Channeling the lessons of the
experimental
Porcupine
into more conventional and simple structural parameters,
Ocean Rain
emerges as
Echo & the Bunnymen
's most beautiful and memorable effort. 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,"
's emotional centerpiece, remains the group's unrivalled pinnacle. [The 2004 reissue of
features improved sound, new liner notes, loads of photos, and a wealth of bonus tracks. The bulk of the bonus tracks is made up of the Life at Brian's sessions, which found the band playing some of their "hits" like
"Stars Are Stars,"
"Silver,"
and
"Villiers Terrace,"
as well as a faithful cover of
the Beatles
'
"All You Need Is Love"
in a relaxed, acoustic but still very dramatic setting. Also included are two live cuts from the band's
Crystal Days
extravaganza in May of 1984 (
"My Kingdom"
"Ocean Rain"
), and the
Velvet Underground
-inspired B-side to
"Angels and Devils."
The bonus material is nothing less than superb, and makes the band's best album even better. The only minor fault would be the lack of space to include the extended version of
"The Killing Moon."
] ~ Jason Ankeny & Tim Sendra