From: owner-seven-seas@smoe.org (seven-seas-digest) To: seven-seas-digest@smoe.org Subject: seven-seas-digest V4 #558 Reply-To: seven-seas@smoe.org Sender: owner-seven-seas@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-seven-seas@smoe.org Precedence: bulk seven-seas-digest Tuesday, November 22 2005 Volume 04 : Number 558 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2005 06:21:22 +1300 From: "Kristin Smith" Subject: seven-seas reuters.com http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=musicNews&storyID=2005- 11-22T070255Z_01_RID225184_RTRIDST_0_MUSIC-REVIEW-MUSIC-ECHO-DC.XML "Bunnymen" get NYC hopping Tue Nov 22, 2005 2:03 AM ET By Mick Stingley NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - The highly influential, curiously named post-punk British ensemble Echo and the Bunnymen romanced the sold-out crowd at New York's Irving Plaza on Sunday with an intimate evening of lush melodies and mournful pop spanning 25 years of the band's career. Opening with "Going Up," (the first track on the band's 1980 debut album "Crocodiles"), frontman Ian McCulloch chain-smoked his way through song after song, while Will Sergeant dazzled the crowd with his guitar work. The two are the only original members of the group, which was rounded out by four sidemen on drums, keys, bass and guitar. Nevertheless, it was the Ian and Will show from start to finish. Rightly so. Sergeant's driving riffs, haunting sustain and Spaghetti Western vibrato created the perfect soundscape for McCulloch to vamp on. The charging bass drive of the B-men's songs, the group's layered guitars and McCulloch's crooning was once a stark contrast to the commercial pop of the mainstream, yet now it seems delightfully contemporary, belying any nostalgia. Such bands as Embrace and Coldplay clearly revere the Bunnymen (in fact, Coldplay should be paying royalties, not just homage), so it was refreshing to see that the crowd was not just aging hipsters on an '80s pilgrimage, but a well-mixed collection of young and old. The band favored a set that was long on hits, though they worked in a couple of songs from the new release "Siberia" (Cooking Vinyl), notably the merry, shimmering pop number "Stormy Weather." "Bring on the Dancing Horses" and "Killing Moon" were standouts, while a medley of the Doors' "Roadhouse Blues" with "Villiers Terrace" cleverly demonstrated the band's muscular rock side. McCulloch, who wore his sunglasses throughout the night, has the breezy nonchalance and rakish charm of a Peter O'Toole character. As clear as his voice is when he croons, McCulloch is utterly unintelligible when addressing the audience between songs in his thick Liverpudlian accent. But that hardly mattered to the round-faced girls and stick-thin model types who cooed and danced to every song, shouting his name. Although they never charted on the U.S. pop singles chart, the band played two encores filled with college-radio hits. McCulloch yelped "Is this the blues I'm singing?" on "Rescue" and turned to plaintive shouting on the chorus of "The Cutter," before returning to throaty, soulful beauty on "Lips Like Sugar," a staple of every college mix-tape from the '80s. "Ocean Rain" closed the night, and fans hung around the stage hoping to catch a glimpse of McCulloch even as the house lights came up. Reuters/Hollywood Reporter ===================================================================== Bunnymen Online Presence: http://www.bunnymenlist.com * http://www.bunnymen.info * http://www.bunnymen.com * http://www.fotolog.net/sgtfuzz/ * http://www.villiersterrace.com * http://www.angelfire.com/wy2/discog/ * http://www.softskull.com/detailedbook.php?isbn=1-887128-89-6 * ====================================================================== ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2005 07:37:34 +1300 From: "Kristin Smith" Subject: seven-seas Bunnymen.com password scam Peter has posted this in the website forum: bIf you have received any emails from Bunnymen / info @bunnymen.com saying you have updated your password, please just trash them straight away. I am not sure why or by who are sending these out. I have a feeling they have a Virus of some kind attached to them. PLEASE DONbT OPEN THEM I have received 4 so far. THEY ARE NOT FROM BUNNYMEN.COMb ===================================================================== Bunnymen Online Presence: http://www.bunnymenlist.com * http://www.bunnymen.info * http://www.bunnymen.com * http://www.fotolog.net/sgtfuzz/ * http://www.villiersterrace.com * http://www.angelfire.com/wy2/discog/ * http://www.softskull.com/detailedbook.php?isbn=1-887128-89-6 * ====================================================================== ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2005 08:52:37 +1300 From: "Kristin Smith" Subject: seven-seas insidepulse.com http://www.insidepulse.com/articles/43633 Echo & The Bunnymen - Siberia Review Posted By Gregory Wind on 10.14.2005 A nice preview of what Coldplay might sound like in 15 years The Inside Pulse: Is it possible that Echo's echo is outlasting the original? With this release, the reunion is now five albums and eight years long. The band's original run with Sire has been matched in terms of both longevity and output. Of course, the question is if the crystal days have been matched in terms of quality, and the answer is a resounding "sort of." This release sounds like it was intentionally designed to package a few songs that will sound good next to the band's classics in concert rather than break any new ground. But this band has lasted long enough to have the core elements of its sound come right back in style, so why mess with what works? The execution is flawless aside from Ian's slightly, but noticeably aging voice. In fact, the execution is good enough that you really wish the band chose to move in a direction other than home. Most of the songs are comfortable reminders of what makes "Crocodiles," "Ocean Rain" or even the 1987 self-titled album excellent catalogue buys, but nothing here replaces the originals or offers anything else to recommend a celebration. In the end, I can see some radio plays for the new songs and fans who are looking for more of what they love will be happy to welcome songs like "Stormy Weather," "All Because of You," "Of a Life," "Siberia," and "What If We Are?" By my count, that roughly half the album and worth a purchase for those that can't get enough Echo. For the rest of us, aside from a couple nice tracks that stand on their own merit, it's "Bring on the Dancing Horses" because we've seen this act before. Positives: The sound is still there and some cuts fit very nicely alongside the best of previous albums. This kind of romantic pop is in vogue and there's no reason one should worship at the Coldplay altar while ignoring the worthwhile effort this band continues to make. It's good to see they can still put an album of new songs that aren't embarrassing, and in fact, earn forgiveness for the really regrettable solo/band(minus)charismatic lead singer releases following the first break up. Negatives: "Something got me thinking tonight about changes, changes. Somebody bought me a ticket tonight, dangerous, dangerous." Didn't lyrics like that die with the Mighty Lemon Drops? It's not really new. At all. There's a lull in the middle and the disk is a far more enjoyable listen if you skip three or four songs of your chioice. Cross-breed: It's a clone of Echo & The Bunnymen version 1.0, but for those without the prior experience, feel free to imagine a cross between Coldplay and the Doors. Reason to buy: You've heard a couple songs and have really connected with them, or you already have the Sire albums. Everyone else should start with the classics before picking this one up. ===================================================================== Bunnymen Online Presence: http://www.bunnymenlist.com * http://www.bunnymen.info * http://www.bunnymen.com * http://www.fotolog.net/sgtfuzz/ * http://www.villiersterrace.com * http://www.angelfire.com/wy2/discog/ * http://www.softskull.com/detailedbook.php?isbn=1-887128-89-6 * ====================================================================== ------------------------------ End of seven-seas-digest V4 #558 ********************************