From: owner-seven-seas@smoe.org (seven-seas-moderated-digest) To: seven-seas-moderated-digest@smoe.org Subject: seven-seas-moderated-digest V2 #297 Reply-To: seven-seas@smoe.org Sender: owner-seven-seas@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-seven-seas@smoe.org Precedence: bulk seven-seas-moderated-digest Monday, December 1 2003 Volume 02 : Number 297 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2003 17:58:52 -0000 From: "Barry Whiting" Subject: seven-seas-moderated seven-seas Royal Court review [2] From The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/reviews/story/0,11712,1096662,00.html) : Echo and the Bunnymen Royal Court, Liverpool // 3 stars // Dave Simpson Echo and the Bunnymen are celebrating the 25th year of a rollercoaster career. Bassist Les Pattinson has left twice and drummer Pete de Freitas exited permanently after a fatal motorcycle crash in 1989. Along the way, the band have survived drugs, despair and some very cumbersome overcoats to produce eight albums, at least four of which nudge rock's watermark a few miles higher. The opening 10 minutes are vintage Bunnymen. Entering to Gregorian chants for the first time in years, they deliver perfect renditions of early 1980s showstoppers Show of Strength and Rescue. However, in a microcosm of their history, the hometown show sees them constantly snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and vice versa. Guitarist Will Sergeant's beautiful playing aside, Ian McCulloch is the epicentre of the Bunnies' greatness - and their capacity to frustrate. Still fearsomely charismatic, he remains the master of through-a-hedge-backwards chic and the surreal anecdote. "This song was written by a bloke who looked like a liquorice allsort," he says at one point. "It goes... uh, I've forgotten it." However, years of hard living have taken their toll on his voice. The classic Killing Moon - with a croaking McCulloch helped through by the audience - is embarrassing. By contrast, the lower-keyed Rust is delivered with beauty and emotion, McCulloch excelling in his role as the errant prodigal son who invites love and forgiveness because of the twinkle in his eye. Silver and Dancing Horses skip youthfully. The percussive Zimbo - unexpectedly and movingly dedicated to De Freitas - is utterly majestic. However, only three songs date from after 1987. The newest, 1997's comeback hit Nothing Lasts Forever, begins beautifully but degenerates into a McCulloch ramble, powerfully demonstrating that even rock gods are ultimately mortal. ====================================== The Official Seven-Seas Web Page. www.bunnymenlist.com ====================================== ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2003 10:44:16 -0800 From: "Ivan Smith" Subject: seven-seas-moderated Classic Rock Magazine reissues review Classic Rock Christmas, 2003 Crystal Daze Simultaneously sumptuous and stark, Ian McCulloch's vocal drama brought casual class to a stumbling 80s rock scene. Echo & The Bunnymen Reissues (WSM) Celebrating their 25th anniversary, the Bunnymen reissue the first five studio albums from a career that has recently seen them honoured with a presigious Inspiration Award. The CDs arrive with new inner artwork and photos, personal comments and a spread of rare and previously unreleased material. Today's grand old men of rock, the Bunnymen began their journey proper with 1980's 'Crocodiles' (*** of 5). An ear-catching debut, in truth it's quite erratic, with assorted influences jockeying for position amid some rather unsophisticated arrangements. But it remains a triumph of spirit over content, and with its predominant moodiness, carried by an ambitious musicianship and Ian McCulloch's theatrical singing, the Bunnymen set out a stall that they would soon pile high with quality goods. 'Happy Death Men' is arguably the strangest track they've ever recorded, its jarring, disturbing staccato bringing the album to an heroic conclusion. With 1981's 'Heaven Up Here' (*****), the Bunnymen got it right. The instrumentation, effects and influences come together in a creative surge as The Doors rub shoulders with Del Shannon, David Bowie with Alice Cooper, rock with roll and funk and the military, while the band's overriding and vivid imagination speaks uniquely of themselves. The title track is a delightful drama, with Mac yodelling, howling and emoting fiercely, to an uproarious finale. The Bunnymen were still sounding big and clever two years later with 'Porcupine' (****). From the hearty melodies of 'The Cutter' to the cacophonous detour of 'The Back Of Love', from the hot-rock outbursts of 'Heads Will Roll' and the elaborate 'Porcupine to the electronic and percussive bustle of 'Gods Will Be Gods', the group are confident, in control of their variety - noodling and, worse, hand-clapping. They were moving closer to the mainstream. And the two worlds collided in 1984 when they fully mastered the art of tunefulness on 'Ocean Rain' (****). The heady 'Crystal Days', the jaunty twists of 'Silver' set against near-classical strings, and the bell-laden 'Seven Seas' amount to perfect pop melodies. 'The Killing Moon', comfortably straightforward, and Mac's willingness to relax his voice rather than push it to vainglorious extremes confirm it: the band had strolled easily into their next, creditable incarnation. Their new-found accessibility was evident again, although in smaller measure, on the long-awaited 'Echo & The Bunnymen' (***) in 1987, with guest keyboardist and hero Ray Manzarek of The Doors. Kicking off in infectious style with 'The Game' and the lithe and lovely 'Over You', the album sags under the weight of some unremarkable songs before recovering its style with a seductive 'Blue Blue Ocean' and the grandiloquent closer 'Satellite'. The reissue adds 'All My Life' as the final track, a song so gently, troublingly beautiful that you can't believe it was never previously released. Lesser bands would have killed for it. Carol Clerk > In a nutshell: Highlights from the early career of a band who threw > away better songs than many others ever write. - --- It isn't my fault! All outgoing mail from this computer is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.544 / Virus Database: 338 - Release Date: 11/25/2003 ====================================== The Official Seven-Seas Web Page. www.bunnymenlist.com ====================================== ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2003 14:05:29 -0600 (CST) From: amyr@jump.net (Amy Moseley Rupp) Subject: seven-seas-moderated Re: seven-seas Classic Rock Magazine reissues review > under the weight of some unremarkable songs before recovering its > style with a seductive 'Blue Blue Ocean' and the grandiloquent closer > 'Satellite'. The reissue adds 'All My Life' as the final track, a song > so gently, troublingly beautiful that you can't believe it was never > previously released. Lesser bands would have killed for it. Erm, was 'All My Life' *not* the final track on the UK release or something? It's always been the title track on my lowly cassette US version purchased at the time of release. ====================================== The Official Seven-Seas Web Page. www.bunnymenlist.com ====================================== ------------------------------ End of seven-seas-moderated-digest V2 #297 ******************************************