Reviews (page 6 of 8)
3.75 stars. Pretty catchy tunes and are pleasant to jam along to. Sounds very 80s with the dark guitars and distant vocals. Notable songs are "Do It Clean," where I thought the line was "I got a barrel of piss" and "Monkey" which is also catchy. You could pick any song and it would sound cool.
I wanted to like this but it’s new wave and not good.
Rating: 8/10 Great album overall. Really enjoyed the gothic elements mixed with interesting and melodic instrumentation. Favorite songs: Going Up, Do It Clean, Rescue, Villiers Terrace, Read It in Books, The Pictures on My Wall, All That Jazz, Happy Death Men. Worst song: Stars Are Stars.
This aint it
Oscuro melódico.
My favorites in order: -the name of the band -the name of the album - - -the music
Oh, so THIS is what bad punk sounds like. It’s just new wave music
Not so interesting.
I had a nice pithy zinger about replaceable UK post punk bands loaded in the chamber, but damn it, this band is pretty good. This album is how I want REM to sound.
Ian McCulloch's greatest songwriter of all time is Ian McCullouch. Songs to Learn and sing is such an engrossing greatest hits that I never gelled that much with the albums.
Decent enough
Best oké
First listen to this, and to an Echo and the Bunnymen album TBF, and it's okay. 👍
Ah Echo and the Bunnyman, I really like the album Ocean Rain the rest not so much. This definitely part of that rest I don't much care for. So 3 stars.
I loved 'Ocean Rain', so I'm a bit disappointed that this album didn't blow me away too. I enjoyed it enough to want to revisit it, but I wonder if I would've liked this more if I wasn't aware of a superior album in the same band's discography. The melodies and instrumentation just don't move me as much here. Similarly to the album I'm comparing it to, 'Crocodiles' picks up steam in the second half. Maybe I need be more patient and let my ears adjust or something. Highlights: Crocodiles, Rescue, Villiers Terrace, Read It In Books, All That Jazz
Really enjoyed this. Have to engage in some re-listens, and I'm hoping to, before it climbs any higher.
Not bad but nothing wowed me. At time it reminded me of Tears for Fears, but less playful.
I wish the album sounded more like "Crocodiles".
You had to be there
Mixed feelings about this album. I think the band/instrumentation sounds great. I don't like the vocals. Overall the songwriting seems kinda ho-hum. I couldn't tell you what the standout tracks from this album are. However, the sonic textures are impressive, especially for 1980. I can see this band developing over the decade and putting out some seriously interesting stuff.
Very Doorsy. From what I know about E&TB, Ocean Rain would have been my choice for the list. Still, a decent time.
They have a unique sound, but they don't seem to write much that resonates with me
Nameless standard 80s rock
Eh, didn’t like this one much. I couldn’t connect with any of the songs.
Meh, it's fine.
Höchstens Durchschnitt, austauschbar, kein Wiedererkennungseffekt! 2/5
Sweeping 80's synth and a good representation of that genre.
I like Echo And The Bunnymen but never heard this one. Sounds more raw and rockin' than the albums I was familiar with. Didn't really stand out on first listen, though.
It's nice to see Echo & The Bunnymen in this collection, but then I cheated and looked to see just how many albums we'd be getting, and was disappointed that there are three (3!) Echo & The Bunnymen albums, which seems like one (or maybe two?) too many. And while "Crocodiles" is a fun debut album for a band, with a decent range of styles on it, it's definitely not their best, so kind of a bummer that this is the selection of the day. Although I suspect true fans of either band would be annoyed to hear me compare them, but I've always felt that Echo & The Bunnymen and The Cure (and somewhat The Smiths, and by extension Morrissey's solo work) are kindred spirit bands in many ways. Unfortunately, I'm not much of a Cure fan (nor much of a fan of The Smiths and particularly Morrissey), so that's not the biggest compliment, but it's an in interesting overlap to me.
I remember buying this album when it first came out and not liking it all that much. The lead singer's voice is gorgeous but the songs didn't grab me, with the exception of "Rescue."
I don't think this is THE Echo and the Bunnymen album, but it's still a damn fine record. I think I would probably give this 3.5 normally, but I'm feeling generous after several threes in a row
Fun to see the edges of post-punk coalescing into goth on something like this, too.
Honestly not a single song stood out. It was an inoffensive and beige album for me, I almost liked some of the songs initially and then they wouldn't go anywhere with it, or the singing would start and mess up what the guitar was doing for me.
Ihan ok
I like that the songs are short and punchy- some vestiges of punk, I’d guess. There were times when his voice reminded me of Bono, but a bit darker. It’s interesting that the guitars take a backseat in nearly every song. The bass is more prominent and even though there are two guitars, they’re both just playing rhythm. Fine by me. I could live my whole life without hearing another guitar solo. This band always makes me think of High Fidelity, https://youtu.be/0eBh6xipKYk?si=gs546mPglvQzt-15. 3.9
I've heard of, but never listened to this band. Not bad. It sounds like other groups of that era, so I suspect they were ahead of the curve? It's okay, but probably not something I'd return to often. 3.4
Very solid album. Standout songs: Crocodiles Rescue Stars are stars Pictures on my Wall
The jangly guitars shimmer in an otherwise dark landscape. Really, the songwriting is pretty undercooked and average, but it takes me away to a dreamlike place, and this sound will almost always work for me.
Moody af. Great soundtrack for letting the inner misanthrope out to play, but catchy enough to not just wallow in a pit of despair. This sort of punk-adjacent sound that I think works across multiple decades.
Really enjoyed this. Tight, interesting, character.
I hadn't listened to much Echo and the Bunnymen before a few years ago and thought this is a band I should check out because I'm generally a fan of 80's alternative music. Overall, their sound is fine and there's some good songs on this debut, but I don't love it or care if I heard them again. Kind of a Smith-ish sound, though a bit more upbeat (and less boring) and their guitar sound is not unlike a lot of New Wave/Post-Punk bands from the era. I just feel their music isn't that compelling or interesting, maybe even generic, but at the time there are a lot worse bands that got more attention and accolades. The Bunnymen's music is very listenable, though not essential.
Un album que j'ai vraiment plus aimé que Porcupine. Je l'ai trouvé plus captivant, plus raw, plus cohésif. Ce n'est pas le meilleur album de son genre mais je comprends mieux l'inclusion de ce band dans les 1001. 7/10
80’s New Wavy tunes
Early 80’s British rock
Gloomy, doomy, and atmospheric, ‘Crocodiles’ is a solid debut from the Bunnymen that gives me early Cure, U2, and Joy Division vibes, with songs full of that distinctive, jangly guitar and cavernous bass sound that seemed to be everywhere in the late 70s and early 80s. ‘Crocodiles’, ‘Monkeys’, and ‘Pride’ are my favourites here. Also ‘Do It Clean’, which is on the US version, but not on the original UK version. It should’ve been as it’s an excellent track. 3.5/5 but feeling generous today and rounding up to a 4.
It was a nice album. Nothing that will go into my regular rotation.
Cool but nothing to write home about
Kinda reminds me of Grunge
I liked this album. I was traveling today so it worked well for me to listen while in the car. I didn't find anything that really jumped out of the speaker at me, but I did enjoy it all.
I'm familiar with this group but mostly their work from the later 80's. I enjoyed this album. It was interesting to going back to the beginning and seeing where their sound that I was familiar with evolved from. Standouts on this were " Pride", "The Pictures on My Wall".
This was an alright album, nothing really stuck out to me Top tracks: Crocodiles
The only thing I can recall about this album is that their work got worse as they got older.
I gave Echo And The Bunnymen's Ocean Rain (their fourth album) 5 stars just 12 days ago, so that's front of mind still as I listen to this. This is their debut album which came 4 years earlier than Ocean Rain. This one feels a little darker and grittier to me. It's hard to compare against a top tier album, but Ocean Rain pulled off this much more atmospheric moody sound, while this one is a bit more of a post-punk sound. I don't dislike this, but not a whole lot is really standing out to me. It's giving me a bit of a Joy Division sound, but with less powerful lyrics and less hooks that really keep you interested. I'm probably being a little overly critical, it was a decent album. Quite a bit short of Ocean Rain though, and it's hard not to compare since I listened to it so recently. Favorite song: Rescue Other: Going Up, Do It Clean, Villiers Terrace, All That Jazz 3/28/24
I'm surprised to discover Echo and the Bunnymen album on this list. I was absolutely delighted by that one, Ocean Rain, but this one not as much. It is a promising debut, but not yet great. I'm unconvinced this album belongs on this list.
More of the jangly new wave and just boring. Not for me. Couldn’t wait for it to be over.
I couldn’t even finish this album. Possibly the worst yet.
This is a fine album, but it didn't really stand out too much for me. Early 80s rock that sounds good but I had to listen twice because by the end I had forgotten much of it. Nothing really offensive or bad in it, but nothing notable.
This set of neo-psychedelic garage rock had some good moments but nothing really stood out
I know a couple of their tunes which i really like so was delighted when this appeared. Great vocals and greats sounds i love the melancholy and the drive. Really good.
Really enjoyed revisiting this, definitely earns its place on the list
Beige as fuck.
It was fine, but nothing particular jumped out at me. 2.5
I’ve had a few albums that sounded kind of like this style, and I think I’m just not a fan on this style of 80s music. I think it is the excessive reverb/chorus on the guitars and the drums that sound like those terrible electronic pad drum kits. It isn’t terrible, but I’m not into it. 2/5.
Some very kinda chill punky vibes here.
Starts out like a 4, but kind of dips somewhere. Nothing wrong, but then again, nothing really right. Gets good again with the last few
I was hoping this would happen. This album of the day thing. I had three wishes: discovering something new, Re-discovering something from the past, and making me more aware of music and genre, etc. in general. The last one is an automatic and I enjoy that aspect of this project quite a lot. The first one has, and will continue, to happen as a natural result of listening to random albums every day. The middle one, the re-introduction to something I had (sort of) forgotten is most special. Echo and the Bunnymen is a great band, I love this style and the gritty feel and always was a big fan. They just happened to slip off my radar even while going on Joy Division binges. (which I feel they share genre with). So this "re-discovery" is super appreciated and wonderful!
I think this would improve with more listens as it has an early REM feel to it and the sound of it resonates with me, so I'm going 4 here as it's a 3.5 after 1 listen.
I liked this more than I expected after the first track, but it's not a standout album for me. I enjoyed the guitar foundation of Monkeys. I wanted to like the title track (because a song called Crocodiles seems cool), but I got bored with it.
Not in a great mood for this oh well
I listened to this album 3 times and I wasn't really sure what I was supposed to find special about it. I didn't dislike it, but there also wasn't anything about it that bowled me over, unfortunately.
The Bunnymen's singles are amazing, but I hate to say that, like Blondie (or Alan Partridge), they're a 'greatest hits' band, for me. Villiers Terrace still sounds great, as does Rescue. But the rest of this sounds too much of its time. They definitely had their moments, but not enough on here to make this a classic.
Not a lot of light in this album. It sounds like someone trying to escape the winter months with the calendar moving backwards. The production from Bill Drummond isn't his best. It's more about the legend of the Bunneymen, or more importantly, what they could become, rather than the end product. Work in progress.
Meh
This album was pretty good, but I liked Porcupine quite a bit more. I'm not even sure I could identify why I found this one less inspiring. It just didn't grab me the same way 3/5
Pretty good. I probably wouldn't go back, but certainly don't mind listening to it.
Never really got to grips with E&TB. At their peak in the 80’s was very aware of them and bought at least one album but not this one. They were just an OK band to me and that was it. Never listened to this before and as the singles from the album never charted highly probably everything on this album is new to me. It was a pleasant enough listen but nothing to set the world on fire. The album was degenerating towards dullness but then I heard the last two tracks which changed my opinion and rating. Thought the album ended really strongly. Not enough to make this a great album but adequate enough.
Oscuro melódico.
Soft 4
Never really listened to them growing up because I didn’t have a cool older sibling. But I didn’t feel like I missed anything ground breaking.
This was very mediocre. I liked it but there was nothing that really jumped out at me, respectfully.
Enjoyable
another really early new wavy dreamy album on our list. i kinda zoned out and just let the music control me in this instance. cool cool cool. album for dancing at a club, album for sitting on the toilet at 3am.
One of my all-time favorites (I very slightly prefer the first three Echo albums and the way the songs play with dissonance to other stuff by them but love their whole career). Villier's Terrace piano part and the Happy Death Men trumpets stood out to me in this listen through. That and Will Sargeant! He's such as virtuoso, doing rhythm guitar things that invite bits of more minimal space into the songs along with unexpected lead guitar licks all over on this album.
Not my kinda jam but ok. High 2.
Run of the mill. Not interesting.
That was pretty catchy
Cool old school rock, punk album. Didn't tickle.y fancy that much. Very solid tho
I usually like New Wave, so I'm surprised I didn't like this album! I think it's because every song sounded similar, no one song really stood out to me.
Solid 80s post punk. Nothing really stood out to me in particular. I usually don’t dig this genre but I enjoyed the listen.
I've only ever liked "I want to be there" from echo and the bunnymen
I found this one to be somewhat off-putting in its blandness haha I just didn't find anything special about it, but nothing objectionable either.... I definitely dug the jangly guitars and the 80's drum and bass sounds are pretty awesome also sonically. The vocals/lyrics/themes/etc were not my favourite.
I enjoyed many parts of this album
Pretty cool album, but the songs weren’t all that memorable.
Echo & the Bunnymen - Crocodiles Classic album from the 80s. This is Echo & the Bunnymen's debut album. I enjoyed it. Listening to it you can see where this band is going. 3/5
Echo And The Bunnymen before they became *Ocean Rain*-famous. Reading the wikipedia page about this nice post-punk debut--mixing the worlds of Joy Division and Jim Morrisson--I discovered that it actually reached number 17 on the UK album chart in the year of its release. Not so bad. About the album cover, love that future KLF member Bill Drummond (who took part in the album release as a Zoo Records funder) saw the giant head of a spooky pre-Donnie-Darko rabbit in the shape suggested by the most prominent tree trunk on it. That's fitting to this hallucinatory album. Actually, now I see *two* spooky bunny heads as I'm looking at those tree trunks... (a note as I'm reading this paragraph again after having written most of my review--it's also quite spooky that this "double-vision" actually foretells what I *didn't know* I would write in my second paragraph--but more on that very soon...). So I don't have much else to say about this record--most of the tracks are great, and they all go in interesting directions. I was thus about to directly include this Echo And The Bunnymen debut in my own list of keepers when something very strange happened... Indeed, once *Crocodiles* was over, Spotify played a very nice track by another English post-punk band named The Sound--also released by the Korova label--and a band that I had never heard about before. And following the lead that this track gave me, I fell into another sort of "rabbit hole" (not related to Echo's "bunnymen" this time). Currently listening to *All Fall Down*, a supposedly "bad" album by the Sound that critics had cruelly panned at the time, and yet filled with gems. Seems like the critics were just not ready for this mix of pop and extremely dark post-punk aesthetics. And don't get me started on the (this time) critically-praised albums that were released before such a supposed artistic failure. The names of those two wonders are *Jeopardy* and *From The Lion's Mouth*. And of course, they have their share of absolute jewels as well... So now I'm kind of embarrassed. How come Ian McCullough's band reached success and Adrian Borland's did not? Not to take anything away from Echo And The Bunnymen, but at the end of the day, such *huge* difference between two equally good acts all seems so... random. And so unfair, in a way. Maybe lists such as this one should be used to make you discover even *more* obscure acts. Because world-famous bands always hide other far less famous artists, just like a bunny-head-shaped tree hides the whole forest behind it. Plus, this situation is all the more heartbreaking when you consider Borland's tragic fate, and the fact that when his band didn't manage to break out after many, many attempts, his psychological condition actually worsened. Not saying this is the root cause--you never really know about the inner workings of such diseseases. But probably an amplifying factor. Under that light, it suddenly becomes hard for me to give a 5/5 or even a 4/5 grade to *Crocodiles*. It's a nice record for sure, but even as an example of the first years of post-punk, it's certainly not as striking as early stuff by Wire, Gang of Four or... The Sound, for that matter! Rest assured that my 3.5/5 grade--given for the purposes of this list of "essential albums" and here rounded up to 4--still equals an 8.5/10 grade for more general purposes (5+3). Another way to say that I still consider this record as a fine example of the genre, and that it has all my respect. That said, Echo And The Bunnymen's fans should probably be well-advised to listen to The Sound's *Jeopardy*, released the exact same year as *Crocodiles*. Just to make sure they're not missing out on something actually *better*. Number of albums left to review: 271 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 322 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 179 (including this one, most probably--except if a The Sound album takes its place!) Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many other records are more important to me): 234
Inspires total ambivalence. Wish I could give 2.5 stars.
En blandning av Joy Division och The Cure med en gitarr som måste vara samma som Andy Summers’s. Helt okej ska nog lyssna igen.
Boooooringggggg.
Their name and their music does not correlate.
I really don't know Echo and the Bunnymen beyond their radio hits, "The Killing Moon" and "Lips Like Sugar" which are off of two, later, albums. This album is pretty solid but has none of the magic of those two amazing songs. But then... a cursory listen through those albums was mind blowing either.
Forgettable
Percussion on this album was great. Echo is good, but this album is not their best.
A classic 80’s album
Well it wasn't bad so that's cool I suppose. I dunno this kinda falls under the category of an album by a band that sounds okay but didn't blow my socks off or anything, it was just kind of mid. I didn't hate it and they sounded good it was just kind of weird and we've had a bunch of kind of weird albums back to back to back so that has kind of gotten old for me. I'll probably never choose to listen to this album or this band again and will most likely forget about them in a couple days.
it's a "meh" one. can tell they haven't fully developed or decided on their sound. just ok
This was kinda just a boring album. Not bad. Just boring. Okay lyrics, with okay singing, with okay instrumentals. Not part of it was bad, yet nothing to excite
Excellent album from start to end.
It felt really samey and I got bored real fast
Standard 2/5. Wasn't shite but won't listen to it again.
I have never listened to an Echo and the Bunnymen album before. I love it. Really enjoyed finally hearing these guys, and will explore more of the catalog for sure!
Good post punk record. Not the classic Echo and the Bunnymen sound yet - but still a good listen.
Todo un clásico el primer disco de Echo & the Bunnymen. Sonido post-punk ochentero para iniciar la década, con guitarras luminosas y una sección rítmica sobresaliente. Siempre se ha dicho, con razón, que se inspira en los Doors y la voz de Jim Morrison, además de tener ciertas influencias de la psicodelia. Destacaría los temas "Pride", "Cocodriles" y "Rescue".
I kind of understand why this album is on the list, since they helped define much of the 80s post-punk sound. But it's not that special.
I love the story from Bill Drummond about seeing the giant rabbit head in the twisted tree that supposedly noone else had noticed at the photo shoot. I can't see anything else. This record is so good my microwave died.
80 kapitel skit som låter lite som 60 kapitel skit. totalt sett skitskiva, jag gillade det inte, men låtarna är fortfarande tillräckligt bra för att få ha lite kokain i näsan, som att de här pojkarna förmodligen hade kokain i näsan när de var sådana superstjärnor, superstjärnor, och det är en del av kulturen att röka droger villiers terrace
Echo and the Bunnymen is a classic too, very good mix of rock and new wave 😊 5/5
it was ok
Love the band....the singer not so much...or at all
Sorprendido! Así es como me siento con este disco y este grupo. Un sonido rollo rock sicodélico impresionante
I was between a 2 and a 3. A little rough. Pretty good.
maneirinho... nada particularmente me atraiu. estou lançando esse comentário no meio do álbum, porque não vou mudar de ideia
Never really thought much of these guys or their sound. I was solid in the hard punk sound, and felt these guys were not terribly unique to the genre. Pop Punk? Slow Punk? Glam Punk. Wasn’t for me, and I’m stuck there.
Solid, in a very Clash-y way
Didn’t listen to it enough but Rescue stood out. Too much compression and overall shit production. Kinda sounds like a bad bowie album which is a compliment.
Really average. All the songs had the same feel, but it felt repetitive and easy to drown out.
This album was a great post-punk record. I’ve enjoyed this band throughout this project and found this album to be more straightforward in that it features more of a mainstream rock sound within the post-punk format. The songs are well balanced and accessible and the length of the album is perfect.
honest new wave
This list seems to be obsessed with the sounds of the 60's, even though this one is from 1980.... It isn't bad on its own merit just kind of generic.
well it's not fucking Ocean Rain
Song: Rescue Me I liked this vibe. I don't remember having too many strong opinions about this, but I thought it was a solid track and felt very funky and fun.
Pleasantly surprised, had no idea what I was about to get into here and was given a lovely new wave album that gave me Talking Heads vibes. Do It Clean and Happy Death Man stood out and got stuck in my head randomly. I found myself going back over and over and honestly this felt ahead of its time and musically solid and well produced. 4/5 bunny men.
Really enjoyed this one
Sound like big Crowded House contemporaries (or predecessors?). It was alright but didn't blow me away. Sounds like they were on the forefront of the 80s INXS sound
Second album by this band. How? They aren't that good of a group. It was relatively short but nothing stood out. It wasn't bad but not great. This kinda there. Not really a 2, definitely not a 3. I will round down.
There's a lot to like about E&TB, but I can still see why I was never a huge fan at the time. Also, I don't think this is their best album, but as a debut it's great, but nothing The Teardrop Explodes hadn't already done.
I forgot I was listening to an album on this list, so it's got that going for it. I'm not sure why it's on this list, but it didn't make my ears bleed.
I'm undecided on this genre. Just meh 2.5
My only knowledge of this band is Bring on the Dancing Horses from the Pretty in Pink soundtrack. Crocodiles is alright. Not great, not bad.
Nothing really caught my attention but nothing bothered me either 2.5
Reminds me of The Clash, but unfortunately not as good
Cool post punk album. Worth another listen sometime.
Love the pace and energy, but there isn't a lot of variation, but really fun. Great work on the bass guitar. Reminded me a lot of The B-52s.
A more melodic take on punk/pre-punk stuff that's been coming up lately. I like their sound, but not in favorite album territory. Solid 3* album. Enjoyed: Villiers terrace (keyboards) Very Cure-adjacent
Not too bad.
3.5/5
Not super impressive but perfectly solid. A little weird, pretty jangly, interesting atmosphere. Would try it out again. Best song: Happy Death Men
Good album in my opinion. I love their hits, but never bothered to dig any deeper. So, I wasn't enthused about listening to this album with a bunch of songs I have never heard of before. But I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed it.
Average indie rock. I'm not keen - nothing specific, lots of listeners will like this, I just don't. It's average 1980s indie, which isn't a genre I enjoy.
Solidan alt rokic
I love when you listen to an album you don’t listen to all that often but you have friends who do but they inspire a band you listen to all the time. Like there’s no real shoegaze without Echo. You hear so much My Bloody Valentine in this. So much Sonic Youth. Even Marilyn Manson.
The vocals leave much to be desired. The chord changes are predictable. The guitars are just basic strumming. It's not interesting enough to be considered progressive rock. But it's not catchy enough to be considered pop either. It's like the worst of both worlds: weird and not catchy or interesting. Another album where I'm not sure why or how it ended up on this list.
Kinda boring
It was fine, pretty bland. Easy listening
just average nothing special things, but at the same time, nothing offensive, completely average
A cool sounding album that would do well with a second listen, got new order vibes which is good.
I like the sound of a lot this music—feels at times akin to Joy Division, Midnight Oil, The Smiths. It’s a solid album, but I don’t know if it’s great. I think it comes down to the vocals in the end—they don’t feel quite as strong as the rest of the arrangements, melodically or tonally. Monkeys, Crocodiles, and Do It Clean were probably my favorite tracks.
Not my favourite album by Echo and the Bunnymen, but a milestone in the history of psychedelic rock. One thing I really don't like about this album is the mixing, the sounds are too flat and make the sound too monotonous in the long run.
This was alright, nothing really grabbed me but didn't mind listening to it. 2.5
Think this was fine but just had nothing for me. Completely passed me by. Fave track: Do it Clean
Generally a fan of this kind of moody rock with compressed and reverby drums, and overall I didn’t mind this one. Nothing really stood out to me all that much, and I think I’ve heard more interesting stuff from this band before. Yeah, it was fine. Interesting that this ended up on this list, not really that much of a knock out. Two and a half. Fave track: Crocodiles
Just ok
Purple Haze Hey Joe The Wind Cries Mary Foxey Lady
Today's entry in, "Wait - this band has HOW many albums on the list?". That being said, this band is famous for helping me get laid at a very young age. Although in retrospect, I had a beautiful head of hair back then and I likey could have gotten that piece of ass with Depeche Mode or the Psychedelic Furs or even (or especially) Air Supply playing in the background.
Nah, kind of boring
This was a nice surprise. Really liked it and it’s added to the library. A different sound to their later stuff. I like Joy Division et al so why wouldn’t I like this? Sounded better on headphones and I reckon it will grow on me with more listens
BL: echo and the bunny men I know only for their one hit. So it’ll be worth digging into a band that I know loads of my friends really love AL: very cohesive and solid album. My one complaint is that there seems to be a recurring theme of a lot of 80s British New Wave albums appearing on this list. Not that my objections are massive as I do enjoy the genre, I fear it may get stale after a while. For now this was a solid project, however nothing particularly stood out to me as anything exceeding, it was all just “good” FT: “stars are stars” 3/5
Not bad. I don't like this as much as Ocean Rain but it's still pretty good.
I liked the sound of the band and the album was good for background music but there weren't really any standout songs for me. Overall, not very memorable.
Fun album, very poppy in an 80's way. Even though I've never heard this band before, I feel like I have. Very similar to The Cure, The Clash, and so many British bands from the 80's.
As with a few other reviewers. I *should* really like this band but there's something missing. Still a very good album.
Not their best effort but always liked Echo.
Surprisingly good. Haven't heard of them before, but I really enjoyed the sound. Reminds me a little of the Cure mixed with David Bowie.
Not completely disgusting, but close to
A great piece of work from the Bunnymen that has stood the test of time.
More cool dark post punk from the bunny men 💪
1. going up - 1 2. do it clean - 1 3. ztarz are ztarz - 1.5 4. pride - 1 5. monkeyz - 1 6. crocodilez - 1 7. rezcue - 1.5 8.villierz terrace - 1 9. read it in bookz - 1 10. the picturez on my uuall - 1 11. all that jazz - 1 12. happy death man - 1
Not my bag but I quite enjoyed the instrumentation. I could really like this band given the right song
El debut de Echo & The Bunnymen no define para nada su sonido y sospecho que llegó a la cima de los tabloides británicos producto del alza en popularidad del Post-Punk provocado por Siouxsie, Joy Division y The Cure a finales de los '70s. Repetitivo, poco innovador y ni siquiera uno de los mejores trabajos de la banda, no sé por qué este disco está en la lista.
I have a history of rock dvd where the producer hated punk and refused to acknowledge it as an important movement. So we go from glam to new wave. It makes for an interesting approach. No sex pistols. No clash. No Ramones. No echo and the bunny men. No Siouxsie, etc etc.. But, let's accept punk is actually important. Given that Echo are pretty important in the movement, I think it's good to see them represented. I think this again is the wrong album but it’s a good one. They have a great energy about them. 3/5.
Killing Moon was a real favourite of mine back in the day. As was The Cutter. But apart from that I really didn’t listen to this band. Tight band alright. Musically gifted. I just find the compositions a tad boring & a bit repetitive on this album, which I’ve never listened to before. They embarked on a European tour straight after this & a half- hour film was shot of the band, called Shine So Hard, which you can find on youtube. Just skip all the arty filmmaker stuff & go straight to the live footage - they were so good live. The only 12” vinyl I have by them is the 4-track live EP taken from the film, which includes great versions of Crocodiles & especially All That Jazz. Maybe I’ll give the album another listen. Maybe not.
I shall now quote liberally from my previous review of 'Ocean Rain": "Ooff, are Echo and the Bunnymen possibly the most overrated band of all time? Certainly, if you listen to how they describe themselves ('the greatest album of all time!"), they could never possibly live up to the hype. Obviously, 1001 albums love them, as there are three (THREE!) of their albums on this list, of which this is probably the best. ... The lyrics are not nearly as clever as Ian McCullough thinks they are, which makes them the Doors on the 1980s. And they have dated about as well (ie, they have a shrinking fanbase that agree that they are all that, but the rest of the world shrugs)." The whole record has this weird dichotomy of morose anguish and loneliness, against overwhelming self-confidence, ambition and hubris. Like goths on coke or something. The record is really well recorded, and the rhythm section in particularly is tight and muscular. But there is nothing on this record as good as 'The Cutter' or 'Killing Moon'. It's all OK, but not as good as they think they are.
Cool
Excellent, groundbreaking sound. Not as good as their other album on the list.
In their debut, Echo & The Bunnymen stick by a dark yet energetic style of post-punk. Not quite gothic (which Ocean Rain shares more traits with), but has a moody, hollow atmosphere with expressive vocals and catchy melodies yet simple punk beats, inserting strange spontaneous sound effects, distortion, and reverb to surprise the audience. Pretty good, my type of music, but many forgettable tracks with only a few things going for them. Maybe this one will grow on me too like Ocean Rain has.
sounds like synth-y smiths
It was okay
Had Read It In Books, but never listened to these guys. Will probably listen to more of these guys to get a better feel for them.
Post-punk 80s stuff: whail-y vocals, overcrancked bass, trippy lyrics. What's not to like here? Titular track probably my favourite
love these guitars and the atmosphere, this album comes at a right moment in our 1001 albums journey, as a wake up call
No my cup of tea. Sounds too "Garage band-ey".
Inte hört en låt från denna platta men det är ju bra. Med lite fler lyssningar så skulle det kunna bli en femma. Är inte där riktigt än.
early 80's new wave fan girl here
What is post punk
Not my type really
2 stars
Shit sucks 2 1
Didn't leave much of an impression.
Listened Before? No Album Art: 3 / 5 (blurry shot in a bayou type backdrop setting a shoegazey mood) I've had this on in the background while doing some mundane script writing and I've been vibing without complaint. I have a certain soft spot for these early 80s post-punk entries (a la Joy Division). First impression is that this is of a brighter (poppier) variety than the, bleak by comparison, Joy Division. I enjoy the tight drums and overall cleanliness in the mix. Also really dig the guitar and bass tone. Look forward to giving this a more focused listen in the morning. On initial impression I'd say a middling 4 / 5. After a second listen, I feel like this is a solid entry for the genre. A couple of standouts while I was listening, but I doubt I'll go out of my way to come back. So based on this, I'm going to say this is a low 4 / 5. Added to Library? No Songs Added to Playlists:
Don't have too many thoughts on this one. Good basslines. No real highs or lows.
Not the worst punk album on here but nothing special. No songs stood out to me in particular and they all kind of sounded the same. 2.5 but rounding up to a 3 because it was better than all of the 2 punk albums.
Pretty solid punk album actually!
Pos punk bem tri tchê
This album surprised me, it has that raw post punk angularity but also hints at what is to come. Reverb over guitar bursts and Ian's beautiful crooning. It will all come together on the majestically cinematic Ocean Rain in a few years. But this is great it lags a little towards the end, but you can see all these interesting influences that other bands were not brave enough to explore. Its psychadelic at times and the landscape of songs vary internally. I have never really listened to much aside from Ocean Rain and I am not sure they get any better than this and Ocean Rain. Look forward to listening again.
Echo and the Bunnymen are one of them bands I’ve been hoping would pop up. A band I’ve heard the odd track by but never gone much further. Got to admit that large chunks of this passed me by. It didnt sound anything too special for me. Nothing bad, just nothing really stood out, bar All That Jazz. It’s a very decent post-punk album but I dont really know what else to say about it.
Always wanted to listen to these, cult heroes in Liverpool so they come up a lot. Decent, very much in the vain of Smith's/Cure. I drifted in and out a bit so can't say there were any clear hits. Think I'd need to listen again to make a stronger opinion, at this point it was okay
Monkeys is great, the rest I was less enamoured with. Not bad, just a little bit generic. A very, very lucky 3.
New Wave music just sounds so similar, not a fan. Highlights: Do It Clean Crocodiles
This sounded quite joy Divisiony in parts. That kinda industrial post punk sound. Then in others it sounded quite 80s. Didn't recognise any of the tracks on this album. Didn't mind most of it, but nothing really stood out.
it just made me want to listen to the smiths. sorry.
Not too bad, nothing jumped out at me though
Old Order
Idée de déguisement
chap bunnymen
I might be beginning to get a bit of British rock/rock-adjacent fatigue because this album fell impressively flat for me. There were maybe a couple of standout songs in either direction, but really the vocal range and tempos all sort of melded together into what felt like one big, long song-blur. Probably closer to a 2.5 than a 2, but here we are. Highlight: Rescue Lowlight: Happy Death Men Surprise Hit: Monkeys
This sounds like all those unidentified 80s songs people find on old cassettes, but if they were actually good. Cozy and romantic but also futuristic and ominous.
Crazy strong debut. The bunnies really are a vibe
Those Bunnymen really were up to something great right from the get-go.
Not really my cup of tea but I can see why it is eighties?
It was okay. Nothing stellar, nothing I disliked. It was just fine.
2.5
I had no idea Echo and the Bunnymen were from the 80's. It is a very 80's album. I enjoyed it, but nothing really stuck out to me.
I get how this would have blown people's minds in 1980, but it just seems kind of silly now.
Even though they had been kicking around in the UK for a while, this album is what introduced most of us in the U.S. to Echo and the Bunnymen. Rescue and Do It Clean were heard on New Wave/New Music stations but especially college stations. While not as popular as Porcupine or Ocean Rain, it was a solid debut, and much better than the follow up Heaven's Up Here.
intressant
I quite liked Ocean Rain, but probably haven't heard a single Echo song outside of that record. Let's see how their debut compares! God this sounds like early U2 sometimes, but since this predates U2's Boy by several months, maybe it's more accurate to say U2 sometimes sounds like early Bunnymen The moodiness & spook factor is noted & appreciated HL: "Pride", "Villiers Terrace", "Pictures on My Wall", October 16, 2023
Essential Tracks: Rescue (Playlist)
Really seminal album, even if it is not Echo and the Bunnymen's best album. You can hate post-punk, but this is the template for other bands that would follow. The songwriting isn't the strongest it could be here, but an album that needs to be on this list.
Pretty British, but not in a way that is bad... most of the time. It is very 80s though (which can be bad at times) Feels like it meanders a lot. It's alright. Sometimes I can vibe to it, other times I am tired of it. Not a huge fan of the overall production. A low 3/5
If you're familiar with the hits, their debut is fascinating. More raw and angular than the sound they became more famous for. Will Sergeant is an underrated guitarist.
I don't really get it. It just washed over me in one slightly bland dull wave
This kind of dark and brooding post-punk sounds right up my street Favourite tracks: Stars Are Stars, Crocodiles, Rescue, All That Jazz
4+
Kind of funny how I thought "I'm sure I love a lot of Echo & the Bunnymen songs, so this ought to be good." Weird how perceptions are. I had known a couple of their songs, but nothing from this album. And there was nothing on this album that I loved.
I really didn't think that I would like Echo and the Bunnymen. I recall the name and that they had a hit or two...but I struggle to recall any from memory, and I do recall not being all that interested in them. So, I was surprised when I started the album and I kind of dug it. Ultimately, I didn't love it. I think if it ended after like 5 tracks I may have (not saying the first 5 necessarily)...it just kind of got a little droney and boring at times, I guess I would say.
I am often pleasantly surprised by E&tBm. They've got quite a pretty sound to my ears.
Vibes of Simple Minds and other 80s bands in my favorite songs, while a few seemed to drone on more than I might have liked. Still, a very good album!
Definitely enjoyed this more than I thought I would
ничего не ухватило, но с другой стороны и пост-панк не заметила
It's taken me far too long to really listen to Echo and the Bunnymen, a band that sit comfortably next to the likes of The Cure, New Order and other early 80s moody post-punk bands of that era. I only really knew The Killing Moon before, so I wasn't familiar with anything from this debut. I look forward to exploring their discography more.
Weinig speciaal
Just not my style of music. Not very good.
I really like this, I’ve never heard of this band before but it feels similar to The Talking Heads.
Should be my thing, but I don't like his voice and the songs are a bit dull. Doesn't grab me like Chameleons or Cure. Don't think I'll ever be a fan.
Some simple, similar from track to track, rock from the heart
Not a bad bit of rock guitary stuff, feels newer than 1980
Really fun album. Great base work and vocals to boot.
Melancholy in a way that sets your teeth on edge. A good beginning.
Not terrible, just eminently forgettable.
Can see the influences on a lot of later bands. Reminded me a lot of Joy Division.
More raw and dark than some of their later releases, it makes for an excellent debut. Even though this is clearly very moody and brooding, there is a weird coziness to these tracks, like they all sound very familiar. There is barely a spare moment or note, nothing sounds extraneous, no solos, nothing meandering, it’s very to the point and I love that about it. They have a punk ethos at heart.
I've always heard of this band but had never checked it out. It's pretty middle of the road. I don't think any super special.
I was surprised to see I rated the other Echo album (which I rated 725 albums ago) 3 stars, even though I'm sure Spotify has put a few of their songs on random playlists for me and I enjoyed them then. Just the same, I really enjoyed the Crocodiles album as well. So maybe that's evolving taste, maybe it's evolving rating standards and maybe Echo And The Bunnymen need the listener to be in an appropriate mood to hit just right. Because this album really did hit just right. More of a 4.5 rounded up, rather than a clean 5, but a very good album just the same. I particularly enjoyed the textural depth of the instrumentation.
Solid. 3/5
Fairly forgettable
There's nothing super unique here.
Surprisingly good, I’ve never heard of Echo and the Bunnymen, but I’ll definitely be looking into them after this album.
Ça revient pas mal à du tout au même en plus d’avoir un son assez basic. Big bof, mais loin d’être caca
dint really pay attention to it. mid? 6/10.
The post punk dissonance of this record is great, feels like I'm listening to a darker version of U2's October record, but with more urgency and drive to it. McCulloch's vocals in particular are interestingly vague at times, talking about themes of sorrow, dispair, horror, and other rather dreary topics. The chunky bass lines in coupled with the driving drumbeats make a great background for songs like Crocodile as well.
File under: Bands that i think are talented and make fine music, whose influence I recognize and appreciate, yet have absolutely zero interest in listening to.
Solid. Punk feel was nice. Just kind of boring. Gotta give it another try.
Without ever getting amazing, this has quality all the way through it
In theorie is dit best wel mijn genre en band, maar dit album kon mij niet te pakken krijgen.
Expecting a moody indie album and mostly got that. But I felt a lot of it was quite forgettable
This was a funny one. I never used to like Echo and the Bunnymen. By the time I heard of them they had released a few hits and I didn't particularly like any of them. I had some friends who liked the band, but I had already written them off and wasn't convinced otherwise by listening to their later albums. However, this album I enjoyed. There seems to be a strange mixture of sounds here, synth pop, psych rock, very jingly guitars and a few songs I was singing along too without knowing them. Some of it grated, so it's not a 5, but it's a decent 4 star album.
Good album. This is what i should have been listening to in the 80s. It's a shame it's taken me 40 years to realise that ffs. Anyway, this is good music.
Bland and dull. When you listening to this album you constantly try to remember what song was a minute ago, that's how forgettable it is.
A decent album for sure. Dark and sorrowful, with a sort of spooky and eerie quality. I think there would be times I could quite fall for this album, though it didn't really draw my full attention today. I may well come back to it when I expect it to hit better though. Favourite: Crocodiles
I like Echo And The Bunnymen, but I don't love them.
Other than Killing Moon and Nothing Lasts Forever (neither of which are on this album) E&TB are a very boring band. A big fat meh of goth, there is one song which sounded a little like The Monkees which was less dull.
decent but absolutely nothing that stands out. the donny van de beek of albums.
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
solid, but it probably sounds awesome if you were high.
The drumming is pretty nice, but asides from that, this album is unobtrusive and uninteresting.
Never listened to early Echo and The Bunnymen but I liked it
Love an 80s buzz
Fine
I had this on vinyl many years back but didn't pay it as much as I should have. Moody and guitar/drum driven Liverpudlian intenseness. Not any hits as such but I wonder whether that often detracts from and album where people focus on the highs- this is consistently good but not great it has to be said.
The typical new age/rock sound of the early 80s, but without songs that are any good. 2/5
Tämmöstä mitälie alternative rockia. Sinänsä ihan jees mutta ei houkuta kuunnella uudestaan.
I liked it better than the last echo and the bunnymen album, but not enough to get a four, just a high 3
I have this on CD. It’s fine. Don’t know if we needed another Echo album on this list though.
I've left this album on in the background several times over the last few weeks, and no special magic has revealed itself. I liked the last Echo and the Bunnymen album a lot, on reflection. The guitar lines in particular stuck with me. For this one, nothing's really sticking. Even though I like the sound. 2/5, would absolutely see them live if I had the chance, but nothing is clicking.
I mean it's fine but I think I've expected more from all these Echo and the Bunnymen albums. Nothing remotely close to The Cutter or the Killing Moon and I think I always expect an alnum of songs of that quality
Ca brassait, j'ai aimé ca et c'était une bonne écoute en somme 3.85
Good but not yet classic BM
An enjoyable enough listen but nothing jumped out at me as amazing
Good but not great post-punk, or whatever you call this genre. Bass lines are awesome on pretty much every song, really elevating the drive of each beat. It's cool music but not life-changing. It's a weak 3 stars; I like it enough to listen again sometime, but it didn't blow me away.
Do It Clean sounds kind of like a Clash song... Stars Are Stars I'm digging. Pride starts out a bit like an Elvis Costello song with that little guitar hook. I'm digging Villiers Terrace! Happy Death Men jams! Seems almost psych / jam / experimental / kraut inspired. Could be a weird take. Doesn't seem especially "top 1001" remarkable as a whole. Maybe this was a big deal for 1980 since it's bringing us out of first wave punk and into the 80s. I do see some interesting songs in here but seems like filler as well. Still... solid album really, I'll do a 3.
What a fantastic album. Loved Rescue. This is the sound of my youth, being played at parties by countless cover bands, along with Oingo Boingo, B-52s, REM, U2
I enjoy the general vibe and Ian McCullough's voice. The main thing that doesn't click for me is the melodies tend to not be very memorable. I like Do It Clean and Rescue, but much of the rest tends to blur together. It's fine but not outstanding.
Can’t even remember most of this.
meh
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!
Another Britrock album which somehow manages to lose steam it already didn’t have as the energy slowly peters out over the LP’s length. It’s albums like these that have made me consider taking a break from the project for a week or two - these British throwaway albums are a dime a dozen and I’ve honestly run out of original things to say about them
Never heard of this before, but I like it!