Echo & The Bunnymen
Do It Clean
(Ocean Rain Records)

Picture this: you’re at a gig waiting to hear your favorite song, but it was never a single. The night goes well enough, but the band knows which songs are in the most demand, so your unspoken request is ignored. Sound familiar? Well, in 2010, Echo & The Bunnymen went back to basics by performing their first two albums, Crocodile and Heaven Up Here, in their entirety.

The tour was a bold look back to the early 80’s, and both records have survived the test of time well. Do It Clean, a live recording of the two albums, was released exclusively through the band’s website and is a treat for any collector or diehard fans who weren’t able to make it to the few special gigs.

Ian McCulloch and Co. are still in sharp enough form to put to shame performers half their age. Crocodile and Heaven Up Here have all the energy and intensity as ever before, and time has only made the band more effective in delivering the goods. There’s little banter between the songs, but when there’s so much material to cover, you can’t fault McCulloch for this. With all of the glory and none of the agonizing standing and screaming for an encore, Do It Clean is a live album that’s accomplished and polished in a way that only experience can craft.