Ocean Rain (Deluxe Version)

By the time of their fourth album, 1984’s Ocean Rain, Echo and the Bunnymen had begrudgingly accepted that they were part of a musical wave that might never achieve mainstream UK and US acceptance. Their blend of retro-60s psychedelic pop and ‘80s new wave aggression fared far better in England where the group’s distinct Englishness was easier to assimilate in an era when the U.S. was celebrating the heartland rock of John Cougar Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen. But that didn’t stop the group from trying to make the most challenging and accessible music of its career. The band advertised Ocean Rain as “the greatest album ever made.” While that’s a serious bit of overhype, the album does contain several group highlights. The otherworldly shimmer and singer Ian McCulloch’s British Jim Morrison come-on for “The Killing Moon” makes it a serious candidate for the band’s finest track. “Silver” and “Nocturnal Me” explore the moody temperament that made the band natural favorites among emotionally high-strung adolescents. The deluxe edition contains a generous helping of tracks recorded for the Life at Brian’s television show, including a straight-forward cover of the Beatles’ “All You Need is Love.”