Crocodiles
Echo And The Bunnymen
1980
Album Summary
Crocodiles is the debut album by the English post-punk band Echo & the Bunnymen. It was released on 18 July 1980 in the United Kingdom and on 17 December 1980 in the United States. The album reached number 17 on the UK Albums Chart. "Pictures on My Wall" and "Rescue" had previously been released as singles. Recorded at Eden Studios in London and at Rockfield Studios near Monmouth, Crocodiles was produced by Bill Drummond and David Balfe, while Ian Broudie had already produced the single "Rescue". The music and the cover of the album both reflect imagery of darkness and sorrowfulness. The album received favourable reviews from the music press, receiving four out of five stars by both Rolling Stone and Blender magazines.
WikipediaThis is a seminal album for me. In 1980 I was 18 years old and and was deepening a musical rebirth. Shedding the shackles of classic rock and discovering the joys of alternative rock. Melody Maker and NME were the bibles of my religious awakening. That's where I read about Echo and the Bunnymen and how I was lead to their first album. From the moment the rumbling bass and drum that introduces Going Up, I was hooked. I have the original Canadian release which does NOT include Do It Clean as the second track which is fine by me; I think the ne two punch of those two songs back to back as my introduction to Bunnymen may have caused my head to explode. I won't go into a track by track lovefest, just suffice to say that the album gets stronger and stronger and kick started my now decades long love of British alternative/ post punk music as well as indie/alternative music in general. 5 🌟
I never really listened to Echo and the Bunnymen much because their name and fans were off putting, but this record is really fantastic. Cue regret for not tuning in earlier, as this would go splendidly alongside the cure, new order, joy division, the smiths. Really great, moodly rhythmic rock record. 4*
This album has the feel of a high energy anti-establishment punk album of the 70's, heard through the haze of heavy sedatives. The tempo is slower, the gritty effects are traded for rich and mellow reverbs, but the bite is everywhere and just beneath the surface. Check out the track "All That Jazz" to hear what I mean. This is a great album and pair perfectly with works from groups like the Clash. I'm surprised that I never really listened to this group, but I know I will be now!
I remember listening to some of this band's later work when I was in college, and I'll never forget their video for 'Bring On The Dancing Horses' (a song from a later album) that always reminded me of Equus, a great play (no idea if the band intended that). This album, their debut (I think), is great. Nice mash-up of rock, post-punk, new wave -- this is all my best guess; I often mess up all these subgenres -- and I like the strong bass lines.
Good album. Really build momentum. I think the sweet spot is Monkeys, Crocodiles, and Rescue. Band sounds good. Good harmonies, crisp vocals, and cohesive new wave sound.
Crocodiles by Echo & the Bunnymen (1980) If you’re looking for meaningful lyrics, disciplined poetic cadence, creative melodies, elaborate chord structures, skillful performances, and fine vocals, you should look elsewhere. This Liverpudlian group’s debut release has a steady and competent sound, but it lacks variety on almost every level. I’m looking for artistry here and not finding it. Ian McCulloch’s lead vocals are too often stuck on one note, with easy intervals begging to get back to the home tone. It’s what a non-singer does when forced to write a song he has to sing. While the themes are dark, they neither shock nor provoke empathy. All we get is assorted amateur adolescent angst that could be assisted by amphetamines. It’s a sad album that provides its only musical variation on the final track “Happy Death Men”. If this record has a highlight, this is it, but it’s more of a lowlight. The lone lead solo guitar work is found on this track, and listening to it goes a long way toward explaining why there isn’t more of it. Guitarist Will Sergeant has a very narrow comfort zone, and he has the good sense to stay within it. It seems to me that in a title track about “Crocodiles”, it seems that one could find some actual crocodilian images that might give some meaning. But nope. The listener is pretty much on his/her own. In the song “Rescue”, they ask: “Is this the blues I’m singin’?” No, I don’t think so. More like the blahs. 1/5
No está a la altura de Ocean Rain, pero bueno, qué puede estarlo. Sin embargo, bastante bueno.
9/10, really fun 80s rock while I really liked their first album, the stuff that came after was undeniably better still a damn good start for a band tho
"Crocodiles" is the debut album from Echo and the Bunnymen with two songs, "Pictures on My Wall" and "Rescue," on the album previously released as singles. This is quite an album. The music is described as post-punk and neo-psychdelic with imagery of darkness and sorrowfullness. Yes, that's all there. To me, the sound is sort of similar to Joy Division's "Closer" and Gang of Four. The band includes Ian McCulloch (singer), Will Sergeant (guitars), Les Pattinson (bass) and drummer Pete de Freitas whom they added after they signed to a label and were encouraged to add a drummer. One of the first things you notice is how prominent each of the band members are. They all make major to contributions to the songs and album as a whole. McCulloch's lyrics are dark and appear very personal. Given the imagery and personal nature leaves a lot of these songs open for interpretation. The lyrics and music match perfectly creating a great dark and somewhat haunting mood. "Going up" starts the album with Pink Floyd type echoes. Check neo-pyschedelic. It builds with a solid rhythm section and sort of a slash-like guitar. "Do It Clean" has great drumming and absolutely great guitar in the middle. I have no idea what this is about, cleaning your room, doing cocaine??? My favorite song on the album is "Monkeys" with just a great guitar intro and chorus. The bass and drums create a great atmosphere. It sounds like the bass is carrying the melody. My guess it's about a change needed in a relationship. The second side starts with their second single "Rescue" and probably their most recognized song on this album. Another great guitar intro going into the melody. Tremendous catchy vocal chorus. Definitely one of their best pop-type songs. The first single was "The Pictures on My Wall" and appears to have a more keyboard-focused chorus. More echoes. Neo-pyschedelia checked twice. The music is a great match for the lyrics which express a state of despair and paranoia. Joy Division and Roxy Music typically get a lot accolades for the best-ever debut albums and rightfully so. But, this is also just a great debut, worthy of a listen and being on this list. They would also have a few other outstanding albums later on in the decade.
A perfect debut and post-punk album. They turned a bit more artsy and mellow after this one. I love the rawness on here Best: Crocodiles, Villiers Terrace
Not my style, I can tell it's a good post punk debut, just not my cup of tea.
Good stuff. Not just the new-wave synthpop I expected, but a bit more like post-punk.
I liked it. First complete Echo and the Bunnymen album I have listened to
Pues sĂ era como lo esperaba (?), a partir de canciones aislados que les habĂa escuchado. Hay algo de sombrĂo en el ambiente que algunas canciones construyen y tambiĂ©n en las letras. Quizá me gustĂł más la primera mitad del disco en general. Mis favoritas: "Going Up", "Stars are Stars", "Crocodiles" y "Rescue". 9/10
Bien, darketón, (postpunk?), tiene sus buenos momentos donde dan ganas de mandar a la verga todo y bailar y patear y dar golpes al aire, pero sà tuve algunos skips, no creo volverlo a escuchar. Aunque, en el radio, cuando acabó el disco, me salieron unas de ellos que sà me prendieron, asà que quizás y explorando otros de sus discos me entusiasmen más, no lo sé. Favs: All that Jazz, Crocodiles, y el final de do it clean. Mood: bailando de noche en el cementerio en los 80
An intricate album, melodic and rewarding. Will definitely listen again.
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Do it clean, Monkeys, Crocodiles, Happy death man
Favourite songs: Villier's Terrace, Crocodiles, Stars Are Stars, Monkeys, Pictures on my Wall. The only low point was Happy Dead Man.
I don't have a super in-depth review of this one. I'd never heard of these guys before. But this is a pretty solid sound overall. It's an interesting mix of New wave and post-punk and I really like it actually. Definitely worth the listen and will probably get a few other listens too.
they're always good fun. plus, you know, soft spot for liverpool. humorously enough, of the maybe four humans i know in liverpool, one's cousin dated les pattinson back in the day. also, down by the liverpool docks, there's an echo & the bunnymen superlambanana, which is awesome in every way. anyway, i like this album plenty. great sound for 1980, and definitely a taste of what was coming from them.
Totally enjoyable listen, did some interesting things too. Favorite tracks are probably Going Up and Pride
Un dels grans discos del postpunk, que destaca per la seva originalitat. Clarament del gènere, però sense l'ostentació fosca d'altres grans figures. Més orientats a les melodies crepusculars, amb uns treballs de guitarres increïbles i la veu inconfusible de McCulloch. Els seus quatre primers discos són per anar recuperant i disfrutant
Drug music for fashionable people and cute, arty girlfriends with better than average taste in music and taste for synthetic buzzes. That’s what comes to mind, anyway. A shade darker and moodier than I remember, with strong vocals and guitar. Some clever touches (the piano on “Villiers Terrace,” the closing “jam” [by new wave standards, anyway] on “Happy Death Man”) but sort of generic and simple-sounding at times, a prototypical new wave record, and in a way. 3.675 – not really a 4 because of being vaguely undistinguished and not really their best work, but better than a 3 and of my generation so … 4
Didn't know this one, but knew the artist. I like it quite a bit. Listened through twice. Very good post-punk. Would listen again.
Basically they're a weirder version of U2. That's good, because I like weird and I like U2.
An excellent little post punk debut before they evolved their sound to incorporate more new wave influences. Great basslines, love the drumming in All That Jazz. Horns in Happy Death Man are fun.
An great debut post-punk album that sounds so familiar in today's ears. It's exactly what lots of teen punk/rock bands aspire to produce, something that's moody, mysterious, full of angst, horror and despair. Best: Rescue Worst: Happy Death Men
Almost a 5, but there’s a bit of filler on Side 2. Still an astonishing debut
I love the rawness of this album. For me it has a dark gritty unpolished feel. The later albums are great but for me this has an anger and urgency that sometimes was produced out of their later, when they became full on Indie heroes. Great stuff...
This is a pretty fantastic debut album from Echo and the Bunnymen. Jagged, yet darkly beautiful vibe. There isn't a flaw to speak of on it except that it lacks the variety and depth of their later works. But wow, what a great start. Fave Songs: Do It Clean, Rescue, Crocodiles, Stars Are Stars, Pictures on My Wall, Happy Death Men
Great post punk album, really enjoyed this more than the later echo albums Iv heard.
Great goth rock vibes, had listened to some Echo and The Bunnymen and this is as quality as the rest I had heard Favorites: Stars are stars, Crocodiles, Rescue
4 I raised an eyebrow when I saw I was about to listen to an Echo and the Bunnymen album without any of the hits on it, but mad props to this list for highlighting it, because this is an absolute hidden gem. For me, this is new wave at its best - gothic, yet danceable. Going Up is a catchy kickoff that sets the tone for the rest of the album nicely (as all great openers should), and despite listening in an office cubicle, I couldn't help but bob along to Do It Clean (yeah, yeah, I know it wasn't on the original release, but it was on the version us Americans got, so I'm counting it). Admittedly, not every song is a standout, but they all do a great job of maintaining the atmosphere and energy of the album, and nothing feels out of place. Will be listening again. Favorite songs: Do It Clean, Going Up, Monkeys, Rescue
[monkeys] i learned a word: bagsy [crocodiles] has that classic new wave beat, i love it napa-check ako if all of these have animal titles, nope only those two in general, this is not yet the echo and the bunnymen that i know (i say Songs to learn and sing is their peak, 5 years after this). It's getting there, 3 stars for now
3.5/5. Pretty decent, I would have to listen to it again to get a better judgment and thought about this one.
Liked the mysterious and sad atmosphere but the songs fail to make this more than an average album
Good country, love the sound and lyrical theme. Need to revisit the album to get a better understanding of the lyrics, but just the sound is enough for me to like it, 6/8 REVISIT
Great for my ongoing “new wave” education- a selection of music my dad didn’t really expose me to, thus creating a blind spot. Echo & the Bunnymen are pivotal to this scene, and this is their first record. Pretty solid. 3 stars
I really enjoyed this album, but I'm not hype enough on it to put it in 4 star territory. Some of the bigger songs, like "Do It Clean" and "Rescue" are solid entries!
I really wanted to enjoy this more than I did but I just found it a bit boring and samey.
Pretty fun sound, but a bit repetitive and a bit derivative. Good listen but probably won't go back.
not as good as ocean rain. kinda didn’t notice when one song finished and another started. av.
Another decent but not overly inspiring 80s album. Echo seems to skirt the line between new wave and rock.
An early album where I'm not sure they had found their sound yet. Apparently all bands of this era got distracted by trying to sound like Joy Division. I enjoyed most of it, but some of it left little impression on me
Meh. I'd rather listen to "Songs To Learn and Sing". I have all 11 songs on STLS marked as favorites.
Classic new wave, but nothing that stands out from the many bands doing this style of music.
Krokodyle, pierwsze slysze taki tytul, nazwa bandy tez nic nie mowi, ale po slepym odsluchu mocno smithowe viby, wiec dobrze zakladalem, ze brytyjskie chopaki, calkiem podobny odsluch jak ostatnie firehose i ich fromohio, jesli chodzi o strone instrumentalna, bo tez klasyczna 4 osobowa ekipa, tym razem najbardziej wyrozniajacym sie pozytywnie instrumentalem sa drumy, nie ciezke, ale mroczne i pasujace do lirycznej strony plyty, bo tak niektore wstawki gitarowe maja duzo niedopowiedzien, tak samo klawisze, wokal nie jest jakos zapadajacy w pamiec, ale material ratuje sie lyrycznie, bo tworzy spoista calosc w duchu punkowosci, wiec piesni opiewajace szeroko przyjete formy postawy spolecznej, brak empatii, naduczuciowosc, brak polaczenia z otaczajacym swiatem i izolacja sa glownymi motywami, czyli dosc smithowo, ale nigdzie nie brzmi to zbyt oklepanie lub ckliwie, jestem ciekawy czy na innych albumach ewoluuja, bo z charta widze ze sporo zmian bandowych na przestrzeni lat mieli, a dodatkowo drumer nie pozyl zbyt dlugo, ale to bedzie trzeba sprawdzic, na plejaka dodaje monkeys i pictures on my wall
Much much better than I anticipated. Almost gets an extra star for being a decent post punk album but a 3 is good enough for them
It’s so 80’s isn’t it. Very listenable but not a show stopper. I’d quite like to go and check out Villiers terrace from the sounds of it.
This album starts out with a nice shimmery plasma of guitar noise before launching into Going Up. The band reveals its debt to psychedelia with guitarist Will Sergeant's processed guitars and echoey vocals, but that's just a jumping off point. For all of their psychedelic flourishes, Echo & The Bunnymen are in fact fairly direct rockers, which probably has a lot to do with the then recent punk movement. Do It Clean has an appealing drive, stuttering guitar, propulsive drums and double-tracked vocals. Stars Are Stars is a showcase for the drama queen yelps of Ian McCulloch. On Pride, it's bassist Les Pattinson's turn to shine up front in the mix. To the bands' credit, they are not one trick ponies. They ring variations on their basic sound throughout Crocodiles. Echo & The Bunnymen are strongest at their most aggressive. When they attempt introspection, there's a bit too much melodrama for me. Thankfully, they stick to high-energy tunes for the most part on Crocodiles. The more I listen to this, the more impressed I am with the rhythm section. They're tight and they kick ass. Another plus--there's no horrid 80s synthesizers stinking up the joint. Ultimately, Echo & The Bunnymen and Crocodiles are a little too vanilla for my taste, but they aren't bad at all.
I can see the appeal here and it sounds kind of like a lot of other stuff I like but I ultimately didn't get into it too much.
Classic 80's British Post-Punk album! Moody music that can sound good in most situations.
Somehow i've never knowingly listened to echo and the bunnymen. maybe at an indie club night or something. there's quite a lot of interesting music in there, but the sound isn't something that appeals to me much.
A really good album maybe let down by production, which on certain tracks sounds quite amateurish, it sounds like Crocodiles & Rescue were done in a different studio than the tracks before. I’ve no idea if they were but sounds like it. Anyway, great stuff mostly.
An album I had missed previously, but a good listen. You can hear the influence it has had on future post-punk bands
Neat instrumentation, but I didn’t care for the vocalist, and no individual songs really stood out
I found Ocean Rain to be much more interesting. Best track: Happy Death Men
3.7 - A post-punk record with softer, less austere instrumentation and more pop-oriented focus. As an album it feels composed, coherent but I'm missing a sense of atmosphere and drama.
We have clearly established that I don’t like post punk. This was better than most but I’m really bored of this genre now.
Good new wave with enough punk vibes to keep me interested. Will probably give a second listen at some point Fave track: “Crocodiles”
Another band I first heard of through the old 80s Gang of Printers bootleg merch catalogs I used to love poring over as a teen. I don't know I ever listened to any up to this, British punk and post-punk not really being my thing. It's clear enough how deeply ingrained these kinds of early outgrowths of punk are in the grunge and alternative scenes to come. I liked it.
Mag den style prinzipiell, aber ist mir bissl zu flach und berechenbar
FĂĽr mich ist die Band ein One Hit Wonder - The Killing Moon aus Donnie Darko ist einfach super (und nicht auf dem Album drauf). Das Album find ich nicht schlecht aber fad.
Didn’t get to listen to the whole album but I liked what I heard. Consequently 3*
some catchy riffs sometimes, the lyrics are fun sometimes, but nothing really stands out to me.
I like Echo And The Bunnymen. They have tracks that I regularly listen to, but I'm not sure if I have listened to a full album from the band. "Rescue" and "Monkeys" were the tracks I liked the most. This album sounded like Echo And The Bunnymen. I liked the album, but I'm not sure if I would round up to 4 stars.
Was very excited for it initially but nah it is decent. Solid post-punk.
Rhythm sections are a natural way to taxonomize post-punk band, and the ministrations of this one are precise. The growth on the substrate is a little too jangle pop, but the lyrical blend, dark and bare, is effective. This is an album in a tradition I love: British four-piece with Win-Butler-voice. But I'm spoiled by modern forms. The crystal guitar in All That Jazz and spiraling weirdness of Happy Death were high points, mysteriously left for last.
Yeah. Hmm. I want to like it. I just find it needlessly nihilistic. Crocodiles is fun. Yeah.
This was the debut album of Echo and the Bunnymen and while it's good, it feels too early in their eventual discography to fully represent their sound. Or, I dunno, was it really all downhill from here? I guess what I'm saying is that "The Killing Moon" is too much of a bright star and that anything that isn't it is going to get lost in its shine.
I firming believe that that echoey lofi sound many 80’s records have came to be when recording artist found their music was being played on lame cassette players and were like “why bother with the quality of the sound?” This is enjoyable and sounds quite influential although I don’t like the recording style
It was good but not great. I thought it was note their best album but it was a solid one.
Another faceless 80s alternative band that I could never differentiate from all the other faceless 80s alternative band. Pretty good, but nothing that really stands out. 3 stars.
I saw Echo and the Bunnymen play a fairly weedy set at a festival in 2019, almost forty years after their debut album "Crocodiles". Ian McCulloch was planted in the middle of the stage, looking distinctly pissed off, and said about two words in between songs. In fact, he looked a bit like how I felt listening to much of this album. Echo and the Bunnymen are a band I've never quite liked as much as I thought I would, and this was no exception. In their debut, they haven't quite carved out the niche they'd fit comfortably into by "Ocean Rain", of a band executing polished symphonic pop-rock with gothic undertones. Here, things are less defined and a little shapeless. It's a slow start, quite clearly aligned with the gloom-laden atmospherics of early Cure but without the melodic sensibilities. Things do pick up though, only really kicking in on the second side with the back-to-back hits of "Rescue" and "Villiers Terrace" (by far the best tracks here). Even if the songs aren't always up to scratch, there's no denying that the band are in spirited form, with chiming guitar lines and McCulloch's voice warming into its role as the front and centre. There's the promise of greater things to come from them… and I'm sure that having more to prove, they would have put on a better show here than they are doing nowadays.
Was late to this and unfortunately only got one listen in. I can dig it. 3
First of all, I accidentally reposted my Count Basie review for yesterday. I didn’t actually get to listen to that album so RIP Anyway, I’m not very familiar with these guys, but I thought that this was alright, nothing special. I feel like I’d be more impressed if I got into them before Depeche Mode or New Order, since it sounds kind of bland in comparison. Still, it’s a solid synth rock album and I like that it never steers too close to one tempo. I believe that their first few albums are supposed to be pretty good, so maybe I’ll like the next one on here better. C
Pretty good post-punk, a genre I'm usually not a massive fan of. "Going Up" and "Monkeys" stood out the most to me.
Yeah, I still don't get these guys. Theirs was one of the first albums I listened to when starting this list and now close to 200 albums later I thought I might have a more enlightened perspective. Not really. I've found I like punk and post-punk more than I thought. I originally likened them to The Smiths or The Cure but now I see them more as a go-between of punk (The Stooges or Undertones) and Shoegaze (Jesus & Mary Chain). I don't dislike them. I just don't see myself going back for much. Do it Clean was the only track that really resonated with me.
You can really tell this is the debut album of the band. The songs felt raw and unpolished. In fact, if you had told me that this was a demo tape for a band, I would have not been surprised. A lot of these felt like a producer should have worked with them more, developed them into better songs. I could not pick out the "hit" of this album. It's not that they all sounded the same, but no song stood out above the rest. So a big "meh" from me.
I quite enjoyed this. The music is urgent and jarring in places and the lyrics dark and introspective. 'The Bunneymen's influence on MSP is apparent across this album. In particular, 'Of Walking Abortion' seems to have borrowed heavily from 'Pride'. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Monkeys Date listened: 13/04/22
I knew Echo existed, but had never listened to anything by them. Not bad. Pretty standard 80s fare imo.
This makes some decent background listening. The arrangements are solid, but the songwriting is neither here nor there. After one listen I can't recall any of the hooks or choruses.
This is a decent debut post punk record with Rescue being the highlight. Their later albums are better eg with the Killing Moon, but they get an extra point for being one of the pioneers of the post punk sound with driving bass / guitars and drums. I do think the Cure and New Order were on a higher level though.
There really wasn't much to differentiate Echo & a lot of the other post punk bands at that time, except for Ian McCulloch's voice and style, which can be predictable. I prefer the more lush sounding material they put out later.
7th June 2022 Actually listened on the day after because this was the day we moved to Painswick! Anarchic driving punk. 3.5 if I could.
6/21/2022 - ALBUM #145 Today's Album: "Crocodiles" by Echo & the Bunnymen - As a punk rock album, this was quite an enjoyable listen. Firstly, the production is quite good and I really like how the album opens up with this sort of psychedelic soundscape before getting into a solid punky groove. The drums and bass come through really clearly and I like how the guitar is sort of used as an auxiliary instrument on a lot of these tracks. The overall asthetic of this project is this sort of beautiful darkness. Like yes, the awkward, strained vocals and punchy grooves give it that dark and moody vibe, but the band adds this sort of color to each track. The track Do it Clean, for example, is this sort of surfy garage rock track and the dark and dreary tone of it is made really enjoyable through a pretty catchy hook and some smart production choices. The album does sort of get bogged down in the later half of the tracklist with a lot of similar sounding or generally boring tracks, but I do really like the way this album closes off with Happy Death Man. The bass guitar kind of acts as a rythmic anchor as a bunch of jangly keys and dissonant chords make you feel like you're in some sort of haunted saloon and the build up to the end of the album is really stunning. There are a lot of really great sonic ideas on this album and I really enjoy when the vocals take a step back for some really well done experimentation. Overall, this is a solid punk project with a lot of creative sonic ideas and although it gets bogged down in some areas, the shining moments make up for it by a mile. Give this one a listen if you're pretty used to punk and want a dark and moody, but mentally managable album to spin. Highlights: Going Up, Do it Clean, Pride, Crocodiles, Read it in Book, Happy Death Man Score: 7/10 Cool and unique punk rock with some subpar tracks
Never heard of this band before. Decent English post punk vibe that i'm sometimes in the mood for.
Huske kje sĂĄ masse fra da, sĂĄ e vel ein grunn til at eg aldri har tatt Echo and the gang heilt inn i varmen
Well, it didn't suck. But it also wasn't very good. These boys clearly have some skill, they just didn't do much with it. I wanted more than I got out of this album.
This was pretty good. It felt a little repetitive, but generally I liked it.
I was expecting more. I like the sound a lot, but I feel there was something lacking here. I know they developed their song writing over the next few albums, so I'll be excited to hear more.
Spiky raincoat rock by maudlin sullen scousers. It's earnest for you to feel how miserable it is and it will go and sulk its room until you do understand. Which you probably never will. Best Tracks: Do It Clean; Rescue; Villiers Terrace
Clean rock album... Was surprised by a few songs and melodies at some point but other than that it felt pretty standard rock that I enjoy only for the rock aspect... 3/5
Good album, a bit dark and nothing stood out too much but I had a good time listening to it. 3.5 / 5
Good rock feel for this album. I enjoyed the listen but it's not something I'll come back to. Nothing really stood out that made this more unique from other albums around the same time.
The album is neither incredible or incredibly boring. It is nice though, and for being produced in the late 70s, released in 1980, we can sort of hear the transition from disco electronica to what would become an eventual overuse in the decade. Recording wise, no deep bass, more of a thumpiness without feeling, just presence that there's a bass. That may have more to do with how grooving Echo & The Bunnymen tended to be on this album. Crescendos such as in the song "Monkey" have some of that deep bass note, but it is quite muted not allowed to carry. The rest of the songs tend to follow the recording practices of decades prior where everything is packed together playing on the same track. Drums sound electronic, probably were. The cymbals are too perfect, the snare too consistent, unless of course the drummer is just that professional. All in all, the album feels very polished with everything just done so well. Maybe a little too well. Why 1001? This review has not really found the answer to that, except that tracking how the sounds changed each decade, this album bridges that disco era with rock & roll of the 80s eventually giving way to the reverb-happy methods that would become rather common. "Happy Death Men" is an example of some of that sound, not to mention a little bit of adlib/chaos at the song's conclusion. Neither incredible, or boring.
This is a solid album, but I'm not quite sure I should listen to it before I die. Just okay. Top-to-bottom okay.
This band still tours after all these years. Another band introduced to me in college. Thank you Jason. Good band with good music. Enjoyed most of the album with Rescue one of my favorites. Really like the guy's voice and just the overall sound. Will listen again. 3.5
basically same as the Lloyd Cole album, not a fan of this early 80s post punk vocalisation
Sounds like an album that would be playing over the speakers as I shopped for records. Most of the songs blend together and while I appreciate the energy on the tracks, it's just kind of dull overall. Favorite tracks: "Do It Clean" "Happy Death Man"
Lackluster at best. I don't even know what genre of music this was. Punk? Soft punk? I don't care.
It wasn't unlistenable like some post-punk, but it is still a hard 38 minutes to get through musically.
Okay we get it the dude who wrote this book likes British rock and punk bands from the 80s. Jesus christ this album was so imminently forgettable I'm actually angry about it.
Not as good as Ocean Rain. All the songs end up sounding the same, but it transitions nicely because I couldn't tell the difference between songs. 3/10
Saved Prior: None Saved Off Rip: None Cutting Edge: Do It Clean, Pride, Crocodiles, Rescue, Read It In Books, The Pictures on My Wall Overall Notes: Wasn't a huge Echo fan going into this and the sentiment remains. All sounded more or less the same and wasn't terribly interesting. Maybe their later albums will be better.
I wasn't really pulled in by many of the songs. Didn't hate it, didn't really love it. Might be one to come back to Saved: Stars Are Stars
This is pretty decent, but very 80s-sounding. 80s with a little bit of the 70s grime left over. Interesting. I asked Pablo why all 80s albums sound so flat and tinny and he said everything sounded like that until hip hop came out and brought the bass. No bass until then. Makes so much sense. This is a decently boring album. I'd give it a 3 rn. This shit is boooooooring. Can't wait for it to be over. Pablo had me listen to their self-titled and it's INFINITELY better than this album. Why couldn't that be on the list?!