{"id":396,"date":"2013-09-26T21:22:05","date_gmt":"2013-09-26T21:22:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/batterymedia.com\/blog\/?p=396"},"modified":"2013-12-27T18:42:27","modified_gmt":"2013-12-27T18:42:27","slug":"rs-463-echo-and-the-bunnymen-heaven-up-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/batterymedia.com\/blog\/?p=396","title":{"rendered":"RS #463: Echo and the Bunnymen, Heaven Up Here"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Echo
Which one is Echo?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

#463<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Echo and the Bunnymen,\u00a0Heaven Up Here<\/em><\/h3>\n
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Release Date:<\/strong>\u00a01981
\nPreviously Owned:<\/strong>\u00a0Yes. On vinyl.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Impressions:\u00a0<\/strong>Looking back at some of these entries, I’m gonna have to try to be more succinct if I want a shot at finishing all 500. Haven’t listened\u00a0to this one in a while. Let’s throw it on… The opening bunch of songs “Show Of Strength,” “With a Hip,” and “Over The Wall” meld together and set up a dark, uneasy tone not unlike a John Carpenter film for Goths for the rest of the album. Sounds great…\u00a0timeless. The best parts of The Doors\/Joy Division\u00a0mixed together. Leaner and meaner than\u00a0their other hits. Not as many hooks but still a driving, direct approach that builds nice tension throughout the songs and album. Simple, yet surprisingly great sounding drumming for the ’80s. “It was a Pleasure” has a weird uptight funk\u00a0groove that gives it a paranoid edge and “A Promise” is a catchy single with stinging guitar work. This album is probably their most challenging, and also sounds almost like a small band without any extra bells and whistles added to the songs, unlike the sweeping string-soaked tunes of their 1984 release,\u00a0Ocean Rain<\/i> or poppy keyboard of their later hits like “Bring on the Dancing Horses” or “Lips Like Sugar.”<\/p>\n

Starred Songs:<\/strong>\u00a0“Show of\u00a0Strength,” “A Promise”
\nSneaky Track: <\/strong>“No Dark Things”
\nShould this album be on the\u00a0list?<\/strong>\u00a0Yes. It’s great. But if I was forced to go with only one Echo And The Bunnymen album, I’d put\u00a0Ocean Rain <\/em>here instead. Maybe I’ll take out another album later for Ocean Rain<\/em>, because this one has earned its place. (Man, it would be a lot easier if Heaven Up Here<\/em> sucked, then I could just take it off.)
\n<\/strong>Will you listen to this again?<\/strong>\u00a0Yes
\nVerdict: <\/strong>Enjoyably dark, driving ’80s goth\/post-punk that has touches of psychedelica\u00a0and lots of spooky drama.<\/p>\n

Rating:<\/strong>\u00a0 \u2605\u2605\u2605\u26051\/4<\/p>\n<\/div>\n