, which, if memory serves, was dubbed Echo by the band. Good stuff.

yeah i fuck with this sound. this is yet another band ive heard the name of but never listened to and for some reason i always thought they were more recent than this, idk why. maybe cos of the name itself....? anyway i enjoy the washy feel of this music with everything being at least a little reverb'd up. along with the vocals its feeling a bit the smiths-y. its hard to pick a favourite cos i like it all but "rescue" and "happy dead men" are both candidates, mostly just due to being a little more catchy than the rest. probably helps that they're also 2 of the longest tracks on the album, it can get a little samey but its short enough to not be an issue, especially when i like the sound so much. its not quite giving me the "i literally love music" feeling, except maybe in the crazy last couple minutes of the last track. but it still feels like a strong 4 to me.

Not terrible but songs kind of blended together on this one

I get that this group was influential, but this album sounds incredibly average to me. There are some enjoyable moments mixed in, but overall I find it pretty forgettable.

i am clearly missing the point with echo and the bunnymen. very hard for me to even make it through their albums. terrible

Mightily impressive debut. Sets the template for The Bunnymen sound immediately

Just some middle of the road rock punk

This is a band that I want to like because I like this type of music but it just doesn’t break the threshold of being something I want to listen to over and over again

Really good album

<3

no

It was fine

Enjoyed it

Can anybody just tell me why must we listen to this and waste thirty minutes of our lives?

I'll go on the record that this is my first time listening to an Echo & the Bunnymen record in full. One of those "must-listen" UK bands that I never took the time to listen to. I started listening to the US version at first, but decided to switch the UK version as that is probably the version that most of the book's contributors knew. For the record, I knew the catchy, fun, "Do It Clean" track but it actually is not on the UK version! What, did we want a upbeat time with these guys? Nope - it's all about the English dreariness here (during Thatcher-era Liverpool, no less), and that's what we're going to get. So, onto the UK version. This is really moody, melancholy stuff. While I'm not a big fan of Ian McCulloch's vocals, I can put up with Ian Curtis, so I should be able to do fine here. Here, it's clear that this band was a huge influence on goth rock, with McCulloch's twisted and warbling delivery on each song. The guitars and reverbed and dark, and the bass/drums combo is pretty solid (if rather straightforward). I would say that the songs are a bit all over the place. "Stars and Stars" is great, dark piece, but the following track, "Pride", is a weird shift, being bouncier but without any release throughout. Often times the guitars sound a bit anemic and more unpleasant than melodic: "Monkeys" and "Crocodiles" are two examples of this: cool and rocking, but poor mix makes the guitars a bit too tinny, and the sound a bit cavernous. This works on weird tracks like the organ focused carnivalesque "Pictures on My Wall" and post-punk dream "All That Jazz". Apparently they were a bit bored by the recording process, and it shows. I guess they were trying to go for an unpleasant vibe, but that's a bit unfortunate as they have strong pop sensibilities. I just couldn't really get into this overall, but I'm not knocking them for their choices. Happy to listen to their next albums to see how they continued to evolve their sound. 2.5 stars.

First listen Saved 1/12 Top track: Do It Clean

I've tried to get into this one a few times, since I think Ocean Rain is a great album, but it never seems to stick. There are some really catchy songs, and the bass and guitar sound great. But overall it sounds like the band is still quite rough and immature. It reminds me a lot of early U2 in some ways - a little generic, but promising.

i always enjoy echo and the bunnymen

It's ok. Now I know where Suede got their sound from. It didn't do much for me though. It was just some ok music. Somewhat Joy Division like in places but without the appeal.

2,5

basta de rock midero, esta pagina es clasista y encima me recomienda musica chota

Not my cup of tea

Very good

1980 post punk, sorrow-horror-despair Going up Rescue Villiers terrace All that jazz

Fine but forgettable. We must be getting into the hundred territory for me saying that now. But I’ll stop saying it when it stops being the best descriptor.

Like it like it

Like the band, not a big fan of the album

Eigenlijk gewoon heel erg matig. Do not really like, even though I also would not say it is terribly bad.

A brilliant debut. Superb drumming, Will Sargeants guitar work is a blueprint for the post punk era. Then Mac’s vocal style and lyrics.

This is a strange one. It sits in a weird place between something pretty mundane and something more interesting. It keeps hinting at being more without giving you much more. I think the band is pretty good as far as that goes. They have a good sound and create an intriguing atmosphere. When there’s a breakdown, the bass has a nice tone, the drums are heavy with minimal cymbals. The guitar parts can be really cool, sometimes more in your face, sometimes more understated. But in the end that’s pretty much it. The songs range from completely generic to pretty good with one or two that stand out. The vocals very rarely draw me in and they are very samey from song to song, with similar phrasing and everything. This is not a bad album. I never felt like I was waiting for it to end but when it did end I was underwhelmed. Essential: no Desert island disc: no

Nice post punk album, can hear the influences on here definitely

I don't think that Echo & The Bunnymen deserve to have 3 albums on here. Realistically, only Ocean Rain deserves to be here at all, if even that one. Anyway, this album definitely doesn't deserve its spot on the list. It's a mediocre new wave album that sounds like every other mediocre new wave album, with some hints of the songwriting that set Ocean Rain apart. The hooks are there, but they're not as good as the ones on Ocean Rain, and the lyrics aren't really worth paying attention to. It is slightly better than most of the new wave albums on this list, but not enough to break 4 stars. So this album gets a 3 for being passable without having anything truly stellar. This album is ranked #14 of 23 albums for 1980. Other 1980 albums rated by me: Back in Black(1/23)-5 Remain in Light(2/23)-5 Seventeen Seconds(4/23)-4 British Steel(5/23)-5 Peter Gabriel 3(6/23)-4 Heartattack and Vine(11/23)-5 Kilimanjaro(20/23)-2

Crocodiles captures a band establishing a completely distinct sonic identity right out of the gate. It avoids sounding dated by virtue of its razor-sharp musicianship and an atmosphere that manages to be simultaneously paranoid, romantic, and exhilarating. While the production can occasionally feel a bit thin or boxy, the raw passion, songcraft, and confidence make it an absolute cornerstone of post-punk history.

Por dios que EMBOLE hermano... un disco de los 80's pero sin sonido particular... me pareció demasiado genérico y con muy pocas curvas en cuanto a intensidades... Nada más que decir

It's definitely new wave - just don't feel like it adds anything to my faves like the Smiths or Dexy's Midnight Runners Would probably have enjoyed this more in a specific year of my life

I didn't know this band. Some good tunes. Overall an OK album.

Pretty good. Whenever E and the B pop up I enjoy them and think I should listen to more of their stuff. Maybe I’ll follow through on that this time.

This is another one I have on vinyl and I don’t break out that often. But it’s very good, I’ll have to remember it, especially as the weather turns to fall.

Meh.

*Decent indie rock

really a vibe

It’s not great, it’s not awful. It’s about as “fine” as you will find on this list.

I did not care for this album or band. The sound just isn’t for me.

In sync with early U2, and I think it is better than Boy, but not as good as War. Some good rockin. 3.5/5

excellent

Some of this sounded a lot like The Clash?

Not really the best of them

08/12/26 Favorite Track: Rescue

Dosta očajan album. 1/5, 1/10