Porcupine

Dearest reader, As of this review, I’ve completed my 365th album in this ordeal. One year worth of albums, an anniversary of sorts - my first few weeks I wasn’t doing weekend albums, so it has, in fact, been more than a calendar year. In honor of my achievement, a retrospective, some takeaways and an airing of grievances from the past year: -I still think The Smiths are awful. This list has not changed that one iota and despite having completed all 3 Smith records, I still have 4 Morrissey records to listen to. That is the greatest injustice the list has served upon me. -These are the best albums I was introduced to via the list: Gil Scott Heron/Brian Jackson - Winter in America; Belle and Sebastian- Tigermilk; Todd Rundgren - A Wizard, A True Star; Little Simz - Grey Area; The United States Of America - s/t; Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygene; Milton Nascimiento/Lo Borges - Clube da Esquina -The Residents album isn’t as bad as you think it is. -Elvis Costello sucks, but in a way he also kind of doesn’t. That’s why he is the worst. -There’s way too much Britpop on this list. -There’s way too much mopey British alt-rock in general. -“Why isn’t Stereolab’s “Dots and Loops” on this list?” has pretty much become a mantra for me. -I can’t proofread worth a shit. -Most of your reviews are underwhelming: “meh…not for me”; “this punk rock record is repetitive”…step up your game kids, it’s embarrassing. Now, for the record at hand, “Porcupine” by Echo and The Bunnymen: God, living under Maggie Thatcher must have been fucking miserable. That much is papable when listening to these 80’s British alternative records: it’s like going spelunking in a pit of despair. “Porcupine” is definitely better than a lot of the others from its time; a little more experimental and psychedelic than the rest of the lot, so it gets some bonus points for that. With that said, and in the wise words of the reviewers on this site: “Meh…not for me”.

I'm not saying <checks notes> Echo and The Bunnymen aren't a significant band, but do they really deserve a whopping 3 spots on the list? Is this really the best music humanity has to offer out of all the albums in the world?

Ah, the elusive 3.75/5 rating – the "I'd swipe right but wouldn't take home to meet the parents" of album scores. It's the musical equivalent of a solid B-minus, where the tunes are catchy enough to hum in the shower but not quite anthem-worthy for a road trip. It's like a culinary dish that's one spice away from perfection; you can't help but go back for another taste, hoping it'll hit that 4/5 sweet spot on the second listen. Keep those headphones close; you never know when the urge to bump it up to a 4 will strike!

This is the third album by these guys here. They're relative nobodies but they keep turning up. You have to be fucking kidding me. They're not bad, they're just an inoffensive and bland cure knockoff. They shouldn't be in this list once, let alone 3 times. 2/5.

This might indeed be the darker side of Echo & the Bunnymen and what really stuck out to me is how this psychedelic post-punk album really is shoegaze avant la lettre. The album is filled with oriental influences by the collaboration with Shankar (not Ravi, a different one) and quite uptempo and aggressive rhythmic material throughout the album. Songs like The Cutter, Back Of Love and Heads Will Roll are prime examples. But besides these there are also the steps sideways, like in My White Devil and Higher Hell, where the experiments with sounds and buildup work incredible. The more experimental Porcupine and Gods Will Be Gods might take an extra listen but when you do it's fully worth it and they turned out my favourites of this album. 4,5*

Name something that follows the word "pork". "Upine"

Very dark, noisey, melodramatic post punk with wailing vocals - love this! I've been in a Bunnymen kinda mood, so this fit perfectly. The Cutter is my all-time favorite from the band & it's so in your face, it overstimulates the senses in the most gothy way possible. I've heard some of these songs live (seen the band twice), but I've never listened to the album in full - shame on me. Damn, this was jarringly good. I loved it so much, I listened to it five times. There are so many layers of instruments & sounds that you normally don't hear in rock music. It's intricate & reminded me of The Beatles Revolver mixed with The Cure Pornography. Wow...fucking brilliant.

Goths, man.

These guys transcend the general distaste I have for a lot of British rock from this era that this list has exposed me to. I like the kind of gothic, epic scale of some of the songs. Cool band for sure.

10/10 god I need more Echo & The Bunnymen in my life

Great 80’s post punk album, dark and moody, so right up my street. Don’t know if this is more sonically experimental, or I’m just in a better mood today but I think I prefer this over Ocean rain and crocodiles. Think I’ll Need to go back and re listen to the other two. Though I don’t think there needs to be 3 echo and the bunnymen albums on the list, if I had to keep one it would be this one.

Not exactly my jam, but a good listen. If I need a melancholy album, this would be a good pick. I had a album from The Cure yesterday. To me this album fills kind of that same role, but I prefer this instead. A little more energy which was cool. But I probably won't listen again.

Favourite track of the album The Cutter.

As a former psychedelic rock music fan, I have been recommended Echo And The Bunnymen one too many times. However, I fell out with psychedelic rock a while ago. I'm actually writing my review one year later. I'm forcing myself to go back and actually listen to the albums. To begin, I would like to address a couple things to a commenter in the global reviews section. → The Smiths are not an "awful band." They're musically gifted. In fact, you spent all your reviews tearing down Morrissey w/o actually giving a reason why The Smiths are awful. It seems like it's Morrissey you despise, not the band's musicianship itself. Lyrically, The Smiths are for a special flavour of people: The sad, unappreciated, and the heartbroken have all found solace in Morrissey's gentle crooning and Marr's jangly guitar. → Belle & Sebastian is great. I appreciate "The Life Pursuit" a lot. → I agree that Elvis Costello's music is bad and I am not looking forward to receiving his remaining albums. → There's not "too many" British albums. There's simply a lack of talent in the bands chosen. There's an equal amount of crappy American bands. I feel like most people would be happier if we receive a Geneva or Longpigs album rather than two from Everything but the Girl. → Many reviews 𝗮𝗿𝗲 underwhelming, mine included. That's why I thought I ought to write back. In addition, I agree that "Porcupine" was a mopey and miserable album. Cocaine is a hell of a drug.

I was always aware of Echo and the Bunnymen but had never delved into their catalogue. I wasn’t aware how cool their sound was, this album had a lot of really cool ideas going on, they mix gloom with punchy sharp guitars all with excellent passionate vocals. Definitely hear a mix of Cure and Joy Division, the song structure is complex and quite pretty overall. Sounds fresh 40 years later, just really great music here. 5 stars

Of Echo's first four albums, I've found this to be their best, it goes deeper into their psychedelic and gothic influences more than the other four, but also seems to probably be the least well liked. It may not have a big standout song like the others do (though The Cutter is really good) but makes up for it with consistency, all the tracks on here are really good.

This was a bit of an odd one. It took me a few listens to get into it. Moody, murky and atmospheric, yet experimental. It's classed as post punk but sounds more pop shoegaze a lot of the time. My biggest gripe with this is the singer as I find his vocal style a bit grating.

I’ve already got one other echo and the bunny album, it was pretty good. Don’t really have any expectations. The cutter is quite good. I forgot how good of a voice this guy has. The instrumental is also great Back of love is also good. Catchy chorus. My white devil is also great. I already said it, but I really like this guys voice. Clay is great. I’m enjoying this album more than I expected… Porcupine, despite being the title track, was weak in my opinion. Still good, but not as a good as the rest. It picks up at the end though. Heads will roll is also really good. Ripeness is also really good. I really can’t get over how much I like this guys voice. On ocean rain, I liked it, but I didn’t think it was incredible. To be fair, that wasn’t my second album, this one is in the 70s. Maybe this has changed my music taste. I’m currently having a mental battle in my head whether to give this 5 star, cause I’ve got a 5 star album yesterday and 3 days ago and I feel like I’m being too generous. We’ll see though. Higher hell is also good. This one of those albums I can’t particularly decide why I’m enjoying it so much, but it just feels like a 5. I’m enjoying this thoroughly. Gods will be gods is good. Not anything special but not bad enough to take away from my current ranking. Bluer skies is in a similar spot to the previous track. Fuel is the last of the original songs, so I’ll stop my song by song ratings here. And it’s good. Not incredible but good. Overall: very good, but I’m starting to lean away from 5 star. Mainly because of the fact that as soon as it was done, I wanted to listen to yesterday’s albums again. Still good though.

Great voice, moody atmosphere that's a cool mix of goth and new wave, dynamic interplay between synth/guitar/bass parts, lots of drama, movement, and sweep to the songs. It's the stock cube you need to put into a post punk soup to fill it out, but doesn't have any if the star ingredients.

A lotta people don't know what Britpop is. This isn't Britpop. It's also not great. I like the vibe but there aren't really good songs here

This album was fine but I just cannot listen to A Man Who Sounds Like That

Ever so marginally better than the other Echo & The Bunnymen album on this list I did already, but not by much. Still bland and did not enjoy a single song here

I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5, despite a weaker second half. Despite my shortcomings with “Crocodiles”, I had a feeling this album would be good. 3 years is enough time to hone in some musical talent, & the biggest issue with “Crocodiles” was just an inability to elevate each track to something more memorable, with a lot of tracks just settling into themselves. This album feels like it’s found that energy that was lacking, & while it’s not as ‘zen’ as “Ocean Rain” was, the arrangements here just feel great to listen to. If “Ocean Rain” is a bridge between R.E.M. & the Britpop to come, this album just feels like their R.E.M.-esque era, and they do a great job with it. Lyrically, I don’t think it’s as tight as “Ocean Rain” was, though it’s certainly an improvement on “Crocodiles” – lots of flowery language & metaphor here that is a little confusing to parse at times, but with a lot of these tracks centered around relationship issues & the constant ‘thorniness’ of maintaining a sense of bliss (probably where “Porcupine” comes from as a title), there’s always a line or two to center the track in a way that gets across a good meaning. My favorite one is probably “Smiling equates with happy, but I know they're miles apart”, but there’s a lot of smaller gems here. Vocally, I do think the range in Ian McCulloch’s voice gets some emotional pull across better than “Ocean Rain” did at times, though it’s more consistently strong in the front half of the album than the back half. Instrumentally, I like these a lot – my only issue stems in a lack of perceived variety. These are all good unique compositions, but a lot of these tracks don’t really stray too far instrumentally outside of some Indian-influenced soundscapes at times, so there is a slight homogeneity that builds up over the course of the album. As I’ve been saying, the back half is the weaker half, but only because I found more little nitpicks to me – a repetitive ending, a longer track, a track that could use some trimming, and a slight mismatch in vocal / instrumental energy that feels kinda noticeable, but those are all smaller issues that don’t really hurt the core of each track, which is still usually strong. “Heads Will Roll” has none of those issues, and it’s probably in my top 3 for the whole album. It’s just consistently more polished in the first half, at least to my ears. Overall, it’s not a big enough pile of issues to make me bump this down to a 4, as I did enjoy the whole runtime here. I think it’s a good album, and for our final encounter with Echo & The Bunnymen, it’s a strong one to go out on. It just makes me wonder why “Crocodiles” is here, really. I’ll bump this up to a 5 – I think it earns it, and if nothing else, I liked it a lot.

Post-Punk perfection, from a band whose influence is greatly underappreciated in American.

It remains a mystery to me that at the time, U2 became one of the biggest bands in the World and Echo and the Bunnymen didn't. Better songs, better musicians... Porcupine and War were released in the same month in 1983. Compare and contrast.

Rating: 9/10 Short Review: Maybe I'm giving out 5 star ratings too liberally (to be fair, there's like 5 rating options), but fuck!!!! This album is just so freaking cool. The atmosphere of this thing just rocks so hard. Its so fuzzy and distorted and awesome. yippee.

Cooooool new wave stuff. Drops of Bowie, the Cure, the Smiths, the Doors, the Clash. Each track pretty different, haunting vocals, lots of different sounds and instruments and styles, sounds like the alternative 80s. The Cutter probably the best example, most accessible, but I enjoyed the journey that the title track takes you on. More experimental, psychedelic, western, eastern, marauding yet in no rush to go anywhere. Cool track. And then Heads will roll! So freaking cool sounding song. Ripeness feels like The Clash. The Doors run through the whole thing. Looooove the intro to Higher Hell, a beautiful but gloomy track adorned by flashes of instrumental color, fills, riffs, etc. which builds and builds into overlapping waves of vocals. Gods will be Gods - driving, cool acoustic strumming bits, speeding up as it goes along until the climax, then a slow descent, building back up. Fun. All ends with Fuel, a dreamy, spacey but murky and vibey track like walking through a decommissioned underwater amusement park. Overall loved the album, 4.5/5! How to pick a favorite? Gonna go with Fuel.

If there is one big piece of news I have received in the process of going through this exercise, it might be, “Echo and the Bunnymen fuckin rule, ya dummy!”

Porcupine will be my final E&tB album to review. I gave four stars to both Ocean Rain and Crocodiles, and honestly, I think I should have given both of them five stars, especially Ocean Rain. I really like listening to these guys, so I have some really high hopes for this album. Porcupine turned out to be another wonderful entry from E&tB’s catalog, and I really enjoyed listening to it. E&tB do such a great job of crafting a unique atmosphere with their music, and their sound is always beautifully dense. Ian McCulloch’s vocals were once again excellent, and in a crowded field of post punk artists, E&tB really sets themselves apart. The guitar playing was excellent on this album, and I really loved the strings that were used too. The lyrics were often dark and cryptic, and it was enjoyable to try to parse meaning out of these songs. E&tB has become one of my favorite bands with multiple entries on this list, and I’m delighted that I got to familiarize myself with three of their albums. Some notes on the songs that stood out to me: “The Cutter” was an outstanding opening track. It set the tone for this album perfectly, with its eerie opening guitar riff, and some excellent bass and drumming as well. The sound of this song really opened up at about the halfway mark with some really bright string arrangements. “Back of Love” had some excellent drumming and bass as well, and the main guitar riff was really good too. I loved the percussion on “My White Devil.” I think it was a xylophone that was being used, but whatever it was, it had a skeleton-like sound to it that was really excellent. The wordplay in the cryptic lyrics on “Clay” were outstanding. I’d have to say that this was my favorite songwriting on the album. The title track was really wild, in the best way possible. The guitar playing was excellent, and this was the perfect example of how E&tB create such a lush atmosphere on their albums. “Heads Will Roll” had some great strings, and I loved the brighter sounds that were peppered in as well. The tone of the guitar on “Gods Will Be Gods” was fantastic. The frantic crescendo was particularly excellent. Porcupine is a great album, full of dense atmosphere and excellent songwriting. The strings from Shankar help give this album a really unique sound, crafting one of the early eighties’ best post punk albums.

Well this has the best song of all time on it, The Cutter, so naturally this album is also a certified K Town banger. There are several others on here too I that love, but that one will always stand out to me. Saw then live earlier this year and they did such a great performance. I find this music nostalgic for what the music scene must have been like in Liverpool. Knowing a few people who saw them live in pubs around those early days it must have been so exciting. They were young but had such a mature sound. Will always love this album!

Этот альбом на меня произвел огромное впечатление. Несмотря на то, что это пост-панк, он безумно светлый, дающий надежду и открывающий веру в себя, прекрасно подходит для прослушивания подросткам. После его прослушивания я записал все самое главное, что мне нужно для того, чтобы стать тем, кем я хочу, и как относиться к этому миру, у меня появилось еще больше силы двигаться вперед и бороться за себя: "Нет ничего важнее меня и моих интересов". Я гулял по улицам и пил Джин-тоник "Manchester", стараясь почувстовать атмосферу Англии 80-х годов прошлого века, идеальный сладкий напиток для этого) Больше всего мне понравились эти песни: "Clay" (в особенности), "The Cutter", "Back of Love", "In Bluer Skies", "Porcupine", "My White Devil", "Ripeness". То есть почти весь альбом, хоть и были песни не совсем удачные на мой взгляд. Невероятный вокал Иэна и удивительно отточеная и интересная игра на барабанах музыканта создают невероятную атмосферу, клавишные возносят, как и вокал, песни к небесам, а бас , как и во всем пост-панке умно и звонко вписывается в каждую композицию. Это как Joy Division, но у Echo & the bunnymans пластинка веет надеждой, чистотой и дает направление. Пока это лучший альбом из прослушанных.

Porcupine Two of their best songs, Back of Love and The Cutter front load this, and while there’s nothing as immediate and as great as those, it’s worth persevering with as there are some excellent songs that take their time to warm up, and ultimately its a solid to very good album, if clearly not at the same level as Ocean Rain. It carries some of the darkness of their new wave/proto goth contemporaries, particularly on My White Devil with it’s excellent bass hook and the title track, although I don’t think it has quite the same density or mass to it as, say, Juju, with a slight sense of that gloominess being slightly ill fitting. It has a few relative dips in Clay, Heads Will Roll and Gods Will Be Gods, but it does finish very strongly with Ripeness, Higher Hell and the excellent In Bluer Skies. It’s between a 3 and a 4, but as I am a fan of the band and as alongside The Cutter and Back of Love there are some great slow burning tracks, I’ll just nudge it to a 4. 🦔🦔🦔🦔 Playlist submission: The Cutter

'Porcupine' is very much a transitional album for Echo and the Bunnymen, seeing them shift away from the murky post-punk beginnings of their first two records for the majestic melodies of 'Ocean Rain'. But the roots of 'Ocean Rain's' success are very much present on 'Porcupine', with hooks aplenty. Starting with the gradiose opener 'The Cutter' and continuing through 'The Back of Love', 'Clay', 'Heads Will Roll' and 'Ripeness', it's evident that the Bunnymen were going for tigher, catchier songs on this record. This tightness is evident in the growth of Ian McCulloch as a vocalist, adding plenty of drama to the themes, as well as the increased confidence in the instrumentation, with Will Sergeant, Les Patterson and Pete deFrietas all coming into their own on guitar, bass and drums respectively. The title track is the only song that reflects the band's murkier, more meandering past, but 'Porcupine' is the work of a band that has finally settled on a formula that feels comfortable and clear, and they'd only outdo themselves with 'Ocean Rain' the very next year. Equally dark and catchy, 'Porcupine' is the beginning of Echo and the Bunnymen's peak period. Best songs: The Cutter, The Back of Love, Clay, Heads Will Roll, Gods Will Be Gods

Kind of a jam. The lyrics are concise and clever, the sound is interesting and varies throughout, and this album brightened my morning overall. Albums like these are why I'm doing this project. Hidden gems I wouldn't have found otherwise.

This was a great new wave album containing gothic rock, rockabilly, and pop influences. What impressed me most always the diversity of instrumentations and the diversity of synth sounds used. This have the album a textured feel where it easily could have relied too heavily on stereotypical 80s synth presets.

And "Too Many Albums Syndrome" strikes again! Why do Echo & the Bunnymen have three albums on this list? I don't get it! They're good, don't get me wrong. I'm not going to say that they're irrelevant and that they shouldn't be on this list at all, but they are just not important enough to have three albums here, especially given the abundance of other 80s post-punk bands on the list. This just screams redundancy. That's honestly my biggest problem with this whole album list. Artists and bands who only need 1 album like Echo & the Bunnymen get 2 or 3 albums on the list and the artists and bands who actually should be having 2 or 3 albums end up having 5 or 6 of them! One of these days after I finish this project, I'm going to make my own 1001 Albums list and it is going to be SIGNIFICANTLY less redundant than this one. So yeah, this album doesn't need to be on this list because Ocean Rain is better and it has "The Killing Moon" on it which is their best song. Of course, Porcupine is not a bad album. I do like it. Everything that I've enjoyed about the other two albums is here. The dark vibes are cool, the basslines are strong, and the writing and singing work together to make a good melancholic atmosphere. My problem is that nothing here is special! Everything that this album does can be heard better in other albums from this band and genre. I will say that this and Crocodiles are around the same level for me, but it is not surpassing Ocean Rain. Porcupine is a solid post-punk album, but I've heard too many of those for this to speak to me in any significant manner. It's good. Quite good, even. I just didn't need to listen to it. I'm sure it's a great listen for people who really really like this band, but I'm not an Echo & The Bunnymen super-fan or anything like that. I think they're good, but I'm not passionate enough about them to strongly recommend three of their albums. High 3/5.

🎧This is good, maybe even better than Crocodiles. It’s not as strong as Ocean Rain. My favorite track, The Cutter, sounds like New Order. Echo were undeniably a very good band. Do we need 3 of their albums in the 1001 AYMHBYD? Probably not.

Kind of like The Cure but less interesting and worse singing.

minere meinig na relativ bedütigslose rock mit emne mittelmässige sänger und wenig abwechslig sowohl in rhythme als au harmonik.

Not great. Not horrible. A little below average. Would not choose to listen to again.

I've listened to one their best ofs but didn't love it, but this is great. Manages to sound dated in places and very modern in others

So good

21/03/2026 *1. the cutter - already love this one!!! guitar is great!! bass is great!! love ian mccullough's vocals <3 *2. back of love - love this one aswell! bass is fantastic! love the strings!!! verrry dreamy.... 3. my white devil - slower start... bass!!! very atmospheric! beat drop!! looove how dramatic the vocals are!!!! *4. clay - wow liking the start! fantastic!! 5. porcupine - looove the guitar. strings are great! bass is fantastic! 6. heads will roll - strings are phenomenal! guitar is great! *7. ripeness - oooo groovier!! bassline is really lovely. love the clapping in the chorus! the vocals in this are amazing!! is that how nietzche is pronounced?? absolutely lovely <33 *8. higher hell - realllly nice! love the lyrics. *9. gods will be gods - bass is great! strings are back!! drums about four minutes in are crazy! love how loud and melodramatic it's getting!!! great ending :) *10. in bluer skies - listening to an album a day has made me realise how many songs start with sea sounds?? beat drop is looovely!! love the guitar! love the chiming! loooove echo and the bunnymen!! already knew a few songs going it, but really loved all of them and will be listening again soon <3

The Cutter starts off big, bold, the vocals are a bit new wave-y, but the music isn't really. It's bass driven, there's strings and keyboards to add texture. Building in intensity, we have lift off but with enough restraint to leave me wanting more. Very good start. The strong bass continues into the next song, it's quite frenetic. My White Devil has even more interesting percussion and there's a great atmosphere to it. If this is post-punk, it's the kind I like, with just enough melody and artfulness to it. By the time we get to the title track, it's quite gloomy and dark. The soaring vocals are the right counterbalance though, and the music continues to be dense and interesting. The run from Heads Will Roll through Gods Will Be Gods is superb, from middle eastern sounding riffs to the deep throbbing bass and twisting melody on Higher Hell. But really the whole back half is very strong. This was a bit of an instant classic for me.

One of my favorite finds though this challenge was this band. This is the 80s style I love, I think I said before I think it’s a better talking heads personally. 5 stars

love

Whoa what an album

so good!

#228/1001. Echo and the Bunnymen are - at least in Finland - one of those forgotten gems of popular music. I learned about them sometime late 99s or early 00s, as a friend of mine (who was in the know) and his British mate were remembering the good old days along an E&tB Box. Unlike many bands before that and later, this is one I never got bored with. I soon got myself a greatest hit cd and learned a bit more about the band. Apparently it was either them or U2 who the British press thought as the next big thing, sort of heirs of Joy Division after Ian Curtis joined the heavenly (or the other) post-rock band. Well we kind of know what happened. New Order! No, not really. This album has the band at its gloomy prime, with a pair of opening tracks that cut through you, followed by a few delicate pieces, with all sorts of interesting things happening left, right, up, down, back, forth and inside your head. The title track and Ripeness are newly found favorites for me, since I kind of fell in to the trap of getting too familiar with the greatest hit compilation which I started with. The melodies are great, the ominous feeling kicks U2s ass any day or time. I just reviewed Peter Gabriel's 3rd, famous for not using any cymbals, and while they do exist here, they are used very sparingly. I think only one or two songs use hi-hats. I don't know who invented these heavy reverbed goth drums, but although they sound very 80s and goth, they couldn't be done any other way. There are drums, drum machines, handclaps, xylophones, you name it. God I miss the 80s rhythm sections, percussions, imagination they had to try different things in pop / rock music. The album and the related music video shoot must be the reason there are so much good music coming out of Iceland ever since the mid 80s. My advice is to skip the alternative versions (at least I was recommended a Spotify album with quite a load of bonus tracks), or take them as a curious adventure of how what not to do if you want an Echo and the Bunnyman evergreen. The last bonus song is an extra-album single, and a neu-wave disco banger.

This was fun! I saved “The Cutter,” “Heads Will Roll,” and “Ripeness”. This pop-punk skater vine was a great ride.

I really need to listen to more Echo and the Bunnymen. They’re so good. I absolutely love Nocturnal Me (though it’s not on this album) and I enjoyed pretty much every minute of this album!

Best surprise so far!

A timeless classic, which is ironic, given that the genre "Post-Punk" is defined by it's moment in time. It was great when it was released, it's great now

Corker

Echoes through time

I really liked this! There’s some really interesting stuff happening with the instrumentation and the lead singer is giving Spooky Bono. A 5!

I've already reviewed the EATB album that followed this, Ocean Rain; 4 stars. As I said then, for some reason I'd never sat down to listen to a whole album of EATB before, despite liking their singles and overall vibe at the time. I had a feeling I might like this one even more, as it preceded their move towards a fuller, mid-80s sound with orchestral backing. In other words, I knew it would be a bit more more stripped-back (although I note it still has quite a bit of echo in the production - no pun intended). With simpler arrangements, the quality of the songs and the energy are even more important. Energy-wise, this is great: driving indie pop and some real emotion in the vocals. And I was impressed with the songs too. Some haunting melodies; I'm on board with their apparent fondness for an Egyptian-sounding vibe. I thought there was an early Cult vibe too (not as tribal-sounding, but some similarities). The title track, with its mid-track change of pace, is especially good. Another highlight was Gods Will Be Gods, which suddenly developed the expansive feeling of being a great track to drive to (and the Jim Morrison love was front and centre - a good thing imo). I still love The Cutter and The Back of Love. To repeat, they're a band who sit perfectly in my favourite genre, and I thought this was a great album. Perhaps: an oddly weak ending to what was originally the last track, In Bluer Skies. I'd made up my mind by then, though.

I loved this album. This band definitely had a Smiths sound to it.

Great

Great (listened before)

One thing about me: I fucking LOVE Echo and the Bunnymen.

"Porcupine" is the third studio album by English post-punk band Echo and the Bunnymen. Post-punk and pop are the Wiki-listed genres. Fine. The album was initially rejected by their record label WEA for being too uncommercial and was re-recorded with L. Shankar providing strings on some songs. Lead singer and guitarist Ian McCulloch admitted to having difficulty writing new material and the mood within the band was "horrible." Besides McCulloch, the band included Will Sergeant (lead guitar), Les Pattinson (bass) and Pete de Freitas (drums). Initially reviews were poor with complaints of non-originality and reusing motifs whereas recent reviews such as Pitchfork's cite this album as their definitive statement. The album reached #2 in the UK and #137 on the US Billboard 200. Wobbly strings open "The Cutter" giving it a Middle Eastern psychedelic edge. Deep bass, guitar slashes. McCulloch's strong vocals. A synth sounding like a trumpet at the middle right takes this song away. McCulloch wonders why get circumcised; he's not worth it. A wonderful song...one of their best. And no let up on the next song song "The Back of Love." An echoing guitar. Frenetic drums and bass. Urgency in the the vocals and music. More drama with the strings and synths. McCulloch exploring the non-romantic side of love. A droning post-punk guitar and idiosyncratic drum beat highlight "Clay." Sergeant stretching the guitar strings. Soaring vocals as he struggles between his good and bad. Some more Middle Eastern strings and an acoustic guitar are added in "Heads Will Roll." McCulloch's vocals are layered. The guitars are layered. Great, great melody. A hypnotic bass and beat begins "God's Will Be Gods." The pace picks up. Resolved vocals and vocal echoing as McCulloch has made a mistake with his girlfriend. The song builds chaotically towards the end with guitar slashes, added strings and a rolling drum. Ian McCullogh said that in hindsight he was coming to terms with the opposite of himself recording the album and lyrics show that. They're very personal, showing internal doubt. He calls up Nietzsche, Cain and Abel and God. At times, his vocals are strained and up and down and this caused riffs within the band. We'll, you know what? This resulted in a fantastic album. It's one of those albums that becomes better with each listen. For all the horrible moods, the band sounds fantastic. All three other members maybe playing at the height of their career. The production details (strings, synths and handclaps) add to new details with repeated listens. The highs are very high with "The Cutter" and "The Back of Love" but the rest is very strong too. Echo and the Bunnymen have a few very strong albums and this one is right near the top.

Pretty much love every song on this album. It's their best by far, not even a contest. Post-punk at it's finest. Best songs: The Cutter The Back Of Love My White Devil Heads Will Roll Gods Will Be Gods

4 or 5/5

Good

Not quite a five but rounding up. I wish I discovered this record sooner.

I fucking love Echo & The Bunnymen. Ian McCulloch never phones it in on vocals, he's always going all out putting everything into it and I love that. The sounds are incredible, great production

Is this better than ocean rain? Maybe, although my rating states it is but maybe I rated ocean rain too low, I thought this was an amazing album with no song really being weak at all , maybe it’s a bit samey and less varied than ocean rain but I think it’s not a problem when it’s all good. It’s kind of dark and gloomy but also not, it’s kind of weird like that but I guess that’s their whole sound, catchy new wave with a dark, psychedelic twist although if I am comparing ocean rain this one is a lot more upbeat, the rhythm guitar and bass is so good throughout aswell. Overall, 9/10.

Great

It's strange to consider that for most Americans, this band is almost exclusively known for The Killing Moon's appearance in Donnie Darko, a movie whose soundtrack is more influential than anything depicted on screen. What has always struck me about The Bunnymen, especially in comparison to their post-punk peers, is how big they sound, even as just a quartet. Not loud, necessarily, though there are well placed uses of volume, but more the sense that their sound could fill the largest house of worship you could build. And yet despite the enormity of their sound, they generally eschew any pull they might feel towards "anthemic"; there is no Teen Age Riot, there is no That's When I Reach for My Revolver, there is no How Soon Is Now? They occupy the space between those things - plaintive and mournful, propulsive and intentional, ambitious and angular. You might have a religious experience listening to them, but they can't guarantee that it's gonna be a *happy* one.

Very very good album, good for studying and overall concentration and working

Great album!

Oh boy...

So awesome... making 80s cool, somewhere between post punk new wave and new romantic.

cool

4.5, but rounding up :P

this one is masterpiece in my opinion

The Cutter, Clay

Just the right amount of gen x.

Wasn't expecting to enjoy this, but it's getting saved for later.

Catchy, complex, fun.. we’ve got it all here. Such a good album.

Oh this was great. Honestly sounds like the album U2 wanted to make

Damn, Ian McCulloch could sing! Like, of course. But, when he get going, it’s so hard not to sing along at full volume. Lots of great stuff here. Truly one of the best new wave bands of all time. Might be their best record. Everything about this is infectious. Hard not to love it.

Super biased but i love every second of this album

Got me jerking my shit

One of my favourite bands with Ian McCulloch haunting vocals. Never had this album but discovered a few new songs I’d not heard before. Like the alternative versions too and I’m sure 40 years ago I would have been dancing to Never Stop discotheque version.

Enjoyed this very much. I've listening to their more popular albums more, but think I missed how good this one is.

I like Echo and the Bunnymen, always have, but even I can admit that being served a third (!!) album from them is a bit much. That said, this project has revealed I don't just like them, I love them. I can't help it, five stars.

Heck yeah. Dig these guys. I've listened to this before and it's a grower. The track Porcupine is a masterpiece. Weird psychedelic for the first half and up tempo rock for the second. I don't put this band on a lot but I really enjoy them when I do. Listen to it until you get it.

¡Qué chulo! Parecido a James. The Cutter se parece a canción de LHR, el estribillo.

¡Qué chulo! Parecido a James. The Cutter se parece a canción de LHR, el estribillo.

Great! 2nd Best Bunnymen album!

August 8, 2024 It’s been a long road to get to a THIRD Echo album Gee willikers I did not care about this album until about 10 seconds into “The Cutter”, & now it’s one of my favourite albums in a minute. I didn’t get the gothy fix I was craving with The Sisters of Mercy, but Porcupine, with its strange song structures, “found” percussion & cavernous reverb, gets me there. The austere glacier on the front cover talks a mean talk, but is appropriate for the icy contents within

I am surprised how much I liked this album especially considering how many people are calling this mid or that they don't like the singer (I think he has a great voice). The first half of this album is great, a lot of great songs and melodies. The production overall is really good too; peak 80's sound. They even beat the cure to this sound that they would adopt on Head on the Door. The second half isn't as strong, but it is still very enjoyable. I am definitely going to listen again and can see this growing on me on future listens. 4.5

Delightful blast from the past. Grabbing their discography for a deep dive.

Postpunk without the anger, New Wave without the synthesizers, and now with Indian strings! Not too mainstream to be down, not too obscure to be relegated to cult status, riding the ideal 80s cool balance.

First four E&B albums are 5-star classics. This is number 3 (to my surprise it is often seen as their best album -it certainly is their most consistent one, very strong songwriting: nonstop classic popsongs with those typical postpunk guitars) 10/10

Tied with Ocean Rain for their best release. Similar to early U2, it's a late post-punk release with a tight arena pop production and tons of energy and passion that puts Echo And the Bunnymen leagues above competitors. What stands out from others is there distinguishable dark and psychedelic sound. The atmosphere and vibe are lush and ethereal with a dramatic gothic vocalist that almost rivals Robert Smith's similar style from the period. The songs are loud and catchy, with several memorable hits that each have far more interesting stuff happening than just catchy choruses and riffs. They also feel complete. Each song evolves but yet always resolves to a satisfying conclusion, making each song complete in their own right. The only tracks I'd cut which didn't contribute anything are "Higher Hell" and "Gods Will be Gods", as well as the bonus cut "Fuel" (which is cool on its own but doesn't fit well).

Yes! One of the all time great bands and this LP is fantastic

Excellent.