Echo & the Bunnymen [Bonus Tracks] [Remaster]

Performer: Echo & the Bunnymen
Artist: Ray Manzarek
Engineer: Chris Nagle; Gil Norton; Paul Gomersall; Stuart Barry
Producer: Echo & The Bunnymen; Gil Norton; Laurie Latham; Bill Inglot (Reissue)
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Echo & The Bunnymen: Ian McCulloch (vocals, guitar); Will Sergeant (guitar); Les Pattinson (bass); Pete De Freitas (drums). Additional personnel: Jake Brockman, Ray Manzarek, Henry Priestman (keyboards). Recorded at Conny's Studio, Cologne, Germany; ICP Studio, Brussels, Belgium; The Workhouse, London and Amazon Studios, Liverpool, England. Originally released on Sire (25597). Includes liner notes by Max Bell. Personnel: Ian McCulloch (vocals, guitar); Will Sergeant (guitar); Henry Priestman, Jake Brockman, Ray Manzarek (keyboards); David Palmer , Pete de Freitas, Stephen Morris (drums). Audio Mixers: Bill Inglot; Brian Kehew; Bruce Lampcov. Audio Remasterers: Dan Hersch; Bill Inglot. Liner Note Author: Max Bell. Recording information: Amazon Studios, Liverpool, England; Conny's Studio, Cologne, Germany; ICP Studio, Brussels, Belgium; Strawberry Studios, Stockport, England; The Power Station, New York, NY; The Workhouse, London, England. Photographers: Les Pattinson; Will Sergeant. This 1987 album captures the Bunnymen as they transformed themselves from English cult sensations into international pop stars. Riding the modern-rock wave that catapulted bands like U2, Simple Minds, Depeche Mode, and the Cure into the American Top 10, the Bunnymen created a polished album that was unlike anything they had ever recorded. Even though ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN boasts the same epic sound that had characterized the band's four previous albums, highly produced songs like "The Game" and "Lips Like Sugar" eschew singer Ian McCulloch's typically obtuse lyrics in favor of easy-to-relate-to lyrics that earned the songs heavy rotation on alternative rock radio and MTV. Songs like the propulsive "All in My Mind" and "Satellite" attempt to recapture the freewheeling spark of the band's earlier work, and former Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek injects some sexy grooves into "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo." ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN is an inventive pop album that is packed with well-written, creatively arranged songs that were among some best modern-rock tunes of the '80s. Echo & the Bunnymen caught the group at a fortuitous career juncture; the clutch of songs here were among the hookiest and most memorable the band would ever write, while the arrangements are noticeably clean and punchy, mostly eliminating strings and similar clutter to focus almost exclusively on guitars, keyboards, drums, and occasional percussion touches. The warmly expressive "All My Life," which might perhaps have received an overheated arrangement on prior albums, benefited especially from this approach. The band rocked out convincingly on other selections, such as "Satellite" and "All in Your Mind." Pete DeFreitas' solid drumming at times veered toward the danceable on tracks like "Lost and Found," "Lips Like Sugar," and the overtly Doors-influenced "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo." Surprisingly, vocalist Ian MuCulloch appeared to have rediscovered the maxim "less is more"; his singing was comparatively restrained and tasteful, resulting in a more natural, unforced emotiveness that was extremely effective. The production values were excellent, with many subtle touches that do not detract from the album's overall directness. In short, doing it clean really paid off here. [The 2004 expanded edition of Echo & the Bunnymen includes a wealth of bonus tracks. Two tracks from the album are presented in different versions: a mellow, acoustic demo of "The Game," and a slightly more energetic early version of "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo." There are also two versions of the band's song from the Pretty in Pink soundtrack "Bring on the Dancing Horses"; an extended version, and a raw, early version called "Jimmy Brown." The version from the soundtrack isn't here, however. Also included are a moody version of the Doors' "Soul Kitchen," the unreleased song "Hole in the Holy," and "Bring on the Dancing Horses" B-side, the storming "Over Your Shoulder."] ~ David Cleary

Along with Teardrop Explodes and Wah! Heat, Echo & the Bunnymen were part of the early-1980s Liverpool scene that was somewhat misleadingly dubbed "neo-psychedelic." While the Bunnymen bore elements of the Doors' dark, mysterious sound and decidedly abstract lyrics, punk played as much of a role in the development of the band's music as anything else. What marks their sound more than anything else, though, is a soaring, anthemic quality that can be quite affecting. After a lengthy hiatus, the band reunited in the early 2000s to tour and record.

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