Echo & the Bunnymen remasters thread...

Noticed this band also lacks its own thread. Seminal post-punk romantic Liverpool band influenced heavily by the Doors, but possessing its own totally unique sound. Great abstract guitar player and fantastic drummer who was killed all too soon. I would describe their early sound as "anxiety rock", very taught, frayed, and worried, almost paranoid, but still hopelessly pop-y, romantic, open and accessible. The lead singer and lyricist, Ian McCulloch is just genius, spitting out awesome yet unhinged and dis-connected lyrics that somehow make perfect sense. No one like them before or since. Considered themselves the "best band in the world" in their early/mid 80's hey-day, and based on their first few albums, hard to deny they were among the best of their time.

Very recently, their fabled first 5 albums have been re-released in expanded remastered form on Rhino by Inglot & Hersch. Yet these remasters only benefit slightly from the process, which helps confirm my suspicion that with all the remastering Inglot & Hersch do, maybe they have two rigs, one excellent, the other OK, on which they do their remastering work. Less popular artists like Echo end up on their lesser rig and get less time spent on them than their major "big" acts.

OK, that's just a conspiracy theory. Still these 2004 remasters represent a significant, but *perhaps* not definitive version of these records, IMO (have to hear the original masters to know for sure). They also contain a host of unreleased material, that in many cases is worth-while, but is typically scatter-shot. These remasters are also lacking many of the "proper" versions of their big songs that fans would know-- where are the right versions of "Never Stop" and "Bring On The Dancing Horses"? Still, small quibbles with otherwise very good remasters with entertaining yet enigmatic booklets/liner notes. These albums are rightly considered some of the cream of the "New Wave" crop with good reason. Totally recommended!

Mark

 

Saw Echo 1988 at Radio City in NYC.

AWESOME.

Encored with "Soul Kitchen."

One of my fave bands.

 

What is the "right version" of Never Stop? I thought that was a single only release.

Barry

 

The normal version that's on Songs to Learn and Sing. The remaster of Porcupine only has the so-called "Disco-teque" version which is not the same.

 

Haven't heared the new remasters.Purchased the uk best of comp Ballyhoo-the best of in '97 sounds pretty good.Was very dissapointed they left off the 12'' mix of Lips Like Sugar not only on the box but the album when they remastered it.One of the best 12'' of an 80's alternative song IMO.Was able to get a remastered version of it on a budget cd called Flasback 80's Club Classics for $6 the only other cd it appaered upon was the now oop Sire Winter Sampler.

 

Hi, I had Ballyhoo too, it's definitely an improvement over Songs to Learn And Sing. The remasters are on the same level as Ballyhoo. That is, sound quality is just as good.

 

I've only got one of their CDs- you guessed it, it's Ocean Rain. Of course I picked it up after hearing The Killing Moon, which to me is one of the better songs put out in the 80s, period.

I like the whole album quite a bit- the production is very stripped down and 'mysterious' sounding (?) and the guitar breaks on some songs are anarchic, all the more because of context (acoustic instruments).

It's quite a brooding album- Yo-Yo Man sounds like a cabaret number for a funeral! But it has a strong opener, and a stronger closer. And numbers like Thorn Of Crowns which appear stupid at first, but then grown on you.

The sound on the CD I have is very much the same as on many 80s CDs- 'OK'. A bit unenthusiastic but I'll take this any day over today's hyped-up mastering jobs.

 

The only band I could compare with Echo and The Bunneymen would be The Teardrop Explodes.The Teardrop Explodes was Julian Cope's 1st band-maybe from the same town as Echo-not shure about that.Released two critically praised albums Killimanjaro(80)and Wilder(81).Both were reissued about 2 years ago in HDCD with bonus tracks in the uk.Very dreamlike lyrics/music-definately worth picking up IMO.

 

Hi Damien, you should dig back earlier to Porcupine, Heaven Up Here, or even Crocodiles. Not as lush but better albums by many people's estimation. These new remasters are much better than the earlier ones, not "overhyped", but maybe not "hyped" enough...

 

I think the remastered Ocean Rain sounds a little bright. The original UK cd is not as bright, but then again I'm not sure if it sounds any better. It's more or less a toss-up. I play the original since it always bugs me when bonus tracks start up after the 'end' of an album.

Minor complaint: This was a band that had excellent LP covers, but the Ocean Rain remaster has muddy/poorly reproduced artwork. The old UK (not US!) cd looks better.

Vinyl note: I have an original UK pressing of the 'grey' album, and in comparison w/the CD remaster, the CD wins. It has greater dynamic range and richer sound overall (although, like Ocean Rain, it's kinda bright).


- joe s

 

Gotcha, There was a 7" and 12" single in 1983. The box set had the 12" version and you are correct in saying that they should have put the 7" version on the remaster. Oh well, not the first screw-up and definitely not the last.

Barry

 

I saw Echo & the Bunnymen in Detroit once in 1981. All I have by them is on vinyl: 'Crocodiles,' 'Heaven Up Here,' and a 4-song live soundtrack EP called 'Shine So Hard.'

 

You better check out Ocean Rain. "Killing Moon" is a classic track. The rest of the album is not too shabby either.

 

I really, really beg to differ. I bought 'em all and compared 'em with the original US discs, and I couldn't be more happy. The soundstage is wider and the "eat my head" midrange is greatly reduced. Of course, none of them are sonic marvels, but I think they're a pretty damn big upgrade.

 

Well, you both may be right. I think the US CDs came out many years before the UK ones did and Sire may have used LP masters which would have been incorrectly eq'd for CD. At least, I thought I remember hearing that a lot of the early WEA US titles had this problem.

I'm guessing they didn't include the original versions of BotDH and Never Stop since they were already released on the Songs to Learn and Sing album. That's the case in the UK anyway. On the US version, Never Stop (discoteque) was substituted but not noted as such. I like both versions but agree that they should have split them between the box and Porcupine reissue instead of putting discoteque on both.

The remixes of Lips Like Sugar were only released on the US 12" so perhaps that's why they weren't included.

And, it's true, they are a fantastic band live! One of my favorites actually. I saw them again last year at the Inland Invasion show in LA and they still sound great. Overall, I was happy with the box and remastered albums. I've never even heard of some of the bonus tracks so that was a surprise and hearing Jimmy Brown on CD instead of the 50th generation cassette copy I had was very rewarding! I compared a couple of the remastered tracks with Japanese CDs from about 12 years ago and they sound pretty close but as was mentioned, they're a little brighter sounding.

 

Nice to see Echo fans here (and Teardrop Explodes). I am slowly purchasing all the remastered CDs. I currently have the first 4. Have been spinning Porcupine over the past couple of days. These discs have some nice bonus tracks to compliment the material that was presented on the 4 CD box set a couple of years back.

Other artists, re-issue producers, labels, should use the Echo & The Bunnymen remastered CDs and box set for a "how to". Tha
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I have the early 1990s U.S. CDs of Kilimanjaro and Wilder as well as original Canadian and Euro vinyl. How do the HDCD remasters sound?

 

Fans of early Echo would likely also be into the Church and the Go-Betweens.

 

Reviving this thread with a question--

I finally picked up the remastered edition of "Echo and the Bunnymen" (aka the "Gray Album") for the bonus tracks and noticed either a digital glitch or drop out on the extended version of "Bring on the Dancing Horses".

Is this on ALL of the editions out there? It's about 5 minutes or so into the song or maybe it's just a bad edit.

Thoughts?

I'm getting back into EABM after about 13 years away from them because of some negative memories when I was really into the band way back when.

 

Interesting, Mine's fine, what's the exact time? Did yours come with the cardboard outer slip?

 

Don't have it handy at the moment (it's in the car--it's around the 4:30-5 m mark. Mine came without the cardboard slip. Does thst indicate a different mastering?

 

(shakes head) holds up echo and the bunny men Heaven Up Here cassette from 1992....suppose i need to upgrade!

 

Yeah...I hadn't dug into any Echo in a long time due to a bad time in my life that got associated with the music...took some t e to get back I to it. The original CDs weren't great sounding as I recall (at least the US) and while the remasters have issues as well they were worthwhile picki g up for the go bonus tracks.

It's a pity that I couldn't listen to them for a LP g t e as both Crocodiles and Heaven Up Here were two of my fav albums I. M 20's. Porcupine a bit less of a fav but I always liked Breaking the Back of Love and a handful of other tracks. Interestingly, Echo and The Binnymen was always a fav as well and I never. Doers told the dislike for it among many fans. Yes,it's cleaner and less cluttered in terms of the arrangement but the material is darn good.

 

Big fan of Heaven Up Here - was overjoyed to finally find a copy on vinyl.

 

I have the reissue of the "Ocean Rain" LP on backorder. Am looking forward to give it a rundown vs. the US 80's LP, when it finally shows up. Great album.