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''Echo & the Bunnymen'' is the fifth studio album by the British post-punk band Echo & the Bunnymen, and the last with their drummer Pete de Freitas, who died in 1989 at age 27 in a motorcycle accident. The album was produced by Laurie Latham who recorded the album in Germany, Belgium, London and Liverpool after an aborted attempt at recording the album 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 of the album 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. Although ''Echo & the Bunnymen'' was successful in the United Kingdom and, to a lesser degree, the United States, it received mixed reviews from the music press following its release in July 1987. The album reached number four on the UK Albums Chart, number 51 on the United States ''Billboard'' 200, number 51 on the Canadian ''RPM''100 Albums and number 22 on the Swedish Albums Chart. Since its release, the album has been certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry. The album includes the singles "The Game", "Lips Like Sugar" and "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo". ==Background== Echo & the Bunnymen took time off from touring, writing and recording after the release of the critically acclaimed ''Ocean Rain'' in 1984, because the band's manager, the fabled prankster Bill Drummond,〔Sandall, Robert (20 August 2008). "(Bill Drummond: pop's prankster heads for destruction )". ''The Daily Telegraph''. Retrieved 14 January 2009〕 felt that a year off would help the band write different kinds of songs in preparation for the next album.〔Adams, pp. 160–1〕 During the time off, drummer Pete de Freitas travelled Spain and France on his motorcycle, bass guitarist Les Pattinson worked on his new boat,〔 singer Ian McCulloch released a solo single "September Song",〔Adams, p. 159〕 leaving guitarist Will Sergeant as the only band member to spend the time doing nothing.〔 Even though the band enjoyed an excellent and creative working relation with Drummond, by the end of 1984 they had mutually parted company as the band were not making enough money.〔Adams, p. 162〕 Under the new management of Mick Hancock, Duran Duran's tour manager,〔 the band returned to work in May 1985 with a tour of Scandinavia. They also made a headline appearance at the Glastonbury Festival on 21 June 1985, when they played live for the first time two new songs which would later be included on the album – "Satellite" and "All in Your Mind".〔Adams, p. 170〕 Now ready to start recording, they entered the studio with their former producer Ian Broudie and Clive Langer to record the songs they had played at Glastonbury as well as "Like a Rollercoaster" and "Jimmy Brown". Not liking the results of this session, the band considered Eddy Grant and ABBA's production team, before settling on Laurie Latham as their producer. McCulloch had been impressed by the sharp quality of Latham's production on The Stranglers' single "Skin Deep".〔Adams, p. 171〕 The band met with Latham in Brussels and recorded "All in Your Mind", "Like a Rollercoaster" and "Jimmy Brown",〔 which was renamed "Bring on the Dancing Horses". "Bring on the Dancing Horses" appeared on the WEA compilation album ''Songs to Learn & Sing'' in November 1985 and was released as a single in the same month. An early version of "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo", a song that would appear on the album, appeared on the B-side to the 12-inch version. The band faced 1986 with a commitment to record an album, but without their drummer; a musician who was considered fundamental to the band's creative success.〔Taylor, Steve. 2006. ''A to X of Alternative Music''. London: Continuum International Publishing Group. p. 98. ISBN 0-8264-8217-1.〕 On 31 December 1985, de Freitas had gone to New Orleans with the road crew on a drug binge and there announced his resignation from the band.〔Adams, pp. 178–180〕 The band then hired former Haircut One Hundred drummer Blair Cunningham for the spring 1986 tour of the United States; but he didn't fit in, and after the tour left to join The Pretenders.〔Adams, p. 182〕 The band then hired former ABC drummer David Palmer, and recorded a few sessions with producer Gil Norton for the new album. However, by July 1986 Palmer had decided he did not want to remain with the band.〔 As Palmer left the band, de Freitas returned to the United Kingdom and expressed a wish to rejoin. Uncertain of de Freitas's commitment to the band, and his fragile mental state, they took him back as a hired hand rather than a full member.〔 Now with the line-up that would record ''Echo & the Bunnymen'', the band gave a live television appearance for the BBC in September 1986 when they played two new songs, "The Game" and "Lips Like Sugar". According to Will Sergeant, the band were under pressure from Warner Music chairman Rob Dickins to produce an album that would replicate the success of Peter Gabriel's recent multiplatinum hit album ''So'': "I couldn't believe it when Rob Dickins brought us into his office and played us Peter Gabriel's album: 'I want you to sound like this!' I think he escaped with his life that day." 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Echo & the Bunnymen (album)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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