Heaven Up Here

Last updated

Heaven Up Here
EAB HeavenUpHere albumcover.jpg
Studio album by
Echo & the Bunnymen
Released30 May 1981
RecordedMarch 1981
Studio Rockfield (Rockfield, Wales)
Genre
Length43:03
Label Korova
Producer Hugh Jones, The Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen chronology
Crocodiles
(1980)		Heaven Up Here
(1981)		 Porcupine
(1983)
Singles from Heaven Up Here
  1. "A Promise"
    Released: 10 July 1981
  2. "Over the Wall"
    Released: 1981

Heaven Up Here is the second album by the English post-punk band Echo & the Bunnymen, released on 30 May 1981. In June 1981, Heaven Up Here became Echo & the Bunnymen's first Top 10 release when it reached number 10 on the UK Albums Chart. [2] It was also the band's first entry into the United States album charts when it reached number 184 of the Billboard 200. [3] The songs "A Promise" and "Over the Wall" were released as singles.

Contents

Recorded at Rockfield Studios near Monmouth in Wales, Heaven Up Here was co-produced by Hugh Jones and the band. An album generally well received by fans in the United Kingdom and by critics, Heaven Up Here won the "Best Dressed LP" and "Best Album" awards at the 1981 NME Awards. The album has also been listed at number 463 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. [4]

Background and recording

After the public and press interest garnered from Echo & the Bunnymen's debut album, Crocodiles , the band released the Shine So Hard EP which maintained their profile. Work then soon began on their second album, Heaven Up Here. Following musical differences between the band and Crocodiles producers Bill Drummond and David Balfe, Hugh Jones was brought in to produce Heaven Up Here. [5] Jones had previously engineered Crocodiles and co-produced Shine So Hard with Drummond, and would later go on to produce the band's 2005 album Siberia . The band were also given an additional producer credit. [6] The album was recorded at Rockfield Studios near Monmouth in Wales during March 1981. [7]

In the liner notes to the 2003 remastered version of the album, lead singer Ian McCulloch said that he constantly had the American rock band the Velvet Underground's song "What Goes On" in the back of his mind. He also stated that the band wanted to record a soul album. [5] In the same liner notes, bassist Les Pattinson said that the band was often lazy and hence had hired rehearsal space at the Ministry in Liverpool. He said this made them work harder and develop "language" in the rhythm. [8] According to guitarist Will Sergeant, McCulloch considers Heaven Up Here to be Sergeant's album because he was bossy and a control freak during the recording. [9]

Music

In 1981, music magazine NME described the album as darker and more passionate than 1980's Crocodiles. Record Mirror also said that the band sang the blues and devoted themselves to existential sadness. They went on to note that the album offered "an anatomy of melancholy, resplendent with the glamour of doom". [10] Melody Maker disagreed when in 1981 they said "the Bunnymen are continuing to play majestic, uplifting music that will shine through the dark days ahead of us". [10] In the 2002 book Turquoise Days: The Weird World of Echo & the Bunnymen, author Chris Adams said that in 1995 McCulloch had said, "That spikey edge [of the album] still stands up." [11] In relation to their style of music, in 1980 McCulloch had said, "I always say 'We're a rock band'. Because I'm proud of that." He added, "I like rock music [...] I prefer being good or great within that basic format [...] I just prefer basic songs." [12]

In his 2005 book Rip It Up and Start Again: Post Punk 1978–1984, British music journalist Simon Reynolds described the sound of Heaven Up Here as having been filled out with "guitar overdubs, keyboard glints, vocal multitracking and atmospheric vapours". [13] Comparing Heaven Up Here with Joy Division's 1980 album Closer , Reynolds said they are "harrowed by the same things [...] hypocrisy, distrust, betrayal, lost or frozen potential". However, he said that "Closer shows Ian Curtis fatally mesmerized by his own dread visions, Heaven Up Here ultimately turns its face towards the light" with the tracks "No Dark Things" – which he describes as renouncing "death-wishful thinking" – and "All I Want" – which he describes as "a blasting celebration of desire for desire's sake" and "pure intransitive exhilaration". [13]

Cover

The photograph used on the front and back cover of the album was taken by photographer Brian Griffin. [7] The picture shows the band on a wet beach in the south Wales seaside town of Porthcawl; [14] there are dark clouds in the sky and the sun is low on the horizon causing the band to be silhouetted. The picture was taken on a day off from recording the album. [15] The original album's cover art was designed by Martyn Atkins. [7] According to Griffin, they used buckets of fish offal to entice the gulls to fly into shot. He also stated that both Drummond and Rob Dickins, head of their record label Korova, hated the pictures from the shoot, and that he and Atkins had to fight for them to be used on the sleeve. [14] The cover received the "Best Dressed LP" award in the 1981 NME Awards. [16] Reynolds said that the band's manager, Drummond, saw them as representing "cold, dampness, darkness". [17]

The front cover picture of the original album was kept for the 2003 reissue. However, the design was altered slightly by graphic designer Rachel Gutek of the design company guppyart. The release contained an expanded booklet written by music journalist Max Bell giving the background to the album. The booklet also contains a number of photographs which are credited to Sergeant and Pattinson. [7]

Releases

The album was originally released as an LP by Korova in the United Kingdom on 30 May 1981. It was then released in the United States by Sire Records on 24 June 1981. [7] It was released elsewhere on Korova, although with a different catalogue number. Side one of the LP contained five tracks and side two had six. The album was first released on CD on 16 May 1988.

Along with the others of the band's first five albums, the album was remastered and reissued on CD in 2003 containing five bonus tracks  – these releases were marketed as 25th anniversary editions. "Broke My Neck (Long Version)", recorded at Tistedal Studios in Norway on 7 June 1981, is the B-side of the 12-inch single "A Promise" – an edited version was used as the B-side of the 7-inch single. The other four bonus tracks were recorded live at the Manly Vale Hotel in Sydney, Australia, on 11 November 1981. The reissued album was produced by music historian Andy Zax and producer Bill Inglot. [7]

The only single from Heaven Up Here released worldwide was "A Promise" on 10 July 1981. The single stayed on the UK Singles Chart for four weeks and reached number 49. [2] Later that year, "Over the Wall" was released as a single in Australia only. [18]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [19]
Blender Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [20]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [21]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [22]
Pitchfork 8.0/10 [23]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [24]
Record Mirror Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [25]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [26]
Smash Hits 9/10 [27]
The Village Voice C [28]

Heaven Up Here was generally well received by the music press and critics. In a 1982 interview with the band for the NME , rock journalist Barney Hoskyns described the album as "one of the most superior articulations of 'rock' form in living memory." [29] Later reviews have continued to receive the album well: AllMusic reviewer Aaron Warshaw said that McCulloch "sings with soaring abandon and passion throughout the album" and that Sergeant's guitar playing was at its "angular finest". [19] Not all reviews were positive: Robert Christgau of The Village Voice said that he held "no brief against tuneless caterwaul, but tuneless psychedelic caterwaul has always been another matter." [28] In his 1999 book From the Shores of Lake Placid and Other Stories, the band's manager Bill Drummond said "The album is dull as ditchwater. The songs are unformed, the sound uniformly grey." [30]

Heaven Up Here sold well in the United Kingdom, staying on the UK Albums Chart for a total of 16 weeks and reaching a peak of number 10 in June 1981. [2] The album was the first release by Echo & the Bunnymen to make it onto the American charts when it reached number 184 on the Billboard 200. [3]

In 2012, the album ranked number 463 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. [4] The NME ranked the album number 39 on its list of the 50 greatest albums of the 1980s and number 51 on its list of the greatest albums of all time. [31] [32] The album also received the NME's 1981 best album award. [12] Reynolds described the award as "essentially an anti-New Pop protest vote by post-punk's silent majority". [33]

Track listing

All tracks written by Will Sergeant, Ian McCulloch, Les Pattinson and Pete de Freitas.

Side one
  1. "Show of Strength" – 4:50
  2. "With a Hip" – 3:16
  3. "Over the Wall" – 5:59
  4. "It Was a Pleasure" – 3:12
  5. "A Promise" – 4:08
Side two
  1. "Heaven Up Here" – 3:45
  2. "The Disease" – 2:28
  3. "All My Colours" – 4:06
  4. "No Dark Things" – 4:27
  5. "Turquoise Days" – 3:51
  6. "All I Want" – 4:09
2003 reissue bonus tracks
  2. "Broke My Neck" (long version) – 7:22
  3. "Show of Strength" (live) – 4:41
  4. "The Disease" (live) – 1:53
  5. "All I Want" (live) – 3:09
  6. "Zimbo" (live) – 3:52

Personnel

Echo & the Bunnymen

with:

Technical

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Echo & the Bunnymen</span> English rock band

Echo & the Bunnymen is an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bassist Les Pattinson. By 1980, Pete de Freitas joined as the band's drummer.

<i>Crocodiles</i> (album) 1980 studio album by Echo & the Bunnymen

Crocodiles is the debut album by the English post-punk band Echo & the Bunnymen. It was released on 18 July 1980 in the United Kingdom and on 17 December 1980 in the United States. The album reached number 17 on the UK Albums Chart. "Pictures on My Wall" and "Rescue" had previously been released as singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian McCulloch (singer)</span> Musical artist

Ian Stephen McCulloch, is an English singer-songwriter and musician, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Echo & the Bunnymen.

<i>Ocean Rain</i> 1984 studio album by Echo & the Bunnymen

Ocean Rain is the fourth studio album by the English post-punk band Echo & the Bunnymen. It was released on 4 May 1984 and reached number four on the UK Albums Chart, number 87 on the United States Billboard 200, number 41 on the Canadian RPM 100 Albums and number 22 on the Swedish chart. Since 1984 the album has been certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry. Ocean Rain includes the singles "The Killing Moon", "Silver" and "Seven Seas".

<i>Porcupine</i> (album) 1983 studio album by Echo & the Bunnymen

Porcupine is the third studio album by the English post-punk band Echo & the Bunnymen. First released on 4 February 1983, it became the band's highest-charting release when it reached number two on the UK Albums Chart despite initially receiving poor reviews. It also reached number 137 on the American Billboard 200, number 85 on the Canadian RPM 100 Albums and number 24 on the Swedish chart. In 1984, the album was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry. The album includes the singles "The Back of Love" and "The Cutter."

<i>Echo & the Bunnymen</i> (album) 1987 studio album by Echo & the Bunnymen

Echo & the Bunnymen is the fifth studio album by the English post-punk band Echo & the Bunnymen, their last with drummer Pete de Freitas, who died in 1989 in a motorcycle accident, aged 27. The album was produced by Laurie Latham; the sessions took place in Germany, Belgium, London and Liverpool, following an aborted attempt at recording the tracks without de Freitas and with producer Gil Norton. With Latham being an exacting producer, and singer Ian McCulloch receiving star treatment and drinking heavily, the recording was more difficult than the band had initially hoped. The album made more use of keyboards than their previous albums, which had been string-heavy. Three singles were issued: "The Game", "Lips Like Sugar" and "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo".

<i>Evergreen</i> (Echo & the Bunnymen album) 1997 studio album by Echo & the Bunnymen

Evergreen is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Echo & the Bunnymen. It is their first album since reforming after they disbanded in 1993. Vocalist Ian McCulloch and guitarist Will Sergeant had previously worked together as Electrafixion before they were rejoined by bassist Les Pattinson under the name Echo & the Bunnymen in early 1997. The album was recorded at Doghouse Studios in Henley-on-Thames and was produced by McCulloch and the band's manager Paul Toogood but was credited to the whole band.

<i>What Are You Going to Do with Your Life?</i> 1999 studio album by Echo & the Bunnymen

What Are You Going to Do with Your Life? is the eighth studio album by the English rock band Echo & the Bunnymen. The album saw the departure of bassist Les Pattinson from the group, partly due to disagreements with vocalist Ian McCulloch; McCulloch and the remaining band member, guitarist Will Sergeant, subsequently recorded the record with session musicians. The London Metropolitan Orchestra provided backing music and the American rap rock band Fun Lovin' Criminals appeared as guest musicians on two tracks. The album was produced by Alan Douglas and Echo & the Bunnymen and it was recorded at various locations throughout England. Feeling sidelined during the recording of the album, Sergeant described it as "probably the worst time in my whole life".

<i>Songs to Learn & Sing</i> 1985 compilation album by Echo & the Bunnymen

Songs to Learn & Sing is a compilation album by English rock band Echo & the Bunnymen, released on 11 November 1985 by Korova. Featuring all of the singles the band had released up to that point, the album received positive reviews and reached number six on the UK Albums Chart.

Zoo Records was a British independent record label formed by Bill Drummond and David Balfe in 1978. Zoo was launched to release the work of the perennially struggling Liverpool band Big in Japan. The label also released two singles by Lori and the Chameleons, a Balfe and Drummond band which they formed after Big in Japan folded. Zoo Records went on to release early work from The Teardrop Explodes and Echo & the Bunnymen. The label also released the first single, "Iggy Pop's Jacket", by the Liverpool band Those Naughty Lumps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Les Pattinson</span> Musical artist

Leslie Thomas Pattinson is an English musician, best known for his work as the bassist and co-writer of the Liverpool-based band Echo & the Bunnymen, along with vocalist Ian McCulloch and guitarist Will Sergeant. He was brought up in Aughton, Lancashire and attended nearby Deyes High School in Maghull, where he and Sergeant were classmates and became friends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Echo & the Bunnymen discography</span>

The discography of Echo & the Bunnymen, an English post-punk band which formed in 1978, consists of thirteen studio albums, ten live albums, nine compilation albums, eight extended plays (EP), and thirty singles on Zoo Records; WEA and its subsidiaries, Korova, Sire Records, London Records and Rhino; Cooking Vinyl; and Ocean Rain Records, as well as five music VHS/DVDs, and twenty-two music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rescue (Echo & the Bunnymen song)</span> 1980 single by Echo & the Bunnymen

"Rescue" is the second single released by the band Echo & the Bunnymen. It was released on 5 May 1980 and subsequently included on the Crocodiles album, which was released on 18 July 1980. It was the band's first single to chart, reaching number 62 on the UK Singles Chart. It was also their first release on the newly formed Korova label.

<i>Shine So Hard</i> 1981 EP by Echo & the Bunnymen

Shine So Hard is a live 12" EP released by the band Echo & the Bunnymen on 10 April 1981. The EP reached number 37 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Promise (song)</span> 1981 single by Echo & the Bunnymen

"A Promise" is the fourth single by Echo & the Bunnymen and was released on 10 July 1981. It stayed on the UK Singles Chart for four weeks and peaked at number 49. Apart from the Australian-only release of "Over the Wall" later in the year, "A Promise" is the only single to have been released from the band's second album, Heaven Up Here (1981).

"Over the Wall" is a single by Echo & the Bunnymen which was released in 1981 in Australia and is from the 1981 album Heaven Up Here. The b-side of the single, which was not released in any other country, was the title track from the band's 1980 debut album, Crocodiles. Unlike the band's previous singles, "Over the Wall" was released without a picture sleeve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seven Seas (song)</span> 1984 single by Echo & the Bunnymen

"Seven Seas" is a single by Echo & the Bunnymen which was released on 6 July 1984. It was the third single to be released from their 1984 album Ocean Rain. It reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart and number 10 on the Irish Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bring On the Dancing Horses</span> 1985 single by Echo & the Bunnymen

"Bring On the Dancing Horses" is a single by English rock band Echo & the Bunnymen, released on 14 October 1985. It was the only single from their 1985 compilation album Songs to Learn & Sing and was recorded for the John Hughes film Pretty in Pink (1986). The song reached number 21 on the UK Singles Chart and number 15 on the Irish Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lips Like Sugar</span> 1987 single by Echo & the Bunnymen

"Lips Like Sugar" is a single by Echo & the Bunnymen which was released in August 1987. It was the second single from their 1987 eponymous album.

<i>The Sound of Echo</i> 1984 EP by Echo & the Bunnymen

The Sound of Echo is an EP that was released by the band Echo & the Bunnymen in February 1984. The EP is also known as the Never Stop EP and the Echo and the Bunnymen EP. The EP takes tracks from their 1980 Crocodiles album, their 1983 Porcupine album and adds a non-album single and a live track. The EP was released on 12-inch vinyl. The live track, "Do It Clean", was recorded at the Royal Albert Hall on 18 July 1983.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Stanley, Bob (13 September 2013). "Routine is the Enemy of Music: Post-punk". Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 488. ISBN   978-0-571-28198-5.
  2. 1 2 3 Roberts, David, ed. (2006) [1977]. British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: HiT Entertainment. pp. 177–178. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  3. 1 2 "Echo & the Bunnymen > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 April 2008.
  4. 1 2 "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone . 31 May 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  5. 1 2 Bell, p. 4
  6. ↑ Heaven Up Here (LP cover notes). Echo & the Bunnymen. Korova. 1981. KODE 3.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Heaven Up Here (CD booklet). Echo & the Bunnymen. Warner Music UK. 2003. 2564-61162-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ↑ Bell, p. 5
  9. ↑ Bell, p. 7
  10. 1 2 Adams, p. 71
  11. ↑ Adams, p. 72
  12. 1 2 Adams, p. 74
  13. 1 2 Reynolds, pp. 440–1
  14. 1 2 Griffin, Brian (2 November 2017). "Pop: The music photography of Brian Griffin". theweek.co.uk . Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  15. ↑ Bell, p. 8
  16. ↑ Adams, p. 73
  17. ↑ Reynolds, p. 450
  18. ↑ "The Ultimate Echo and the Bunnymen Discography". Villiers Terrace.com. Retrieved 20 May 2008.
  19. 1 2 Warshaw, Aaron. "Heaven Up Here – Echo & the Bunnymen". AllMusic . Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  20. ↑ Harrison, Andrew. "Echo & the Bunnymen: (various reissues)". Blender . New York. ISSN   1534-0554. Archived from the original on 16 February 2009. Retrieved 16 May 2008.
  21. ↑ Sweeting, Adam (31 October 2003). "Echo and the Bunnymen: Various". The Guardian . London. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  22. ↑ "Echo & the Bunnymen: Heaven Up Here". Mojo . No. 121. London. December 2003. pp. 129–30. ISSN   1351-0193.
  23. ↑ Tangari, Joe (2 March 2004). "Echo and the Bunnymen: Crocodiles / Heaven Up Here / Porcupine / Ocean Rain / Echo & The Bunnymen". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on 3 April 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  24. ↑ "Echo & the Bunnymen: Heaven Up Here". Q . No. 209. London. December 2003. p. 149. ISSN   0955-4955.
  25. ↑ Cooper, Mark (6 June 1981). "Heaven from Bunnies". Record Mirror . London. p. 14. ISSN   0144-5804.
  26. ↑ Gross, Joe (2004). "Echo and the Bunnymen". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p.  271. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  27. ↑ Ellen, Mark (11–24 June 1981). "Echo and the Bunnymen: Heaven Up Here". Smash Hits . Vol. 3, no. 12. London. p. 29. ISSN   0260-3004.
  28. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (30 November 1981). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice . New York. ISSN   0042-6180 . Retrieved 19 August 2009.
  29. ↑ Hoskyns, Barney (20 February 1982). "Echo and the Bunnymen: A Promise of Rock Re-Born". NME . London. ISSN   0028-6362.
  30. ↑ Drummond, Bill (1999). From the Shores of Lake Placid and Other Stories. Ellipsis London. ISBN   1-84166-000-0.
  31. ↑ "The 50 Greatest Albums of The '80s". NME . London. 25 September 1993. p. 19. ISSN   0028-6362.
  32. ↑ "Greatest Albums of All Time". NME . London. 2 October 1993. p. 29. ISSN   0028-6362.
  33. ↑ Reynolds, p. 441

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.