Mersey sound stalwarts, Echo & The Bunnymen, have a pseudo-cult status among the same generation that bumbled ‘Robert Smith like’ out of the punk era and into the ‘new alternative’ of the early eighties. Now reformed with maturity they are enjoying a renaissance on many stages occupied by their protégé’s.

So to the re-issue of 1984’s Ocean Rain; the disc was heralded as their landmark release and spawned hit singles including absolute classic ‘The Killing Moon’. Singer Ian McCulloch, as always is as prolific in the surreal as he is in the poetic, whilst the trademark experimentation of ethereal guitars have the power to draw you from the dark. So, without doubt, Ocean Rain is one of their best albums, and deserves its mantel.

However, as with all great albums succumbing to the inevitable re-release, there is of course that optional ‘super bonus, extra buy incentive’ accompanying the re-issue. If the band had attached current live versions of old classics this would have been a superb addition to the package, but a ropey 1984 recorded live album does nothing more than slingshot their current relevance back into history without even a nod to their recent resurgence.‘Ocean Rain’s shine has diminished, though arguably its influence has not. E&TB are most definitely ‘radar slippers’ in the stratosphere of iconic musical hero’s, but there’s a plethora of alterno-pop bands out there blissfully unaware of The Bunnymens’ hand in their own current sound. For some of those bands, a journey to find the Father they never knew awaits, for others this would be simply a be a memory lane driven collection filler.

2.5 Stars

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites