Crocodiles

A nude charity calendar of my primary school covered head to toe in the jizz of the entire Chelsea first team and backroom staff.

Put the bunny back in the box

3/4

Never listened to early Echo and The Bunnymen but I liked it

Love an 80s buzz

I only really knew their name in the 80's growing up, but never really bothered to listen beyond the excellent hit tune, "Lips Like Sugar" (which I somewhat recently rediscovered and have been listening to occasionally). I wasn't familiar with this album at all, but what a great find! They have a great pop/rock sensibility that I would put up against any of the other alternative Brit-pop/rock bands of the 80's. TBH, I much prefer their style / tunes to other bands like the Clash or similar. Kind of has Joy Division vibes at times, but without the "I'm clearly depressed and suicidal" feel. An excellent add to the "1001 albums" list.

I think I need to spend more time with this one. Didn't grab me as quickly as Ocean Rain but still really enjoyed it. Fave track: Rescue

I don't think I've listened to their first album before. I do like some gothy post-punk and it certainly fits into (creates?) that bracket! Fave track - "Simple Stuff" - cracking!

Never heard of this before, but I like it!

enjoyed this massively, Joy Division vibes. Can't understand the lyrics half the time though, which stops it being an incredible album

4.2 One of the best post-punk/new wave albums ever!! Fave songs: Do it clean, rescue, going up

Gott stöff! Mjög áhugavert band.

Pretty aight

I've had very limited exposure to Echo and the Bunnymen, but what I've heard has been great. While the 80's was never a favorite musical era of mine, the post-punk and new wave that came out of that decade holds up better than a lot of the pop and rock. Artists like Siouxsie, Joy Division and Bauhaus were masters of emotion. E&tB are right up there, as far as I can see. The songs on this album go from powerful to fragile to downright spooky. It's a good listen.

Sounded like a Cure album with a little bit less direction. Seems very influential on that whole goth rock scene. 7/10

Cool new wave sound.

I can already tell I’ll probably like this whole album. I’ll give it a 4 star review and then give it greater consideration later. Funny co-worker story: for whatever reason co-worker thinks I’m a huge fan and he will always work in EATB into the music conversation whenever he can. I guess I should have listened to him then.

Quite good! Classic post-punk is always a treat

Cool

Impressive first album. Nothing I knew but all listenable and ages well.

3.5 rounded up. It’s good post-punk in general, but I felt like the overall quality and consistency wasn’t as solid as I’d hoped.

liked it

Solid album, I liked it. Probably deserves more listens than the two I gave it, but I can't see my rating go beyond four stars.

Fun listen. Feels like the bridge between ABC and The Pixies

What a fun little album

Never really got around to this group but I like it. I assume the band Crocodiles is named after this album; if you like this you might like Crocodiles' album Sleep Forever.

I bought Ocean Rain on vinyl when I was 15 in 1984 but never heard anything from their other albums until I bought the greatest hits album the next year. Rescue quickly became my favorite Bunnymen song!

Some cracking tunes on this album powered by McCulloch's strong voice. Spent a whole summer (1981?) listening to a 1+1 cassette with this backing U2's Boy.

Enjoyed listening to this again as it has been some time. These first few records were just so great and bring back a ton of memories of junior high as they were coming out. Some nice pop songs that were not hits but rather catchy nonetheless. There are also a few filler songs that make this probably my third favorite E&TBM record but still, a timeless classic.

Listened Before? N I love these guys but I've never listened to this old one before. It's very, very good just like their later stuff. Great raw sounding post-punk/new wave stuff. Very.. well... echoey :-D. I'll probably add this one to the library. It gets weaker toward the end, but still solid. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: Do It Clean, Rescue

Awesome energy. This is definitely up my alley. I’ll have to play it a few more times to pay more attention to the songs but I love the performances and the style. The horns that come in on “Happy Death Men” were a surprise. I wish more songs on the album had stuff like that. Feels like a bonus treat on an overall strong album.

Really enjoyable, loved the sound

Has any record more frequently featured the expression "Do it" more often or had a singer use it more with more conviction, despite the repetition? Likely not though the necessary research to confirm won't be done for reasons of time consumption. Echo are a better band than one remembers, and there are many winning moments on this and a credible arty vibe and solid vocals and guitar work throughout. Not exactly a high-water mark of or post-punk or early alt or New Wave or whatever it's supposed to be called by this time. One doesn't think it sounds as dark today as it likely did then (and not early Cure dark anyway, which was a lot dronier); no these cats were hookier and quirkier, too, which adds up to lighter. Maybe doesn't quite deserve a 4 (and they don't really deserve three records in this list though one's enjoyed listening to the others [as one does in navigating the esteemed compendium] but it gets one anyway because of it's of one's vintage (slightly ahead, actually).

Echo en de konijnenmannen waren voor mij een nieuwe beleving, die goed beviel. Tof plaatje.

Ik hou enorm van deze sound en de bevlogenheid die hier in zit. Een bepaalde gekte en urgentie die mij elke keer als ik het luister weer enorm aanspreekt. Goeie band!

Awesome sound. Iconic voice. More please!

Nice. I've always liked E&B. This was a fun easy to listen to album.

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

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

Great post punk album, really enjoyed this more than the later echo albums Iv heard.

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

Noir-drenched baselines for creatures of the dark.

Dark and brooding, a good listen

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...

Warming up for greater things.

Almost a 5, but there’s a bit of filler on Side 2. Still an astonishing debut

Nice and mopey, but also groovin'.

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

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.

Basically they're a weirder version of U2. That's good, because I like weird and I like U2.

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.

Steengoed rock album, heb er wat van in mn eigen lijst toegevoegd

Great bass line - “Crocodiles”

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

British post-punk, don’t have much new to say there

Such a strong debut album, very atmospheric and dark. 4.5/5 stars

Nothing as good as the killing moon but still good

Crocodiles is the debut album by Echo & the Bunnymen. The Wikipedia page states it is post-punk , but I would call it new wave. “Rescue” and “Pictures on My Wall” are highlights on an album with Bowiesque melodies and poetic lyrics.

It's ok. Very 90's and drones on, but ok.

Oscuro melódico. 4.

Ongedwongen pop-muziek. Niks mis mee. ****

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

Totally enjoyable listen, did some interesting things too. Favorite tracks are probably Going Up and Pride

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.

A nice surprise

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.

Favourite songs: Villier's Terrace, Crocodiles, Stars Are Stars, Monkeys, Pictures on my Wall. The only low point was Happy Dead Man.

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Do it clean, Monkeys, Crocodiles, Happy death man

An intricate album, melodic and rewarding. Will definitely listen again.

Great album!

Didn’t know this band, what a pleasant surprise!

Onto Jesus and Mary Chain next, right Barry?

This was pretty good. Sounded a lot like college rock/ Talking heads.

I really dug this, cool atmosphere, a hint of danger, good songs

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 sí tuve algunos skips, no creo volverlo a escuchar. Aunque, en el radio, cuando acabó el disco, me salieron unas de ellos que sí me prendieron, así 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

Pues sí era como lo esperaba (?), a partir de canciones aislados que les había escuchado. Hay algo de sombrío en el ambiente que algunas canciones construyen y también en las letras. Quizá me gustó más la primera mitad del disco en general. Mis favoritas: "Going Up", "Stars are Stars", "Crocodiles" y "Rescue". 9/10

Nice and chill.

false

Another bunnyboys alBum ?

Not what I expected, knowing their big hit, but pleasantly surprised

I liked it. First complete Echo and the Bunnymen album I have listened to

Good stuff. Not just the new-wave synthpop I expected, but a bit more like post-punk.

🔥

Not my style, I can tell it's a good post punk debut, just not my cup of tea.

A band just about finding their sound. This record is superb for it!!

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

There’s no doubt about the talent, the importance and the impact of this album - however I’m not sure there’s much of a reason for me to come back to this album for additional listens. Do It Clean is my favorite song on the album, and it’s on a playlist or two in my library, but for the most part I prefer to play the bands that were born from this record.

Decent 3,5

Overall it’s fine but it gets a little repetitive.

Ah the Bunnymen, with their sparseness and petulant dark delivery. I was never really into this kind of post-punk meandering, but listening this morning it's ok.

Mid

They’re calling it generic old rock slop

It's a bit mid, innit bruv?

feel about the same about this album as i did the last album i got from them, only this time i dont like it

Ok so they started off sounding like every other goth alternative 80s band. Like I could make this myself if I had to and FYI I'm not a very good musician

Growing up in the eighties, the new wave movement didn't really catch up on me. In later years the artist of that time, such as The Cure and Joy Division got more and more into my listening habit. Echo and The Bunnymen didn't however made really that transition and with listening to this record I think they distinguish not really from the foresaid artists. An enjoyable album, maybe I will return to them more often, but the chances are that The Cure get more attention from me. 3/5

Weird because I liked the album, but nothing stood out to me. 3.5

Joy Division are marginally better, still a decent album.

I need to give this record a fairer shake than I’ve been able to manage. I’ve listened to parts of it, but it’s been a long day…anyway, what I heard I like alright, but want to like better. I enjoy shoegaze-y stuff, but I wish this was a bit more hooky. To be fair, I need to spend more time on this one. 7/10

This was much more upbeat than I’m used to from them, which was exciting to hear even if they’re more known for their melancholic vibes.

A few cracking tunes on this but overall not a great album. However there are signs of the better things that would come. Still a cracking live band even in 2024 when I saw them.

This was good but nothing stood out. At this point one of the pre requisites to be on the list is be from the UK

Moody. Really grew on me. Will listen again. *Hoisted by its own petard. I listened again, and it ain’t a 4. 3.5 rounded down.

Perfectly fine e post punk but not as good as Ocean Rain and not quite good enough to warrant a spot on the list. I listened twice to really bookend the list and still no songs really stood out, so a 3 it is for album 1089. Quite a ride!

Post-punk but not quite new wave. Very guitar driven with a bit of a hard edge.

What an anticlimactic yet fitting end to this journey. A mediocre and forgettable album by a British Group from the 1980s. It’s been real. Time to finish my last 20 leftovers.

*Crocodiles* I'm going to be the weirdo of the group and say I liked *Porcupine* more than this album, but *Ocean Rain* less than this album. As far as for *Crocs*... The more U2 they sounded the better the album was for me. The more they sounded like a Temu Banshees they sounded, the less I enjoyed it. (7.45) ★★★½

For whatever reason, this band never really did much for me. There are elements here that are remiscent of bands I do like -- a little U2 here, a little Cure there, a little Joy Division over there -- but all together, it's just kind of okay. Not sure what is really holding me back from appreciating them more. 3 stars.

True average schmo debut from the dodgily coiffured Liverpudlian glumsters. It’s a pinch of Cure, dash of Doors, drizzle of Joy Division and a boatload of average Joe Bloggs. Produced mainly by Bill Drummond of fellow 1001-sters The KLF although the one actual mildly catchy minor gem Rescue was produced by Ian Broudie aka The Lightning Seeds. This album isn’t quite the painful bore that Porcupine was but is also still a million miles from Ocean Rain. Need to call in Crocodile Dundee to clear these drab bozo crocs from the list.

I don’t fully understand the appeal of this band. They aren’t doing anything that hasn’t been done better by other bands.

This is a 1980 debut album. Later Eco and the Bunnymen may be better than this. Could well have been an important foundation for the development of the indie sector. When you listen to an album like this through the prism of the current day it doesn't have the same impact I suspect. Sounded ok, but not one to reach for unless you are a huge fan of the band.

The only Echo And The Bunnymen song I’m familiar with is The Killing Moon, but I’ve been meaning to listen to more of the band for a while now. To be honest though, I found this to be quite underwhelming. There wasn’t much here to make it stand out against other albums of similar kin. Overall, fine, but largely forgettable.

This is a band that should be better than they are. Killing Moon is such an incredible song and they really never did anything else like that. This album was just okay. It started off and I was thinking, okay maybe this is their best work, but it then just kinda sits there and nothing happens.

Okay. Ultimately forgettable. It was good enough to not turn over.

It's fine, but it hasn't got anything that I really like or love or will remember for a while. It still sounds good enough to get a 3/5. But it doesn't impress me much.

Probably needs another listen, but not quite my jam. Was never really feeling it. Just had it over the speakers in the workshop.

Oh boy another brit pop album as if the first hundred weren't enough. At least it's not more Elvis fucking Costello

please save me from the 3/5 rock albums

Alright

Not quite as good as prior Echo and the Bunnymen but an ok listen.

The only exposure to Echo and the Bunnymen I have had is The Killing Moon track and their cover of People Are Strange from the Lost Boys Soundtrack. So I was interested to see what this debut album would be like. On the whole I enjoyed it, the album didn’t blow my mind but I liked it enough to add it to my library for another listen. Nothing stood out, it was just consistent. Good!

Honestly, could probably just copy and paste my review from the other Echo and the Bunnymen album for this one

Not for me but a good example of the genre

me gusto mucho la verdad!! lo disfrute, buen disco. no tengo mucho especial, me gusta el sonido, la bata, el primer tema me gusta la entrada.

It's absolutely fine.

Really not for me, but I can hear more interesting elements than in other post punk albums: the guitars are occasionally more ear catching, and the vocals are ok. The first half was a fraction more interesting than the second half. Meh. 2.5/5 -> 3/5

Overall Rating - 3.08/5 (6.17/10). Whoever put this list together really loves British Post-Punk. This is decent, but nothing necessarily great.

I like the bass-driven alt-rock/pop-rock sound. They sound a lot like U2 or INXS or one of those bands. It's a good record and I'm glad I heard it. The echo-y 80's reverb-drenched vocal mix gets old after a while.

It was fine, but it sounded like the Doors, the Clash and a number of other bands of this time frame. I am not sure they really added anything new to music. Its not bad, but no idea why its one I had to listen to before I died.

I enjoyed the sum of this more than its individual parts. It was cool music that was fun to vibe to more than any specific songs being standouts.

A decent debut. You can hear the influence of a band like Joy Division on the first song. They would eventually become a better band and the music is definitely good. I think the songs could be better and I’m glad it’s on the list because you see where a band begins.

No. 177 Loved this way more than I expected to.

I liked this, but it doesn’t stand out in a crowd.

Cool album. You can hear how it'll evolve into their later work. That bass is sweet.

thought it'd be weirder. not a lot stuck out. it sounded dope, but probably won't revisit. favorite song is Pride. soft 3

Rating: 6/10 It’s a decent debut. Taken right from the time of the post-Joy Division beginning of the 80’s post punk wave, dark rhythmic grooves. I would probably rather listen to early Cure but I’m surprisingly not too familiar with Echo and they might have better albums after this. First couple tracks are good and I liked Rescue well enough

3-4

Seems like something that I would really love, but I’ve kept coming back to this and just didn’t get into it like I thought. Overall 3.5/5 but rating down since it didn’t hold my attention as much

Not bad. Reminds me of music from the skate games. The title track is easily the best on the album ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Feels very stock British punk. Don't have much positive or negative to say here other than it feels like filler.

No notable songs.

It's good, but that's about it. I enjoyed the opening track and expected better afterwards. The mix gets tinny on a few songs, especially on some of the guitar tones and they get piercing. The vocal performance isn't something that I was able to enjoy for more than a couple songs, it got old. 2.9/5

Punk

Early alternative rock

très random

banal mais agréable

Sympa mais random

cant say I ever got too into this band and this record didnt really resonate with me. I know the band name, I know the songs, but could never find myself coming back to listen.

I always feel as though, as a 90s indie kid and John Peel fan, I should like post-punk more than I do, but I just can't warm to it. I think it's the production values, all echoey vocals and scratchy guitars. I'm glad I've given this a proper listen, as I've always meant to get to know the band, but nothing on it grabbed me hugely.

They do be echoing

443/1089 - For some reason this reminded me of the Orange Juice album I had a year ago. I have no recollection of what either this album or the Orange Juice one sounds like. It's all vague post-punk mush to me.

2.5 stars

Need to listen more but overall liked

I like it, feels very 80s and that's not a bad thing. I imagine going through the city with this on headphones, feeling like in an intro to some movie.

After 200+ days of doing this project, I’ve more or less settled on how I score things. New albums start at 3 stars. It’s enjoyable to listen to. There’s nothing particularly bad about it, but there's nothing particularly special about it either. Albums I really enjoy, or that do something special or interesting, move up to 4 stars. If it’s a slog, it drops to 2. If it’s an offensive to the senses, it gets 1 star. And 5 stars are reserved for perfect albums, the classics. “Crocodiles” is solid. It’s got that early post-punk thing going on. It’s moody, raw and has some decent riffs and melodies here and there. I liked it, but nothing really stood out or stuck with me after. It’s enjoyable to listen to. There’s nothing particularly bad about it, but there's nothing particularly special about it either. 3 stars.

Oh to be a bunnyman

(4/7) it's fine

Solid overall and in my sonic wheelhouse, but no real standout tracks and (without really knowing their discography) I suspect they have better albums. Probably a 3.499, but I'm in a rounding down mood today.

U2 like

An okay album, but nothing special here. They feel earnest, if not a bit naive and more than a bit eye-rolling. I disagree with anyone who maintains that this album is not goth. CROCODILES is TOTALLY goth. The moody subject matter and the brooding bass lines! Totally sounds like a colleague to, and inspiration for, such well acknowledged goth acts like The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Bauhaus. Having said that though, Echo and the Bunnymen never felt essential to me in the way that The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Bauhaus do. They just feel like an also ran.

Decent record, but not their best.

Echo and the Bunnymen – Crocodiles (1980) On Day 95, I found Crocodiles to be another decent listen, but again, not particularly groundbreaking. While it has a solid, "jagged" production and a consistent post-punk energy that sets a good mood, it didn't leave a lasting impression. The musicianship is clearly high-level, and it avoids being boring, but it lacks the "triumphant" spark or the immersive soul needed to push it into a higher tier. It’s a respectable body of work that works well as a backdrop, but it doesn't offer enough "playlist-ready" standouts to move the needle. A steady 3/5.

Sounds before Oasis

I looked back at the other Echo album I've rated, 1983s Porcupine. TL;DR Waily and dull 2* I'm not hearing that at all on this album. It's very Cure/Siouxsie-like. Metalic guitar sounds and more brooding and rhythmic vocals. The songs are structured and individual. And I'm not bored. So that happened between 1980 and 1983? Can we blame Thatcher for this as well? 3½

80's new wave sound. Like it

This started off with kind of a sixties vibe to it, but it didn't persist. I don't dislike it but I don't love it. I guess Echo and the Bunnymen are just a three star band for me.

Not as good as I had expected

Caught myself tapping my toes. Generally a fan back in the day, at least the hits. Can’t say that they really stuck since the 80s, but strong 80s music nonetheless.

It was decent, one of the many echo and the bunnymen albums which keep appearing on this list.

They grew into something more than this album.

2.7

Its okay but i much prefer alligators by Rabbitboys

Going Up 3.4 Do It Clean 3.2 Stars Are Stars 3.5 Pride 3.3 Monkeys 3.5 Crocodiles 3.2 Rescue 3.5 Villiers Terrace 3.3 Read It in Books 3.3 Pictures on My Wall 3.2 All That Jazz 3.4 Happy Death Men 3.5 Score: 3.358333333

Early promise from the bunnymen. Some great songs like rescue and villiers terrace. Better albums to come in a decade that belonged to them as much as u2 or the smiths. Some songs are lost in the mix. An album that could have been redone possibly

I do love these guys but isn't this the 3rd Echo & Bmen album on the list?

In the early 80s E&TB, Psychedelic Furs and Simple Minds were so far ahead of the game - and by game I mean U2. Spread across multiple albums for each band - fun guitar sounds (as well as keyboards and the occasional sax), charismatic front men, quality songs and most importantly - pop sensibilities mixed with an degree of experimentation. In the end - stadium anthems prevailed. Crocodiles doesn't reach for the rafters but it does a lot well. Perhaps a bit pedestrian but highly listenable and well crafted. It sits between two worlds and in the end occupies its own space. They would continue to improve until they didn't.

Competent 80s music.

Not the best Echo and The Bunnymen, which makes sense given it's a debut album. Still a decent short (32 min) record. Standout is "Do It Clean" catchy, pop track with interesting electronic layering interspersed.

Felt like something that should be in my wheelhouse but just couldn't get particularly interested.

01) Going Up - 7,0 02) Do It Clean - 6,5 03) Stars Are Stars - 6,5 04) Pride - 7,0 05) Monkeys - 6,5 06) Crocodiles - 7,0 07) Rescue - 7,0 08) Villiers Terrace - 6,5 09) Read It in Books - 6,5 10) Pictures on My Wall - 6,5 11) All That Jazz - 6,0 12) Happy Death Men - 5,5 TOTAL: 6,54 (65/100) Current ranking: 576/847

This was better than I thought. A nice little collection of 80's power pop.

Sure!

3/5

2,5

Growing up, I thought that you had to be extra cool to listen to Echo and the Bunnymen. They weren’t on the radio. The only place I ever heard them was on the The Lost Boys soundtrack. Crocodiles is a pretty good album overall being a defining album of the 80s alt-scene. They’re a little punk, a little goth, a little rock. Coming from the disco age, they definitely held a darker edge than many other bands of the time. All That Jazz and Happy Death Men-two very different songs-were my two favorite songs, because the contrast defines them as a band so well, and they were just great songs. Now that I’m older, I can say I’m cool enough!

Random thoughts: * I don't have a lot to say on this one. * This is pretty standard 80s alt rock. Nothing special here. * I do remember my older cousin coming from California and saying he like Echo and the Bunnymen. I remember thinking that was a weird band. I never bothered to try and listen to Echo and The Bunnymen. Times were weird back then when it was hard to find anything that wasn't mainstream in some way. It wasn't impossible but it also wasn't at your fingertips like it is today. These kids will never know. * Anyway, I like it alright but I will never proactively seek this out again.

Really nothing to report, not bad, not that good, it just happened

Missed it

Just... I mean, the kind of thing that was good when it came out, but not seminal or (in my opinion) worthy of a place on this list. Sorry.

I really like this band's music in general - but this feels half baked. Maybe I'm unfairly comparing this to their heyday, but - it just came across as a band figuring themselves out. The tunes just don't hold up for me, I'm sorry. THREE STARS

This was a bit of a let down. I like a lot of other bands in this genre and with similar vibes but this felt a bit bland. There are other bands who have done this style of post punk better IMO

Neat debut but i much prefer their less punky sounding later albums like Ocean Rain and Porcupine.

Love the killing moon but that isn’t on this album and I found this morning, soz lads

It wasn't bad or anything, but man, why do we have two albums from these guys and nothing from The Mountain Goats? This is a flawed list is all I'm saying.

I enjoyed the album. It feels very 80's. The thing is, I was working at the time and it was a reasonable soundtrack, I just think that I won't be back to listen again.

It was ok. Some songs sort of just went by without doing anything, but there were a couple of highlights on it.

So I just a few albums ago discovered this band with their album porcupine. And I bring that up cause it’s great jumping off point for this review. See for the other album I was really won over and impressed with the bands amount of variety and their genuinely bold instrumentation decisions. Where as this album(crocodiles) is a much lower budget sonically, almost garage rock in flavor. You could even say this album is much heavier than porcupines. Despite that I actually like the other album better, I find this album to be alittle lacking in variety of sounds. Like the boldest sounding song is “Rescue” (which is also my favorite song on the album) and that doesn’t mean the other songs are bad they just are not as bold. The other positive stand out songs are “read it in books”, “pride”, “do it clean”, and “Crocodiles”. I wasn’t disappointed with this album, it shows this band has good solid roots, but this album just isnt as memorable or on the same level as Porcupine.

Not my favorite. I really like Echo And The Bunnymen but this is not my favorite album. It just felt like the same song over and over. I might listen to it again later to see if my opinion on it changes because I feel like I could like it in the future maybe. My favorites were: Do It Clean, Pride, Rescue, and The Pictures On My Wall

mid, ni zo speciaal

Ja nh solid 5/10

OK, I'll bite. I enjoyed this one. It was like punk mixed with the Doors, with a bit of new wave thrown in.

This was okay, nothing stood out to me really. 3 stars

I was excited to listen to this again because it has been a couple of years. Unfortunately it falls pretty flat compared to a lot of the contemporary post punk that I really like. It just doesn't really have much variety or an atmosphere to it that makes it compelling.

Didn't know them before and probably won't hear of them anymore. The sound overall is pleasing though, nothing too memorable.

Enjoyed this one, love their contribution to the Donnie Darko soundtrack but otherwise hadn't listened to them before

Liked this, particularly “Rescue” and “Villiers Terrace”. Some great bass lines on some others. 3.5/5

A really strong debut from one of the more unique post-punk bands. Ian McCulloch’s voice is instantly recognizable and Will Sergeant’s guitar work is great and often overlooked. Rescue remains a banger song with Do It Clean (U.S. version only) also solid. I put this one as better than Porcupine, but not rising to the level of Ocean Rain. 3.5/5.

Listen while working and totally left my brain the second it ended... wasn't bad, wasn't great. 2.75/5

This was another "fine" album, maybe better than the previous album we had of theirs. I think I liked it more because it was more primitive and was just basically straight up rock music with a little bit of a vocal reverb and some funny time signatures here and there. The song structure is very pop-rock and the instrumentation is standard. It's good enough.

- Mid

It's like The Doors fused with Joy Division, but they missed out on really captivating songs.

Didn't care for this as much as the other bum I caught of theirs on here. It did feel a little more rock oriented which was nice though.

Going Up Do it Clean Stars are Stars Crocodiles Rescue All That Jazz

Going Up Do It Clean Pride All That Jazz

Lovely stuff on the whole, but always feels like an album that points to where they were going rather than arriving straight away.

Nothing really stood out. I was expecting a little more from them, but it wasn't a bad album by any means.

Haven't listened to anything outside of their People Are Strange cover from The Lost Boys - this was delightfully 1980 and sounds so similar to other groups I love

Left less of an impression on me than the previous one tbh. I listened to it! Take it or leave it

it's nothing against echo and the bunnymen but the inclusion of music like THIS (pretty average to good white guy music) to me is so indicative of why this list is ultimately racist and it sucks

2.7 2x my preferable 80s music style but not my favorite

Is this better than Ocean Rain? There’s no “The Killing Moon” here, but the average song here might just be of a higher—or, at least, more relatable to me—quality.

Promising for a first album, but still sounds like reheated leftovers.

I can feel the influence on later alternative stuff, shoegaze and more. Interesting record.

ooo i liked this!

- ça me fait bcp penser à The Cure, I love it - j’aime l’aesthetic de l’album - meilleure chanson: rescue

Cool debut. Kinda was expecting more. That said, the title track rips. Would revisit…

I like it just fine...my last album was so ha in the key of life so this just feels - not special.

good album, but all songs sound very similar. other than that, i liked "stars are stars", "monkeys", "rescue", "villiers terrace". in the last one, the piano is very good. 3

My least favourite of the E&TB albums we've had. Just does less for me. 3*

Fully formed, but not yet at their peak

This one feels a little forgettable. It's good, but it just turns into background music.

3,1 - Typisches Rockalbum ohne besondere Eigenschaften, die es für mich hervorheben. Highlights: Rescue, Villiers Terrace

Not too bad for the genre but I wouldn’t want to listen to it again.

pas malll

they always talked a good game - listening to this again, for the first time in more than 40 years, it still sparkles, but not as much as legend would have it. great drums, especially, and some interesting guitar parts

Some really cool moments and songs, but ultimately felt pretty one note

Very 80s. Clearly influential, but felt very boring and background for me. Seems like the kind of album to be favourites by someone whose favourite movie is the Lost Boys and is into 80s darkwave stuff. Not bad, but not great either in my opinion.

A good album by a good band. Proto post punk. The band play fast, frantic and with lots of reverb. It’s probably the most punk album by them. I think they get better as they get weirder but all the elements are here- moody as hell, great vocals, a brilliant rhythm section and a big Doors influence. The band are well represented with 3 albums on the list and this one probably doesn’t need to be here.

Nice :) likely their best album tbh

3 stars

Nice album.

Good, reminded me of the doors

happy new year, guys! if i recieved this at this time last year i will be super happy because im a stupid baby bat trying to get more into goth after nick cave. but here we are in 2026 and im fixated on new wave musicians and stuffs that tumblr autistic teens like. lol So anyway not that good but since it’s their debut it’s alright. Haven’t heard their best to make a more profound judgement so 3/5.

12/27/25. I didn't mind this. Sounds like a bridge between the doors and the killers. 6/10

This was alright- after a while everything kinda started sounding the same.

Honestly, I thought this was an alright listen - I was surprised to see the critical acclaim behind it. I just didn't think this album was anything particularly remarkable.

Soooo 80s. And today simply boring. But at the time something special and as a debut album certainly worth being here on this list.

it was okay, didn’t blow me away but i enjoyed the tracks

Light rock. Album was okay. Not as many lyrics as I’d like. Guitar was good. Was not that into the music. 6/10

luckily this did not make me want to cancel my Spotify subscription. Decent album

i prefer tigers

Yeah, I don’t know what to say. This is post-punk.mp3. Very basic but not offensive in any way. It’s fine. I have zero thoughts about it.

I liked it - I knew a few of the tracks previously but had not listened to the whole album before. I cannot find any fault with it and there are no dud tracks it just does not really connect with me - possibly its the vocals which are a bit blunt and lacking emotional connection for me.

Blind album, know the artist by name. Mid album honestly. Was never a huge fan of the band but I know people like their style. This album felt heavier at times compared to others but still didnt hit my note personally.

I just found everything kind of dull, unfortunately. It wasn't bad, but I didn't hear any standout tracks. At least it was short.

Slightly disappointed. Maybe I'll like The Killing Moon (presuming it's on this list) more. I should probably give this another go but only some of it made my ears prick up. The rest was less enjoyable than I hoped.

I only know one echo song and it's not on this album... But it is amazing. This one started and the first track was very very very joy division, the middle 8 went somewhere else, which was nice. Don't get me wrong, I love joy division, but it was a bit too close really. The later tracks were more influenced by rather than sounding exactly like, It is a nice sound. Has a cool atmosphere, I'm not convinced any of the songs really grabbed me though.

Never heard any of these before but solid album

This was fine. Not really a big fan of this genre of music.

Bass is good and guitar is good. Vocals are bad

I did enjoy listening to this one, reminds me of my love of the single “The Cutter”, never really got into Echo & B when I was in my early 20s

Enjoyable enough but fairly forgettable

Kind of boring? Sad

Echo & the Bunnymen are a band I’ve always appreciated, but I never dug too deep. Now that I have listened to their debut, I can say they are pretty good in an album format. Although, the gloomy sounds start to blend together.

Not as good as Killing Moon. Still fine though. Simpsons: No

Album is chill honestly. Bass lines are not crazy but sooo good they ARE the song and honeslty drive the album and I found myself actually nodding along which I cannot say about a LOT of these albums. Has such a good 80s rock sound but not in the hair metal genre (i don't know a ton about 80s music genres). This was a 4/5 but not in a way that was like all great songs. these songs just didn't piss me off and all would be good to put on in the back of like work.

This is the musical definition of "fine." It’s clearly well-made post-punk. You can hear the DNA of so many bands that followed. I also know I will never voluntarily play this again. It’s objectively fine music that I have absolutely no desire to revisit. There’s nothing wrong with it, but there’s nothing pulling me in either. Spins: 1  Playlist Additions - Do It Clean - Rescue - Villiers Terrace

In college I helped a fraternity brother "acquire" this album (and Ocean Rain) from the internet because it wasn't readily available on the popular apps all the kids were using. I know I listened to this album once I had it, but it didn't make much of an impression. Twenty years later, I have a better understanding of post-punk and new wave, but this still didn't make much impression. This sub-genre of shoegaze-adjacent post-punk/new wave still isn't my thing. It's fine, but I don't really find anything sufficiently weird or infectious enough to grab my attention. I like more punk in my post-punk, and more funk in my new wave. Rather than a bunch of guys with avant-garde haircuts playing unremarkable music, I'd prefer dudes with unremarkable haircuts playing more avant-garde music. I'm going to put this firmly in the "Fine" zone, where I won't visit it for another twenty years.

If you took an average of all albums in this list it would sound like this.

Huh. This definitely shares some DNA with new wave stuff from the 80's, but I didn't hate it so it must be different. A little more energy, a little less synth, involves some actual drumming; whatever it is, this landed much better than I expected. 3.4

As a genre, post-punk is firmly in my wheelhouse, and so is this period. So why have E&tB never landed? I just don't know - I should like this, but I'm just not enthused. It's not a bad record, it's just not for me. The title track is decent. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ ★★★☆☆ (6/10)

Start to finish a interesting collection of 80s alternative new wave music

Tolerable introduction to the bands career. Much more prefer the later stuff like THE KILLING MOON and LIPS LIKE SUGAR.

Bowie meets the smiths ish

Nunca fui fã de Echo and the Bunnymen mas ouvindo depois d| algum tempo, considero este disco em particular bom. Seu rock rítmico que combina guitarra envolvente com bateria pulsante tem um uma melancolia que me lembra The Cure e Joy Division.

Pretty good

gonna listen to htis

Early 80s straightforward rock, easy to o listen to.

Very decent

This is quintessential white mans alternative. Enjoyed it. Felt like I was Joseph Gordon Levitt in 500 days of Summer.

Great album. One of my favourite bands

Some of the melodies are kinda interesting but this album is too stereotypical 1980 post-punk for my taste. It just fades into the background without leaving much of a mark.

Grooved to this a little but honestly nothing memorable. Not sure if there really needed to be 3 Echo and the Bunnymen albums here.

Cool vibes, nothing too out there. Very middle of the road

I accidentally booted up their 1996 album “Evergreen” because it has SUCH similar cover art and got halfway through thinking “damn they were way ahead of their time for 1980 this sounds more like well-recorded late 90’s pop-rock! Wow!” Whoops. A bit of a shame too, I heard a lot of maturation in Evergreen. Not that this is a total sloppy mess, this just isn’t as sticky for me. “Villiers Terrace” is pretty fun, full of character, and a good Halloween song. To this albums credit, the band gets more comfortable experimenting and being its true self after this. “Pictures On My Wall” is even more creepy and subdued. Let’s say 3/5 and move on from accidentally listening to two albums

Dancey, reverb-heavy post-punk with angular guitars and clean bass lines. I like some of their later stuff more but they had a very interesting sound even on this debut.

It's been a long time since I heard this one. Thanks for the refresher!

Throw another decent-but-samey new wave album on the pile, I suppose.

Echo and he bunnymen are a band I know, but never properly got into them. I own this album digitally, yet I do not know it really, which means that it never really grasped my attention in the past, and it is kind of the same now. I enjoyed listening to the album but there was nothing that really stood out caught my attention. There were a few songs I marked as notable, but for he most part it was just ok. I know they played a role in the music scene in the UK in the 80s, but I just did not find it compelling enough to warrant a score higher than 3.5 Stars

Decent if not a little forgettable

Pre-streaming days, I downloaded the entire Bunnymen discography. Think I listened through exactly once then decided Ocean Rain was the one, bought that on CD and deleted the rest. For some reason I never bothered going back to the others so glad this came up. This was good. Definitely still not /as/ good as Ocean Rain though.

Thoughts before listening: These guys put out some good songs in the 80s with a sound that I believe would be considered dream pop style alt rock. I don't recognize this album cover though. I'm not positive this is what's happening here, but there are lots of examples on this list where some European 80s band gets their big hit album AND the more difficult/arty follow-up on the list. Review: I was so close...this is the lesser known debut album not the arty follow-up. Echo and the Bunnymen's big song came out in 1984, 4 years after this debut. In fact, this is the 2nd E&tB album I have heard on this list, and still no "Killing Moon". You know, I like being able to get a history lesson and not ONLY listen to the hit albums, but this one is just okay to me. Its perfectly fine post-punk that leans toward a darker sound, and I am sure if I listened to it enough it would grow on me. However, on an initial play through, only the title track is really pulling me in. To make it worse, Spotify auto-played a random later career song by the band and it was MUCH better. I think this album is suffering a bit from low production values and the band hasn't quite yet come into their own as songwriters. This is a 3-star album.

Crocodiles is kind of an interesting moment, seemingly capturing the evolution of post-punk to goth in real time. That being said, this isn't the most interesting Echo And The Bunnymen album in my opinion. They have a good sound here, but I just don't think they'd entirely carved their niche out yet. The result is a good post-punk album with some pretty great songs that I don't really think transcend the (very saturated) genre. Honestly, it's the gothier tracks that mostly do it for me here, Stars Are Stars springs to mind. But even so, there were bands pushing this sound further a couple of years earlier, like Siouxsie And The Banshees and Bauhaus. However I don't think that really discredits the material here: a good song is a good song. However, conversely there are songs here that specifically don't do it for me. Happy Death Men springs to mind. This is a good record overall, I just don't know if it stands out within it's niche, and I think Echo And The Bunnymen later surpassed it.

I know these guys have at least one great album, I just haven't received it yet... Favorite track: Do It Clean

kind of generic rock, but not afwul

I heard some Talking Heads similarities in some tracks, which is the kind of thing people say when they can't think of any unique descriptors. Comparison is the worst way to comment on music, and yet here we are.

Lacks bite.

snappy

It’s an ok album. I feel like I should’ve liked it more considering I’m a big fan of U2. But I’ll always prefer their work to this.

You know it just kinda passes through me 3/5