Customer Reviews

Porcupine

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

'Porcupine' is the "difficult" third Bunnymen album, which saw them moving away from the open spaces of their previous records into a claustrophobic sound. A dense guitar mesh is laid over every track, augmented by Shankar's electric cello. Listening to these songs is like taking a machete to a jungle of vines -- every slash reveals something new, but you risk getting trapped in the foliage.

There are five vinyl b-sides from this period, all included on the boxed set. Sadly, only one is present here, the wonderfully moody 'Fuel', which in sonic texture is more in keeping with 'Heaven Up Here' material.

Then follow five alternate versions of album tracks, one of which was issued in the boxed set. (The sleeve says only three are previously unreleased, but this is an error I believe.) I was excited to hear these, as the Peel Session versions and the b-side 'A Drop In The Ocean' show a group coming to grips with an sound even darker than what made it to the final album. Sadly, the versions here on display are similar but weaker to the album takes, though 'Ripeness' does make it more obvious what McCullough is singing about -- nothing too uplifting I can tell you!

Finally, the Discotheque version of 'Never Stop' is tacked on the end of the CD. Which means that the very different 7" mix is neither here nor on the boxed set.

What is missing from this disc is the monolithic 'The Subject', the 'Summer version' of 'Heads Will Roll', the fascinating live recording of 'Zimbo' made at WOMAD with The Royal Burundi Drummers, and the wonderful 'Way Out And Up We Go'.

It is criminal that we can re-purchase these albums (the third time over for many of us) and *still* have to buy a boxed set for a handful of tracks. They belong here, in proper chronological sequence. Maybe on the fiftieth anniversary?

...that most reviewers here don't really acknowledge most of the songs on PORCUPINE, concentratng on the bonus tracks and the singles "The Cutter" and "The Back of Love". All well and good, but there are many more reasons to enjoy this very fine collection of Bunnymen songs. Personally, I rate this as BY FAR their best album, well ahead of popular favourites like OCEAN RAIN.
Why? Because this album is probably the best harmony between the disparate elements that the various early Bunnymen albums represent. The towering pretension - lyrical and vocal - of Ian McCulloch is in abundance here, but there are flashes of brilliance, too. I felt Mac kind of took himself too seriously sometimes, but there is an air of play that mitigates it on PORCUPINE.
The music, although symphonic and powerful, is not as overtly so as on OCEAN RAIN and the influences that overwhelmed earlier cuts are harnessed and transcended on this album.
"The Cutter" is a Beatlesque romp complete with brass and Eastern-sounding synths that sets an upbeat tone: "The Back of Love", a choppy piece of angst takes that beat and kicks in into the middle of next year. A gorgeous hazy interlude complete with gliding electric violin provides a nice break in the hammering, rhythmic feeling that these two songs create.
"My White Devil" is a little less strident - it has a Wild-West bassline and strange honking, whining guitar figures as McCulloch enthuses about Elizabethan dramatist John Webster.
"Clay" is chirpier, but it is here, I think, that the 'orchestral' impulse surfaces - with the guitar sounding at times like a string section. "Porcupine" has paradoxical lyrics and two distinct sections - a meandering waffle that hints at Eastern and Slavic textures that is then transmuted into an angry, sonic rant. its interesting but not particularly likeable.
To me, the second half of the original set is much the better. "Heads Will Roll" is a bit like "The Cutter"- Mk. II, but is more coherent and utilises more of that orchestral sound. My own pick for peak of the whole set is "Ripeness" - a funk-tinged piece with a superb chorus - Will Sergeant plucks out a wandering set of scales as McCulloch hits some NASTY tones towards the top of his register in full operatic regalia (and provides an odd, waffling near-dialogue as counterpoint).
"Higher Heaven" is solid, but not particularly exciting - McCulloch duels well with himself in the chorus, though.
"Gods Will Be Gods" is pretty neat- its the most symphonic piece on the whole set, I believe - although it too has a Wild West bassline, and barely moves away from the chord D - which is played in a variety of rhythms and effects.
"In Bluer Skies" sees McCulloch back in opera mode with Sergeant playing counter-melody. Although the chorus soars, the tone of the song is gentle and reflective.
its a great set of songs, and the bonus tracks simply add to the pleasure.

How you liked your British new wave probably influenced your thoughts on "Porcupine" when it first came out in 1983. If you liked the brooding, near gothic sound of Echo via Heaven Up Here and the pessimistic bands that flourished at the time (think earlier Cure), you likely viewed "Porcupine" as a sell out. On the other hand, if you were into anthemic driving songs with choppy guitar (ala U2 and the Edge), the "The Cutter," "The Back Of Love" and "Clay" probably had you frothing at the mouth.

You can put me in the later camp. I was disappointed by "Heaven Up Here," thinking that Ian McCulloch's Doors obsession and ego had sunk an OK album. But "Porcupine," with the addition of Shankir as influence and guest dynamited the Bunnymen out of their quagmire and made the first half of this album almost overwhelming in its desire to prove its greatness. (I often thought the similarities to this album's glacier cover photo and U2's "War" were completely intentional.) McCulloch was determined to prove that he and his mates were as good as anything proclaimed godhead in the ever fickle British press.

The remaster bolsters a lot of their bravado. "The Cutter" and "The Back of Love" have got to be two of the hardest rocking singles the band (or any other band of the period) ever produced. For sheer youthful energy, "Porcupine" rates with Crocodiles. It's even more worth it for their excursion into dance-rock, "Never Stop," which is as fine a single as the genre ever produced, and foreshadows songs like "Lips Like Sugar" from Echo & the Bunnymen. (Though I may be one of the few who would have preferred the seven inch version.) The Bunnymen were on a roll, and their next project, "Ocean Rain" would show that they could harness their exuberence into other, more mature, skills. These two albums were the showcase of a band at their peak.

Looking back from the distance of nearly 20 years, a lot of '80s music doesn't hold up very well. (That's probably true for any decade, actually.) But this album, along with "Heaven Up Here" shows that Echo and The Bunnymen were way out ahead of most of their contemporaries. And while a number of other bands of that time (Talking Heads, Joy Division, Elvis Costello) were also superb, I don't think Echo and the Bunnymen ever got the recognition they deserve.

I owned the original vinyl LP when it first came out and I have the CD. The sound is gorgeous - layer upon layer of dark guitars, effects laden drums, and resonant singing make this a sonic feast. "The Cutter" has an exotic, almost Middle Eastern quality to it, while "Back of Love" is laced with dark irony. But the one song I find myself playing over and over, for nearly 20 years now, is "Gods Will be Gods". It builds to a ferocious intensity with a killer backbeat and brooding vocals. Just as the song reaches an intense climax, the guitars come roaring through in a gorgeous cathedral of sound. Its a lot fun ot play it on a good car stereo or a pair of headphones, where you can really get the spatial effects. Highly recommended

Yet another classic by the Bunnymen, Porcupine has a tendency to be overlooked in favour of Crocodiles, Ocean Rain and Heaven Up Here. Listening to it, it's easy to hear why - much of the album is very claustrophobic, with thick, impenetrable production and gloomy lyrics. Max Bell, who provides the sleeve notes for the recent British reissue of the album, compares he band's experience making the album to 'spending a month in Das Boot'. A sense of tension and entrapment certainly shows in the music, creating a an atmosphere that is much denser than other Bunnymen albums. Personally, I think that it enhances the mood - although it can give you a headache.
Porcupines kicks off with the two 'poppiest' songs on the album, The Cutter and The Back of Love, before plunging into the depths with My White Devil and the quite brilliant Clay, which features a particularly haunting moment with a reverb-laden McCulloch vocal singing 'when I was the Cain, you were the Abel' over some tribal drumming from De Freitas. The title track continues the mood, introducing a haunting synth line into the mix, and building to an energetically miserable climax with a worrying sense of dissonance that typifies the album. The second half kicks off with a lovely modal guitar lick before lurching into Heads Will Roll, which is the catchiest song on the album since The Back of Love, but much more twisted. Ripeness has a slightly repetitive tune, but makes up for it with a fantastically tight, funky rhythm. As always with Porcupine, though, there's more going on, with the subtle use of Eastern-tinged scales giving the song a darker twist. Higher Hell is a musical hybrid of the title track and Clay, and features a clever lyrical inversion of Heaven Up Here. Gods Will Be Gods is an undoubted standout, building to a furious climax over five glorious minutes before suddenly cutting out. In Bluer Skies is the calm after the storm, and a great, melancholy ending to what is possibly Echo & the Bunnymen's darkest album.
This was as far as the band could go in this direction; Ocean Rain was a much lighter, airier effort and has had much more acclaim over the years than the more difficult Porcupine. Repeated listens, however, reveal that this album has just as much to offer as its successor. It was recently named on BBC radio as a 'great lost album'. I think that about sums it up: it's as good as any of their first four, and has an atmosphere all of its own that has never really been equalled.

Porcupine was my favorite Bunnymen album for the longest time. The power of the opening tracks "The Back of Love" and "The Cutter" made an immediate impact on me. It's clear that bands like The Doves have been listening to this album and "Heaven Up Here" quite a bit.

The only bonus tracks here that was previously released on the boxed set is "Gods Will Be Gods" (Alternate version)and the discotheque version of "Never Stop". It's a pretty powerful album and sets up the stage for the band's next development with the powerful, moody and magnificent "Ocean Rain".

The sound is exceptional and puts the previously issued CD to shame. The liner notes are also very good as well although they do recap some of the points from the boxed set. Lyrics? Well you'll need to wait for the next reissue for those.

The one album that could clear up the beleif that the eighties was just keyboards and clothing that glowed. The Bunnymen outreached their fellow musicians and laid out a piece of history with this disc. I still own the actual LP. Songs like The Cutter, White Devil and the title track make the compitition of the times look like slobbering dopes. Forget the MTV generation stuff, the Bunnymen scared and excited a lot of people with this jewel. In my opinion this album ranks in the tope five best albums of the 80's. The Bunnymen make U2 look like White Snake. Buy it you'll never be sorry.

Not quite Heaven Up Here full-tilt boogie great but plenty of killer tunes on here for any Bunnies fan. The "go to Iceland" cover shoot reminds those of us who grew up in the '80s as a very bizarre period in Britrock (remember Killing Joke actually moving to Iceland where their career came to a frozen halt?) where bands had this pre-Bjork fascination with all things Icey.

Without question my favorite Echo album, if only for the first three songs alone (although the rest are brilliant as well). What a rush. This is the quintessential Bunnymen sound, no holds barred and no waiting.

While they are a great group, I have not liked their more recent reunion albums. This one, however, is one for the ages.

This album will probably always remain in my top 5. I was blown away the first time I heard "Porcupine" and "My White Devil" as a teen back in the mid-80's. I felt like I'd found an amazing treasure that I wanted to share with all my friends. I have never tired of this album. If you don't have it--GET IT!