Listen to "Do You Know Who I Am" in full

[tonywojo]

Don't they have to be young and fit for it to be TOTP fodder?

all the women think hes fit

[In The Margins]

I think the band/management/webperson is deluded if they think they're ever going to get a top ten hit.

The Bunnymen (at least in the U.S.) are an 80s band and always will be, regardless of the number albums they release in the 21st century.

Plus, the music landscape is so far different these days (rap, hip hop, etc.) that the music I like/understand is so far down on the radar it barely registers.

Youth also plays a big part. The Gossip Girl crowd isn't listening to two old farts. They may show up at the shows (after being told it was the cool thing to do) and they'll push themselves through the crowd to get to the front of the stage so they can shake their tits at Ian, but they won't hurry home to buy the music.

Yet, despite all of this, I believe the band does need to keep changing with the times and to keep trying new things and producing different sounding albums, even if it's just an attempt to keep things interesting for themselves and the fans.

[the ghost of guitarplayer]

Based on the song snippets (and producer) I think this album will definitely be the most pop album the Bunnymen have done, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but then I read this sort of bizarre and sort of depressing post on the official forum from Peter or whoever is using the bunnymen.com account -

"the fact of the matter is (sorry if you don't want to hear this) Echo & The Bunnymen are a product. Like all products they need to sell to make money.
The product must be what the consumer wants. At the current moment the consumer (and WEA yes a major label is involved with this album so stick that in your pipe you synics. Not you Redgumball) wants great pop songs they can listen to via the Chrysler radio.
They don't want dark moody music performed by two guys in there 50s who there parents might have heard of.
When the band (product) have made great sales they will release another record & if that one sells great also then you might get a darker album.
But if the previouse two have sold well why change !
Sorry to say a few thousand hard core fans wanting darker etc music is not enough to keep a product on the shelf.
In the future with downloads etc they might do a more classic style album but not for a few years yet."

I read that earlier. I wonder who exactly they want to buy their stuff. The backbone of the sales, their fans.. or the TOTP fodder who'll be equally happy with putting on a Lily Allen CD. I wish them luck with their album and hope it is massively successful, but I wonder as to whether the "if ain't broke, don't fix it" approach is necessarily the right one if there has been so-so success with previous albums following that same path since WAYGTDWYL?

Perhaps they should take a leaf out of A-ha's book, they are bunch of old timers too. Entry straight in at number five in the UK hit parade. How the hell they do that? I think their last album did worse here than Siberia. TOTP fodder rushing out to buy an A-ha album to put on their i-pod or trying to sound like they did in the 80s to bring a bit of nostalgia back to those who grooved to Take On Me, The Sun Always Shines, etc?

[black francis]

Based on the song snippets (and producer) I think this album will definitely be the most pop album the Bunnymen have done, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but then I read this sort of bizarre and sort of depressing post on the official forum from Peter or whoever is using the bunnymen.com account -

"the fact of the matter is (sorry if you don't want to hear this) Echo & The Bunnymen are a product. Like all products they need to sell to make money.
The product must be what the consumer wants. At the current moment the consumer (and WEA yes a major label is involved with this album so stick that in your pipe you synics. Not you Redgumball) wants great pop songs they can listen to via the Chrysler radio.
They don't want dark moody music performed by two guys in there 50s who there parents might have heard of.
When the band (product) have made great sales they will release another record & if that one sells great also then you might get a darker album.
But if the previouse two have sold well why change !
Sorry to say a few thousand hard core fans wanting darker etc music is not enough to keep a product on the shelf.
In the future with downloads etc they might do a more classic style album but not for a few years yet."

Did someone hack into his account? Just weird but that could definitely be seen as selling out! Obvious that Ian has been chasing this for about 20 years or so, but what about all the bands that don't go down that road? I think if that's the perspective the management and band have I think they're pretty misguided.

I appreciate some honesty from time to time.

[crystal daze]

all the women think hes fit

Hmmm! That's not the first time you've acted as spokesman for 'all women'. I don't remember being canvassed. Does your habit of generalization affect your job as a statistician?

[crystal daze]

Did someone hack into his account?

'synics' 'there parents' 'previouse'
Don't think so. He may have been told what to say, but I think he was responsible for the typing. Not as many loose apostrophes as usual though.

I'm surprised that after the usual pleas of 'guys, if I knew what was happening I'd tell you', he's suddenly privy to the next five-year plan.

Shit, does this mean I'm on p&p's hit list.

[Frank The Bunny]

Coulda been Peasy. His spelling's crap, too. Like Black Francis, I do appreciate the honesty. On the one hand it's kind of off-putting to see them almost telling their fans to fuck off. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure the core group of neophytes that have bought three re-packagings of Ocean Rain will buy anything they release - good, bad or ugly.

[withahip]

I think Ian needs to do a cover of Warrant's Cherry Pie!!!!!

[JackT]

Coulda been Peasy. His spelling's crap, too. Like Black Francis, I do appreciate the honesty. On the one hand it's kind of off-putting to see them almost telling their fans to fuck off. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure the core group of neophytes that have bought three re-packagings of Ocean Rain will buy anything they release - good, bad or ugly.

That post infuriated me. Fuck them.

[withahip]

Seriously, though, if the band is going for the U.S. Top 10 hit more than 20 years after the original line up, more power to them! I hope they get it!

I won't wait for them to make the music of the first four albums. I will look to The Animal Collective, Portishead, Grizzly Bear, Horrors, The Crocodiles, Deerhunter, etc., to make creative, catchy, inventive music that is slightly left of the dial. For some reason these folks are filling halls making music people supposedly do not want.

Best wishes to Ian and Will on cashing in and making loads of money!!!! (No sarcasm or eye rolls - hope it happens.)

[kook]

hope it happens.)

The only problem being that it's not going to because of the crappy songs:

[black francis]

That post infuriated me. Fuck them.

Re-reading the post I noticed that little F U to pretty much the VT crowd. That wasn't necessary. And I know for a fact Jack doesn't smoke.

[black francis]

Hmmm! That's not the first time you've acted as spokesman for 'all women'. I don't remember being canvassed. Does your habit of generalization affect your job as a statistician?

So my assuming all the bunny babes at VT want me like no other it might not be accurate?

[crystal daze]

So my assuming all the bunny babes at VT want me like no other it might not be accurate?

If you really want to know, you could always start a poll.

[black francis]

I prefer to believe I'm the hottest dude in VT land. I'm better off not knowing the truth.