Notes: A 2003 reissue adds eight more songs, most notably “The Killing Moon,” “Stars Are Stars,” “Silver,” “Villers Terrace,” and a cover of the Beatles “All You Need Is Love” from the Life at Brian’s sessions. Also included are live versions of “My Kingdom” and “Ocean Rain” as well as “Angels and Devils,” a B-side for “Silver.”
A 2008 reisssue jettisoned those bonus tracks (except for “Angels and Devils”) in favor of “the extended 12-inch single versions of ‘Silver’ and ‘The Killing Moon.’ The collector’s edition also includes a bonus disc containing a recording of the band's 1983 Royal Albert Hall concert.” WK
Awards:
Ocean Rain
Echo & The Bunnymen
Review:
“Following the poor reception of Echo & the Bunnymen’s third album, 1983’s Porcupine, the band recorded the single ‘Never Stop.’” WK It “was produced by Hugh Jones, who had produced the band’s second album, 1981’s Heaven Up Here. The single introduced a new sound for the band with an expanded arrangement including congas, marimbas, violins and cellos.” WK The band continued that sound for their next album when “they recorded Ocean Rain using a 35-piece orchestra. Lead guitarist Will Sergeant said, ‘We wanted to make something conceptual with lush orchestration; not Mantovani, something with a twist. It’s all pretty dark.’” WK
“The album was marketed as ‘the greatest album ever made’ and McCulloch later said it was because they believed it was,” WK although he also said later that it wasn’t his idea and that he was just joking. WK Despite the cocky bravado (real or not), the reality is that “Ocean Rain emerges as Echo & the Bunnymen’s most beautiful and memorable effort.” JA and “arguably the Bunnymen’s finest album.” WK “Ornamenting Ian McCulloch’s most consistently strong collection of songs to date with subdued guitar textures, sweeping string arrangements, and hauntingly evocative production, the album is dramatic and majestic; The Killing Moon, Ocean Rain’s emotional centerpiece, remains the group’s unrivalled pinnacle.” JA
“Describing Echo & the Bunnymen’s change from the more rock sound of their previous albums to the lighter sound of Ocean Rain, music journalist Max Bell said in his 1984 review for The Times newspaper, ‘This time vocalist Ian McCulloch has tempered his metaphysical songs with a romantic sweetness and the band’s melodies are more to the fore. Acoustic guitars, brushes and sparingly used keyboards all add to the album’s optimistic warmth and there is a consistency of atmosphere in songs like Seven Seas and Silver, the current single, which justifies the departure.’” WK
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