Echo & the Bunnymen Album: “Crocodiles”

Crocodiles was the assured debut album from Liverpool's Echo & the Bunnymen, when contrasted to U2's debut Boy (also 1980) it is hard to believe that the Bunnymen didn't end up the biggest band in the world. Sure, the Bunnymen were influenced by other acts- notably Bowie & Television- but here they transcend and advance on those influences (see the earlier versions of Villiers Terrace & Pride, or the Peel Sessions recorded with a drum machine to see how they'd advanced). The classic (& only) line-up of Ian McCulloch (Vocals/Guitar), Will Sergeant (lead guitar), Les Pattinson (bass) & the late Peter De Freitas (drums) had honed themselves into a tight outfit, having released a single entitled The Pictures on My Wall prior to signing to Korova & recording this album.

Ian Broudie (Lightning Seeds, Big in Japan- later producer of Porcupine)was the initial producer, the robust version of Pride & classic single Rescue are helmed by him. The rest of the album was recorded at the fabled Rockfield Studios in Wales, & produced by Bill Drummond (Echo&Teardrops manager, late of the KLF) & David Balfe (Teardrop Explodes, later owner of Food Records)- both give the Bunnymen the perfect production. Julian Cope in Head On reveals that he was upset that the trademark Teardrops brass sound got its first outing on record: a Bunnymen record (see the anthemic Happy Death Men- another Camus reference next to those from Smiths Mark E & Robert...).

Going Up is the brilliant opening track, building up from a wall of noise to a pulsing rocker- it is fair to note that The Stone Roses did a very similar thing on their 1989 debut album (also recorded at Rockfield). Next up is one of the Bunnymen's greatest moments- Stars are Stars- a wonderful melancholy with a lead vocal that seems to duet with itself (the same trick is found on the re-recording of Sleeping Gas for Kilimanjaro). Nothing can beat such lines as "I caught a falling star- it cut my hands to pieces". Stars are Stars seems to tie in with the album cover- long coats, autumnal colours- there's a sense of melancholy (which would turn to miserablism on the bleak follow-up Heaven Up Here, an album which veers to close to self pity & the lyrics in Joy Division's Decades rumoured to be about Echo: "Here are the young men, the weight of the world on their shoulders...where have they been?"); it's the good youthful kind though! Pride is good old teen angst, it's easy to see the lineage from Echo to bands like Nirvana & Radiohead here; Monkeys (originally known as Bagsy Yours) has more chiming guitar from Sergeant. A wonderful melancholic anthem, a wonderful sense of space later found on the early recordings of Ride; the title track alternately is almost violent, a slashing rocker with racing pulses as rhythms. "I said "Hey what you doing today?- I'm gonna do it tomorrow!"- the lyrics are justifiably full of it, not many bands could how a candle to this lot at the time.

Villiers Terrace seems to be about that mysterious plain teens enter that centres around hedonism ("mixing up the medicine") & features more keyboards from Balfe- who also features heavily on the re-recorded Pictures on My Wall. Pictures...remains one of the Bunnymen's greatest moments, what Stars are Stars was on the first side, Pictures...was on the second. The album proper than closes on the angular All That Jazz (which has a guitar part remininscent of Joy Division's Digital) & Happy Death Men (which is about as musically adventerous as the band would get till Porcupine).

There are several bonus tracks, though the early takes of Pride & Villiers are of academic interest really; two takes of Simple Stuff is fine, though where is The Puppet? This great song seems to have been disowned, where it once featured as a bonus track on earlier versions of Crocodiles & on compilation Songs to Learn and Sing, it's now vanished from the latest career retro Ballyhoo. Sadly you can only get it on the Crystal Days boxset, which can't be right! Still, it's nice to hear the best version of Read It In Books (aka Books) which was co-written by McCulloch with Julian Cope when they were in The Crucial Three with Pete Wylie. It remains much better than the versions by Teardrop Explodes (on Kilimanjaro) & Julian Cope (as a b-side in the late 80s)Even better is fantastic single Do It Clean, which has a wonderful garage-organ sound- no surprise that the Bunnymen (or what's left of them) still play this...

Finally there are a few tracks from the camo-obssessed Shine So Hard e.p. - pulsing takes of Crocodiles & All That Jazz with two Heaven Up Here tracks Over the Wall & Zimbo (aka All My Colours)- great stuff, though all you need is the original album, Simple Stuff, Do It Clean, Books & the absent Puppet!

Crocodiles remains one of the great debut albums, easily cutting the mustard against such albums as Horses, The Stooges, The Stone Roses & The Modern Dance. A welcome reissue...

'Crocodiles' is a masterpiece of angular guitar, romanticism, and dynamic moodiness. it is one of those records that has the energy to grab you by the gut the first time you hear it, and the depth to remain compelling years later. It is a stunning debut from a band working on instinct and adrenaline.

So much has been written about this record over the last two decades, so I should limit myself to comments on this deluxe release. Packaged in a wrap-around paper sleeve, the front cover art is maintained but the back cover is perversely changed. The extra photos and liner notes that are trumpeted so loudly on the sticker are more annoying than anything else. The original art is mixed up with new stuff, and tiny versions of single sleeves only hint at what the vinyl actually looks like. There are no lyrics or discography.

In addition to the 10 album tracks, two versions previously included on the American issue are found here, plus 'Simple Stuff', the b-side to 'Rescue'. There are three versions previously unreleased. 'Pride' is simply inferior to the dynamic album version. 'Villiers Terrace' is sans piano and hence rockier, with some different backing vocals. It's good to hear a pre-Balfe version of this track. 'Simple Stuff' comes complete with Echo the drum machine, and is the only true revelation, being much more compelling than the previously released take. Then follows the four-track live 'Shine So Hard' EP, mysteriously unavailable on CD until now. Recorded in between this album and its follow-up, it illustrates what a brilliant band The Bunnymen were live.

The remastering has rendered the sound crisper than before. With so many wonderful tracks it is perhaps niggling to wonder where 'The Puppet' is, but it does belong here, especially as the b-side is present. Forcing us to buy still more CDs are they?

Not a perfect release, then, but since the first 10 tracks are worth five stars, so too must this be.

You are sure to feel the immediacy of this CD - a band certain of its importance arriving on the scene. I don't think the band could have envisioned a better debut for themselves even when they first started jamming together. It has that mysterious, Doorsy psychedelic feel - and they were all major, major Doors fans - while showcasing their punk credibility - important at the time especially and still a timeless ingredient. This has the strongest psychedelic feel along with Heaven Up Here of the band first four albums, all of which are classics. However, Crocodiles is built on melodies- great melodies from top to bottom - whereas Heaven Up Here is based heavily on atmospheres, making them two completely, completely different albums - but definitely linked by the Bunnymen's distinct sound. It also sounds more restrained and focused than the other Bunnymen classics, foregoing the elaborate, ambitious, HUGE sound of Porcupine and to a lesser extent Ocean Rain. I also don't think Will Sergeant's guitar playing sounds as unique as it does later even and especially as soon as a year later on Heaven Up Here, the watershed album for all of post-punk guitar IMO. The band together plays just exponentially greater than the sum of its parts here - something great to hear.

All in all, this is one of the rare albums that is solid from top to bottom with absolutely no filler and that maintains an intense, cool vibe throughout as well. After a few spins, it has become my second favorite Bunnymen album - a high mark considering I'm a huge Bunnymen fan. I highly recommend it!!!

Echo & the Bunnymen are an unusual band in the sense that most (if not all) of the songs on many of their albums are rather outstanding. Many other bands compose filler material to shove in between more exceptional tracks, but this isn't the case with Echo & the Bunnymen. Every song on "Crocodiles", as with the rest of their albums, is complex and clever enough to be interesting and listenable, yet not too intellectual or overambitious.

It could be due to the fact that all of the instruments are in harmonious agreement with one another. Nothing dominates the soundscape. The vocals, guitar, bass, and drums are all powerful enough to carry the songs smoothly and effectively. They also have a combination of talented bands to cite as influences, like The Doors, Television, and The Velvet Underground. The presence of these bands can definitely be felt in the pace of the songs, vocal delivery, guitar riffs, and style of lyrics. Still, Echo & the Bunnymen somehow manages to create a unique, solitary sort of sound.

Each of their albums tend to evoke a certain mood, and "Crocodiles" is definitely the rawest and edgiest of them all. Though many of the tracks are brief (less than 3 minutes long), I would sooner hear a thoughtfully arranged short track than a long and laborious one. What's more, this re-mastered edition includes ten extra tracks: two B-sides ("Do It Clean" and "Simple Stuff"), one originally included in the US version ("Read it in Books"), three early versions of songs ("Villiers Terrace", "Pride", and "Simple Stuff"), and four live songs ("Crocodiles", "Zimbo", "All That Jazz", and "Over the Wall")! These additional tracks are a nice bonus, as any material from this fantastic band is much appreciated!

Dear Fellow Bunnymenheads,

I agree with your criticism over the poor liner notes, especially the lack of lyrics. However, the track sequencing was done like this on purpose, since it is in the original UK release order, not that of the US release.