Echo & the Bunnymen “B-sides & Live (2001-2005)” 2007/2022. Record Store Day release on clear vinyl. Today, May 5th, is Bunnyman Ian McCulloch’s birthday (b. 1959). Originally a digital-only release, this double LP is a collection of remixes and rarities that spans from the 80’s through the mid-aughts. I’m extremely well-versed in the Bunnymen’s 80’s era music but not at all with their material post-reunion in ’98, so a lot of this album is new to me. However, it’s totally possible they played that newer music when I saw them perform in 2016 but at this point I have no idea.

The remixes of the 80’s era singles are brilliant. “Rescue (Mindwinder’s Remix)” is an extended instrumental variation of their 1980 single and, as the title suggests, is glistening, icy and hypnotic. Equally great and super-psychedelic is “A Promise (Lo Fi Lullabye #1)” – that single originally released in ’81 – which is slowed down and mellowed out. Also excellent are live recordings of two of my favorite Echo tracks: “Killing Moon” and “Lips Like Sugar,” both from the Reading Festival in 2005. I’m not sure where the live version of “Villiers Terrace” is from (it originally appeared on their 1980 album Crocodiles) but it is totally rocking and then evolves into The Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues” which is awesome and hilarious: Echo’s never-ceasing Jim Morrison fascination.

The later-era material featured on B-sides & Live comes from Flowers (2001) and Siberia (2005). Like earlier Echo songs, it’s heavily neo-psychedelic, with lots of shimmer and swirl. My top picks from Flowers: “Marble Towers” (only available on the Japanese pressing), “Supermellowman (Instrumental Version)” and the cover of the Beatles’ “Ticket to Ride” which was a b-side to “Make Me Shine.” “Make Me Shine (Live Acoustic Version)” makes an appearance on B-sides as well; the original version was second single from Flowers. From Siberia “In the Margins (Instrumental Version)” is simply beautiful, as is the live version (also from Reading, 2005), its guitar melody very Johnny Marr-esque.