Do you think you could Manage the Bunnymen Better

[black francis]

You don't know our own Dr. Evil.

Stick around. You'll see.

[in_bluer_skyz]

You don't know our own Dr. Evil.

Stick around. You'll see.

ROLLS EYES

[black francis]

You know there's an emoticon for that.

[in_bluer_skyz]

hahahaha i wanted to write it out. more work, typical bunnymen style.

[DivaDiana77]

America, what the fuck have you done?

Finally noticed what was pretty much under their noses all along. It seems that post punk never really caught on here as much as it should have.

Then again, maybe it WAS the management for not marketing the Buns to the screaming girls crowd--you know like other management did for Duran Duran. Pretty boy posters, story videos in exotic locations, more accessible lyrics, less of the Doors, a little more damage control on Mac the Mouth... After all, these were good looking boys, capitalize!

To which your reaction should be YEEEEUUUCHHHHK![/img]

[DivaDiana77]

So the singles didn't chart, but apparently the albums DID:

Looky here at this from Wikipedia. (so that means we'll have to double check for accuracy.) I'm assuming this is Billboard for American charts.

Studio albums

* (1980) Crocodiles - UK #17
* (1981) Heaven Up Here - UK #10, U.S. #184
* (1983) Porcupine - UK #2, U.S. #137
* (1984) Ocean Rain - UK #4, U.S. #87
* (1987) Echo & the Bunnymen - UK #4, U.S. #51
* (1990) Reverberation - UK #19
* (1997) Evergreen - UK #8
* (1999) What Are You Going to Do with Your Life? - UK #21
* (2001) Flowers - UK #56
* (2005) Siberia - UK #83
* (2009) The Fountain

But yes, that pretty boy stuff might have helped, too. ;)

[in_bluer_skyz]

now's a great time for them to focus on selling to the 30-50 age range but they can't keep putting out the same shite. live concert here, live concert there. they need to come up with some new ideas.

[DivaDiana77]

now's a great time for them to focus on selling to the 30-50 age range... live concert here, live concert there. they need to come up with some new ideas.

I thing there's a Lou Reed comparison somewhere in here...

[the ghost of guitarplayer]

now's a great time for them to focus on selling to the 30-50 age range but they can't keep putting out the same shite. live concert here, live concert there. they need to come up with some new ideas.

Well that's exactly the market they should be catering for. The 40-50 year olds who have followed the band from the start and the 30-somethings that picked up on them in the 1990s. They will get some younger fans along the way, but how many 16-20 emos are going to follow a bunch of 50-year old musicians? There's also the nostalgia element - the most successful or acclaimed bands appear to be tapping into the 80s vibe, a bit of an 80s revival still continuing, at least here in the UK. They do it with their tours, but don't do it with their new recordings.

Problem I see it is how to define the Bunnymen 80s sound - the raw sound of Crocodiles or the darkness of HUH and Porcupine? The orchestra-laden sound of Ocean Rain or the synth-laden pop of the grey album? The Fountrain and most of the post-1997 albums have headed towards the latter in terms of music style and song composition. I still think if they went for that raw Crocodiles sound they'd probably produce the best Bunnymen album since Ocean Rain among fans and critics alike, even if it wasn't a massive commercial success. Good live drumming, loads of rhythm guitar. Very little if no keyboards. There's also no need for an overwash of slow ballads either, including the one at the end. It only really started with Ocean Rain.

[zabird]

Well that's exactly the market they should be catering for. The 40-50 year olds who have followed the band from the start and the 30-somethings that picked up on them in the 1990s. They will get some younger fans along the way, but how many 16-20 emos are going to follow a bunch of 50-year old musicians? There's also the nostalgia element - the most successful or acclaimed bands appear to be tapping into the 80s vibe, a bit of an 80s revival still continuing, at least here in the UK. They do it with their tours, but don't do it with their new recordings.

Problem I see it is how to define the Bunnymen 80s sound - the raw sound of Crocodiles or the darkness of HUH and Porcupine? The orchestra-laden sound of Ocean Rain or the synth-laden pop of the grey album? The Fountrain and most of the post-1997 albums have headed towards the latter in terms of music style and song composition. I still think if they went for that raw Crocodiles sound they'd probably produce the best Bunnymen album since Ocean Rain among fans and critics alike, even if it wasn't a massive commercial success. Good live drumming, loads of rhythm guitar. Very little if no keyboards. There's also no need for an overwash of slow ballads either, including the one at the end. It only really started with Ocean Rain.

amen, ghostie. I'd go for a return of that raw Croc sound and Mac's frantic guitar playing. Was listening to that album in my car last night. Still good stuff. However, that was a four-way partnership + Bill Drummond, not two guys and a bunch of hired guns. Could they still pull it off today? I'd give it a listen if they tried.

As to the kids, never discount what they might pick up on. Went to my first Buzzcocks show in years a few years ago and was stunned to see all the teens and tweens there. All it took was the Buzzers playing the Warped tour, I guess, to widen their fan base. Tho I don't advocate that for the Bunnymen ... there's no way I'd go stand in a hot parking lot somewhere to see them do a 30-minute set!

[withahip]

amen, ghostie. I'd go for a return of that raw Croc sound and Mac's frantic guitar playing. Was listening to that album in my car last night. Still good stuff. However, that was a four-way partnership + Bill Drummond, not two guys and a bunch of hired guns. Could they still pull it off today? I'd give it a listen if they tried.

Broken Record/ Broken Hip

The closest they will come is focusing on their strengths - let Will do Glide w/ Guitar and Mac fit in lyrics in his Bing Crosby mode. Ian can have veto power on Will's ideas but not write the music. Only vocal melodies.

I bet they would be ahiled as a return to form.

Otherwise, just go your separate ways - Ian can do his WAYGTDWYL stuff and Will Glide stuff and it is still win-win.

[zabird]

Broken Record/ Broken Hip

The closest they will come is focusing on their strengths - let Will do Glide w/ Guitar and Mac fit in lyrics in his Bing Crosby mode. Ian can have veto power on Will's ideas but not write the music. Only vocal melodies.

I bet they would be ahiled as a return to form.

Otherwise, just go your separate ways - Ian can do his WAYGTDWYL stuff and Will Glide stuff and it is still win-win.

In the end, it doesn't matter what any of us think or say ... they'll just do whatever they want to do, or not

[withahip]

In the end, it doesn't matter what any of us think or say ... they'll just do whatever they want to do, or not

Yup. In spite of us, long time fans, it would almost seem from what management says.

[fat cherry]

In the end, it doesn't matter what any of us think or say ... they'll just do whatever they want to do, or not :neutral:

well thats how it should be. if they did wahat we want, well they'd still be stuck as to which of the first four albums to reproduce in a noughties stylee. o nthe other hand they might not be capable of that anyway.

[withahip]

well thats how it should be. if they did wahat we want, well they'd still be stuck as to which of the first four albums to reproduce in a noughties stylee. o nthe other hand they might not be capable of that anyway.

Without Pete, Drummond and Les? No chance. The drumming alone is intergral to the sound writing.