Reviews (page 5 of 8)
Ok. But same same
this band really so unremarkable to me i gaslighted myself into thinking i had already gotten this This is fine but I just do not care.
Where are the hits.
p457. 1980. 2 stars. Barely adequate Scouse New Wave. There are hints of the 13th Story Elevators, which is a good thing, but there's no real variety - once you've heard one track, you've heard 'em all. On the plus side, it's short.
I was pretty disappointed with this.
As picks for this list go, this one is OK, but I think it means the other Echo album can leave the list.
Superb. The best bunnymen album.
Solidly listenable but forgettable.
Great sound. (25 known/50 new)
I definitely feel like I should like this more than I actually do, but I do really appreciate it. Actually, it's a good listen as well. It's not something I would turn to very often, but I can't complain about it. I enjoyed it. It gets an extra star for actually being influential enough to be on this list, as well.
Cool early post-punk with great energy. Not as polished as their later stuff but some killer guitar work. Wish I’d seen them live during this period.
Cool enough listen. Stars are Stars and Rescue as take aways.
Reminds me of a more thrashy Talking Heads or something. The sound is okay but doesn’t do much for me. 4/10
Super boring - Doors wannabe.
Here’s another UK band that I never heard of, although I like their band name. Apparently they are still together. Every track on this album sounds similar to me, and not at all memorable.
I know exactly one Echo & the Bunnymen song: 'The Killing Moon', from Rock Band 3. That song is not on this album, but its essence certainly is. I deem this genre "80s Brit-goth". Enjoyable enough, but not remarkable.
A fun album, with a sort of punk adjacent sound. A good listen. I had fun, but probably won't add this to my collection.
Alright
Those Brits sure could make some 80s alternative
5/10
Enjoyed this. I can't say there are whole songs I loved but pieces of them all were impressive and definitely in the genre I enjoy. Sounds like they were finding their way. Glad we are along for the ride!
Outstandingly average.
Yep. Sounds like Echo and the Bunnymen. Well crafted sounds and excellent musicianship but I'll stick to the songs I know when I want to listen to their brand of post punck
This is a really nice album. It may not be particularly memorable and wouldn't be my first pick for this genre of rock music, but I really enjoyed listening to it. Usually I give this brand of 'nice but forgettable' music a 3.5 score, but I'm rounding it up to 4 this time because the album had no weak spots, which is rare. 4 stars
Similar to Joy Division. I have enough Joy Division in my life.
This was a nice album. Id known and generally wasnt bothered by the Echo and the Bunnyman id heard. It turns out that it was their later work that was too close but not close enough to my own formative musical tastes. This early stuff seems like a lovely bridge between the late 70's stuff like stooges and into the 80's stuff
I like the band, but this isn't their best album, at least to my taste.
Love the early 80s new wave / alternative stuff
Didn't love...
Love me some classic Goth music
2.5
Familiar sounds but didn’t love it. It’s a little like Bowie at some parts. Reminded me of other sounds but couldn’t place it.
Listened to the US-version. Nothing bad and nothing outstanding. But I like it. 2,5
Vaguely attractive.
Pretty unforgettable
Meh. It was fine. Forgettable.
Great
I'm not a fan of 80s music for the most part. If anything, this 1001 album challenge has confirmed that. There are a few bands I can think of that stand out, though, and one of those is the Talking Heads. I feel like Echo and the Bunnymen sound a lot like early Talking Heads when they're at their best. Which makes sense because 1980 when this album came out might as well be the late 70s in terms of music. So, this album was fine, and there are a few tracks I really enjoyed ("Do It Clean" being my favorite of the album). But, a lot of it sounded the same, and I felt that while it was mostly enjoyable, it wasn't anything remarkable, and I was ready to be done with this by the end.
If what Jim Morrison was the front man of the Velvet Underground, well they’d be way better off. Echo And The Bunnymen are the proof. Love the guitar, needs more listens. 6.8/10
Totally forgettable
Unterdurchschnittlich durchschnittlich
This was new for me, never heard of them before. It was alright, but clearly not my style of music.
All this time I didn't know the UK release was missong two tracks. I feel short changed. The list is missing the best one out the first three in Heaven Up Here.
Bien aimé le côté sombre, dépouillé et sobre
Het begin was best wel nice, maar al vrij snel word alles een soort gezapige Post Punk brij. Mn issue met deze muziek is dat het allemaal zo depri klinkt en zo erg hetzelfde klinkt. Waar het begin dan best wel fris is enzo, word het al vrij snel meer van hetzelfde. Gelukkig heeft post punk de korte albumduur van punk zelf overgenomen, maar verder vind ik het toch al vrij snel saai. Echt een beetje een issue dat ik heb met post punk, het klinkt zo erg hetzelfde. Vond wat dat betreft het album van The Doors een verademing omdat het ook wel in de post-punk hoek zat maar vernieuwend genoeg was dat er echt verschil in de muziek zat. Wel gezegd dat ik me zeker niet heb geirriteerd aan de muziek en dat het gewoon vrij prima was allemaal. FAVO: Do it clean, Monkeys, Crocodiles
And yet another 80's brit post punk band. God they all sound the same, I gave up after the 4th samey track. Honestly, if not for the overload of this type of music in the list I'd probably give it a higher rating, but right now in the moment... 2/5 - this score is honestly more about the list than the album and band
Can't tell if they influenced the clash and Duran Duran, or the opposite. Ok new wave but not my fave.
I really enjoyed this album especially the title track
Sounds like INXS
Awesome, jangly, 80’s indie rock! I dig it, I dig it way mucho!
This album sucked so bad. Jeez, who picks these turds. No memorable songs. And boring as slugs slinking across trailer siding. 1001 album worthy: No - 43/77
Yawn. Typical unexciting new wave
Like early Cure without any of the tunes.
Echo and the Bunnymen are shite. And Liverpool fans.
This album not only shouldnt be on this list, it should have been forgotten to the sands of history. Its so boring and bland that you'll probably have difficulty distinguishing it from the other british bands on the list. 1/5
Dark and brooding, yet soothing
I like all the components - the dark atmospheric sound, the modulated guitars and cutting bass tone, the slow brooding feel, the 60s psych and 70s punk influences, the detached booming vocals - but it doesn't all come together as much as it should into great songs. Favorites: rescue, all that jazz, crocodiles,
Interesting post punk, I’m glad it’s here as I wouldn’t have sought it out. I love the chorused guitars.
Chyba będzie nudno, ówczesna, nowoczesna psychodelia, tego albumu nie znałem, ale inne Echo były męczące. Wyszlo niezle
Not the EATB that I'm used to from their other big album. A bit darker feeling? Not bad just not a huge fan of it either. 3.5
This was a fun album. It has a really good artistic vibe, but just enough weirdness to be concerning haha. I like that this album or band definitely have their own identity and it's something I could see listening to again.
Early Echo. Very standard music. It was OK.
For a genre that is not my favorite, this album wasn’t too bad. Probably not a re-listen for me though.
Their debut album. I've only heard Ocean Rain prior to this but I found their style of post-punk to be quite boring. In comparison, Crocodiles is a bouncier affair with more energy and pop-oriented hooks. Echo And The Bunnymen remind me of a post-punkier REM at times, sharing an affinity for cleaner guitar tones and eccentric basslines. For that, I think Crocodiles is slightly better, but only ever just good.
This album was okay. Some tracks were decent, but nothing I'd come back to. I wasn't a fan of the mix, and not a huge fan of any particular sound. And musically I really wasn't that into it.
Worth a listen - distinctly bunnymen sound - not their best and sounding a bit dated
Echo and the Bunnymen's debut album is a lot different than their later works. I still maintain that Porcupine is their best overall album, with Ocean Rain not too far behind. This album is definitely a beginning to something greater. Lots of good music on it. Top tracks: Going Up Pride Rescue Pictures on My Wall 4/5
Kiva
#475. Nothing painfully bad, but nothing I'd be interested in hearing again either. 2/5: meh Song added to playlist: Villiers Terrace I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
Kinda just alright, not memorable and not bad
Fun and highly listenable.
Baselines are fun. Didn’t wow me. I think if his voice was different I’d have liked it more.
Pretty listenable, with some interesting songs, but nothing special. Feels like there's a hint of sadness in this album, and I kinda believe in it.
favorites: do it clean all that jazz
This album feels like a bridge to Porcupine. Thanks to this challenge, I've become a bona fide Bunnymen fan - a bit ironic since I've seen them twice live but vowed never again due to Ian's alcoholism. It's all good. I can still love an appreciate a band for their craft.
Great album.
Eerie tones cascade And reverberate inside A slow dancing soul
The other one was C tier Cure, this one wasn't even that interesting. Please god don't let this band come up again
Very uneven album. The best songs are the ones where the bass is able to lay down a riff and just sit in a groove for the songs duration. If the song doesn't have that bass line, it's not very good in my opinion. Solid highs, and uninteresting lows. Top tracks: Do It Clean, Monkeys, Rescue
The music was solid but it didn't feel like anything I hadnt heard before. Probably not one I would put on myself. The album mostly faded to the background while I was listening to it.
Довольно нейтральный альбом, есть свой стиль, но для меня он недостаточно выделяется
80s new wave, I tend to listen instead to Ocean Rain (because of the Killing Moon), but this is definitely in the same vein.
Nice.
Fine
Enjoyable 3.5
# Album Name: Crocodiles # Artist: Echo And The Bunnymen # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Not bad but not as good i was expecting. Few good tracks like Pride, Rescue and Pictures on my wall. It doesnt seem to hit the highs of the other singles ive heard from the band. Overall just an OK album. # Top Tunes: Pride, Rescue and Pictures on my wall # Would I listen to it again? hmmmm
2.5/5
whew
This will be my second Echo and The Bunnymen album to review, after Ocean Rain. I gave Ocean Rain four stars, and after reading my short review, I didn’t say anything negative about it that would explain to me why I gave it four stars instead of five. But alas, here we are. I did get to see these guys in concert back in May (it was sadly not a great show, but such is life), and in the weeks leading up to the show, I checked out a few songs off this album so I would be familiar with more of their catalog. Still, I’m not terribly familiar with this album, and I’m excited for the chance to listen to it. I didn’t enjoy Crocodiles as much as I enjoy listening to Ocean Rain, but I still thought it was a really good album. Crocodiles had everything I’d expect from E&TB: Ian McCulloch’s great vocals, excellent guitar playing, and an atmosphere so thick that you could cut it with a knife. The rhythm section on this album is fantastic as well, which adds a unique element to the sound of the album, and sets E&TB apart from other post-punk bands at this time. I hear a lot of Joy Division in the music of this album, which isn’t a bad thing, because it never feels derivative, but McCulloch’s vocal style is so different than Ian Curtis’s, and that further helps separate E&TB from the bands that influenced them. Crocodiles gets better as it goes along and you familiarize yourself with its sound; “Rescue,” “Pictures on My Wall,” and “All That Jazz” were my favorites on the album, with “Monkeys” and the title track also standing out to me. There were a few songs on the album that sounded like filler, but with a fairly concise run time, I didn’t feel like they dragged the album down too much. I’m excited for Porcupine when it comes up, and I hope by then that I’ll have a good Crocodiles/Porcupine joke for the occasion.
Es pop-punk, mucho bajo, mucho alargue de voz. No es malo pero no es la gran cosa. Poquito.
Post punk ‘80’s goodness.
Sounded fine. Epitomizes the 1001 albums list.
I have a headache and feel not so hot so my opinions rn may be off. Not bad but didn’t do anything crazy. The birthday party played on the auto play of random songs after this lol.
5/10 - it was mid. I didn’t know that echo and the bunny men were so into the bee movie
Lot better than what I was expecting given how much i disliked the last echo and the bunnymen album. Also echo and the bunnymen is a stupid name
Okay post-punk. Like a not-so-depressing Cure.
there are better echo and the bunnymen but you will not go wrong with any echo and the bunnymen could i write poetry to this? y
Another example of a debut album being chosen for this list when a later release would have been the better choice. At this early stage in their career, Echo & The Bunnymen sound like their contemporaries in U2, but with darker lyrics and a better drummer.
This is not their best work, but it's a good enough representation of their sound.
Fantastic.
Nothing memorable but not offensive
Very dated. 2.5
Meh, nothing really grabbing me, but not bad.
I was anticipating this album, but if The Fountain is a 5, then Crocodiles is a solid 3.
I thought it had good vibes, I like the band name
EtB's first album is energetic. And okay.
Do It Clean //
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 think this is a pretty typical early 80s new wave album. I’ve heard the single “Rescue” a bunch of times. Other than that, the album was good. Not a lot of variety of songs mostly because the lead singer doesn’t have much range, but he does have a pleasant voice.
Groupe connu de nom uniquement. Intéressant, j'apprécie beaucoup les lignes de basse, mais un peu moins les autres instruments, plus classiques. Un morceau remarquable : "Happy Death Men", très original (harmonies, ambiance).* Bonne découverte donc, qui me donne envie de découvrir d'autres albums de ce groupe. =>3.5/5
Not bad, easy listening and fun at times--no real standout tracks for me though
Honestly I think I found this underwhelming. I kept waiting for more, for something to prove to me why this album belonged here but I just couldn’t find it. I’ve heard their stuff before and I think I continue to be content when hearing it.
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
Third Echo and the Bunnymen album. I don't get why I don't vibe with these guys that much. Bit too samey. Not gothic/dark enough. Four albums remain.
Группа в моем духе, в которую я так и не смог по-настоящему влюбиться. Альбом окэй. Лучшая песня - Villiers Terrace.
I couldn't tell you a single song from this album. It was perfectly decent, but nothing stood out at all.
I was excited for this as I really enjoy some of their bigger hits. Said hits were not on this album. The style and performance were consistent but no songs stood out to me particularly. I did find myself looking to the end and seeing how long songs had left before they were over. Perhaps I got myself too excited and set this album up to fail. 5/10
I liked the previous Bunnyguys album better
Good for a debut but not great
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!
Jesus Christ, more fucking punk.
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
It's not my thing. It sounds very early new wave, and I find that a bit boring.
Don't Starve Bunnymen really brought out Cynthia's piano from Gen 4 Pokemon for Villers Terace????!!!!? Very nice album, I'm tempted to give it a 4 although I just think it's not quite there. Crocodiles, Rescue, and Villiers Terace are 4-worthy, although the rest of the album is a solid 3. The instruments and guitar riffs consistently pop off, and they work with the vocals well. There are some songs with a bit of that "Doors-inspired psychedelia" (Spotify description) guitar drivel, although it's not as often as other albums... I give it a 3.51
Soft, nice to listen to alone
Obnoxious voice, bad rock sound.
Fantastic… Essential melodic garage indie rock. And so vibrant
I though this band was from the 60s for some reason. I wonder who I was thinking about... Anyway. This sucked.
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.
I feel nothing when I listen to this.
A bit boring. Packed variety.
I like some of their albums but this one was really boring compared to the other ones..
1st song was good.
Not for me
Quite neat and sounds dark that it almost sounds like goth. Overall tho, it's just another '80s British pop that I'll forget about after a while.
Decent. I think I need to go back and give it another listen at some point as it wasn't super memorable.
Ian and the lads' debut, and while it holds all the hallmarks of their future great works, it's a little bit scratchier in places, and doesn't quite have the expansive sound of later epic songs like Killing Moon or Seven Seas, and certainly is more reserved than something later like Dancing Horses. Never the less, it's still great, and further cements their 'best band of the 80s' status.
There are simply too many of these albums on the list. Every song sounds the same.
There's a lot of interesting blends of genre & artist here. I hear a bit of Bowie, a bit of Smiths. It's just so bri ish. It isn't bad but it was kinda boring. Favorites were Crocodiles and Pride
This album is good, but not great. Just a solid example of the genre and not doing much more beyond that. Favorites were Do It Clean, Villiers Terrace, and Happy Death Men.
not bad, feels a bit dated
Best wel leuk
Pretty chill listen. Overall, good vibe.
It was ok but a bit boring
A bitta jangle. It's okay, high 2s.
My second Echo & the Bunnymen album, and Crocodiles has more depth than Ocean Rain did. Crocodiles is pure new wave, and quite fun new wave at that. I enjoyed the lyrics and the bouncy beats. I heard some similarities between Crocodiles and the Replacements' Let It Be, which came out in 1984. Both are post punk, though I suppose Echo & the Bunnymen weren't quite as unusual as the Replacements.
This appears to be a less known album from Echo and the Bunnymen. A couple of the songs (namely, "Do It Clean" and "Rescue") seem to sound more like their most popular stuff, and happen to have the most plays. Everything else is a bit different than what this band was known for, but ultimately still in that same new wave vein. It didn't really wow me or win me over in any significant way, but I baseline enjoyed their sound here!
Average 2,50
I like Rescue; I almost like Do It Clean
So I do quite enjoy Echo and the Bunnymen. I like their almost goth rock post punk style of music. Crocodiles isn't an exception to my enjoyment of Echo and the Bunnymen but, at the same time, I feel like it could have been more interesting. It feels like something is missing. They are clearly talented and the album feels well made, but I just feel like this is alright to put on in the background.
I am indifferent on the 80s Cure-esque post-punk sound, but there are still some cool tracks on here.
British pop rock. Pretty good, a little off the beaten path but enjoyable.
A little interesting. The album seems to never quite get started, and a lot of the songs have the same issue. The lyrics seem dorm-room moody. I'm just not getting the vibe.
Not as great as Ocean Rain or Porcupine but a flash of what they would become. Definitely true originals.
For goodness sake.
I bought this years ago based on a 5-star RS article. I've never quite understood the excitement critics have had for this album. It's decent. Some of the songs, like "Do it Clean," are more than decent. But it all kind of sounds the same after a few tunes.
I like this band more the older I get. But this album falls a little flat. I guess they were still finding their voice and their production mojo.
There’s a buldge in my pants now
That was a blast from the past.
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.
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
Not my favorite, but its decent.
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.
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.
A favorite when new wave was new.
Less doomer psychedelic rock compared to their other album and a lot more post-punk. I agree that their album's a bit like The Cure. I don't think Echo And The Bunnymen are exceptional at the genre though. There's a hell lot of repetition, and the band still sounds miserable.
A bit by-the-numbers for this genre and era. Good, but not as good as they'd go on to make. 3.5/5
3/5
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.
You gotta be in the mood to listen to a whole album of that voice, and I was not in the mood.
Post-punk took so many interesting directions, especially in the late 70's / early 80's in Britain. The album at first didn't sound special, but as the variety in styles widened, the tapestry began to weave together showing how this album was both influenced and influential. 3.5/5
This album is okay but kind of boring after a couple of songs. 3 stars or C- for me.
Udemærket, havde enligt en god rytme igennem pladen. Kan ikke afvises at de skal høres en anden gang.
Ugens højdepunkt. Men fan bliver jeg nok ikke.
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’ve noticed a pattern throughout this list. If an artist or band only has one album included, more often than not the album that was chosen is one of their least popular ones. I’m not sure why this is, but it definitely makes for some less enjoyable listening experiences. Such is the case today. Echo & the Bunnymen don’t seem like the world’s most well known group. But still, their debut Crocodiles is not a well received as what would follow it. But I still tried to approach with optimism. What I’ll say is that this represents the idea of “good, not great” perfectly. There is nothing wrong with this band as far as I can tell. And there are no glaring or frustrating issues that made listening to this record a challenge. It is some pretty straight forward early 80s post-punk. Much like what I’ve heard in the past. But that might be the issue itself. Its simplicity and utter lack of anything really unique left me looking for more. It’s not music I actively dislike. But it’s also not music that actively engages me. I can appreciate the sound though. I’ll always enjoy guitars that are absolutely dripping in chorus. Super floaty, like they are underwater. And there are some cool guitar parts on some tracks. But they are strangely very brief usually. Other than that, everything about this record feels like a carbon copy of what similar artists were doing at the time. Which again, is not a bad thing. But there seems to be an absence in the amount of enthusiasm and prowess that was put into this. If you really want something of a similar vain, just listen to Seventeen Seconds or Pornography. Rating: 6/10
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
Rarely listen to the band but I enjoyed hearing this album for the first time.
6.5/10. :) The music is intriguing. However, it somewhat went through one ear, and out the other.
ehhhh this was fine
Not amazing.
Wow richtig richtig gut!!! Klingt sehr wie joy division nur bissl weniger deprimierend, ich würde 4.5 geben könnte ich
Well, I’ll give this my highest praise for an 80s punk rock album: I actually listened to most of it. Every song the same as the last which is pretty much like almost every other punk album of the early 80s. Yawn. Wasn’t interesting then, and less so now.
Different and a bit eerie. But not bad.
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.
Albums like this make me want to quit doing this journey. It's been a rough streak of boring albums
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.
Just did nothing for me. One and done.
I like the sound, albeit it’s not a particularly unique sound. It’s a bit early U2 one moment, a bit Joy Division the next, a bit Siouxsie and the Banshees the moment after that - a bit ‘a dozen other post-punk bands’, basically. And come to think of it, most of those bands would throw in a few great songs to add substance to the style; only about three songs on this album made any sort of an impression on me, and I’d say those were good rather than great. Think I’ve talked myself into knocking this down to a 2.5. Which fits, as I enjoyed Ocean Rain about half a star more.
Grupo clásico de los años 80 (aunque publicaron muy buenos discos a finales de los 90) con enorme influencia posterior (desde U2 e Interpol a Héroes del Silencio, sin ir más lejos). Herederos de The Doors (más allá de la voz grave de Ian... Stars are stars o Read it in books son perfectos ejemplos) y del Post-Punk de Joy Division, con quienes compartieron tiempo y seguidores, ahí están All that Jazz o Happy death man para demostrarlo. Podría decirse que fueron junto a The Cure y The JAMC el triunvirato que supuso el contrapeso oscuro al colorido y chisporroteo de los 80. Este es su disco de debut, sino el mejor (Porcupine u Ocean rain son superiores) si uno de los que mejor defien su sonido con Do it clean y sobre Pictures on my wall como clásicos de su repertorio. Otros grandes discos de ese 1980 fueron (al margen de London Calling que uno no sabe si ponerlo en 1979 o en 1980) fueron los de: JOY DIVISION - Closer, THE CRAMPS - Songs The Lord Taught Us, BAUHAUS - In The Flat Field, RAMONES - End Of The Century, MINK DEVILLE - Le Chat Bleu, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - The River, ACDC - Back In Black, TEQUILA - Viva Tequila!, THE SOFT BOYS - Underwater moonlight, THE B-52'S - Wild Planet, Peter Gabriel- III, YOUNG MARBLE GIANTS - Colossal youth, Prince- Dirty Mind, Scary Monsters de David Bowie, Diana de Diana Ross, Uprising de Bob Marley & the Wailers, Double Fantasy de John Lennon y Yoko Ono, Crazy Rhythms de The Feelies, McCartney II de Paul McCartney, Common One de Van Morrison, Kaleidoscope de Siouxsie and the Banshees, Seventeen Seconds de The Cure, Zenyatta Mondatta de The Police, Duke de Genesis, Kurtis Blow de Kurtis Blow, Boy de U2, Empires and Dance de Simple Minds, Suicide de Suicide, The Jam- Sound affects,Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark de Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Searching for the Young Soul Rebels de Dexys Midnight Runners...
Surprised me how early the Bunnymen got going - I always thought of them as coming later in the decade. Personally love McCullochs vocals and Sargent's jangly guitar, but feels like they haven't quite hit their stride on this one. It's good, but probably wouldn't include it here.
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.
After Punk Rock faded away, pop / rock music went in many directions. The post-punk / indie direction that Echo and The Bunnymen took music is such a startling sound for 1980. You can clearly hear the influence on The Smiths, U2, The Clash here. 3.5/5
Love those 80s memories!
Pretty good in places, 3.5*
Not as heavy/stark as Siouxsie, not as light as the Cure. A solid gothy album as a whole piece, but not many standout tracks. I like their later work more tbh
It felt like it should be an important album.....but it wasn't. It was fine.
i feel like Sisyphus except instead of rolling a boulder up a hill it's listening to mediocre new wave albums
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.
80s jangle nonsense, without a single song I would rush back to hear again. Not for me
Atmospherically dense, low-fi but still very nicely produced. Happy to have been presented a somehow essential piece of this influential indie/wave band.
I went in expecting quite a bit more out of an E and the B-Men album. 3/5
Terribly boring. Not sure what I'm missing.
Am I going off music or something? This had its moments but should it really be here?
2.75
Never really got into the Bunnymen’s more acclaimed work and this debut didn’t change my mind. It’s decent enough moody new wave but just very homogenous and forgettable
3! That's how many albums this band has on this list. Are you as shocked as me? You should be. It would have been a 1 from me, if it wasn't for "Pride", which had a cool proto-grunge sound. How many shitty Echo songs did I have to sift through to find this one gem? 2 needles in a haystack out of 5
🎧This is fine. Nothing in particular grabbed me (there’s no The Killing Moon or Bring on the Dancing Horses-level hits) but it made for a pleasant, if brooding listen. Final night of the DNC in Chicago tonight, Kamala Harris will accept the party’s nomination for pres. P!nk to perform (🤢). Rumors of Beyoncé showing up. And so it goes…
I've always struggled with Echo & The Bunnymen. For me, they never had that standout sound in the huge wave of post-punk and jangle pop of the early 80s. That's not to say the music is bad or anything - songs like 'Crocodiles' and 'Monkeys' on this album are genuinely great and I love those light nocturnal keys on 'Villiers Terrace' that sound almost Doors-esque. It's just that it feels like they're playing straight post-punk, without trying to formulate any sort of unique sound or experiment in any way. But then again, it's a debut so maybe I'm being too harsh - I haven't revisited their later albums in a while (though I remember having similar issues with those). The last thing I'd want to do is dismiss an entire band without having fully dived into their works.
Nothing too special about this one, just a pretty run of the mill post punk album.
Dark and moody post-punk. Loved it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnVkRvOQY-8 (there's better postpunk and echo and the bunnymen got better later on anyway)
Pre-Emo Alternative Rock, with traces of New Wave. I didn't hate this album. I can even recognize the musicianship and how they likely influenced other bands that I actually know and like. However, I just had never purposefully listened to anything by Echo & the Bunnymen ever in my life (and probably never will ever again).
80's synthpop. Nothing of note.
Ratings: 5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background Previous to this I was only really familiar with The Killing Moon. This was not quite what I was expecting...I hear some Gang of Four amongst other things in hear. Enjoyable but not really memorable.
Punk Rock, 1980 -> 2
Rockig, ganz gut zu hören. Hat mich aber nicht vom Hocker gerissen. 3/5
Garage Rock from 1980.
Liked it well enough, but doesn't stand out as great for me. Will I listen to again: 30%
Excellent debut album
Damn.
Some raw, post punk music here reminiscent of Joy Division, all in all not too shabby
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
i enjoyed this more than the other new wave albums i’ve listened to, so i guess that’s something. nothing really stood out to me though
“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?
Good, driving beat, but annoying repetition of simplistic lyrics. Forgettable.
Not bad, musically sounded a bit like early U2.
Cool band, great new wave sound. But I couldn't fully invest. Kept making me think of other bands and I got lost in the flow.
Decent post punk. There’s a bit of the punk aesthetic with some foreshadowing of what the eighties new wave brought us, without being poppy. Almost has a Talking Heads sort of vibe at some points. Almost. I’d heard of the Bunnymen since I can remember, but never listened to them. I appreciate that this endeavor has me actually listening to bands and albums that I hadn’t gotten around to. Sometimes it’s a win, but usually not. I guess I’ll call this a win.
Udmærket album, der var helt sikkert nogle bangers (i hvert fald Rescue) - synes musikken var lidt for monoton mht. tempo, og så var sangeren ikke helt så uforglemmelig som andre i lignende bands som Morrissey, Robert Smith, Ian Curtis
Tror aldrig jeg har hørt en Echo & the Bunnymen plade før! Føles som et ret fedt mellemsted mellem Joy Division-agtig postpunk og REM/The Smiths-agtig jangle.
Ikke for mig..
Moments of brilliance, moments of boredom. It ticks boxes for music I should like, but at times feels like it drags forever. 3.5.
Can't put how I feel to words
This has the elements to be something I would like, but just completely falls flat for me.
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.
Just ok.
Heard of the band but never listened to them. Definitely enjoyed this one. Reminded me a lot of INXS.
Ok
The last Echo album sounded like goth U2, this one sounded like goth The Doors. I don’t like The Doors.
Sorry, this just doesn't do anything for me. It isn't rubbish, but I just can't connect to this album.
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
Not bad
Steady bass in the background, almost reminded me of the Oceans Eleven track periodically just not as enjoyable for me
Too teenage angsty.
This one will need a second listen. I learned of the Bunnymen only in the late 80's. It was interesting hearing this early release from them. Well produced but just a bit more raw and unpolished.
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.
2.5, not bad but I won’t come back to it
Kind of cool - I liked it more than porcupines or whatever. This one was much more atmospheric and groovy - I got into that beloved “flow” state a couple times where I just grooved along. That being said, not a single song actually stood out and rather blended together.
Despite thin production, this album was OK. Music had some good qualities to it. Definitely influential. Not totally my thing but it was listenable.
This was a chill album. It's very 80s which is impressive seeing as how it was made in exactly 1980. It's a good vibe all the way through. I listened twice.
Very enjoyable album.
Can see the appeal. Very postpunk Brit (harder edge to it tho) but it didn’t grab me.
Fine but very samey - nothing stood out to me. Won’t be listening to it again.
Every other week I'm surprised by another most average album in the history of music. This time, it's Crocodiles. I have nothing else to say about this record.
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.
Started with I quite like this vibe, then firmly got stuck of its time. Probably would have liked it more at the time. Meh!
Its a product of its time. Viliers Trerrace and Rescue show signs but its not up there with Ocean Rain. Still, it showed The Beatles were not the only ones who could create a sound of Liverpool. Great stuff all in all.
Extra star because it’s the Bunnymen.
Interesting to hear the influence on a lot of modern bands, but didn't really keep my attention.
Nice enough
Ok
Great debut where you can already hear the sound they'll polish and improve further down track
unfortunately, post-punk often sounds all the same to me. this album is no exception :/
It’s fine. This is at least the third album by this artist on this list. I don’t get it.
Another good but not great 80's album.
Solid album, can see the brilliance shining through to be carried forward to future albums
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.
# 262 : They've done a pretty decent job. Better then I thought it would be. Some of the songs are OK, Favourite track : Do It Clean
Forgettable.
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
Not bad, not great.
Not interesting to me honestly
I can't really put a finger on why this felt so unenjoyable
All right band + music, didn’t need to hear before I croak. Like 80% of this list
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. (⌐■_■)
Another brick in the road towards me becoming a new-wave guy. This one is I guess a bit more post-punk than gothy new-wave like the rest I’ve liked, but it’s still got that flavour. Probably a 3.5 but rounding down because there have been peers of these guys that I’ve liked a bit more. Could be convinced to round up after more listens, I bet.
Another post punk record that just didn't grab me. Influential, but not fully baked into what the genre would become.
not my thing
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.
This left absolutely no impression
80s pop punk. More punk. It’s all right.
"Going Up" and "Do It Clean" were the standouts here. The rest all sounded exactly the same. That got old rather quickly. The two songs that I really liked were the first two on the album. I wonder if the song order had been different, if I would have liked whichever songs had been 1-2.
This is not great. The piercing note that seems endless on Pride was pretty much the offramp. Really uncomfortable.
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.
I mean it’s fine. Early 80s new wave. Nothing memorable at all. I guess they influenced people and that’s why they here on this list.
Good but not really my thing.