Crocodiles

File under: Bands that i think are talented and make fine music, whose influence I recognize and appreciate, yet have absolutely zero interest in listening to.

This 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 🌟

This album lands squarely in the “I feel like I should like this” camp. However, for reasons I can’t articulate, I just don’t find it that compelling

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*

An album I just don’t care about, it’s been weeks since I’ve had an enjoyable listening experience with an album. Somebody please help me

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

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!

Post-punk is one of the worst genres of music I've ever heard. A scourge upon mankind, a plague upon good taste, an offense to good taste.

A truly miserable album which is what makes it so perfect.

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.

I'm 87% sure the autor of this list realised halfway thought that he didn't know 1001 albums and added just random English music.

What a fantastic album. Loved Rescue. This is the sound of my youth, being played at parties by countless cover bands, along with Oingo Boingo, B-52s, REM, U2

Turns out, I like this band

Whoever made this list had a raging hard-on for British boy bands from the 80s. That being said, this band was one of the slightly better ones. I probably won’t remember it though.

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

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.

I really enjoyed this album. It’s definitely post-punk with that early goth sound. It has the dark, moody atmosphere of bands like Joy Division and Bauhaus, but with more energy that highlights the punk influences and the new wave sounds bleeding into the music. Since this is their debut, I’m excited to move through their catalog and see how they progress from here.

There’s a buldge in my pants now

This is what they call ‘right up my alley’. Its new wave, its got that punch and its structurally interesting. It might be my taste but theres nothing ive got to critique. I could listen to this easily and i think a 5 is in order.

Det er jo dem med The Killing Moon. Troede de var et one hit wonder band. Okay det lyder af Joy Division. Samme mørke stemning og til tider det industrialiserede lydbillede som JD også havde på deres debut fra året før. Det her er mega fedt 🖤 Nyt yndlings album. Weekenden skal vist bruges på at lytte mere af deres diskografi

I am a fully signed up Bunnyhead (?) and this is as perfect a debut album as you could ask for. Ian Mcculloch is exactly who Jim Morrison might have been had he grown up in Liverpool in the late seventies, and one of music's best frontmen. De Freitas and Pattinson are a dream rhythm section, as 'angular' as other new wave bands but with a drive and melodic aspect others lacked. Will Sergeant created a guitar sound all of his own, enough said. Have I gone on about how unjust it is that U2 conquered the world while the Bunnymen, the finest of the post new-wave big 3 with them and Simple Minds, did not. It is unjust. The songs? Flawless apart from possibly Happy Death Men which does sound like something they knocked up in the studio in half an hour. 4.9999999. 'Heaven Up Here' is even better.

Kinda reminds me of Grunge

One of my all-time favorites (I very slightly prefer the first three Echo albums and the way the songs play with dissonance to other stuff by them but love their whole career). Villier's Terrace piano part and the Happy Death Men trumpets stood out to me in this listen through. That and Will Sargeant! He's such as virtuoso, doing rhythm guitar things that invite bits of more minimal space into the songs along with unexpected lead guitar licks all over on this album.

Excellent album from start to end.

I love the story from Bill Drummond about seeing the giant rabbit head in the twisted tree that supposedly noone else had noticed at the photo shoot. I can't see anything else. This record is so good my microwave died.

Echo and the Bunnymen is a classic too, very good mix of rock and new wave 😊 5/5

Really enjoyed this one

early 80's new wave fan girl here

This sounds like all those unidentified 80s songs people find on old cassettes, but if they were actually good. Cozy and romantic but also futuristic and ominous.

I really like this, I’ve never heard of this band before but it feels similar to The Talking Heads.

I was surprised to see I rated the other Echo album (which I rated 725 albums ago) 3 stars, even though I'm sure Spotify has put a few of their songs on random playlists for me and I enjoyed them then. Just the same, I really enjoyed the Crocodiles album as well. So maybe that's evolving taste, maybe it's evolving rating standards and maybe Echo And The Bunnymen need the listener to be in an appropriate mood to hit just right. Because this album really did hit just right. More of a 4.5 rounded up, rather than a clean 5, but a very good album just the same. I particularly enjoyed the textural depth of the instrumentation.

It's an interesting album and band.

Again another superclassic 5-star album, just like their second, third and fourth album, which presumably are included on the list as well.

Plagued with sadness and misery, this is a standout album of the Post-Punk era

Already one of my all time favourites!

"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.

What a belter and a soundtrack to my youth!

very cool

5/5 - New wave? The Smiths? This hit the spot :D

Very cool

No está a la altura de Ocean Rain, pero bueno, qué puede estarlo. Sin embargo, bastante bueno.

I like this album a bit more than the other two I've heard here. Being their debut, it's a bit more raw and intense. It feels very gothic and dark.

I'm more familiar with their later more-lush material but it's interesting to hear their raw origins. I'm getting echoes (no pun intended, truly) of very early U2 in production and vocals, without the passion (or tuning, at times...) but also maybe without as much annoyance? The music still had a little ways to go, although it's still eminently listenable. Particular standouts were bass (Les Pattinson) and the dissonant chordal structure which has been a slow burn... An impressive debut, I'd been thinking 3 all along but after a 2nd spin I'm giving extra credit for a first record ... 7/10 4 stars.

Very nice surprise

Probably my third best E&TB, after Heaven Up Here and Ocean Rain. It has no business being included here but I won't complain since it's really good and at least it's not some UK third rate downtempo as usual.

This album isn't necessary on this list, since the 2 other Echo albums does the trick, but hey I'm not going to spit on great Post-Punk!

This challenge offers too many Echo And The Bunnymen, but with all the shit we've been through, how can I complain about this? Awesome post-punk album!

My second Sunday in a row with an Echo and the Bunnymen record--I'm not complaining. Not as great as their other records on this list, but still pretty excellent and an enjoyable listen.

brit

Fantastic… Essential melodic garage indie rock. And so vibrant

Pretty chill listen. Overall, good vibe.

Not as great as Ocean Rain or Porcupine but a flash of what they would become. Definitely true originals.

This band has all the ingredients for what I love, but for some reason I just can't fully get behind it. It is very good still with some stuff that really clicks with me. I just can't determine why I like it but don't love it

It's weird that this is reflective of both late 70s/early 80s counter culture and also 50s rock and roll. Not sure what to make of that but it's interesting.

A favorite when new wave was new.

The first band I ever saw live (albeit in 2014, well past their creative peak). The Bunnymen are a true standard bearer for British alternative music in the 1980s, with their dark bent on 60s psychedelia filtered through the punk rock gaze. Ian McCulloch's surrealist but potent lyrical imagery coupled with Will Sargeant's economical twang and Les Paterson's spidery bass lines is a combination that produces a sound that description fails to do justice. That being said, I've always felt that on Crocodiles you're only really getting this concoction in embryonic form. Sargeant's playing is economical but effective on their later work, whereas here it is just slightly too restrained. Ditto McCulloch's songwriting, lacking the sinister whimsy that would appear on their masterpiece, Ocean Rain. Still, for an album release in 1980, this is still well ahead of the curve, and it remains a really solid piece of post-punk gold.

Good album. Not as good as the others but I can still enjoy it.

Kinda like the doors and stuff from the 70’s, good stuff

Sounds very 80s. Enjoyed. 4/5

Wow richtig richtig gut!!! Klingt sehr wie joy division nur bissl weniger deprimierend, ich würde 4.5 geben könnte ich

Previously rated: Ocean Rain (3/5) ********************* I liked this one a bit better. It's more rock. One song sounded kind of like Billy Idol. I liked it well enough to listen again.

I really liked this album. I do agree that this list is a little heavy on 80s British post punk/new wave but I enjoy most of it so it works out. For a first album I think this is a really strong record, especially in a genre that was so new at the time. I feel like they may have been trying a little too hard with the cover but I guess it fits with the whole theme of the album - dark and moody with a kind of hopelessness about the state of the world. Or maybe that's thinking about it too much. Anyway, I liked this album a lot and will definitely be coming back to it at some point. 4/5

I liked this and I think I could add it to my playlists with no issue. I don't know what is special about this though considering there's many similar albums.

Very interesting, I enjoyed this one a lot. It's always nice to find a good album from some group I've never heard of. Highlight is the first half, lowlight is the last song.

Love those 80s memories!

When I received it, I thought: "Do we really need a third Echo And The Bunnymen album on the 1001 list?" I was not expecting this kind of album; where did all this rawness go in their later albums? They are a good group, but this album should be much more highlighted than any of their latest releases. Their debut is the best for me.

First time listening to these guys, British new wave/ punk rock played very well. Good album, a bit on the dark side.

Atmospherically dense, low-fi but still very nicely produced. Happy to have been presented a somehow essential piece of this influential indie/wave band.

Dark and moody post-punk. Loved it.

Excellent debut album

Damn.

For something that is over 40 years old it still sounds fresh. Timeless.

This was very much up my alley! While it was less musically distinct, I liked it nearly as much as the other Echo & The Bunnymen album I recently listened to; it’s a little less melodramatic, maybe. Favorite tracks: Crocodiles, Pictures on the Wall, All That Jazz

“Post punk” is a lame way to categorize a music genre. But, for me, so is “alternative.” Doesn’t do much by way of describing what we’re hearing. But if you have to put things in pigeon holes, “post punk” is as good a term as any, I suppose. And Echo is as good as any band from that era. Too bad they didn’t have the staying power of some of their contemporaries, like U2. Wonder if it was because they couldn’t or wouldn’t incorporate pop elements into their style?

There were two reasons I didn't listen to this band in the 80's. First, it wasn't heavy metal. Second, their name is silly. In the early 90's I had a roommate that gave me RHCP Freaky Styley. Turns out it was just the cover, it had an Echo and the Bunnymen album inside. I was truly surprised at how much I liked it. I don't remember which album it was, but I know it wasn't this one. This album is good but I think they have better. But that's all subjective innit. This is the style of British New Wave I like. I'll probably dive into the rest of their discography today. Solid.

I love me some First Wave post-punk, and E&TB are definitely of that sound, but I don't see what's so particularly monumental about this album. It's darn good, but did it launch a dozen copycat bands? Introduce a new sound to an instrument that everyone scurried to copy? No. But it's a pretty typical slice of early 80's indie pop. Not bad.

Really liked it, especially keeping it tight (less than 40 minutes). Good energy.

Heard of the band but never listened to them. Definitely enjoyed this one. Reminded me a lot of INXS.

Ice cold, dark and brooding. Simultaneously released on the same day as Closer, a post punk, urban industrial sound ushering in the decade. The Liverpool / Manchester rivalry magnified differences in tone and production which time has eroded In truth this fertile corner plot of north west English produced a distinctive clang whose chimes continue to echo through the decades

This is a light score, as I think for a debut the Echo & the Bunnymen sound is already pretty established, but you can tell they are also trying to go for that stereotypical goth rock sound established by Siouxsie and the Banshees, and it can leave this album feeling like it doesn't have a sound to call its own. Hell, if I didn't know better I'd be calling this a Cure rip-off, but obviously it is much more than that. It's cryptic, but less cold and mysterious, more chaotic and warm, and it leads to a lot of odd moments that can come off as charming, but dated, and I think that's how I would describe this whole album. It's important to see the start of an important post-punk group, and it is solid, but it does little to stand-out in a crowd, and I even think their later releases out class it in every way. However, comparisons aside, this is still a good little record, with enough there to be praised on its own merits, it's only the passage of time holding it back, truly.

Very enjoyable album.

Nice.

A different flavour to this band compared to their later records - its rawer and more post punk - and has a very strong Side A. The energy tapers in the second half of the record but it’s still listenable. A good record.

Extra star because it’s the Bunnymen.

Great debut where you can already hear the sound they'll polish and improve further down track

Solid album, can see the brilliance shining through to be carried forward to future albums

There’s an intentionally isolating effect to Echo And The Bunnymen that makes them difficult to get into. I know, I’ve been trying for years. But when you get it, let yourself mire in the psychedelic soundscape for a while, it becomes absorbing in a way that only a few Post-Punk albums from this era can be. The Bunnymen are not quite as good as Joy Division or The Cure, but they’re certainly a good third place. And that’s something that nobody can take away from them

solid. does not reach the heights of the postpunk greats, for me, but a very pleasant listen. let it be said here that I regret giving the Go-Go's only a 3 back at the start of this project. I didn't realize then that I would look at 'pretty good, no particular song highlights' as a welcome reprieve from the overall 1001 albums taste. & I think that is harder to do as an upbeat band than a moody one like this Echo & the Bunnymen album. sorry Go-Go's. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)

What did Echo & The Bunnymen do to warrant me dissing them in my review of The Cure? Nothing, in fact. Apparently I’ve only heard a few E&TB songs, and one of those I think I thought was The Cure. (“The Killing Moon,” which when covered by Chvrches a couple years ago I thought it was a Cure cover.) And yet, I called them out as not being as good as The Cure. I shouldn’t have judged them without really listening. So now that I’ve listened? Well, apparently there are 3 E&TB on the list, and this is our first at #818, so we’ll be getting more soon. But the songs listed as their most listened are not as good as The Cure. But the songs from their debut, “Crocodile,” are not their top songs. And they’re much better. “Crocodile” came out in 1980, before the 80s became too 80s. “Crocodile” is driven by Will Sargeant’s jangly guitar and Les Pattinson’s bass grooves, and isn’t ruined by Ian McCulloch’s vocals. I enjoyed this one, but I can’t say I’m looking forward to the next two in short order though based on my sampling of their more popular work.

Nice mix of like John Mellancamp, Talking Heads and early U2. I like it. Four stars.

3.75 stars. Pretty catchy tunes and are pleasant to jam along to. Sounds very 80s with the dark guitars and distant vocals. Notable songs are "Do It Clean," where I thought the line was "I got a barrel of piss" and "Monkey" which is also catchy. You could pick any song and it would sound cool.

Rating: 8/10 Great album overall. Really enjoyed the gothic elements mixed with interesting and melodic instrumentation. Favorite songs: Going Up, Do It Clean, Rescue, Villiers Terrace, Read It in Books, The Pictures on My Wall, All That Jazz, Happy Death Men. Worst song: Stars Are Stars.

Oscuro melódico.

I had a nice pithy zinger about replaceable UK post punk bands loaded in the chamber, but damn it, this band is pretty good. This album is how I want REM to sound.

Ian McCulloch's greatest songwriter of all time is Ian McCullouch. Songs to Learn and sing is such an engrossing greatest hits that I never gelled that much with the albums.

First listen to this, and to an Echo and the Bunnymen album TBF, and it's okay. 👍

Really enjoyed this. Have to engage in some re-listens, and I'm hoping to, before it climbs any higher.

You had to be there

They have a unique sound, but they don't seem to write much that resonates with me

Very solid album. Standout songs: Crocodiles Rescue Stars are stars Pictures on my Wall