Reviews (page 5 of 6)
First time I have really listened to Echo & The Bunnymen, some good tracks, my favourite Gods will be Gods
Okay, so I liked this better than Crocodiles, but not enough to give it a 4/5. “The Cutter” is an awesome track, but most of the rest were simply fine. I also liked the breakdown in “Heads Will Roll.” I think what I struggle with is that I feel like there are a lot of stylistic similarities between them and Midnight Oil, a band who I think is better and unjustly omitted from this list. It’s not that Echo & The Bunnymen don’t deserve a place on this list—but I don’t think they deserve three places, especially when so many other great bands are not present.
Rating: 6/10
No hagués posat mai aquest disc a una llista de 1001 "essencials". Echo and the Bunnymen es trobaven en un període de transició entre el post punk dels seus primers discos i l'art-pop d''Ocean Rain'. 'Porcupine' té una mica d'uns i una mica de l'altre. No és dolent, com no va ser cap dels treballs de la banda a la seva primera década de vida, però dista molt de què van aconseguir amb el seu primer 'Crocodiles' i el posterior ja referit 'Ocean Rain'
De lijn tussen post-punk en newwave is soms dun. Dit album was niet onmiddellijk m'n ding
Very 80's feel
:)
My second-favorite Echo & The Bunnymen record (with Crocodiles being first). This is a solid album that has a lot of what I enjoy from this band present throughout. And yet, I also don't have a lot to say about it today. I'm not sure where that is coming from exactly but if the record doesn't really register for you or you can't relate, maybe this review is a symptom of something deeper going on in the music that you are also affected by?
I am a post punk fan, so I did like this. It is noticeably not as good as the Talking Heads, but so is most. Still this was a new album to me and I did enjoy it. Will I listen to again: 50%
Cool, 80’s version of arcade fire.
Strong start with the singles. and backed up with a pretty decent set of songs. A couple are well below par but overall enjoyable.
Echo & the Bunnymen sound both familiar and fresh at the same time. Porcupine is full of post punk/neo-psychedelia sounds that like their album cover, transport you to a cold and desolate place. In spite of the cold, it feels as though you are wrapped up to be comforted by the heaviness in front of the fire on a snowy evening. Best: The Cutter Worst: Gods Will Be Gods Note: Spotify had the 2003 extended version available, I only listened to the original 10 tracks
Wow, I really don’t like the vocal stylings here. Sort of whiney U2 vibe, very 80’s Brit-pop. The instrumentation is also very 80’s Brit-pop. Certainly a product of its time and place. That said, it’s pretty good overall. The beats are driving, the melodies are good…. Pretty much everything except those whiney, warble-y vocals. Buy the end of the album they were really bugging me. A solid 3/5, but could’ve edged higher with vocals more like what was coming out of Athens, GA at the same time. 3/5
I liked this one! It's got kind of a tribal / middle eastern influence to it. Very percussive and drum based songs. I don't think this band will rise up the ladder of favourite acts, but it is a pretty good record. The voice doesn't really work for me though. 7 out of 10
I don't have anything bad to say about this album, but I don't have anything all that positive to say either. It's good I guess. It could use a little less echo and a little more bunnymen maybe. I always hear Echo and the Bunnymen compared to the Doors, but what really struck me on this album was a similarity to U2, especially with the guitar style. I wish I had something more clever and insightful to say about this album, but that's all I got, sorry. 3 stars.
3.5
Enjoyed it! I rather listen to the Cure but it was great. few great tracks!
Je suis mitigée... Sympa aux premiers abords et ensuite j'ai eu l'impression que ce groupe propose ce que d'autres groupes font, mais en moins exaltant, l'album m'a paru plat et monotone.
Now, I like the Bunnymen so this was a cracker for me! Won’t be everyone’s cuppa, but then, I’m not here for everyone! Very enjoyable album indeed!
Fun
The Bunnymen are ok, but Mr Echo shut up for a sec please, would you kindly? By the end I got pretty annoyed by the vocals
pretty solid post-punk. I only listened to the Cure and soviet copy-cats, so this sounds very familiar. but surprised with esoteric and "oriental" features in some of the tracks
Three E & B records is one too many, though one is generally a fan and their records have held up pretty well. This one takes some time to get going and is only saved from total mediocrity by the strong ending, especially "Gods Will Be Gods" and "Bluer Skies."
I wanted to like this more than I did. Overall I want to like Exho & The Bunnymen more than I do. They seem like something I should really be into but I find them to be just "meh" most of the time. A 2.5 getting the bump to 3 because it is the holiday season and all
I've had banging beats from Spilt Milk echoing through my house today. I long for a retrograde in music. This is honest and worth revisiting on many levels.
Flows past like a dreamy bit of guitar fluff with echoes of early U2, but better.
There's something odd about this band that never really clicked for me. It feels like they occupy space somewhere between post-punk and jangle pop, which are two genres I love, but never fully capturing the greatness of either. For example, the end of "My White Devil" puts me a lot in mind of Close Lobsters, but absolutely never fully finds itself in their stead. I think the track that follows, "Clay" is also definitely one of the songs here that flirts with post-punk the most and does so really well, but still feels a way off what was great about the genre at its peak. If anything it's like you blended all the late 70's/early 80's british bands and sounds, and Echo and the Bunnymen are the smoothie you're left with. That's really not to say that the songs here aren't good because they are, they just never push the boat out uniquely or in a particularly amazing way to me.
Rating 2.5.
This sounds like every decent 80s band...
I can’t stand post punk. It’s stupid melodramatic, self-absorbed, pretentious, annoying vocals. The lackluster, unoriginal, basic, monotonous instrumentation and chords. I find nothing appealing about this genre. This album is fine, but definitely not for me, although, I’ll admit, this particular brit pop/post punk album is more bearable than most and downright ALMOST enjoyable. 3/5
Quite fun and varied, not my fav type of music but enjoyed despite that, cute band name
It's the best Echo album that I have heard during this. Though still suffers from overlong songs and sixth form poetry, but this one has some tunes.
I listened to this band a little bit during my teen years, particularly drawn by a song they released a couple years after this album, "Bring On The Dancing Horses," which I always link to a play that stuck with me since I read it for a high school class, "Equus." I don't think the band meant to link the two, but because of the music video I saw on MTV, my mind did. Anyway, that song isn't on this album, so back to it. I hadn't listened to it before, and it has some really solid tracks on it. I like the dark sounds and themes that don't get too self-involved to my ear. They are very skilled at composition and performance. It comes through. Good album.
It's fine. Not offensive. Maybe great for it's time, but sounds like every other 80s band.
Good album. Not as good as Crocodiles though in my opinion.
This one starts strong with "The Cutter" and a couple of nice cuts after that. Unfortunately, the rest of the album is hit-or-miss, with only "Heads Will Roll" and "Higher Hell" truly standing out. Nice violin work by Shankar on a lot of tracks, by the way. Yet this won't save some of those songs from utter oblivion, since too many of them are meandering for no apparent reason. Had *Porcupine* included tracks as strong as "Over The Wall", from *Heaven Up Here*, or "The Killing Moon", from *Ocean Rain*, it could have been a masterpiece. Alas, it doesn't have such highlights, even if it's probably Echo And The Bunnymen's *second* best LP overall. The thing is, this ranking is not enough to make the album "essential" in my book. Only *Ocean Rain* can reach that level for me. Speaking of *Ocean Rain*, the latter is also a topsy-turvy affair at times. Nonetheless, its second side is near-perfect, and there are enough gems on the first to make it the magnum opus it is. And I don't expect to warm up to *Porcupine* the way I've warmed up to that other album. Drawing from this subjective feeling, I'd even say that anything else in Echo And the Bunnymen's LP discography is probably only aimed at nostalgic fans now, Pitchfork's delirious retrospective raves about *Porcupine* be damned. 3/5 for the purposes of this list, translating to a 8/10 for more general purposes. (5+3). Number of albums left to review: 380 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 281 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 146 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 200 (including this one)
good oldies type music
Well it’s not dull as a couple reviews claimed. Songs range from borderline unlistenable, (mostly due to out of tune singing) to fun, interesting, complex and energetic. My favorite tracks are White Devil, Porcupine, and Ripeness. They’re all quite different. I’m not surprised to hate some songs and love others, I’ve had polarized opinions within myself on this band in the past.
Decent scran
I'm not 100% sure that all the tracks hit my high notes, but there is enough there to keep me entertained and keep my foot tapping.
Have to say, after all these years, I'd still go see Echo in concert. We have had a few albums by these guys and I'm sure I would be repeating myself, so brief and to the point it will be. Great sound, unique voice and singing style and generally just a good band to sit back and enjoy. The Cutter was a great choice to open the album and may be one of my favorites by these guys. Again, solid band, solid music and a very good listen. I'm going to score 3.5, but scoreboard will show 3. 3.5
3.5 It’s always a pleasure to see Echo & The Bunnymen on this list, though admittedly, I don’t think this album does anything different than the last two we’ve seen - it’s more of the same gloomy goth pop. I can see how it could be considered a stepping stone from the simplistic sound of Crocodiles to the more operatic Ocean Rain, but honestly, I wouldn’t describe those two albums as drastically different, the latter just feels a bit more elevated due to its higher production value. Being a midpoint between the two, this album doesn’t feel particularly unique itself, but the good news is that if you enjoy those other albums, you’ll likely enjoy this one as well. There aren’t really a ton of standout tracks besides The Cutter (which I found to be far and away the best songs here and one I immediately added to my Liked Songs), but the overall gothic, Donnie Darko-esque vibes are enjoyable enough to where that didn’t really matter to me. It’s not all-time great album material, but it’s a fun listen. Shoutout to these guys for the consistently solid albums - I think I can confidently say I’m walking away from this list as an Echo & The Bunnymen fan.
Classic Echo and the B-Boys, post punk yadda yadda with a touch of that gothy mystique
I literally cannot believe there are more than one Echo and the Bunnymen album on this website list. There must be some mistake.
Great artwork! The album is OK, still a bit nascent.
Listened to this Friday. It's Monday. I remember liking it, but not sure exactly why. Whatever it was, it didn't stick with me over the weekend.
I’ve always enjoyed The Cutter and the next two songs were also quite good indie pop, but it all gradually fades into similar textures and Ian Mcculloch’s wailing. Overall disappointing having expected a corker from the opening few songs. Very low three.
Pretty good album
Alright
3.5 - I listened to this record a handful of times hoping all of the individual elements, each excellent in their own ways, would come together to give me some grand post-punk vision. I’m afraid I came up short. I like the operatic vocals, the minimal drums, the soaring guitars. But I struggle to connect with these songs on any emotional or cerebral level.
I enjoyed this album but it didn't make me feel any real love or hate towards it. There didn't feel like a coherent theme between the tracks, but they weren't terrible. Pretty much a mediocre album. Stand out tracks are track 1 and track 3.
Didn't love it, but I could hear how it likely influenced many bands to come after them, so credit for the groundbreaking sound.
Sure
Wasn't wowed, but wasn't turned off either. A "meh" sort of album
Gostei do álbum, mas preferi a faixas bônus da versão deluxe. Acho que a maioria das faixas do álbum original são meio mais do mesmo.
Pretty unremarkable compared to the other better Brit Rock on this list. 3/5
Ik begon enthousiast en de plaat ook, maar dat zakte weer in.
Makes me feel like I'm in a John Hughes movie. On an unrelated note, there is WAY TOO MUCH brit pop bullshit on this list. I find it incomprehensible that when presented with a catalog of all albums in the world, that this one somehow didnt have 1001 albums better than it. 3/5
Interestingly to learn that Echo from Echo and the Bunnymen is a drum machine. Also interesting to learn that this album was produced by 'Kingbrid' who is Ian Broudie. This does not sound like Lightning Seeds. As per Crocodile, this album is urgent and jarring post punk. I quite like it and can see the influence, but I don't think I'll revisit it. Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: The Cutter Date listened: 06/09/23
I bought Heaven up Here after hearing them on John Peel's show and played it to death. These guys had a unique sound and vibe. However, listening back now they went on to repeat the formula several times I feel. It's still fresh here though and a good album. I still think Heaven up Here is better.
Pop anglosajón sin grandes estridencias. Voz poderosa y, en ocasiones, un tanto guitarrero y con algo más de intensidad.
It was good. It didn't really keep my attention and it was forgettable. I can't remember anything really standing out to the point where I'd want to listen again.
Cool dark post punk Hard to tell my absolute feelings, I'll need to return
i wanted this to be better than it was. in the end it spaffed it's load after the first song and then proceeded to be the same sound for a whole album.
EAT SHIT, IAN. YOU STOLE MY UNDERWEAR AND TOOK A PISS ON MY FATHER'S GRAVE.
Malheureusement, et comme l'a dit eltrapeze, l'éventuelle qualité des albums d'Echo And The Bunnymen sera toujours éclipsée par l'épisode de l'intrusion chez Robert.
Echo and The Bunnymen ne restera célèbre que pour son review de l'intrusion chez Robert, rien de plus.
Without looking I could have told you this was a UK 80's album. We've had one or two from this group already and this doesn't really push the needled. I think I might like this one the most but that still doesn't make it something I needed to listen to.
Post-punk, hey? Interesting. The sound reminded me of Joy Division a little bit, but it wasn't my favourite. Vocals felt like they were in the background, drum beats were pretty static, so were the melodies really.
I liked it fine. Didn't love it, though. Seems like something I should like more than I did?
It was a very distinct sound and I really enjoyed their most famous track but I felt the rest of the album was quite samey. However, enjoyable enough for 3*
Was alright.
3.5
Pop. Intrascendente.
Is this goth-rock or rock that goths like? Anyway, it's solid 80s dark, atmospheric guitar music.
Interesting new wave album, I liked the first few songs better than the second half. A mix of the cure, talking heads. It was all right
I wanna like Echo And The Bunnymen more than I do.
Just another new wave post-punk album.
Yet another post punk album, although probably one of the better ones, narrowly missing the upgrade to 4 stars
For some reason I always think of this bad as a 50s group (think Buddy Holly and the Crickets) and am always surprised when they don’t have that sound. Enjoyable enough album but a bit samey.
Neo-Psycehdilic, Post-Punk,, ok je ne pensais que ce genre de musique pouvait être considéré comme Punk... mais bon. Psychédelic oui par exemple. Cependant, je trouve cela un peu plus weirdelic, je n'ai pas adoré mais ca s'est bien écouté et j'ai eu quelque vents d'artiste de cette époque à l'écoute de cet album. (The Cure ?). 3.15
Not remarkable. Not bad.
A few misses but overall I thought it was fine. Not spectacular. 5/10.
Smiths-esque, but eh
Interesting, but don't love these vocals.
I wanted to like it a lot more than I actually did. Maybe I need a re-listen.
Mix van de baslijntjes van the Cure, de duistere drumfills van Joy Division/New Order en de zang van U2. Ik ken eigenlijk alleen het nummer Killing Moon, maar dat staat blijkbaar op het album hierna. De sound is onmiskenbaar hetzelfde. Het heeft iets duisters en treurigs, maar ook iets melancholisch en aanstellerigs. Zal wel typisch new wave zijn.
When I was in school, there was a kid who got called "echo" because he had buck teeth (he was a "bunny man"). Anyway, Cutter is a solid song, as are a few others on this album. It does get a little samey though.
Echo & the Bunnymen are one of those bands, like Psychedelic Furs or Simple Minds, who are immediately recognizable by their vocalist. The Cutter is a great starter. The first 30 seconds are amazing. But it doesn't take long for the songs to start sounding like one another, and even like songs from the prior release, due to Ian McCulloch's phrasing, maybe.
This period was too melancholy for me.
Meh
Very nice
Tykkäsin tästä yllättävän paljon! En ihan neloseen saakka mutta kuitenkin.
Post punk albums like this might as well be white noise to me at this point. I felt absolutely nothing throughout this entire album and struggled to even pay attention to it when I was driving home from my parents (I was really trying to focus on the music but just kept spacing out).
Decent. Better than Ocean Rain. Still, not all of it clicks but I can tell it influenced many artists.
A fine album with one song I knew a bunch felt samey but good and a few others were saved to a post punk playlist, nothing amazing but pretty good.
Not particularly exciting
Echo and the Bunnymen passed me by and I can’t get excited by them. I don’t like the sound they make.
Blind album, another echo album. I think this is #2 or 3. But this is getting a 2 cause I am getting sick of them at this point. Dont get it at all.
Whatever - I don't know how anybody was impressed
Britpop/rokk, mis on lihtsalt segane ja vokaalid on kõikjal v.a. loogilises kohas. Ma ei tea, jätab külmaks. Mul on kahju, et laadseid albumeid nii palju siin nimekirjas on. 2.2/5
Pretty standard 80's fare. Not terrible not great 2.5 stars
Intel would indicate this band makes it into the list 3 times. That is absolutely fucked. 2/5
Went in one ear and out the other.
The album was alright as a background listen. Nothing too exciting, but it was alright. It had this slight depeche mode vibe to it from around that time, although this was maybe a bit earlier, so it was the trend-setter possibly.
Cool, dramatic record with a big icy vibe up front — the first few songs really land, but the back half kind of sinks into a gray fog and loses the hooks I usually latch onto.
As I mentioned after reviewing "Crocodiles", I like E&TB, I'm just not sure what they did to stand out from every other new wave album that came out in 1983. There's not much growth from 1980's "Crocodiles" to 83's "Porcupine". Nothing is groundbreaking and there are zero (US) hits on this album. I now know they love wildlife. 30M people listened to "The Cutter", good count, but it's an average track when compared to all the other great music coming out at that time. This is the author's choice, a personal favorite, not an all time classic everyone must hear before they die. Ian McCulloch sounds a bit angry throughout. The remainder of the album is dreary, dark and wordy. 80's music was positive and fun, this is the opposite. Even Robert Smith and The Cure were happier than Ian and the Bunnydudes. The song structures sucks, the listener doesn't even want to sing along with the chorus. Just look at the song titles, "My White Devil", "Heads Will Roll", "Higher Hell", "In Bluer Skies", guy was a downer. 2 stars. I see no reason this makes a T1001 list other than personal preference. This entire album was a downer without a single catchy track. No way this one makes my T2002. Weak choice.
Opening song was good, but found myself getting progressively bored as the album continued
I'm going to say that this one is my least favourite of the first 3. Crocodiles really blew my mind. Ocean rain is a masterpiece. This one felt a bit boring in comparison
Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: Heads Will Roll, Fuel A couple of interesting tracks, but otherwise, this just reminded me of U2, but even worse. I suspect this is why the album has so few listens. Next!
Nothing remarkable
I think I could have gone through life without hearing this. Everything about this is fine. You aren't singing out of tune, but you're not doing anything special, either. You aren't off the beat, but you aren't being interesting either. You aren't using the off-the-shelf piano, but your sound isn't cool either. I just don't get it. There are points where they open it up and it feels like I could get into it, but the songs mostly end there or close back up.
2/5
Just ok. Not terrible, not special.
Experimental compositions, interesting sounds, unique vibes. If not for the vocals, I'd give a 4. But this is a 2, I absolutely loathe this style of singing. The mannerisms, pretentious overarticulation, I just hate it. There are moments when the singer forgets to do the mannerisms and just sings well, those parts are great.
2.5
Decent moments, but this is more of the same junk 1001 gives us simply too much of. This album does not deserve a place in this list.
Why do all these Brit new wave / electropop groups all sound exactly the same? They all had the same guitar chords, keyboard riffs, drum lines, all the way down to the sound of the lead singer.
Very drab and dreary
Nervous singing combined with U2 we have at home. The vibe closely resembles joy division b-sides. I can kinda understand people hearing the cure in this, but that voice was better and has greater emotional range. And while there is nothing wrong with such songs from time to time, my tolerance was more than met after the album.
THREE albums from this band?? Come on, now. This gets knocked down a star purely for that. They're fine; they're not exceptional.
I would've liked it in the 80s.
Making due on my promise to rate these guys lower every time an album from them comes up on this list. Enough already.
goth rock I guess. overall, not bad but nothing I really enjoyed. Wouldn't listen again, definitley would not buy it
Never heard of these guys before, and I'm not entirely sure what the music could be when going by the album cover. It looks to be a strait-laced 80s rock album. New wave, punk and synth music are too eclectic for the beauty of a snow-capped mountain. Anyways, here goes. Post-punk. I was dead wrongggg. I've really been coming around to 80s music a lot lately, which is why it's especially disappointing that this album kind of sucked. The vocals are the weakest aspect. This kind of strained, wailing frenzied vocal style that was common in 80s music (particularly from the UK) has been massively hit-or-miss for me. It works in the case of a band like The Blue Nile, but it don't work too good on this album. The vocalist sounds lethargic and bored out of his mind most of the time, which didn't go too far in selling me on the music. Fortunately, the instrumentals are more remarkable and have some pretty alright points. The instrumentation is commendably varied. The jittery new wave guitars in particular are a big highlight and the other, more unconventional instruments like the xylophone have purchase on this album as well. The best aspect of the instrumentals are the post-punk stylings. The album has a cool, brooding intensity to it during its best moments which carries it far. However, my overall opinion on this album is that it's sadly too fragmented and inconsistent, with the good aspects only being momentary. Book time. Received a polarised reaction from critics and audiences at the time of release. Had a belaboured production cycle. Rewards multiple listens. Wikipedia verifies that this album was poorly received by critics at the time of release, but performed very well on the UK charts and has been critically re-evaluated in the years since release. It also notably charted well in New Zealand and Sweden, with more moderate success on the Australian charts. Yeah, this seems like an alright pick. I certainly prefer post-punk over regular punk, and the number of albums representing this genre have been pretty respectable thus far. I cosign this inclusion.
I found Echo and the Bunnymen uninteresting in the 80s, and i hold this feeling now. Not bad music. Just music that does not appeal to me. Bland background sounds.
2/5
a rodent universe
This is all so maudlin and overwrought. It's like Bad The Cure. The Sickness, perhaps, only I'm not down with it. There's some interesting instrumentation on some of these tracks, particularly "The Cutter" and "Porcupine." They can play, for sure, but they stopped to consider whether they SHOULD.
i was excited to listen to this after seeing people describe it as dark, moody, and gothic. and like not to be that guy but is the dark and moody in the room with us? because the lights are very much on in here fave track: porcupine
It was pretty mid for me
These guys are a frustrating listening experience. The music is always interesting and when it's engaging it absolutely soars. But it is just so rarely engaging. I must have had this album on cassette because I knew The Cutter and Back of Love well, but hadn't heard the latter for probably 40 years. By Clay it was pretty clear why I never replaced that cassette with vinyl or CD. I still love the Cutter though.
Not bad, not great, just music I guess. Looks like I get to listen to two more of their albums, which is a whole lot of eh.
Boring, David Bowie wannabe music. Not for me.
Pretty boring overall
Todo suena muy igual, me gusta el sonido pero se vuelve repetitivo y me aburre
Mopier cure/smiths, and not in a good way. Very underwhelmed. 2*
Struggled to get through this. Very dull. Two stars because I know this appeals to some people, it just isn't for me.
Sympa mais c’est long, trop long 2+/5
Immemorable.
I really want to like Echo and the Bunnymen, I just can’t really get into them. Not sure what I’m missing.
Better than I expected. I enjoyed the opening more than the back half. All told, forgettable.
Ehh felt a bit repetitive
Glad it's over
Puedo reconocer que no es lo peor que puedes escuchar, simplemente la música de los 80, por lo general no es para mi.
I never got into souls-likes because I simply cannot comprehend how having to repeat the same segments over and over until you finally unlock some new content is fun Same problem with Smiths-likes I guess. You endure 45 minutes of meh music for a couple of good moments
Another strange album
Ehhh
This is the second album from them I’m encountering on this list. I think I just don’t really love this genre of 80s rock. It’s all solid, but nothing really excites me. I found the two opening songs to be okay. This seems to be more fun as a whole than their earlier effort I’ve listened to. But it does slow down a little for a few songs and don’t really love their sound when it’s slow. As a whole, I feel like this band is fine. If one song would pop up on a playlist, I wouldn’t mind it, but doesn’t interest me enough for an entire album. Their songs tend to go on a little long too. This album is a 2. I don’t remember much about the first album of theirs I listened to, and this seems in line with that.
This was fine. It was kinda just uninteresting at times throughout. I don't love the "space-y" vocal style. Everything started to feel VERY similar here Liked Songs: "Back of Love" , "Heads Will Roll" , "Gods Will Be Gods" , "Ripeness" , "Never Stop - Discotheque"
This is my third E&tB album, and I find that I like each one more than the next
The album is a victim of its own production era. While the musicianship is competent, the dated 80s reverb and the lack of dynamic evolution make it a tedious listen. It’s not a total failure, but it definitely hasn't aged well and fails to deliver the atmospheric depth it promises.
Not for me.
The Cutter
This feels like an album that goes on forever. I like it okay but can't quite get into the mood for it. Def 80's UK vibe but I like others better.
Just middling. Echo sounds so much like every other 80s britpop bands. Not really much to set them out.
I don't like it.
Didn’t find it interesting.
An indie/punk rock new wave mix that sounds very much like the 80s. Some people may not find that as bad as I do, but with a running time of over an hour, the album is much more a test of my nerves than a pleasant listen.
A boring rip off of The Cure and Joy Division.
Crap, dreary with only a couple of listenable songs
Every track was mildly irritating, just not QUITE enough merit a skip. I will probably forget everything about it tomorrow to be honest.
Interesting guitar lines, lots of microtonal stuff. Not super easy to listen to but interesting!
Squarely in the not for me category
Not really what I’m interested about in
Came back to this with fresh ears hoping my mind would be changed. Sadly not. It's all downhill from The Cutter, apart from a brief renaissance with Heads Will Roll.
Tremelo riff + sitar -like sound + quirky instrument that doesn't usually belong in post-punk + loud high-range vocals yelling about something + reverb = this. Prime example of overdoing it for nothing. The input is a lot of work, but the output comes out to be so insignificant. You're doing all this talking, but can you walk? This project runs and rambles to its end with song structures that don't feel cohesive. The lyrics are constant meandering mush with a direction I can't find. The sound is there and can be led to good places such as on the first two tracks, but once you show up and impress, you have to keep it up. A big whatever if you ask me (5/10, 2/5 on this scale).
Very nothing
I only finished this because I was too lazy to change it. It wasn't offensive, at least.
Ikke min cup of tea
If you want to listen to an album that is basically the same song for 11 songs. I just couldn't.
I always want to like them more than I do.
no genre has suffered more in terms of taking a hit in my estimation going through this project than post-punk. imagine how tired we are, truly
Now i like some Echo and the Bunnymen ( the obvious ones Killing Moon, nothing lasts forever and their cover of People are strange). Unfortunately nothing here comes close to those and my overriding wish was for this album to end
The only Echo and the Bunnymen song that I have ever objectively liked is their cover of “People Are Strange”. Seeing as that isn’t on this album, the best I can say is I don’t mind “The Cutter”. Aside from that, it was all just that standard, pretty depressing 80s sad-men music.
Oh, more post-punk... This is starting to become my new "oh, more jazz...". I just don't really get it most of the time. Bits of this reminded me of U2 - I think specifically the vocals - which, as I am at best indifferent to them, that wasn't helpful. I like the brass on Back Of Love, though I'm not sure I like much else. In general, it's all very jangly guitars and echoy vocals (it sounds like he's singing in a cave). Not even the handclaps on In Bluer Skies saved it. Just not my kinda thing at all. 2/5
The Cutter slaps but couldn't really get into the rest of the album
Litt lei 80-tals post-punk no
p510. 1983. 2 stars. The bastard Scouse children of The Doors. Starts off brightly but fizzles out really quickly. And it's fucking miserable.
New Wave slop.
Typical 80s rock. I liked the album, but it wasn’t life changing.
More melancholy Brit pop
Whyyyyyyy is there yet again another album by this band on this list? They're fine, I'd even say I like them but they deserve to be on this list once, and once only and certainly not this album.
I believe this is my 2d Echo and the Bumnymen. I find this very bland. The title track is the standout but mainly because when it begins it sounds like music from a Western. I do enjoy the bass playing but the rest of the music is indistinguishable from many other albums/acts from this time period.
Tää levy jäi näköjään kuuntelematta oikeassa kohdassa. Kuuntelin tän ja aika geneeristä ja tyhjänpäivästä poppia...
I did not enjoy this
It was OK ish. 2.5
I'm still waiting for this band to click for me. Ocean Rain didn't do it for me except for a few tracks, and this album is following the same trend. I'd rather just go listen to the Sound or the Cure. The Cutter rips though. 5/10
It's been a rough run recently. 1001 albums and seemingly most of them are rubbish.
In my opinion this is another example of how big the dropoff in the bands of the 80's was from the bands of the 60's and 70's. 2 stars or D+.
..
¿A qué viene esa teatralidad cantando? La música no está mal si exceptuamos el bajista que es un chimpancé borracho. Pero esa voz y esa forma de interpretar parece de muchachada nui.
Somehow missed this one. Not my fave though, bit pre-Smiths
Jesus this was bland.
Not bad by any means, but other bands have just done it better and they are pretty forgettable. Album started to fall off towards the end
I feel like I want to like this more than I do. The Cutter is a really great song, but much of the rest of the album really runs together.
Tylsää.⭐️⭐️
Saw this guy live and he sucked can't get over that.
Dark, moody and a little grumbly.
The opening 2 tracks were pretty good, then it descends into a gloomy introspective melodrama. I always want to like Echo & The Bunnymen more than I actually do.
3/10
Porcupine (Expanded; 2004 Remaster) The Cutter 10/10 Back of Love 7/10 My White Devil 6/10 Clay 5/10 Porcupine 5/10 Heads Will Roll 5/10 Stopped listening after this The Cutter was great but every subsequent song sounded like noise for the sake of noise. The vocals are whiny and annoying. The beat is basic and boring. The riffs are basically non-existent. I'm writing this as I listen, and I'm currently bored as fuck. This feels like a bunch of European white boys lamenting the fact they were born in the 1960's and not the 1860's.
Not for me, seems like a lot of other folks dig it though
Bien
The unexpected marimba was interesting, but the vocals are unpleasant. Never heard of Echo and the Bunnymen before, and I can't say this has me looking forward to more. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): N/A ⭐⭐: Didn't like it, didn't hate it. Saved no tracks.
like the previous echo and the bunnymen album i had, it truly doesn’t interest or excite me. i’d rather do a dive into the cure’s discography. 2.5/5 🌕🌕🌗
Ei nappaa mulle
top 3: - the cutter - my white devil - higher hell
a bit too "80s" for me
Felt a bit generic. Some good songs, but not enough to justify a higher rating.
From British punk yesterday to British post punk… sometimes this project seems than worth it.
It sounds dated in general. I think after the title track there's some details in the production that stand out, I guess that's what makes this album a "must". I could've done without it. Feels like alternative Smiths. 2.3/5
Unmemorable, como dicen los gringos. He calificado mejor otros discos de Echo y este, en estricto rigor, no es un mal disco. Yo, que tengo predisposición favorable al Rock y al Pop, debería disfrutar de este disco, pero por alguna razón pasó sin pena ni gloria. Además, Echo no es un grupo que necesite tener tantos discos en un listado como este.
Porcupine is the second post-punk album the Generator has given me in the last week and I'm sort of beginning to understand what makes this genre what it is – it's the vocals. Much like the The, what separates Echo & the Bunnymen from their instrumentally-similar mainstream counterparts are that the vocals are written and performed in a more edgy/moody way that (seemingly) intentionally clashes with the tones of the backing track. That said, just because I feel like I have a better understanding of something doesn't mean I enjoy it. Porcupine makes me feel like I'm listening to a U2 album with more outside-the-box compositional choices – a couple of tracks gave me a similar soaring, anthemic feeling to some of the Irish band's better cuts, but most just didn't do anything for me. I'm seeing a lot of people comparing this band to the Cure, which makes me both excited and worried to dig into the latter once I'm deeper into the list. Hopefully the other two E&TB albums to come are better than this one. Highlights: The Cutter, Heads Will Roll
Not my bag.
Just fine
I’ve tried to listen to them a couple times and I don’t really get it
2.5
Another brit band I can't crack.
I have no idea where there are three Echo and Bunnymen albums on this list. Whoever put together must have been a British goth kid in the 80's
This was just okay. I'm, at this point, growing a bit weary of the amount of Britpop on this generator. The first Echo And The Bunnymen album I got was pretty mediocre, and I have to say this isn't much different. The vocals really aren't all that great, but some props to the musicians as there are some pretty good songs (musically) in here.
Sanctimonious meh
bruched mier zwei albe vo dene? es isch sicher will ich scho negativi erwartige han aber ich finds bis jz recht lame und gfühlt scho 100 mal uf dere liste ghört wenigstens ischs albumcover cool! poah gönd die claps uf de sack bi bluer skies 1 oder 2, nüt neus und scho 828 mal ghört würkli als "schlecht" chanis nöd bezeichne aber es het mi iwie recht gnervt
There were moments where I felt this album was leaning up against goodness, but those moments were few. I'd rather just listen to The Cure.
Another in a series of bands my favourites are indebted to or love but I just...have never found a way into. Not my first go around with Echo’s earlier work, but my sense is the same as in the past: whole lotta sound and fury signifying...something? I like this one a bit more than other Echo efforts, there are some commonalities with their post-punk contemporaries - U2, Joy Division, The Smiths, The Cure - but where those bands are also often mired in melancholy, they have songs, whereas a lot of Echo comes across as little more than a step removed from jam sessions. It’s a pose, a vibe, and it’s a very legible one, but they didn’t arrive at matching that pose with fleshed-out songs for at least another record. It’s fun to imagine an alternate timeline where Echo took off in the US the way U2 did, saving us from world saviour Bono, maybe keeping them upstart underdogs instead of what they inevitably became.
Ok
Not really my thing, especially the vocals
The band’s OK, but there’s something unbearably cloying about his voice that makes them unlistenable.
100% forgettable. I actually had to go look at the song list this morning before writing this review. For a minute there I thought I hadn't listened to it.
The warbling, the intense gothic tinged warbling.
It's music, it's competent, but I'm growing weary of Echo & the Bunnymen. I don't really care for this sanitised post-punk they produce and they sure as hell don't need 3 albums of it on the list. Realistically a 3-star album but it ain't getting that out of spite. The Cutter is a fine song, but everything here kind of becomes a forgettable mesh. Ocean Rain is a more interesting work by them IMO and that was all the Echo & the Bunnymen needed here.
This is not good. I even went back to the beginning of the album after getting through a few songs to see if I missed anything. And it's not terrible, like I initially thought, but it's still not good. The Wikipedia blurb that the website pulled, praised it for its emotional highs and lows, but that never really came through for me. Were the highs supposed to be the vocalist screaming/yelling, and the lows him singing in his lower register? Because the band never really followed his emotional lead. Combine that with instrumentation that always felt like it was trying really hard to impress you, forced into the songs in a kind of unnatural sounding way. It just never really clicks and struggles to sound like a great album to me. My favorite song also ends up being a bit of a pity song. Like there's something here, but none of them are really all that interesting. Favorite Song(s): Heads Will Roll
A less shitty version of The Shitty Doors than Joy Division's version of The Shitty Doors.
The singer's voice annoys me
The album is opens with a good pace with The Cutter, giving me The Cure vibes with a melancholic uplift. This whole record oozes 80s cliches and it really does it well at times, with ethereal synths, strings, and jangly guitar parts. The goth crooner shtick does occasionally gets tiresome on some of the slower / experimental numbers. There are better 80s album but it has peaked mg interest to listen to more Echo.
Really bland. The album runs for more than 50 minutes but nothing stands out for the entire runtime. The production sounds very 80s and of its time, for today's ears very dated. Can't help but think that I've heard this kind of music so much better and more interesting from other musicians a lot of time already.
Echo And The Bunnymen ist eine britische Band aus Liverpool. „Porcupine“ ist ihr drittes Studioalbum, das im Jahr 1983 erschien. Produziert wurde es von Ian Broudie. Das Album wurde in mehreren Studios aufgenommen, darunter Rockfield Studios in Südwales, Trident Studios in London und Amazon Studios in Liverpool. Die abschließende Abmischung erfolgte in weiteren Londoner Studios. Die Band ist englischer Herkunft und zählt zur Post-Punk- und New-Wave-Szene. Bekannte und stilprägende Songs sind „The Cutter“, „The Back of Love“ und der Titeltrack „Porcupine“. Diese Stücke zeichnen sich durch markante Gitarrenlinien, eindringlichen Gesang und dichte Arrangements aus. Einige Songs enthalten Beiträge des indischen Violinisten Shankar, was dem Album zusätzliche Klangfarben verleiht. Stilistisch bewegt sich das Album zwischen Post-Punk, New Wave und Elementen des Indie Rock. Die Atmosphäre ist meist dunkel, die Produktion bewusst rau belassen, wodurch die emotionale Spannung verstärkt wird. Persönlich fällt auf, dass das Album im Vergleich zu seinen Vorgängern geschlossener und ernster wirkt. Die Texte und musikalischen Strukturen spiegeln einen introspektiven Charakter wider, was der Gesamtwirkung Tiefe verleiht. Das Album bietet eine kohärente, konzentrierte Klangästhetik und zeigt eine Band im Übergang zwischen Rohheit und kontrollierter Klanggestaltung.
This group getting 3 spots on this list was not necessary.
Decent sound, didn't really gravitate to a particular track. I felt it was all a bit of the same.
soft emo music from the early 80's not my style but not too bad
Sort of reminded me of Duran Duran. At least that was the first band that came to mind. I love 80s music but had not heard of this band before, However, I’m more into 80s Pop. On to the next album. There were a lot of “alternate versions” of songs on this album, which I wasn’t really interested in listening to the same song more than once.
eh
I remember liking their other album, crocodiles, way more. Very much still sounding like the cure which is a cool unique vibe. This one just seems a little, odd.
I listened to this album three times. Every time, I just didn't care. Which is why I listened to it three times. It's just nothing to me, like hold music or distant construction sounds.
nothing special to me. didn't listen thoroughly tho. maybe once again
In some ways I feel I owe some sort of loyalty to my generation. Early 80’s was when I was in my late teens/early 20s. And The Cutter and The Back Of Love were banger songs from my formative years which I liked as much as anyone else down the student nightclubs. So surely I should rate this album? I gave it a good go. First listen… it all seemed a bit waily. Just a bit monotonous. Give it another go! Headphones. Better? Not really. Still a bit…nothing. 3 listens. No I’m wasting my time. Believe what you hear. Dullness.
I didn't like this one, it didn't really capture my attention at any point. The instrumentals felt pretty on par for the post-punk UK wave of the 80s, the singing wasn't too noteworthy either. They get weird at times, but it didn't feel effective or too interesting. I feel like there are much more interesting records in the same space and I wouldn't really pick this one over them. It wasn't bad, it was just average for me. If I had to pick a song, I'd pick "Heads Will Roll". Loved the cover art though, great photo.
I ought to like these guys but it does not move me. Maybe if I'd been born five years later I would have loved it. Or maybe it's just not very good. It's hard to rationalise these things sometimes 😐
Forgettable.
Mid. Sleep inducing. 2/5
Meh
Not my cup of tea but gets an extra star for being more sonically interesting than the group's other effort.
Pre-generator I had a default level of respect for Echo and the Bunnymen, based on the couple of tunes I knew and their reputable standing in the music world, but, three albums in, that respect is being eroded - they're definitely over-represented on this list. They seem to prioritise big walls of sounds over well-crafted songs, but unfortunately those sounds are, too often, not especially pleasant to listen to. The Cutter is a strong start but it's pretty much downhill from there.
Why so moan-y??
I’m with dmo here, the vocals sound like U2. I also don’t know if that is bad or good, but they sound like a worse version of U2, which isn’t good.
I enjoyed the other albums I've had from this group, but for some reason this one didn't really click with me much. It still sounds pretty good and there are some cool riffs like in Ripeness, but as I was flipping through the songs after listening, I realized I couldn't really discern most songs from each other. I think Fuel is my favorite, kind of sounds like something Peter Gabriel would produce.
point9.
Gear: Abyss DIANA MR Artwork: 🥶🥶🥶🥶 Production (2004 Remaster): 🤔😐👍 Music: ♻️🕳️😒 Rating: 🦔🐇/5
Feel like this English rock type sound is just done better by other bands, not impressed
Another one of those obviously influential British albums I don't really enjoy that much.
Didn't inspire much
This was certainly a change from EDM
ok, but nothing that vibes with me
While I grasp the ambitious intent of **Echo and the Bunnymen's** *Porcupine* (1983)—which attempts to blend the band’s signature sweeping post-punk with Eastern and orchestral textures—the album ultimately falls short of being a truly distinct statement. Despite the inclusion of hits like "The Cutter" and Will Sergeant's compelling guitar work, the overall sound and moody, anthemic scope feel less like a bold new direction and more like a skillful, yet familiar, distillation of the post-punk soundscapes I had already thoroughly explored by their contemporaries.
So boring
Why is this on here? Not bad but nothing memorable. And for the guy that reviewed this album and concluded that the rest of us need to be more loquacious with our reviews: get bent.
It was ok, but I found the album a bit boring
BANGER album cover. Unfortunately the album quality does not match. They manage to be an amalgamation of The Cure and Joy Division, but only the aspects of them that I don't care for. Lead singer also sounds too much like Morrissey. First track is excellent tho
The Cure meets REM. I never listened to them before and won't again.
Sounds like a mashup of U2 and Bauhaus, but not good.
I really don't find anything special about this. Just standard 80s alternative rock. Nothing wrong with that, but nothing that needs to be celebrated.
Nothing interesting.
Really struggled to find anything that worked for me on this record. The songs felt like pretty generic 80s pop, but the songs just... weren't good. Not my thing, won't be returning to this.
I found this to be a slog. Nothing really stood out and I feel like I've heard this album many times before.
I've always been quick to dismiss this band. They felt as boilerplate as this early '80s new-wave/post-punk, bordering on gothic sound, could possibly be (and a worse version of 'The Cure'). While I still think that's true to some extent, I enjoyed my most recent listen to this album more than I anticipated. The last time I listened to it was some four years ago. The opening track, 'The Cutter,' caught me off guard with how catchy it was and how layered that instrumental interlude is. It was a very danceable opener. I also really liked both 'Porcupine' and 'Heads Will Roll,' which take on an almost eastern-sounding direction, the latter being the most ominous-sounding song here. Everything else was enjoyable and well performed, but it was kind of forgettable when it was all said and done. Maybe if it had been shorter, I would have enjoyed it more; it's just too polished for my liking, with nothing to show, really.
Knock-off The Cure. Nothing remarkable and I don't ger why they're on the 1001 album list.
Vale
Songs in the Key of Glum
Bit dull and unoriginal, nothing makes it stand out to me really. Was an alright album but nothing stellar.
Whatever 80's pop rock.
huonompi heh
If someone would tomorrow ask me something about this album... I would be rather troubled. I listened it without any memory created.
Boring
Better than prev artist but I still don't remember most of it :/
Shit like this is the absolute nadir of this list. Proper C tier The Cure rip offs.
Alkaa siedettävästi eikä ihan kauheasti pahene niin ärsyttäväksi kuin voisi, lähinnä latistuu - The Cutterissa on hyvää energiaa, lopussa ei.
Aggravatingly average post-punk. Even the way they’re standing on the eyesore landscape and the cheap green font they use on the cover is irritating. Really lacking in tunes and doesn’t hold the slightest candle to Ocean Rain. 2.5 stars.
It started off strong with The Cutter but the strong reverb + delay on this album made the whole thing blend together and I lost track of where songs started and ended. A bit too boring and samey for me. I thought this was a bit worse than Crocodiles and at this point I'm questioning whether 501 albums would have been a better amount for the book.
80s man. The lush world.of post-punk might just not be for me. The emo, drum machine-drvien songs just got lost and the random sounds didn't help. I understand this is music people like but it just sounds like a dated John Hughes movie soundtrack.
It was alright, didn’t find anything super interesting on this. At times I found the melancholic tones and tempo changes a bit unsettling and stressful. 3/10
We're onto our second Bunnymen album, and I don't think I like them. Before the album journey, I love The Killing Moon and thought their catalog would all be classics at that level. So far I havent latched onto anything besides that song. Album cover: (B-) I like the snowy rover, but not really the photo or design.
I don’t know why but I was hoping for a big revelation on this album. Unfortunately to me it just sounded like an early U2. Not bad but I won’t be revisiting it.
Not horrible and not as bad as I thought based on artist and album name. Still 2.5 and Im goin down.
too many british punk rock albums in the list.. Favorite track: cutter other picks: porcupine, never stop
Skapligt jobbigt album att lyssna på. Allt är disonant och svajjigt. Inte speciellt kul i längden.
Nothing special to me. Just another Cure knock-off.
I'm sure their are people that love this album. Alas, I am not one of them.
Psychadelic rock? Interesting, but the voice and whining after a while a bit annoying.
Yet another Cure soundalike. Great name but couldn't be bothered to listen to more than 10seconds of each track.