Echo and the Bunnymen revisited

After listening to some depressing old CDs that I am about to discard, suddenly I became nostalgic and decided to listen to all the CDs of Echo and the Bunnymen that I have, and so the Bunnymen had become my music of the week.

Echo and the Bunnymen have been the good old eighties band to me. Their albums of the eighties are always on my favourite music shelf while their "Evergreen" CD of of 1997 is left on the general music shelf. Mmm, I haven't bought any of their newer albums. (Sorry, my dear Bunnymen!)

But listening to "Evergreen" again, it sounded really good and er… really evergreen. It has lost the edge of their younger days, but the more mellow songs with the more mellow voice of Ian McCulloch make you feel like you are enjoying a good cup of tea at the garden with your old friend on a sunny day (a really bad metaphor I know!) I guess I'll have to get their newer albums later on.

Still, my favorite album of the Bunnymen is “Porcupine” of 1983. Wow, it's already 25 years ago! Like all really good music, it still sounds new, at least newer than the bunch of mediocre pop rock bands of today.

One of my super favorite Bunnymen songs – "Back of Love"



Most regard the "Ocean Rain" album as their best. Sure it's brilliant and I love it. It's the most easy-listening among their older albums. But it's a bit too polished and sweet for me, despite the genius of "the Killing Moon".

At one time when I was quite young, the Bunnymen was my top favourite band. I loved them even more then the Smiths. I thought the four of the drums (remember the late Pete de Freitas), the bass, the guitar and the vocals were all brilliant. I was amazed by how they could blend so ingeniously to weave such incredible songs. They transported me to their atmospheric world of rebellion, elegance, gloom, and (yet) hope. That’s Art!

At the camp of the Smiths, only the vocals of Morrissey and the guitars of Johnny Marr shine. After so many listens, I could hardly remember their bass or their drums. But as I listened to more of their records, I was finally won over by the super-witty lyrics and one of a kind soulful singing of Moz Mozza Morrissey. Since then I listen to the Smiths much much more, for they are more listener-friendly.

But I would not agree that the Smiths are better than the Bunnymen. They are both excellent, but good in different way.

Last week, I have even created a Dailymotion account, just to watch the documentary film of "You Will Never Walk Alone" (1992), which was about music and the city of Liverpool, featuring many interviews with Ian McCulloch. And I love Liverpool too.

His Liverpudlian accent sounded quite weird to me, a far cry from his charismatic singing. That accent made him sound like an old bloke when he spoke! (In contrast, I always love to hear the interesting Scottish accent of Jim Reid. With his gentle and slightly magnetic voice, it’s like music to me, even though I cannot quite understand what he said!)

Watch the big lips of Big Mac:



Never Walk Alone 1/6
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