Porcupine

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.

I liked this album, 3 stars

I just love this kind of whiny white boy music. Especially from the 80s. Will be listening to this over and over. 4.5/5

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).

Porcupine is deeply 80s new wave/post punk in a way I've desperately disliked forever. It's just miserable really, doesn't do anything better than punk did, doesn't lead to anything particularly memorable at the end of that era, and mostly defined a time that was quite forgettable anyway. I'm glad Ian Broudie moved on from producing rubbish like this and did the Lightning Seeds, at least they were fun.

Not too much to say about this one really, it's new wave, decent enough but we've had loads of new wave albums and this one doesn't stand out as being particularly good or bad. Feeling generous so will give it a low 3 rather than a 2.

Meh. I never could get into the Cure. Wait, are you telling me this isn’t the Cure, but a lesser sullen, goth-ish, British band of the 80s? Well then, I like it even less now. I’m increasingly concerned that the book this list was based on is some wank who believes Brit-pop and its ilk to be the pinnacle of recorded music and is trying to foist as much of it as he can on unsuspecting music lovers.

Echo And The Bunnymen fit squarely into the post-punk genre, alongside Joy Division and early Talking Heads. I like post-punk for its grittiness, or maybe it's just because post-punk bands feature real drummers (thank God!) and eschewed the corny sound of drum machines popular with new wave bands of the same era. Post-punk, like punk rock, has a dark urgency about it. I found that urgency in Porcupine.

I was instantly drawn to the use of bagpipes in The Cutter. I thought this song sounded vibrant and intriguing. I had high hopes for the rest of the album, potentially it was going to be my highest rated new wave record. Unfortunately, nothing else came close to that calibre.

This is their third album on this list. It was alright. The dial did not move much on it. I didn't skip any songs. Unremarkable but I will round up.

What a cool 80's pop sound. The whole album was well put together and well recorded and these guys clearly have a lot of talent, but the sound is very dated today and basically the whole album sounded like one long song -- that's how similar the sound was from track to track. Overall good, but not something I'd listen to over and over. Two stars.

Not my jam, depche mode style-ish? It's fine, just meh 3 stars

я не знаю как это оценивать, пусть будет так

I need to listen to it more, I generally like this band

I like this band's sound a lot. However, the album suffers from every song sounding relatively the same. Decent background music and individual songs are good, but not something I'd listen to again.

better than the last echo and the bunnymen album i got on here, which is frankly a vague memory (just the kind of impression you'd expect an "album you have to listen to before you die" to make!) a little more squirmy and sonically interesting than a lot of its ilk. it almost thrums and dare i say crackles at points! however, the obvious and embarrassing bias towards British music (especially all the post-punk and new wave) is getting more than a little tiresome. it's really too bad that hardly anybody outside of the US and UK has made any music in the last 70 years. ah well

100% þeirra sánd. Mest megnis gott.

Wasn’t for me. Just blah

Ehh, I dunno, like it wasn’t bad I just didn’t really vibe.

Ocean Rain is the one you need to listen to.

I can't fault anything here - it's that sort of 1983 vibe that is great background. It doesn't cut through but I'll give it another listen sometime.

A little samey in places, but the highs are high. 'Clay' and 'Porcupine' sit next to each other as the soundtrack to a nightmare acid-trip Western. It's really fun listening to a band using the tools of their day to twist sound into new and unusual shapes. All without sacrificing song craft - there are some big choruses here.

Does anyone else hate it when you just desperately want an album to end, it seems like it is going on forever, and then you realize that you are 3-4 songs deep in the “alternative version” or “bonus tracks” on Spotify? Man, I hate that. Ok, look. I’ve learned that I’m just not a fan of “post punk” as part of this project. Just the term itself annoys me. Punk still existed and still exists. Anyway, this was better than the other Echo and the Bunnymen album (Crocodiles). It’s criminal that they gave me less than a week since the last one, though. 2/5.

Can't take that voice and don't care for the music.

This is so 80s. It is forgettable. I don’t think a single song stood out to me, which is rare. It all felt very one note. Okay it hit me - this is for the kids who loved joy division. Same camp I guess. The singer has an haunting and beautiful voice. The guitarist is also very talented, but I find the drummer extremely repetitive. Ended up liking “in bluer skies”

6/10. Was leaning 5 throughout because I thought it was overall good but nothing stood out to me. Some cleverness caught on for me toward the end in songs like Higher Hell but overall still not my favorite.

80s shit

The first 2 tracks were ok but the rest of the record is forgettable-bordering-on-repulsive.

Great record! Wish I’d given it a listen before.

Ja lyssna ju på dehä skräpet...

This album had me nearly instantly hooked with its odd combination of high energy guitars, pulsing, danceable bass, and a neat inclusion of acoustic guitar to give it a more natural sound compared to its synth-y contemporaries, striking against a dreary atmosphere and that odd vocal delivery you can't help but tune in to. Its as if you're being forced to dance to something you'd never think to fance to, yet you can't help but have a good time. This feeling permeates throughout the A-side, into the B-side, but unfortunately does not stick the landing, with the energy and tempo slowing going down, but not shockingly enough to keep your attention, rather just kind of ween you off the record before its over, that way you aren't really dying for more, but you had a good time while it lasted. Really strong showing from a band I've had mixed feelings on, and while this album doesn't really have its own "Killing Moon," it tries damn hard, never settling for just one or two good tracks, and to that I applaud and appreciate it.

comme ci comme ca

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.

A perfectly acceptable effort. Could have tried harder with the lyrics though.

Not bad.

It’s not bad but they needed a jam or two on this album to keep me invested. The Cutter is good but not enough to hold the album.

Kannte die Scheibe/Gruppe bisher nicht. Hat mich auch nicht vom Hocker gerissen...

I liked this. Echo ATBM are a band that’s always been on my list to get more familiar with. I would definitely come back to listen to this again.

I enjoyed this one quite a bit. I could see it growing on me. It was a *little* long, but still, I had a good time with it. 3.75/5

Yep. Another good one. 3.5 stars.

So totally 80s loved it!!

3 stars for the nostalgia.

What you're hearing here is the totally rad, yet dulcet tones that emanate from the underbelly of 80's pop music. It is criminally underrated and unappreciated by the collective global recall of the 80's. Drowned out by too much neon, spandex, leather, and hairspray. And yet, still sitting at the cool kids table. Just the cool kids table at a school you've never heard of or knew anyone from.

Neo-psicodelia. No me ha gustado. Rollo. Un 2.

Too arty !

That was good.

I liked it. I felt there was some elements of traditional indian music. Idk if that's just me though. - 8/10

I like this, nothing crazy not sure if I’d listen all the time but was good the first time around 7.5/10

Some cool moments but mostly blended into the background of all the other rock albums. 5.5/10

4/10 - Not very interesting and his voice is quite whiny and annoying.

Just kinda boring, 5.5/10

First song was good. The rest were not. I don’t like this trend of albums putting their best song at the start; I know it made sense back in the day, but I hate the idea that when I’m listening to an album it probably won’t get better than the very first song. 4.5/10

Ok, I was bored in the first half but the second half really picks up and gets way more interesting.

Too British

This is the epitome of a three star album for me. I’m way too old for the angsty lyrics, and the music just kind of sits there, no momentum. It doesn’t make me mad, I can listen to it. But there’s no real reason to want to listen to it again.

Like an amalgamation of so many 80s bands. Hints of Peter Gabriel, U2, Talking Heads, and The Cure. Nothing particularly exciting on this one .

Average album, not interesting at all. It's not the worst one ever, but certainly a waste of time. Just moving on.

Great showcase of their early work, and fabulous to listen to for work music!

Good!! Enjoyed the cutter the most.

Every New Age/post-punk singer sounds identical and is using the same off-key vibrato. I'm sure when it came out all the kids went gaga for it, but it just doesn't do anything for me.

Pretty good! Listened to around same time as coles corner and liked it better but still not the most memorable 4/7

Tired of British Punk...................................................................................................................................................

the transition between gods will be gods and in bluer skies genuinely tripped me up. all in all it’s a solid 80s album some parts stood out but a lot of it kinda blurred together for me

Ok. 3

Better than anticipated

awesome band

Had its moments, but do I think it’s a must listen ?? No

The greatest thing about this band is their name. It's a great band name. Their sound is aligned with other bands of their time and while they perform with good enthusiasm, for me, it all becomes homogenized to a degree. It starts to sound like everything else.

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

This reminds me what a child of the 80s I am. Or rather I spent my entire teenage years in the 80s so music like this was the equivalent of necessary sustenance. I once went to an Echo & The Bunnymen gig in a mini Hillman with seven other people. Imagine eight people in a tiny car driving for an hour singing all these songs - it was just magical. Once we got there, the gig had been called off because poor Ian had a sore throat. But that didn’t stop us from doing it all again the following week when it was rescheduled. The cutter and the back of love are just fabulous tunes. I had their moody posters up in the house. I even have a photo of my mother standing in front of the band poster, looking as posed and moody and pouty as the subjects. Listening to the whole album again, I still love it, but it doesn’t quite hit the heady heights of a five.

Did I really need to hear this? I owned Ocean Rain on vinyl back in high school, and I recall thinking I was supposed to think it was cool (for some reason, maybe the goofy name?) and I didn't get it. While I differ from my high school self in many ways, here's something we still have in common. I don't get it.

I enjoyed this, though I think it was a wee bit long. So I'm rounding down from 3.5 to 3 instead of up. But yeah, I dig the vibe on this one.

This is another band that gave me so much angst when I got to college. So many good bands that people were talking about and I had no clue! How to explain to kids today the anxiety of not knowing the music all the cool kids were listening to?! Thank god for college radio. I dig it but can’t quite get to a 4.

Similar to some other British punk, this album was fine. It fades into the background, nothing is really keeping my attention. I liked my white devil, and some of the other songs that showcased unique uses of instruments.

Meh about this

I quite liked it. Some Cure/joy division Elements. I don’t know why it’s on the list though

I could see it growing on me, but overall not my vibe.

aight

My favorite part of this was the title

Yawn!

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.

Good overall album.

Had never listened to them before, really liked it. A lot darker than I expected

It’s not as good as Ocean Rain - it gets forgettable towards the end - but at the same time it set the stage for it as a debut. It’s worth further spins I guess.

Descent enough album

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 like the instrumental better on this one than the other. Rhythm section is better. Cool tones and some nice arrangements with the strings and synths.Still a bit hard to get past the vocals. I feel like I would actually really like this with another singer- this would be cool with Bono it would be like if U2 got weird. I feel like I get it now, I can hear how this could of been influential. Favorites: Back of love Ripeness Gods will be gods Cool intro in In Bluer Skies but vocals ruin it Least favorites: higher hell

Pretty sick of these ones

All of these blend together

fulgte ikke med, men viben var mid tier

Okay, but pretty bland

It's a worse version of what The Cure were doing around this same time (this dropped a year after Pornography, for reference), and I'd also argue it's worse than it's own follow-up album Ocean Rain, but this is still a good time. Even so, as much as I like this, these guys are nobodies. Echo and the god damn Bunnymen do not need three spots on this list. They barely needed the one.

The Cutter- 4.7/5 Back of Love- 5/5 My White Devil- 4.3/5 Clay- 4/5 Porcupine- 4.6/5 Heads Will Roll- 4.2/5 Ripeness- 4.5/5 Higher Hell- 4.4/5 Gods Will Be Gods- 4.5/5 In Bluer Skies- 4.7/5 Total- 4.5/5

Too many albums from this group. One album is enough

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.

It's an okay album. 3/5. Favorite Track: The Cutter

Good

I like Echo And The Bunnymen, but I have primarily listened to singles or compilation albums. I like the the darker mood to their music - dark but not to the point of dispair. Echo And The Bunnymen would fit in well on a playlist with the Cure. This was my first time listening to Porcupine. I marked a few tracks for a re-listen, but didn't settle on new immediate favorites. I would be happy to give this album a re-listen.

Clay was fantastic. Really enjoyed , wasn't into them when it was released, but very cool blend of Punk and Psych pop

I feel I should love echo. I don’t. They are fine enough and I’ll listen when they come on but just doesn’t grab me.

*shrug* 2/5

I'd be lying if I said that I didn't enjoy this album. I'm just sort of surprised Echo & the Bunnymen managed to get three spots on this list. This album is one I've never heard of, nor have I heard any of the songs it contains. But I'd say it's better than Crocodiles, which we listened to previously. The arrangements are wonderful, a little psychy, some great strings scattered throughout. A little dark, a little epic, a little sweet. Although I guess it falls under the post-punk label, it definitely shares a lot with the alternative music of today. It's kind of what the Cure sounded like, if we're being totally honest.

Nice to discover that Bono (U2) learnt singing from someone. I think U2 had better melodies, but after Dacapo torture, this sound quite well.

80s stuff, 3/10

I'd heard and enjoyed a few Echo songs before, the full album is pretty good and very 80s. I don't know that I need to listen to more than a few songs by this band at a time though. It's a fine album!

Not too bad

I actually preferred this to Ocean Rain, surprisingly. Also this album cover rules

as an English post-punk band, the music matches the style. not my favorite.

Band name is horrible. Hard to get over that. But then you hear it and that voice...ugh.

the cutter my white devil heads will roll ripeness higher hell gods will be gods

Enough British male bands!

Seriously, a 3rd album from a band of the calibre of Echo And The Bunnymen? Are we to believe this was a Led Zeppelin grade band??? Anyway: as the band says in the album’s first song, “spare us”. Spare us from outdated music that sounded pretty meh upon release.

Excellent.

Forgettable apparently

This is a really excellent album from Echo and the Bunnymen, second only to Ocean Rain in terms of musical depth. Prickly and dark, with stark lyrics and a haunting use of strings. I especially enjoyed Will Sergeant's adventurous guitar work, which runs the gambit from percussively jagged to exotic and psychedelic. Apparently the recording of this album was a tense time for the band, which only seems to have only improved the final product. A compelling, textured, unsettling collection of songs. Fave Songs: The Cutter, Porcupine, The Back of Love, Gods Will Be Gods, In Bluer Skies, Ripeness, Heads Will Roll

This was incredible. Loved listening to this album. They've always been another band that I've been meaning to check out more of. So glad this came up. Will definitely be checking out some more.

This isn't necessarily an indictment on this album. Or maybe it is. "Porcupine" is the 977th album I've had served to me, and it's in the unfortunate position of initially making me believe that we're at the "scraping the bottom of the barrel" stage. And it reached that stage before I even bothered listening to the album. It popped up, and my immediate thought was "ANOTHER Echo And The Bunnymen album? Isn't this like their 5th entry on the list?" I have no idea how many albums they have on the list, but it clearly feels like way too many. But again, I shouldn't hold anything against it before actually listening. That's because I fell and fell hard for this album. Maybe this is the one album from Echo & The Bunnymen that belongs on this list. It's dark yet poppy at the same time. I'm a sucker for the hooks and how many of the songs build beyond the chorus. If this were among the first, say, 100 albums I had during this experience, I might be compelled to give it a 5. And I may eventually rate it a 5. As it is now, I want more time with it to confirm my feelings. But giving it multiple listens is more of a reward than some arbitrary rating.

I love this kind of album!

Echo and The Bunnymen are an intriguing proposition and consistently make melodic, moody and melancholic music. The lyrics are somewhat impenetrable but the overall impression is a satisfying album from a talented band.

Some good riffs. Interesting vocalist

Le chanteur émule pour moi tout à tour Bono, Robert Smith et Bowie. L’album évite le piège des synthétiseurs omniprésents des années 80. Un album qui vieillit très bien

cool

This was a decent album surprisingly as I didn’t care much for their other work. They say post punk but it really felt like a precursor to U2s style with the alt rock pop sound. This probably isn’t anything I would revisit as there are much more enjoyable options of similar sound but I didn’t dislike it. 6.1/10

Second Echo album, with the last one being less than a week ago Much prefer this to Ocean Rain (which I liked) This one packs ways more a of a punch. Fast, jangly guitar, great production, great flow the entire record, comes in at 44 mins as well, which is great. Ripeness is a great song, The Cutter is great, Gods Will be Gods, i could list every song on the album, I like it alot mid 4!

Spotify wil heel graag dat ik me er een uur en 17 minuten in onderdompel, maar ik hou het lekker bij de originele 45 minuten. Ik ben net over een derde van deze lijst en ik moet heel eerlijk toegeven dat ik post-punk over het algemeen wel een beetje heb gezien nu. Het is weinig verrassend, soms een beetje vervelend. Ik ben bang dat de lijst hier heel anders over denkt, maargoed. Dit album is poprock uit een stylistisch niet al te mooie tijd. Een tijd die we inmiddels al een poos achter ons hebben gelaten ook: Van de laatste jaren 2e wereldoorlog naar 1983 is korter dan van 1983 naar 2024. Dat heeft verder niks met dit album te maken, maar m'n vorige rating van deze band was wat aan de korte kant, dus ik wil nu net wat meer gewicht in de schaal leggen. Het hoogtepunt is dat ik denk dat ik heb ontdekt dat de gitaar uit het nummer 'Porcupine' is gesampled danwel gejat is in Rendez-Vu van Basement Jaxx. Ik begin er verstand van te krijgen. Het album is te doen. Misschien begin ik inmiddels een olifantenhuid te krijgen. Richting het einde wordt het wel een vervelende zit en zakt de 3 naar een 2.

Nothing that stands out, but nothing that offends. I guess when you have 1001 albums, you'll have some that just seem very bland. Maybe there's more behind this that I don't know, but my ears just tell me it's an okay album that I won't be revisiting. Just below a 50%, because it's just nothing in it that makes me think "this is just maybe good", rather that it is not even "okay". 2/5 or 46/100.

when u2 met soda stereo

5/5 I had trouble getting into other Echo albums but this one had more to offer in terms of sound experiments. Not a big fan of the vocals - very uniform style and sound - but the rhythm guitar and varied percussion kept drawing me into the songs. Others have noted the similarity to other bands, but I enjoyed experiencing the songs as "what if this was U2?" or "how would this fit into an MBV record?" Specifically Gods will be Gods as MBV or even the Doors.

Absolutely love this sound!

3.0 average per track.

Enjoyable listen.

I've never been much for Echo and the Bunnymen, but this is still a decent album to put on in the background.

Affirmation that I do not enjoy music from the 80s.

The music is decent, but there are so many bands that sound like this.

Need to listen again

So ein PostPunk Synthie Kram. Na ja..

Same as Ocean Rain. Not into Echo or his Bunnymen. A definite automatic 1 star.

Not sad Morriessy

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.

I feel like I'm getting a lot of three stars albums, yet here we are.

could i write poetry to tbis? y

The okayest early-80's-British-post-punk/new wave band ever.

Dark poppy synth. The Cutter is great, as are a couple other songs.

Whining vocals from the 80s. Hated it then, worse now

Good album...didnt strike me as top 1000

Great 80s album, loved returning to it. Still the wrongest band name. Pretty definitively a 4.5 album for me, which recreates the main dilemma of this list, rounding up or down. Look, it's 4.5, okay?

I listened to it. There's worse, so not just 1 Star.

First time I have really listened to Echo & The Bunnymen, some good tracks, my favourite Gods will be Gods

Du new wave/post punk très correct, selon moi rien d'impressionnant par rapport aux autres bands de ce style. Ça s'écoutait bien, mais vers la fin je commençais à m'en lasser. 5/10

So much sad old britrock in this book. It’s just not good

I dont love this genre.

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

Echo and the Bunnymen might be a little harder to get into than some similar bands like The Cure and Sisters of Mercy. They are worth the effort though as there are some great tracks here. I definitely need to be in the right mindset but the dark and desperate sounds are perfect for a specific mood.

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

-It was kind of boring for me -underwhelming -I couldn't make myself listen all the way through

Ich finde das punkig/wavig. Die Stimme mag ich nicht. nichts für mich. Aber anständig produziert.

Dark, moody and a little spiky, but not as strong as other E + B records, largely because there's less energy and clarity and no absolute killer singles. Rounding up because it ends on a high note with interesting and sprawling cuts.

Very 80's feel

love echo and the bunnymen!

:)

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%

Such a singular voice, and several spots of interest, some real nothing songs keep this from the tip top.

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.

Don't know about this one

Their album Crocodiles made me question whether or not I was a real fan of Echo and the Bunnymen. This one made me remember that I was. It benefited from the closer listen that I was able to give today. When I tried listening a second time while driving and cooking (not at the same time), it didn't come through as well. But despite that I will go with my first impressed impression.

Again?!? Is there really a difference? I don’t know…I am sure there is a very important reason. That said, when I listened, I thought it was pretty good.

I have absolutely no idea why we need three albums from this band on this list. None. They're fine. Good, even. But I cannot tell one album from the other. Why? I like The Cutter.

It just struck me listening to this that there is a happier The Smiths quality to Echo & The Bunnymen. I really enjoyed this album. Some very interesting lyrics - like My White Devil opening with the delightful "John Webster was one of the best there was". I don't recall hearing any of these songs before, but even the somber, draggier tunes managed to pick themselves up midway and shake off the whininess. It's packed with very likable tunes like The Cutter, The Back of Love, Heads Will Roll, and In Bluer Skies which all could have been hits I enjoyed back in the day. This album is a lot of fun!

Had somewhat of a cursory listen but didn't think this was anything special

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.

This band is another one of those bands that suffers from a bad vocalist. There are a lot of bands I like with unconventional or great singers... But their voice has a uniqueness to it that turns that negative into a positive. It adds and works for the music. This band has a bad singer and it sounds like every other band like it. A pinch of Dev-O, a pinch of The Cure, a pinch of New Order... All this new wave garbage. (Although, I do like some of the aforementioned) but this singet could not break the threshold for me. The band is pretty good. A lot of cool riffs going on. Somewhere, back there in the mix.. This era of music is my least favorite. I don't know of that's due to production quality? I act like I am well versed in production... But I know when a record sounds good. Or at least good to my ears. I will pass on this band. Nothing stuck out and I was just waiting for it to end.

A great piece of neo psych post punk. Murky and dirgelike enough for the whole family

3.5

Wederom is post punk een prettige verassing. De sound heeft wat weg van Simple Minds, en klinkt in ieder geval typisch jaren 80. De plaat bungelt precies tussen 3 en 4 sterren, maar ik geef em het voordeel van de twijfel.

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!

1983, Post-Punk, neo-psychedelia A couple of really good songs, and some others that grow on you after a while. Enjoyable, if you like their sound. Standouts: The Cutter (Drop in the Ocean), The Back of Love, Others: Heads Will Roll, Ripeness, My White Devil, Porcupine 4/5

Fun

Too melancholy and the melodies are pert near nonexistent. Kinda think their best song was the remake of People are Strange. Just not floating my boat.

Honestly, anytime the engineer/producer credits outnumber the musician credits on an album, you know you're in for a bad time. And it was. I don't know why every British act at the time felt like they needed to rip off Bowie, Iggy, or the Beatles, but none of them could pull it off effectively. Echo and the Bunnymen are no exception. Overly-dramatic vocals, over-produced music, and lyrics that are so overly "artistic" as to be nonsense. It's not a good time. It's just not a good time.

Not a worthy inclusion in my opinion, very little to engage with going on. The cutter is a half decent song, but most of the rest, title track especially, sound like a bad rehash. Too many 80s albums is reminding me how much I dislike much of the music from that decade!

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

A pretty dull album. I wouldn't really notice when songs ended and the next one started. Couldn't get interested in this one

Very forgettable, British alt rock band? I don’t like their singing style Some one off good songs

Was quite nice - sound reminded me of The Cult

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 did not like this and found it very difficult to pick a standout track. I do not like the guy's voice, I do not like the instrumentation, I do not like the energy of the songs. Standout Track: The Cutter

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.

funny ass band name. wish they made more interesting music.

Nice enough

Really nice. I'd listen to again!

Solid offering top to bottom... i think Gods Will be Gods is the only skippable one, but the rest keep a general melancholy/haunting vibe, with tracks like Porcupine, Back of Love and the Cutter truly being exceptional. Definitely enjoyable.

It's fine. Not offensive. Maybe great for it's time, but sounds like every other 80s band.

A band that deserves way more recognition. Great album

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)

Ga meg veldig lite

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.

One of the things I've been struck by while going through this list is that there was this entire hidden world of music waiting just under the surface of pop music. I can understand how this album was made in 1983 (it shares some similarities with U2 albums from later in the decade), but I wouldn't have picked a date that early listening to this album. This is another one of those bands that the bands I was listening to when I was young was listening to (what?). Just a really cool post-punk album that makes really good use of guitar effects on the music to create a really big sound. The production is excellent and really lets you hear all the different textures built into the music 4/5

Another stupid brit-pop album that I was sure I would hate before I even listened. Not so fast though, the first song "The Cutter" came on and I actually liked it! Then the very next song "Back of Love" came on and I came back to earth. Awful. Third song, more awful. Fourth, terrible. And so on. So on the plus side, my instincts are correct, and on the minus side, this album is garbage. Half a star for "The Cutter" so 1.5 stars

John Webster was one of the best there was. He was the author of two major tragedies. The White Devil and the Duchess of Malfi-O. You've either already bailed or you're on board. The lyrics are abstract to the point of absurdity, but the Bunnymen are perhaps one of the ultimate atmosphere bands. And this one is perhaps their densest, least user-friendly vibe. Singles The Cutter and The Back of Love are ridiculously catchy, but its perhaps their gloomiest album. Every time I listen to it it gets better and better, whereas Ocean Rain sounds a bit thinner, a bit more calculated. I will go to my grave convinced that Bono stole the world-conquering crown that was the Bunnymen's by right.

Mehco and the Blahnnymen. It’s not awful, just not particularly interesting, like a dull Cure. Pretty sure I didn’t need to listen to this before I die.

Good stuff. Love Echo and the Bunnymen,

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.

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

This really is a great album that doesn't really qualify as post-punk anymore since it is not that much punk left anymore - and that is very much a good thing! I thoroughly enjoyed these dreamy (but not too dreamy) landscapes of music.

Not for me, it's like the same song over and over again.

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.

Really good stuff.

Deserves all the adoration The Cure gets.

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.

another frustratingly mediocre mopey alt britpop rock ft. a Morrissey impersonator and some vaguely post-punk instrumentation. Didn't bother with any of the bonus tracks. neither great nor terrible background music as you browse a sporting good store. 1.5/5

This just snags a 4th star to get above the other Echo and the Bunnyman albums here, just barely. It had some cool dark vibes and really fun work on the bass.

Something about this just didn't land for me, a very low 2

Forgettable british trash

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.

Woof! Is it me, or does Ian Mac have one of the best voices around - it really stands up among the rest of the goth scene (he's better than Robert Smith and the Bunnymen are better than the Cure. There. I said it.). I think on balance, I prefer E and the Bee's later, slightly less dark songs, but this sums up life in Liverpool in the early 80s pretty well I suspect, bleak as all eff.

Loved this

Best Song: My White Devil. The best vocal performance on the album. Worst Song: Higher Hell. The canon just didn't work for me, dawg. Overall: I swear, half the 80s British music on this list sounds exactly the same. I feel as if I've heard this exact album a dozen times already, and I've long since learned that it's not for me.

Fuck this 1

pretty fun and dancey. 4 stars.

Some good song writing in there, but I can't stand the 80s vocals

Not doing it for me.

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.

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

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.

Better than I remember

Pretty good album

Strings are melodrama. No way around it, something like Porcupine seems to insist. The argument's a little too strong, but we can respect it without agreeing literally. Especially when the album acquires its palette by robbing both places and times. The instruments sit in arrangements that fill the volume approachably. The emotional paths are the tricky ones.

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.

Fun listen!

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.

Cool album. Track 2 is my favorite. They sound so much like Arcade Fire that I looked them up to see if they're Canadian - they're British.

Didn't love it, but I could hear how it likely influenced many bands to come after them, so credit for the groundbreaking sound.

Easily the worst thing that has happened to me this week.

I liked this album a lot better when Spotify was down.

eh

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.

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.

Pretty unremarkable compared to the other better Brit Rock on this list. 3/5

Er is iets wat dit saai maakt voor mij. Geen idee precies, maar het is voor mij een te lange zit ook.

Echo en z'n Bunnymen kunnen bij mij een behoorlijke pot breken.

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.

7/10. Second album in a row that was better than I expected

I'm sympathetic to these goths. 7/10

Just four albums ago on this list I reviewed Echo And The Bunnymen's debut album and rated it with 5 stars. That led me to wonder if the quality was really so different to the fourth Echo album, which I reviewed more than 700 albums ago on this list and rated 3 stars. Was the quality really that different? Or did my tastes change in the roughly 2 years inbetween? Was it just a matter of mood while listening? This, the third Echo album and my third to review seems to hold some of the answers: not all Echo And The Bunnymen albums were made equal. Crocodiles impressed me by depth, feeling, mood, instrumentation and overall quality. Porcupine seems to be lacking in every one of these categories. What happened? How did Echo forget how to make good music between their first and third album? Do the answers lie with their second album? Will their second album show up further along this list? One question answered - more have arisen.

One of my favorites!

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.

Fun fact: SHACK eats lamb chops for breakfast

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.

The more I listened, the more I appreciated it. Pleasantly miserable.

Favourite tracks: cutter; back of love; clay; god's will be gods

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.

Bruh. Three albums from this group? What's the hook, what's the redeeming quality here that I'm unaware of? The music isn't necessarily bad but it's so nondescript. I refuse to believe that the '80s were this bland. Favorite tracks: The Cutter. Album art: Guys standing by a glacial waterfall, makes me think of Iceland. Not a bad picture at all, font is fine. Probably won't think of this one after today though. 2/5

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 think I'm supposed to like Echo & the Bunnymen, but I guess this isn't the right album. Unexciting post-punk/new romantic. No real standouts for me and it kind of drags.

First two songs are really good. The rest of the album is just below average post punk rock with vocals getting progressively getting less enjoyable. It's getting a 2 stars, but 2.5 if I could.

Echo and the Bunnymen have such a unique sound and The Cutter and Back of Love are just really great tunes. While not my favorite record by them, it’s pretty strong in terms of music, lyrics, performance.

I enjoyed this. Strong start. I even listened to some of the alternative mixes.

I liked it fine. Didn't love it, though. Seems like something I should like more than I did?

Seemed pretty bland from what I remember. Just kinda passed me by

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

Funky but would not listen to it myself