Crocodiles

If you are new to them & especially if you like the tight, post-punk sound with a psych tinge, this is your best choice. I think any younger person who wants to sample the best of the early 80s, post-punk/neo-psych era should have this in their collection; this is polished & tight but way before they became quite as radio-friendly. Which isn't to say that the stuff that got them famous in America wasn't good, but it's almost like this is a different band. This is EATB that isn't watered down in any way, and it's brilliant. It does have the early 80s angsty-ness, so if you're looking for a more expansive, lush period EATB, then "Ocean Rain" is where you want to start.The guitars & arrangements overall are just so cool and don't sound dated at all, despite this being a very classic 80s album. It has a certain stripped-down quality that was the style of the time, but it has plenty of melody & complexity to not sound minimalist & monotone, as was the tendency of a lot of post-punk. Will Sargent f'**in' wails on this album (and not in a wanky guitar god way), and every element is right in its place- every bit of bass & drum are perfectly placed & never excessive, yet still have far more depth & texture than other music of this ilk, which tends to get monotonous and simplistic. Some post-punk felt like it was stripped down because of the minimal skills of the players & the limited vocal ranges; not this- the direct quality of this album makes each element show its strength that much more, and the power of each player balances perfectly.(If you're already an old bunnymen fan & you want to know about all the reissue details, I'd consult another review...it sounded great to me & the song order, production & photos don't bother me at all.And the inclusion of "Shine" and other alternate takes is great. What's to complain about?)Although true fans seem to prefer Heaven Up Here, and Ocean Rain (aka TGAOAT) which is a gift from God via Mac, I really like this best. Maybe it's my teenage nostalgia talking, (I hadn't listened to this in decades), but I was really stunned when revisiting this one upon getting this edition. "Monkeys", "All That Jazz" (my 2 faves) and other semi-forgotten gems like "Pride" and the stunning opener, "Going Up" and of course 'Villiers Terrace' & "Rescue" make this one the top of their catalogue. Plus, it's a pretty amazing debut album and makes you remember why McCulloch could justify his audacious ego (sort of...).Since "All that Jazz" was my introduction to this band, I have a fondness for it, but it's a very intelligent song nonetheless- it's not just 80s nostalgia that makes it memorable, it's got a very smart lyric about herd mentality & political extremism that shows McCulloch at his finest, before he got too far out into the ether of poetic vaguery. In fact, I really wish he'd stuck more in that. direction; perhaps he felt it too constricting, but when he wants to, he can write a very fine lyric ("C-cucumber, c-cabbage" aside).Plus, McCulloch sings in solid, mid/low range which is so much nicer (I don't get why people love "A Promise" so much; the vocals are too high & Robert Smith-y and I don't think it's aged well. It sounds just whiny to me). The lyrics are abstract without getting ridiculous or excessive, as was McCulloch's occasional tendency. They create a definite emotional atmosphere and mesh perfectly with the compositions. I'm just blown away at how well this holds up and now I get why bunnyfanatics are as fanatical as they are. "Happy Death Men" is really the only throw away on this; thought it was dumb then and 30+ years later.

Firstly, to those reviewers who gave this one star, may I suggest taking up a different hobby than listening to music? Anyone who think this rates one star must either be deaf or have appalling taste. Not to mention that some of the complaints make no sense.The running order is THE ORIGINAL ORDER. Like a lot of bands, Echo's debut got issued later in the U.S. than in England, and the label added some tracks (Do it Clean and Read It In Books) which had been released as a single in the UK. This reissue sticks to the original order and adds the single after the lp.As far as lyrics go, the orginal album's sleeve had a pic of the band and underneath it was a snippet of lyric from each song on the record, along with (I think) one or two lyrics which would appear on Heaven Up Here. So I don't have a problem with there being no lyrics here; there weren't complete lyrics on the original release either.The sound is awesome. Remember, this was the debut release from a "new wave" guitar band from Liverpool; four guys aged 19-20 playing their vision of rock and roll. Yeah the guitars sound jagged, that was the POINT. The band would eventually embrace more lush production with albums like "Ocean Rain" but "Crocodiles" is pure guitar-driven fun, coupled with Ian's dark and occasionally goofy lyrics.The album is perfect, start to finish. As far as the bonus material, this is what reissues are supposed to be like: chock full of good rare stuff! Look what you get:- a couple of super-early tracks cut as a three-piece with "Echo" the drum machine, before Pete De Frietas came on board. Primitive yet still very much worthy of the band's name.- "Simple Stuff" my second favorite b-side (after "Angels & Devils"). This is nice raw sounding mid-tempo rocker that was originally a b-side to Rescue. It conjures up a somewhat spooky mood.- The ULTIMATE bonus: the "Shine So Hard" ep. I remember it took me a couple of years to get this thing on vinyl back in the mid-80's; it has been out of print for almost 20 years. This is prime live stuff! All four songs (Crocodiles, Zimbo (renamed "All My Colours" on their second album), Over The Wall, and All That Jazz) are dispatched with energy that borders on ferocity, and the sound is excellent. I would have paid 15 bucks just to get this ep; it's certainly a great treat to get to upgrade my worn-out vinyl of "Crocodiles" and get "Shine So Hard" as part of the deal.This is one of the BEST reissues I've ever purchased from any band. Again, I have no idea what the one-star people are talking about. I would recommend this album and Ocean Rain to anyone who is looking to find out about this band.

I've always preferred vinyl as a format, especially for analogue recordings, so I was looking forward to replacing my 34 year old copy of 'Crocodiles'!Can't fault the pressings, they are superb, but the printed inner sleeves fit tightly around the vinyl and these in turn fit tightly into the jacket pockets. It's impossible to remove the records without getting fingerprints on them, so definately a set to *look at* rather than play. I've had to store the records in white outer sleeves and leave them outside of the box to avoid damage.....I'm not anal, just buy records to play!The reproduction of the cover is a bit poor, the book is great (aside from the annoying spelling mistakes) but it took me less than the playing time of Side One to read, photos interesting though.I paid £38 for this set, which I feel is steep, I think it ought to be around £25 and no more.If this is a start of 'series' of Echo & The Bunnymen releases in this format I hope that the above matters are addressed.

I just received my copy of this 2-LP collector's vinyl set, and I just want to say that it is a very well produced vinyl boxset. Good dark vinyl quality, good disc cutting, and very carefully packaged. My copy doesn't have any obvious surface scuff marks due to poor handling and inserting into the thick paper sleeves. Honestly, all of my vinyl records from this Vinyl 180 label are packaged and handled very carefully - almost no surface marks whatsoever on the vinyl surfaces.

Evert track is a gem, energy to spare. My personal favourite track is Villiers Terrace.

Stunning. A real studio album with fantastic tunes. A free autorip too. Buy it now.

Un grande esordio discografico; tracce di Veivet Underground e di rock psichedelico, i vari intrecci chitarristici rimandano ai Television di ''Marquee Moon'' grazie a Will Sergeant che si presenta come un novello Tom Verlaine britannico in grado di fondere aggressività punk con atmosfere cupe e surreali.La voce di Ian McCulloch lascia il segno ricordando in parte David Bowie e Jim Morrison fondendosi perfettamente con il suono della band.Pezzi come "Going Up" / "Crocodiles" / "Pride" / "Rescue" lasciano un segno indelebile creando un forte impatto emotivo.La ristampa in vinile suona bene, se amate la new wave inglese anni 80 questo è un disco fondamentale.