It's been a while...

I have not been sat behind this computer screen to compose a blog for a good few months, to be honest, I just haven’t had the inclination to write. So here goes, by way of a catch up.

After nearly five weeks off work – typical really I haven’t really been bothered or had the time to update this here blog and suddenly I back at work with seemingly less time on my hands than before - I’m suddenly compelled to wax lyrical. Having lay awake in bed until after 3 am on Wednesday morning, it was back to work later that day and back into the routine.

To say the summer weather has been something of a disappointment is an understatement – though as someone who has probably spent most of my holiday indoors - I can’t say that I didn’t really worry that the weather was so poor.

The always ever-present list of jobs to do and things that I hoped to accomplish went out the window in the first couple of weeks. The joining of a gym and the purchase of a new bike has not happened.

Part of the planning was that the time was to be spent doing a number of routine DIY jobs that I had been planning to get around to over the last few months. This I hoped would only take a couple of weeks – leaving me with plenty of time to get on with the fore mentioned stuff.

No such luck I’m afraid, one job led to another and before I knew it – I’m back at work contemplating a long, long term and the next break, that will be at Christmas.

The plan with the DIY was to tile the kitchen floor and change the decor, as well as this I was planning to change the bathroom suite and fit an extractor fan in the bathroom. What I hadn’t planned was the fact that I had to get the floor leveled, the electrics rewired and the fact that the water stopcock hadn’t been set up properly – thus adding delays and further cost to my plans.

Also, just to stop me twiddling my thumbs, I decided to paint my bedroom too. I think I’m probably depicting this as some sort of heroic solo effort here – thankfully I had the help of my Mum and Dad to call on to help me with many of the jobs.

I do feel as though I’m imposing on them at times, but bizarrely they are always on at me, asking when I’m decorating, as they want something to do – there is never really a time when they aren’t tackling something like this at their own home. So this is probably like another extended project for them. So I’m back at work and the job is still unfinished. Thankfully they are on hand to help finish the job for me, all for the price of an endless supply of HobNobs, coffee and the occasional takeaway.

I did manage to leave the house for a reasonable amount of time; one of the highlights of the summer was going to London to catch up with friends Barry and Ann. I went down for a long weekend and had a great time. I was treated to a visit to a great pub not far from where they lived, as well as a visit to the numerous great sites that London has to offer. As well some great restaurants and bars too.

I managed to see a number of things while I was down there, there main thing I wanted to see was the Gormley exhibition at the Hayward - which was good. I also had the chance to visit the Tate for the first time – generally the weekend was spent drinking and eating too much - that’s normally a recipe for a good time in my books.



Speaking of the Tate, I went to the Liverpool version to see the Peter Blake exhibition, which was a little disappointing to say the least. For someone who was synonymous with the Beatles, this period of his career was strangely overlooked – especially considering that the exhibition was in Liverpool too.

I normally attend the Beatles festival every summer, this year I have decided to not bother (it is actually taking place this weekend) though I did managed to indulge in a bit Beatles related nostalgia last weekend when I gave a friend of mine from Stoke a tour of the Beatles Story and all the other haunts around the city.

A dream possibly came true for me over the summer, my obsession with all things Echo and the Bunnymen has been chronicled here and this obsession was satiated when St Helens third Eclectica festival had the Bunnymen as the headline act.




There was a double bonus was that John Power was also on the bill too. Both acts were on fine form – I missed the first bits of his set as I arrived late as I attended the first Everton game of the season – which wasn’t that great, though thankfully we won.




One down spot over the summer was the death of my neighbour Jim. He was in his late 70s and had been ill for some time. He had been fading for a while and the neighbours and I had rallied around to look after him – I even at one point had to get up and call an ambulance at 3 in the morning after he had a fall and I could here him calling through the walls.

He was a nice man but a bit of a stubborn bugger. He didn’t really have family that come to help him and he also refused to go in a home. This would have been better for him, as his quality of life would have been better for the last few months. Having lived in the same house for his 79 years he finally got his final wish, he said to me a few months before he died that: “There’s no bloody way I’m going in a home, they will have to carry me out in a box.” Which sadly what they did.

Another sad event this summer was the passing of Anthony H Wilson - a great man. Without his vision, mine and many others record collections would be devoid of the great bands he signed and nurtured. He was often regarded as someone who hated Liverpool, it was probably the case it was had a blinkered view of Manchester at the expense of all other places. It was telling that Liverpool bands who had met him came out with equally glowing tributes as those of the bands from Manchester. Ian McCulloch did so at the Eclectica festival.



I have also listened to a fair bit of music over the summer - catching up with old stuff that I seldom listen to and buying far too many Cds. I would have bought more if I didn’t have the afore mentioned DIY to worry about. Those that I listened to so far, I have enjoyed the Editors, The White Stripes, Feist, and The Coral – which is probably one of the best things released this year.

I managed to get through a good number of books over the summer mainly books that have gathered dust on the bottom shelf of my bookcase. I finally got around to finishing Bob Dylan’s Chronicles, which is great read, but it will make more sense when the other volumes are published. Volume one jumps from the early part of his career to 1967 - then on to a pint later on in his career.

Apart from the trials and tribulations listed it’s been a reasonably good summer – onwards and upwards to Christmas. I may even blog at some point before then.

Echo and the Bunnymen - More Songs To Learn and Sing(Korova)

Track List CD: The Cutter, The Back Of Love, The Killing Moon, Seven Seas, Never Stop, Rescue, I Want To Be There (When You Come), Don't Let It Get You Down, Promise, Silver, People Are Strange, Do It Clean, The Game, Rust, Lips Like Sugar, Nothing Lasts Forever, Bring On The Dancing Horses, Hang On To A Dream, It's Alright, Stormy Weather

Track List DVD: The Cutter, The Killing Moon, Seven Seas, Bring On The Dancing Horses, Game, Lips Like Sugar, Nothing Lasts Forever, Rust

With the release of this record it gives a respected cult band another chance to gain the attention that a number of these songs deserve. Backed by a decent promotional campaign, this compilation is a timely reminder of the bands near legendary status.

The title of this record suggests that this collection picks up where the 80s compilation, Songs To Learn and Sing left off. This in fact is a more encompassing collection of their hits than that particular album. It is also more comprehensive than the 1997 retrospective Bedbugs and Ballyhoo, an album released to cash in on the Bunnymen comeback, after a near decade hiatus.

Released on the recently reactivated Korova label - More Songs, covers all points of the band’s Warner Brothers career and includes bonus tracks from their last three releases.

The band is still a going concern and these days and consists of guitarist Will Sergeant and the redoubtable singer Ian McCulloch. Sadly drummer Pete De Freitas is no longer with us, he died in a motorbike accident towards the first phase of the bands career. Original bassist Les Pattinson, has now retired and working in a boat yard in Lancashire.

The early classics make up the bulk of this compilation, with The Cutter opening up the proceedings for this twenty-track reflection of the great and the good of a long and winding career.

It is taken as read that the Mac-free Bunnymen (or the Bogusman as Mac branded them) songs are not included here, but it does include a couple of interesting selections alongside the obvious classics such as the Cutter, Seven Seas and the Killing Moon.

Included is the rare curio Hang On To A Dream, the Tim Hardin classic that popped up on the Internet-only release Avalanche and is given a full release here for the first time.

The comeback hit Nothing Lasts Forever still sounds as fresh as it did when it was released in 1997. It doesn’t stray far from the formula of the early classics such as the Killing Moon and Ocean Rain; a song surprisingly omitted from this collection.

The cigarette soaked croon of a mature Mac gives the song that classic status that would have seen Sinatra clamour to record such a finally crafted tune - if he was still around today.

One thing that is interesting to note is how the lyrics become less ambiguous as their career progresses. The lyrics become less Buffalo and Bison / Bison and Buffalo, and start to explore more personal themes as Stormy Weather from Siberia highlights - a song which chronicles a love gone wrong.

They may be something of a diehard’s choice these days, but the quality of the songs particularly on the last album show that it’s likely that the Bunnymen will be around for a few more years.

This album would be the perfect introduction for someone who has seen their name linked in reviews with the latest crop of bands that have been influenced by the Bunnymen’s sound.

This is a well thought out compilation and it is released, not just to cash in on the back of the inclusion of a song on a soundtrack or a reformation, but it pays tribute to the enduring qualities of the Bunnymen as a band.

If you catch it early this compilation includes a DVD of a number of the bands promos over time released on DVD for the first time.
Posted by Paul at 11:17 PM 0 comments Links to this post

Echo and the Bunnymen

Liverpool Carling Academy, Saturday 17th December 2005

Set list: Going Up, Show of Strength, Stormy Weather, Bring on the Dancing Horses, Seven Seas, The Disease, Scissors in the Sand, All That Jazz, The Back of Love, The Killing Moon, In the Margins, Never Stop, Villiers Terrace, Of a Life, Rescue, The Cutter, Nothing Lasts Forever
Lips Like Sugar, Ocean Rain

It’s Christmas, time for the now traditional seasonal Bunnymen hometown gig. This year sees a second night added.

It has been a good year for Bunnymen fans – it was the year, which saw the release of ‘Siberia’ – an album that has been described as a return to form and one that certainly evokes memories of the past.

It may well have something to do with the fact that Hugh Jones who’d previously produced ‘Heaven Up Here’, back on production duties. The talk of a classic Bunnymen album is probably not that wide of the mark.

Numerous reviews have alluded to a return to form – though this is seemingly always the case with new Bunnymen releases. It certainly has its fair share of magical moments that will keep the diehards happy. It is an album that has been described by Ian McCulloch as coming in from the cold hence the title ‘Siberia’. It’s a position that normally fires the band to record their best work especially when they are written off. It’s an album that sees the main protagonists on top form.

The so-called return to form is also a good recipe for the live dates and tonight sees the Mac and Will certainly on top of their game. There is certainly no feeling of going through motions after last night’s home gig.

The set list has a familiar ring to it. Though it may be a tried a tested format it is invigorated by the inclusion of ‘Going Up’ to start the proceedings. There is also the inclusion of a number of new songs from ‘Siberia’ that are not out of place amongst the list of classic Bunnymen tunes.

The two singles ‘Stormy Weather’ and ‘In the Margins’ plus ‘Scissors in the Sand’ are given an airing tonight. They are well received by the fans and certainly compliment the rest of the bands twenty-five year plus material.

Now with a collection of records going back over a quarter of a century there is always going to be the odd song omitted from the set list that disappoint the diehard. One song I was glad to see omitted was ‘Over Wall’ – my recently sprained ankle certainly would not have lasted another 8 minutes longer tonight – normally I would feel short-changed by its omission.

It was another cracking live experience to keep the home crowds happy for another year. Though on tonight’s form I think it would be advisable for the band to book a third night next year.

Echo and the Bunnymen

Friday 17th December 2004
Liverpool Carling Academy

Set List: Going Up, With a Hip, Rescue, Seven Seas, Dancing Horses, Buried Alive, Crocodiles, Back Of Love, The Killing Moon, Never Stop, Zimbo, Villiers Terrace, Show Of Strength, Lips Like Sugar, The Cutter, Nothing Lasts Forever, Loose, Joe, Over The Wall, Ocean Rain.

In what looks like becoming a regular occurrence the Bunnymen took to the stage for this pre-Christmas show, with no album to promote Ian and Will rattled through a set of classics and old favourites; that kept the audience, who had braved Liverpool’s traditional Christmas party night suitably rewarded.

Ably supported by actor John Simms’s band Magic Alex, who share The Bunnymen’s, Velvet Underground fixation highlighted by including a version of the Velvet’s ‘Here comes The Man’ in their set.

The Bunnymen started off with tunes from the first two albums ‘Crocodiles’ and ‘Heaven Up Here’ ‘Going Up’ and With a Hip - a departure from their usual opener ‘Rescue’.

Mac was his usual self as a front man engaging in a bit of banter with the crowd; it must have been Christmas as he even had something positive to say regarding Liverpool’s recent derby defeat by Everton.

The set list covered the usual territory with songs from various points of their collection.

The encore saw the usual standards, ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’, ‘Over The Wall’, ‘Ocean Rain’. All delivered impeccably and in good voice from Mac. These tunes were interspersed ‘Loose’ the Stooges cover last played under the guise of Electrafixion.

They even had time to include a new song ‘Joe’ which augers well for the new album due next summer. Without doubt a top gig it had every element that a great Bunnymen gig should have. The band is certainly maturing into the great British band that they had always promised to become, but had always managed to find a way in shooting themselves in the foot.

Echo and the Bunnymen

The Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, Friday 17th August 2001

It’s still being touted as a comeback for the Bunnymen, despite four albums and numerous tours since the comeback of 1997.

It was a novel experience for the Bunny clan, with Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Institute fame school chosen as the venue for the hometown gig on the current tour. LIPA was chosen for the recording of the Bunnymens first live album in their twenty-year history.

What the venue gained with regards to practicality for the recording process, you sensed that there was something lacking from the atmosphere and the performance of the band.

No doubt the end results will sound polished, but that’s not what it is about. With a set that comprised of the tried and trusted favourites such as the Cutter and the Killing Moon, as well as a smattering of songs from the bands impressive recent album Flowers. In the end it all sounded a little clinical, with little to distinguish between what was new and what was old.

Though as ever Over the Wall was impressive. With the song the spiralling away majestically, as per usual, with Will Sergeants, guitar sounding as it should for the one and only time of the night.

As a recording band the output is still as impressive as it has ever been. But something seems to be missing from the current band of hired hands augmenting the original members of Ian McCulloch and Will Sergeant. Where the original line-up sounded otherworldly, the present sounds a little lumpen and a far cry from the Bunnymen of old.