FDF - Special Version. Echo and the Bunnymen for a friend.

This week I am taking a slight diversion from the normalcy that readers have found but I hope you'll still read.

Like many stories, things require a little set up, or back story

For the few years now that I have been doing Forgotten Disc Friday I have never done a review of a second album in a bands catalog. Figured part of the reason for the blog was to listen to that one, perhaps "less popular" selection within the bands collection and focus on that. In some cases it may have been a bands only album, and other times I'd review, to me, a legit "big" record.

This week I want to go back and focus on Echo and the Bunnymen. I took a re-listen to "Heaven Up Here back on September 1, 2006. This week I needed to go back to Echo.

This past week a high school class mate of mine passed away after a long illness.

Flashback to high school if you will. Cliques, homework, boyfriend/girlfriend troubles and for many a turning point in their lives with regard to music. I had two older brothers that were in to music, a cousin and neighbor that were in to music even more than them and they'd tell me of these bands from the UK and they'd show me these glossy 12 inch vinyl records..one which was of course "Heaven Up Here". It was junior high for me, so I might have been a little more ahead of the curve than some of my classmates. Trying to be cool I probably best came off as dorky and semi arrogant. As high school progressed MTV started to really have more a strong hold. Our town had gotten cable and the network was hovering at about 5-6 years old. Classmates would talk about various videos, wonder when the next "world premiere" video was going to take place, you know some of the important things in life.

I was a band geek. I liked being in the musicals our high school did and did a year with drama club as well. I enjoyed high school and really look back at it fondly. I didn't fall in to any real group. I played some sports (does the golf team count?) and was in band. I tried to be as nice and friendly to my classmates and it paid off, I'd get asked to various parties and the seemingly popular gals and guys would ask me "whats up?" from time to time.

Then there was Gayle. Much like me Gayle did what she could to make people feel at ease. She was a cheerleader, was involved as a class officer and by many accounts a popular classmate. Popular for being genuine. A real stand up classy person. I don't recall her driving a fancy car, dressing any more lavish than classmates or carrying some arrogance of any sort. She'd be cheering the football team one day, then she'd be sitting in the auditorium for the latest drama club performance.

One day, almost in passing she asks me "hey..do you like Echo and the Bunnymen"? and my glasses slid down my nose as my brace filled mouth fell open. In my mind I thought "How in the heck does someone like her know about Echo?". The odd part was that feeling never hit me. We all carry some sort of torch for a band we like from time to time, want to call them our own, and how dare someone else like them! None of those feelings struck me. I was suddenly at ease. Someone my age, a like minded non geek (cute and female to boot) liked a band I liked. The conversation might have been 30 seconds long but it was that proverbial icebreaker and from that point forward our conversations often revolved about music. MTV had 120 Minutes, a 2 hr block of "alternative music videos" and we'd check in with each other Mondays and say "did you watch?" We didn't seem to watch as much as we hoped but when an Echo video would pop up from time to time we'd both somehow seem to catch that episode. I am sure if it were now we'd probably have texted each other with giddy glee and type something like "OMG R U Watching?" etc.

We graduated and life moved on. I'd see her at our reunions and we'd chat for a short time, but music wasn't the focus. It was about family, work or what have you but that high school geek always wanted to just say "do you have the new bunnymen cd?"

So with that...a few Echo and the Bunnymen songs for Gayle. Her favorite song was "The Killing Moon" so there are three versions of that you can check out.

(all the mp3's have been removed..thank you for your massive support on this one, all 5 of the tracks were downloaded over 230 times!)



The studio version taken from "Ocean Rain"
The extended version, this was taken from the Box Set "Crystal Days 1979-1999".
Finally, a terrific Live Version taken from "Live In Liverpool" (personal favorite)

Two more, just because.
All You Need is Love (Yes a Beatles cover) taken from the Crystal Days box set
Bring on the Dancing Horses taken from Songs to Learn and Sing

May you be at peace
May your family and close friends find comfort and peace
and may you bring on the dancing horses......

Disclaimer - For the most part songs listed you can find on iTunes or your local cd shop. The idea is to give you a little taste of the music. Please support the artist buy purchasing some of their work. Songs are posted for about 1 week but can and will be removed at the request of the artist, band, band management etc. If you are one of those persons contact me via the email link in the profile and they will be removed as soon as we are made aware of the request.