"DO IT CLEAN" ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN (1980)

For the month of October, I’m taking the #OctAtoZBandChallenge challenge. The premise is simple. Pick a band starting with the day’s assigned alphabet letter and then choose a song from that band.

Day 5

Echo & the Bunnymen may be considered by many to be one of the preeminent post-punk bands. But in some ways, they didn’t sound anything like a post-punk band. The biggest influence on their sound is obviously The Doors. Much of the LA rock legend’s blues-inspired sound, organ hooks and vocal crooning were passed on to Echo. In fact, the band has even covered Doors classics, including “Soul Kitchen” and “People Are Strange”. But “Do It Clean” may be the perfect example of inspiration and originality.

It starts off with a heavy, urgent dose of guitar and bass with a 70s rock vibe before settling into its confident, rolling mid-tempo. McCullough doesn’t sound like the second coming of Jim Morrison. He comes off like a frontman with his own distinct identity and agenda. But if that organ riff doesn’t remind you of Ray Manzarek, I don’t know what will. One of the first few Echo songs that I had the fortune of discovering through WDRE/WLIR, “Do It Clean” is a reminder of how good we had it with local alternative rock radio.

“I had a handful of this. What did I do with it? I had a barrel of this. What did I do with it?”

"BRING ON THE DANCING HORSES" ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN (1985)

After spending an entire month looking back at the 80’s, I realized one thing. I need more. Luckily, a couple of fellow music fans on Twitter came up with the brilliant idea to highlight #30DaysOf80sMovieSongs during the month of April. I couldn’t resist at the opportunity to keep going, to keep listening, and to keep celebrating the decade that has meant more to me than any other from a musical standpoint. Each day I’m playing a different soundtrack favorite on the Mental Jukebox.

Movie: Pretty In Pink

Few albums captured the essence of the 80s better than the Pretty in Pink soundtrack. It was a defining soundscape for the Brat Pack and the exciting, yet incredibly awkward teenage world of John Hughes. The title track was an obvious hit. not to mention “If You Leave” and The Smiths’ mopey ballad “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want”. But today I’m highlighting a song that’s less known in mainstream circles, but was huge for new wave kids like me: “Bring on the Dancing Horses”.

This wasn’t Echo & the Bunnymen’s most celebrated song among the masses. That distinction belongs squarely on the shoulders of “The Killing Moon” and “Lips Like Sugar”. But it was an endearing staple for the band’s fans. It was smothered in layers of synth like molasses. A sugary, pop tune that benefited from a simple, catchy melody and a somewhat cryptic commentary on the human soul by Ian McCulloch. Hearing the guys perform this at Coney Island back in 2017, the song felt like a nostalgic new wave trip down memory lane.

“First I'm gonna make it. Then I'm gonna break it till it falls apart.”

"DO IT CLEAN" ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN (1980)

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.”

"BRING ON THE DANCING HORSES" ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN (1986)

For the second half of September, I’m putting my Mental Jukebox into a time machine, featuring the best songs on the best albums from the very best years of music. #70sThrough90sBestAlbum

Few albums captured the essence of the 80s better than the Pretty in Pink soundtrack. It was a defining soundscape for the Brat Pack and the exciting, yet incredibly awkward teenage world of John Hughes. The title track was an obvious hit. not to mention “If You Leave” and The Smiths’ mopey ballad “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want”. But today I’m highlighting a song that less known in mainstream circles, but was huge for new wave kids like me: “Bring on the Dancing Horses”.

This was not Echo & the Bunnymen’s most celebrated song among the masses. That distinction belongs squarely on the shoulders of “The Killing Moon” and “Lips Like Sugar”. But it was an endearing staple for the band’s fans. It was smothered in layers of synth like molasses. A sugary, pop tune that benefited from a simple, catchy melody and a somewhat cryptic commentary on the human soul by Ian McCulloch. Hearing the guys perform this at Coney Island back in 2017, the song felt like a nostalgic new wave trip down memory lane.

“First I'm gonna make it. Then I'm gonna break it till it falls apart.”

"BRING ON THE DANCING HORSES" ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN (1986)

Exceptional soundtracks can make good movies great. They can also take on a life of their own, becoming a greater highlight than their respective films. In this series, I’m selecting some of my favorite soundtrack songs. While quite a few are well-known recordings, I’m also including a few that have flown under the radar over the years.

Echo & the Bunnymen is a dear band from my youth. I’ve never seen them live, but my Songs to Learn & Sing cassette was a key part of my life’s soundtrack. The seminal post-punk, new wave band also played a vital role in at least a couple of different coming-of-age movies. For Pretty in Pink, “Bring on the Dancing Horses” rounded out one of the greatest soundtracks ever.

Pretty in Pink was full of brat pack anthems: “Pretty in Pink”, “If You Leave”, “Shellshock” and “Left of Center”. But “Dancing Horses” went beyond the melodramatic and was always my favorite song on the album. Echo & the Bunnymen were The Doors of their post-punk generation. No one else sang with the swagger and mystery of Ian McCullough. No one else manned both guitar and keys with the same melodic ingenuity of Will Sergeant. And on “Dancing Horses”, the band rode Les Pattinson’s catchy bass line live a wave of ecstasy.

“Hating all the faking. And shaking while I'm breaking your brittle heart.”

"THE KILLING MOON" ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN (1984)

Well before the Donnie Darko soundtrack, “The Killing Moon” was my favorite Echo & the Bunnymen song. This wasn’t just another new wave song. It took on a form no other rock song has ever come close to. Using balalaika-influenced instrumentation, “The Killing Moon” defied the times and the comfortable confines of 80’s Brit rock. Ian McCulloch’s divinely inspired lyrics and performance brought a sense of swagger, making this recording as epic as the imagery it conjures.

“Fate. Up against your will. Through the thick and thin. He will wait until you give yourself to him.”