The great lost Bunnymen album

[Mr. Brian]

We've discussed here ad nauseam back when this site got more traffic but I'll bring it up again...

This morning I had the title track from Glide's 2004 Curvature Of The Earth come up on shuffle. I am not too familiar with Will's Glide stuff to be honest, I like to have a vocalist in my rock music...but it is still interesting musically and reminded me again how the Bunnymen had an opportunity here to reinvent themselves and get out of a creative slump (remember it was Siberia, The Fountain and Meteorites after 2001's Flowers) if only Mac and Will collaborated on this COTE material instead of Mac bringing in songs and well you know the rest... It might of very well been the best album since they got back together.

[Voodoo Billy]

Agree 100% boss. I really like the Poltergeist stuff and would love the Bunnymen to go in that direction. That's why I liked them in the first place, they were always stranger, weirder than U2, Simple Minds, Big Country and all them. I didn't get Space Age freak Out at the start but listen to it loads these days. I've always enjoyed Mac's solo stuff, but the Bunnymen stuff is basically Mac solo these days to me. Bit of weird would be nice.

[black francis]

Withahip hipped me to Curvature of the Earth. Had Mac set some of his cryptic lyrics to Will's music we could have had ourselves the fifth Bunnymen classic album.

As great as Songs To Learn and Sing is it is still a greatest hits album which is for little girls and housewives.

[Dr Cheese]

I miss the weird Bunnymen and I want them back, I remember being a bit disappointed with Evergreen because it just sounded like any other band at the time.

Weird and Strange Bunnymen? Yes please .

Dad-Rock schmaltzy Bunnymen? No thanks .

[fat cherry]

I think Will has an ear for melody that Mac's either lost or never had in the first place. There's bits of tune all over the glide stuff - the piano in 'cosmos' possibly one of the best he's ever written. If Mac had any brains he's have pilfered that years ago. The last track in COTE is the standout for me. In praise of meteorites, and I've said befor, theres a couple of bits - the start of the title track and the general vibe (oo listen to me) of constantinople - that had me thinking this is going to be good, but sadly, that's all it was, bleuggh. And if he could chuck out all the sentimentle shite and reduce it to minimalist grunting I'd be quite happy I think, even record it on a four track from the 1960s, even better.

Speaking of grunting, and this is a bit off topic, theres a book out by some bloke who played piano for the stones on a coupleof things, sort of Wild Horses period, and a bit was in mojo a while ago, and two things made me laugh. Ian Stewart wouldn't play on whatever it was because it had minor chords in it (I wonder if that's one of those apochryphal thingies) so this bloke volunteered and Keef, as he is known, gave him some chord diagrams. He couldn't see how these chords fit with the song Keef was playing and then Bill Wyman comes over and says, don't take any notice of what Keef says, he doesn't know anything apart from where he put his fingers yesterday (oo er), this is how it goes...., and the other was Keef had written the song, whatever it was, but without words, but knew how he wanted it to go, so he plays it and grunts his way through syllable by syllable, as Mick swans around the studio making up words to fit. They should try that.

[Dr Cheese]

if he could chuck out all the sentimental shite and reduce it to minimalist grunting I'd be quite happy

What with the theme of the next album supposedly being about childhood and whatnot the scope for sentimental shite is surely enormous. I hope I'm wrong but I fear a crapfest is on the way.

[King Of Kings]

He sang a rough demo at his solo shows about what is like to be a father or remembering a fathers love or something like that.

We will never get the old mysticism or cryptic lyrics back.

Just more nursery rhyme lyrics and lullaby tunes.

Its all about the American Market and Glee Club.

I have disliked everything since Evergreen

Poltergeist is the sound I like.

Only keep the faith because- well I don't know why

[fat cherry]

He sang a rough demo at his solo shows about what is like to be a father or remembering a fathers love or something like that.

About the only songs of this nature I have ever liked - Billy Bragg did one, though its more of a love song to the missus and sings about planting bombs at the proms and Paul SImon did quite a nice one. Even Chris Martin said when baby Apple was born 'I won't be singing about nappies' - thats diapers to our american chums. Dreading all this bollocks.

Its all about the American Market and Glee Club.

Have they troubled that in the last decade or so? If its 'market' and 'product', alwauys a bad sign.

Only keep the faith because- well I don't know why

To quote the late great Wogan, you're leaning against an open door around here these days.

[Dr Cheese]

If they, or rather Mac, are worrying about "markets" and "product" at this stage of the game they're on a hiding to nothing, next to no-one gives a shite about the Bunnymen these days so they should just think "fuck it" and make music for themselves not some mythical market that, for them, doesn't exist anymore.

I'm afraid KOK is right though, the old mystical Bunnymen have been dead and buried for many many years.

[fat cherry]

Met up with an old mate of mine - singer in our band at school - and still singing and in bands he is, and though live he's in cover bands him and his mate did an album of originals - metally type stuff and for the most OK if you like this sort of thing. But there was one song about his daughter - growing up and leaving home etc, all sentimental cack, and I'm thinking 'what a piece of shite'. Fortunately he neither cares about nor wants my opinion, which is good.

[Voodoo Billy]

Yesssss, all four forums again!

[black francis]

I thought Ian was a black man trapped in a white man's undies.

I want a soul album.

[Dr Cheese]

I thought Ian was a black man trapped in a white man's undies.

I want a soul album.

With Mac calling the shots it would just be an arsesoul album!

Do you see what I did there?

I turned soul into arsesoul, do you see, do you?

[Voodoo Billy]

I thought Ian was a black man trapped in a white man's undies.

I want a soul album.

With Mac calling the shots it would just be an arsesoul album!

Do you see what I did there?

I turned soul into arsesoul, do you see, do you?

He's been the butt of your humour for years.

[Dr Cheese]

We're really scraping the bottom now.