For the month of October, I’m selecting a song each day from the decade that has the most meaning to me: the 80s. It was the decade that I grew up in. The period of time where I discovered my love for music — and explored many different genres. For the next 31 days, I’ll highlight a handful of songs that I truly loved and that were representative of the decade. #31DaysOf80sSongs
I can’t write a series on the 80’s without highlighting the work of Echo & the Bunnymen. Admittedly, I never owned Crocodiles. But other albums provided me with enough exposure to be impressed with what these post punk lads brought to the table. Ocean Rain, their self-titled LP and, of course, Songs to Learn & Sing. All of these were required listening for all post punk enthusiasts, but the latter was my introduction to the Bunnymen. It was where I first discovered “Do It Clean”, several years after it was recorded.
People often mention The Doors when they talk about the sound of Echo & the Bunnymen. It might be one of the most intriguing musical influences in modern rock. It’s also what I love most about the band’s approach. That Doors influence is all over “Do It Clean”. Ian McCulloch sings with the swagger of Jim Morrison. And the sinister keyboard hook and guitar riff attack are reminiscent of Manzarek and Krieger. I would never want a band to try to be The Doors, because no one can ever recreate that moment in rock history. But Echo & the Bunnymen didn’t simply duplicate their predecessors. They turned down the blues and elevated the punk.
“Where am I going. Where have I been.”