Great to see all the affection for, and knowledge about, this amazing band. 77-87 was maybe the last great era for rock music (and "my" era, so I admit bias), and their run through the gray album was just killer. They should have been huge instead of U2 (who were solid through War, admittedly). EVERYONE had and played that 5 song e.p. with the live "Do It Clean" at my college campus. I saw them do a short show on the roof of HMV on Oxford Street in London when the gray LP came out... could only see some bobbling heads, but the music sounded ferocious! Vinyl remains my favorite audio delivery method for E&tB. Man alive, that Songs to Learn & Sing is the ultimate all-killer-no-filler collection, no?
My ticket for A Crystal Day from 1984, one of the best gigs I've been to by anyone, ever: It was signed on the back by Mac but no amount of pleading with the security would stop them ripping it in half on entry:
I personally don't think their sound ever quite recovered from losing Pete. The post-Mac line up had some potential and his drumming would have solidified that.
That's really what made them so special -- the level of musicianship was quite extraordinary. Distinctive, non-showboaty players who could do it all, fronted by one of the great voices of his time.
And here I thought 'Ballyhoo the best of...' was the same as their s/t of 1987. My education continues... Rather listen to this band than U2 any day. 'Lips Like Sugar'? Words fail...
I haven't listened to any Bunnymen music for years. I did see them in Oxford (UK) in 1981 and they were very good.
Yes Crocodiles and Heaven Up Here are still magical perfect albums. The following two are excellent in parts though have some weaknesses. The original band were outstanding live; right up to and including the tour for the rather bland self titled album when Mac's ego was occluding the other members contributions and no one was having fun anymore. Saw two astonishing Glasgow Barrowlands gigs in the mid to late 80's, right up their with The Smiths shows around the same time. Evergreen onwards has been diminishing returns by and large. Mostly Mac solo albums under the band name with Will just adding bits. I read that him and Mac did not even spend a minute in the studio together for the last one and Will just added his parts to computer files sent over to him and e-mailed them back.
Hard to choose, but most days Heaven Up Here and Ocean Rain are my faves. Crocodiles, Porcupine and a lot of their later work=also stellar.
Own everything and definitely classify them as a top 10 band. That said, I have not heard the newest release from 2014. Is it worth picking up?
I liked 'Meteorites' a lot, although sounds more like a Mac Solo Album to me, but much better than 'The Fountain' that is the only Bunnymen album I did not care for all that much-YMMV.
Not that good. To me, it's a continuation of The Fountain. 2-3 good tracks surrounded with by-the-numbers latter day Bunnymen songs. I feel like you can tell where the melodies are headed on first listen. It's not terrible, but not terribly exciting either.
they made more than their share of classic songs - Lips Like Sugar, The Cutter, Bring on the Dancing Horses, The Killing Moon - that's enough to make a band historic right there
Thanks, I'll probably pick it up as I'm a completist but I didn't like The Fountain that much so I doubt this will get many plays.
I still have not heard/bought the Electrafixion album(maybe it will get a Deluxe Re-release like the Mac Solo albums with Bonus Songs, but if not, I will look to buy an original copy, which might be better since it is Pre-Brickwall CD Era, if I have my timeline correct), so cannot answer that question, but as mentioned, I liked Meteorites, but except for The Fountain, I liked all Bunnymen albums(technically just Mac & Sarg) since they reformed with Evergreen(1997). Although, 'What Are You Going to Do with Your Life' also seems to be a Mac Solo album. I liked 'Flowers' & 'Siberia' a lot.
They were great live, at least the time I saw them. I was working for the production company, 462, in Dallas and they played The Bronco Bowl. I was somehow tasked with "security", which was a joke. I'm 5'6", not a formidable presence. The crowd was behaved though, but then Ian starts calling everyone onto the stage for a dance party. Well, I'm not gonna stop that train, so I hopped up with them and took a spot to the left of the Drummer to keep people away from the main electrical boxes. Still well behaved, no "mobbing", just a stage full of dancers getting it going while the band played. They band was pretty psyched when they finished the show. Lots of great energy there that night.