The 500 - #463 - Echo and the Bunnymen - Heaven up Here

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

My plan (amended). 

• 1 or 2 records per week & at least 2 complete listens.
• A quick blog post for each, highlighting the important details and a quick background story.
• No rating scale - just an effort to expand my appreciation.

Album # 463

Album Title: Heaven Up Here
Artist: Echo and the Bunnymen
Released: May, 1981
My age at release: 15
How familiar am I with it: Not at all
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: Broke My Neck
Great Lyric:
Just when the thought occurs
The panic will pass
And the smell of the fields
Never lasts
We'll put your faith
In those crimson nights
Set sail
In those turquoise days
(Turquoise Days)

As I mentioned in a previous post about The Smiths, I wasn't a fan of many of the new-wave, post-punk bands of the late seventies and early eighties. A friend humourously dubbed them "And I don't know why?" bands because you can sing that lyric in a faux-British accent (punctuated with a tone of existential sadness) and it always seems to fit perfectly into any song from that genre. 

I'll admit, I've always liked the name of the band. It sounded like something Monty Python would dream up. It would fit perfectly in their Rock Notes Sketch from the Contractual Obligation Album.

It took several listens, but this album grew on me. I particularly like the bass work by Les Pattinson and the atmospheric rhythms created by drummer Pete de Freitas. The lyrics lean heavily on the stuff of twenty-something angst: hypocrisy, betrayal and the overwhelming feeling of lost potential. In a different life, I might have connected with this record when I was in my twenties. However, it came out when I was 15 and, at that time, I was deeply invested in the majesty of hard and progressive rock. Now, at 54, it doesn't land for me - but, it's an interesting snapshot of a different time and attitude.

Things I learned

• The album cover was photographed on a beach in South Wales, near the town of Porthcawl. Fish guts were spread across the sand to attract the birds that fly overhead.
• The band originally formed without a drummer and used a drum machine instead. Many fans assumed that the drum machine was "Echo". This has been denied by the band. Echo and the Bunnymen was a silly name suggested to them by a friend...there is no Echo.
• Only guitarist Will Sergeant has been with them in their many incarnations.