[…continued from last post]
“Angels + Devils”was the B-side to “Silver” and a sixties beat combo throwback with tambourine and 12-string guitars. The conspicuous lack of string orchestra and the presence of harisochord clearly marked this as being apart from the consistent vibe to be found on the album proper. That’s not to say that it was lacking writing chops and the religious undertones of the lyric marked it as being congruent with the themes, if not style of “Ocean Rain.”
It led gamely into the sitar drone of the next song. The “Play At Home” sessions were the B-sides to the “Seven Seas” 2×7” and 12” single. As originally released in the 80s, any voice over from the TV broadcast was included on the records, but here the performances were without talking over them. Finally.
A long and sprawling, even more rococo take on The Beatles “All You Need Is Love” was a lazy, hazy blend of clarinet and sitar. It was fun to hear Ian McCulloch start free associating other lyrics into the three minute coda at the halfway point. “She’s Loves You” and “Like A Rolling Stone” among the songs liberally quoted from. Ending a Beatles cover with the lyrics to “Sex Machine” by James Brown was a masterstroke in irreverence!
A stripped, down, faster, and brutally shortened take on “The Killing Moon” managed to get across with only a single violin and cello to its name. Will Sergeant managed to share the middle eight solo with a fruity clarinet. The cold ending was a shock, but the song managed to persist through the radical methodologies being thrown at it.
Next were a couple of songs from the “Crocodiles” album in “Stars Are Stars” and “Villiers Terrace.” The former having an tentative air while the latter was over twice the length of its album counterpart, with bongo percussion allowing it to sprawl via its extended introduction like some Moroccan cousin of a track from the first Blow Monkeys album.
The final three tracks were previously unreleased. The first was a “Play At Home” version of “Silver.” It managed to hit closer to the album mark than the other songs form this live session. De Frietas’ urgent drumming managing to kick the cello into high gear. McCulloch sounded almost giddy on the joyous “la-las” that closed the song out.
The final two live cuts were from the band’s appearance on The Tube. Mac managed to introduce “My Kingdom” as “another new one… off the greatest album ever made” and the crowd seemed to agree with their response. The cavernous acoustics of the takes here give a real “you are there” vibe to the recordings. “Ocean Rain” began appropriately intimate before ceding its stirring climax to the peals of Sergeant’s lovely guitar.
I have to admit that maybe one factor that stayed my hand on buying this album for so long may have been the notion that “The Killing Moon” is so great… how can the rest of this album measure up to such a standard? But the fact is that at the end of nine tracks, they all manage to cohere via the lush string work and on-point songwriting. Far beyond my expectation levels.
Not for nothing was the production of the album uniquely credited to ALL CONCERNED. Because this was an album where no one contributor dominated the program. The interplay between the vocals, drums, guitars, and bass with the orchestrations as well, gives each factor a moving spotlight that none can hold on to for too long a period.
And the religious subtext of the lyrics and frequent seagoing metaphors also allow it to cohere beyond its admittedly impressive sonic footprint. It sounds exactly like the album that a Liverpool band would have made as their mature fourth album statement. With the main album itself a trim 39 minutes to lull listeners into letting it play on repeat if possible.
The bonus materials rounded up everything except the extended A-sides for “Silver” and “The Killing Moon.” They are on the 2xCD version but none of the “Life At Brian’s” sessions or tracks from The Tube managed to make it over to the 2008 DLX RM; making this another one that collectors would need to hold on to.
As for where I go next, Rhino UK released a 2009 clamshell 5xCD with the first five albums in 2009 that commenter Tim mentioned today that sells for <$20 that should be my next move. As the appetite has been whetted by the too-long-in-waiting copy of “Ocean Rain” that turned out to be even better than I was imagining for nearly 40 years.
-30-
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Post-Punk Monk 
The E+tBM cover that I really like is Ian’s cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Lover, Lover, Lover” on his second solo album. Don’t get me wrong, LC’s original languid reading of it is excellent; Ian makes it angsty.
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As a massive fan of the Bunnymen, I welcome you to this very belated enjoyment of their masterpiece. Ocean Rain is pretty near perfect, and while it might be a cliche, I do rank The Killing Moon as one of my most favorite songs ever (it’s on the playlist for my funeral!). Every time I see the band live and Mac introduces The Killing Moon by flatly stating that it’s the greatest song ever written, I have to think…yeah mate, you may be right. Few songs still give me goosebumps after decades of listening, but this one does. The high drama begins even before we’re under that blue moon. It’s just sheer majesty.
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Taffy – Yep. That nailed it. I’m roped in as soon as Sergeant begins playing. Actually, the wind foley effects at the start of the video perhaps should have been on the album.
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I love this album. It was one of the ones that “hooked” me on “alternative” music. I think it was the fall of 85 when I heard it. I was exposed to this, Eurythmics (more than the couple of songs that were on the radio), Ramones, Damned, and that was the gateway. It may not be a perfect album, but it is a contender.
Saw Echo + The Bunnymen in…. 2004 and they SUCKED as a live band. I was so disappointed. Then I saw them about 10 years ago again on a bill, they weren’t the band we bought tickets to see, and they redeemed themselves.
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postpostmoderndad – “Ocean Rain” is such a rococo album, it really seemed to me in 1984 as the antithesis of Modernism, which was where my interests lay. So that might have also factored into my reluctance to pick up a copy, though the thought was there from day one. I only saw them once in 1988, in Orlando at the Bob Carr PAC. I don’t recall the show much. As I went without owning a single E+TB disc, that may have been why. The music just wasn’t under my skin; apart from the singles I saw videos for on MTV. It might have been great, but I wasn’t ready. Shortly afterward, I began my policy of always buying at least the new album before seeing a band.
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I was actually referring to the Crystal Days box set. Wasn’t familiar with the other one.
https://www.discogs.com/master/246883-Echo-The-Bunnymen-Crystal-Days-1979-1999
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Tim – Ah. That’s a decent box heavily salted with rare cuts. Pricier, but still affordable.
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I think I saw a used one on Discogs for about $35, which is not really that bad.
I have mixed feelings about sets like this and the Roxy Music one where there’s a mix of truncated albums and rarities.
On one hand you buy a nice overview of the bands output, on the other hand you have albums missing 2-3 tracks. When the set is 4-5 cds clipping a couple of tracks off of each album seems like a kick in the pants.
The E+TB works for me because I am not that heavily invested in them. All the high points are represented here, nice collection of mixes, you get the People are Strange cover from the Lost Boys soundtrack, some nice live cuts, a good representation.
I have the album you’re reviewing here, this box set and the Ian solo albums and I am good.
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Tim – If they can’t provide full albums plus rarities, then what’s the point? Projects like the Police box or “Citizen Steely Dan” provide the albums across various discs which is compact and efficient, but at least you get the full album. Even if it’s split across two discs. Another thing is where the album is discrete on the first disc, and rarities are on other discs, but I don’t want wasted space after the album, and some rarities missing because they wouldn’t fit on the other discs in the set. Personally, I like the albums discrete but then give me a big box full of rarities. Separately. It’s what I do in my spare time.
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I think on some level, especially before the ubiquity of ala carte mp3/flac purchases, it could be seen as a way to hook someone and finesse a double dip out of it. Buy the box set, like an album that is missing three tracks, head out and buy the album.
Some tracks on some albums you aren’t missing anything. Massive Attack -Protection, the live “Light My Fire” or Pet Shop Boys – Elysium and “Winner” both spring to mind.
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Tim – It may be cynical but you’re possibly right. A 4xCD with 70% of the albums and rarities is neither fish nor flesh. And will only serve as a gateway to further purchases. A more succinct overview should be no more than 2xCD for new ears that may end up buying the full albums.
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Over time, you get familiar and comfortable with these great songs, so beautifully performed … but then, if you’re lucky, some time and distance takes you away for a while, and when you come back you can again bask in the wonderful wash of the perfectly produced pop on offer, like a long-awaited dinner with an old friend.
For what it sets out to accomplish as well as what brings to the table, Ocean Rain is a nearly flawless jewel that embodies the best of all of their previous efforts, and shines particularly bright given the backdrop of the decline of the musical class of 1979-81.
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