Latest Release
- DEC 9, 2022
- 33 Songs
- Songs to Learn and Sing · 1985
- Nicole Kidman's Playlist · 1987
- Songs to Learn and Sing · 1985
- Porcupine · 1983
- Ocean Rain (Deluxe Version) · 1984
- Ocean Rain (Deluxe Version) · 1984
- Crocodiles · 1980
- Porcupine · 1982
- Porcupine · 1983
- Echo & the Bunnymen (Bonus Tracks Edition) · 1987
Essential Albums
- By the time of their fourth album, 1984’s Ocean Rain, Echo and the Bunnymen had begrudgingly accepted that they were part of a musical wave that might never achieve mainstream UK and US acceptance. Their blend of retro-60s psychedelic pop and ‘80s new wave aggression fared far better in England where the group’s distinct Englishness was easier to assimilate in an era when the U.S. was celebrating the heartland rock of John Cougar Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen. But that didn’t stop the group from trying to make the most challenging and accessible music of its career. The band advertised Ocean Rain as “the greatest album ever made.” While that’s a serious bit of overhype, the album does contain several group highlights. The otherworldly shimmer and singer Ian McCulloch’s British Jim Morrison come-on for “The Killing Moon” makes it a serious candidate for the band’s finest track. “Silver” and “Nocturnal Me” explore the moody temperament that made the band natural favorites among emotionally high-strung adolescents.
- Though singer/guitarist Ian McCulloch is often considered the band’s leader, anyone who listens to Echo & The Bunnymen's early albums can hear just how much of a collective they truly were. Songs are credited to all four members, with each instrument contributing key ingredients to their majestic sound. Will Sergeant’s lead guitar work churns alongside the tumultuous rhythm section to create pure tension. “With a Hip,” “Over the Wall,” and “Turquoise Days” excel at a modern psychedelic-punk sound that positively bleeds with angst.
- 1980
- 2014
- 2006
- 2005
- 2001
Music Videos
- 2014
- 2014
- 2014
- 2014
Artist Playlists
- Liverpool's greatest post-punkers.
- Sonically ornate and darkly romantic indie rock comes in many guises.
- Keeping the flame burning for literate, atmospheric rock.
Live Albums
Compilations
More To Hear
- Explore the influence of the post-punk band from Liverpool.
About Echo & The Bunnymen
Post-punk band Echo & The Bunnymen used a drum machine behind singer Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant, and bassist Les Pattinson until drummer Pete de Freitas joined them in 1979. ∙ McCulloch’s first group, The Crucial Three, included future fellow rock stars Julian Cope and Pete Wylie. ∙ Although Sergeant grew up a big music fan, he was working toward becoming a chef when Echo & The Bunnymen made their live debut in 1978 at Eric’s Club in Liverpool. ∙ Their first album, 1980’s Crocodiles, was Top 20 hit in the UK, and NME included it on its list of the 50 Greatest Albums of the 1980s. ∙ The band recorded their 1984 album, Ocean Rain, with a 35-piece orchestra, and in later years they performed it with live orchestral accompaniment. ∙ Promoted with an Anton Corbijn-directed video, “Lips Like Sugar” was a US hit in 1987 and has since been covered by Coldplay and Smashing Pumpkins. ∙ “The Killing Moon” plays in the 2001 film Donnie Darko as Jake Gyllenhaal’s character bikes home after mysteriously waking up in a clearing.
- ORIGIN
- Liverpool, England
- FORMED
- 1978
- GENRE
- Alternative