Echo & The Bunnymen 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 who recorded the album in Germany, Belgium, London and Liverpool; this followed 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 RPM100 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".