Evergreen Review

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Album rating

Superb
3
30%
Very Good
3
30%
Average
4
40%
Poor
0
No votes
Bogusmen
0
No votes
 
Total votes : 10

Evergreen Review

Postby crystal89 » Sat Dec 10, 2022 1:37 pm

Evergreen 25th Anniversary

In 1997 Echo and the Bunnymen returned with their first album with Ian McCulloch in 10 years. The decade had not been kind. Pete De Freitas had been killed on the way to the first rehearsal with replacement singer Noel Burke, Mac had gone solo, with moderate success and there seemed no way the Bunnymen would get back together.

Then like a divorced couple who get back together for the kids, Mac and Will Sergeant buried the hatchet and Electrafixion were born, but something was still missing, so in 1996 Les Pattison rejoined and the Bunnymen were reformed.

The first thing that strikes you is that compared to the 1997 version everything hits a lot harder, but there is no escaping that this is not the same band who were so fresh and exciting in the 1980s, it’s more relaxed and has that glow of extreme confidence before the singer’s head exploded. Ironically the b sides, particularly Watchtower, Colour Me In and Hurricane would’ve made the actual album a more interesting prospect. That’s not to say it’s a bad album, it’s actually very good. Although personally I’d remove Forgiven, In my Time and Baseball Bill from the album.

But then again the main purpose of reissues and remasters is not the original album made all shiny, it’s the extras, and it’s here where the album really takes off. For those lucky enough to have the peel sessions then you are in for a treat, but for the standard issue then there is the b sides, which do vary in quality but showcase much better Will Sergeants guitar playing, as well as some excellent live versions of Evergreen tracks which aren’t just Nothing Lasts Forever, although the Jo Wiley version is superb, as well as some classics from way back when.

If this album was a mood, it would be warm and comforting.

7/10.
crystal89
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