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Elly Roberts reviews
Korova/WMTV
- Released: September 2006
- Rating: 6/10
Best of comp from Liverpudians Echo and the Bunnymen, with two non-chart singles from 2001-2006.
In all, the alternative rock Scouse quartet scored 18 chart entries, none ofwhich were toppers. They came close with The Cutter and Nothing LastsForever, both peaking at 8. Their albums sold well too, highest was 1983’sPorcupine.Their trademark fusion of gloomy post-punk neo-psychadelia influenced by theDoors (here they cover People Are Strange to prove it), they turnedinto a cult band.
Led by Mac The Mouth Ian McCulloch, their moody atmospheric music combinedpunks effusiveness with the Doors poetic theatricality which set them apartfrom their contemporaries in the UK, but fell short of repeating theirhome-grown success in Europe and USA. Nevertheless, their influence issignificant, with bands like Suede and Coldplay giving them a nod.
Echo was formed after Mac was booted out of an early incarnation of TeardropExplodes. Originally a trio with bassist Will Sergeant and Les Pattinsonguitar, backed by Echo, a drum machine, only to be dropped for human drummerPete De Freitas. So the line up was complete for their cavalier attitude to themusic scene.
Laid in non-chronological order, we get all the singles that charted up to2001, and two others, this is a bumper collection for those who, like me,welcomed the end of punk, and a new dawn of music into the ’80s. Taking threeyears to get to the Top Ten, their early hits were bass heavy rip-roarers.
It took four years for the change: a more mature sound, with the arrival ofthe more subtle and expansive The Killing Moon, a genuine classicalt-pop song. The equally impressive Silver fared less well andsuccessive singles Seven Seas to People Are Strange kept themout of the Top 20 until a reunion in 1997 and Nothing Lasts Forever,that brought a new generation of fans.
Weblinks:Bunnymen.com /Joanne Burns PR.com
The full list of tracks included are :
1. The Cutter
2. The Back Of Love
3. The Killing Moon
4. Seven Seas
5. Never Stop
6. Rescue
7. I Want To Be There (When You Come In)
8. Dont Let It Get You Down
9. A Promise
10. Silver
11. People Are Strange
12. Do It Clean
13. The Game
14. Rust
15. Lips Like Sugar
16. Nothing Lasts Forever
17. Bring On The Dancing Horses
BONUS TRACKS 2001-2006
18. Hang Onto A Dream
19. Its Alright
20. Stormy Weather
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.