Echo & The Bunnymen To Release 'What Are You Going To Do With Your Life' On Vinyl For The First Time
Photo Credit: Kevin Westenberg
The influential post-punk band Echo and the Bunnymen has announced that they are releasing a vinyl edition of What Are You Going To Do With Your Life? for the first time. This re-release marks the 25th anniversary of the album that produced the hit singles, “Get in The Car” and “Rust.”
The eighth studio album released during the band’s legendary four-decade career, What Are You Going To Do With Your Life? was a product of a vibrant creative period for lead vocalist Ian McCulloch. What Are You Going To Do With Your Life? was released in between the band’s comeback album Evergreen and their ninth studio album Heaven Up Here.
“After Evergreen I was writing all this kind of stuff, and I thought, we're just going to go in there, and half of it will be very song-orientated, and the other will be Heaven Up Here.”
- says McCulloch.
While writing the songs for What Are You Going To Do With Your Life? McCulloch sought to write in a way that was accessible to the average listener without losing the deep messages he wanted to convey.
“The title What Are You Going To Do With Your Life? is more of an eternal question than where do we come from? It's where the sod are we going to go? It dawned on me that I can write these words that don't go above people's heads. It wasn't like ‘I'm going to simplify lyrics,’ it's just I felt confident of who I am.”
The Liverpool-based singer-songwriter took inspiration from the great lyricists of the rock era.
“My solo period was kind of learning that I don't write abstract lyrics very well and never really did. It's still, for me, the Leonard Cohens and the John Lennon’s… It's like, how much simpler can you get than that? But it's one of the most poetic things I've ever heard in a song, because it resonates, and you know exactly what he's on about.”
Echo and the Bunnymen recorded the album with contributions from talented artists. What Are You Going To Do With Your Life? features an expansive sound courtesy of the London Metropolitan Orchestra who provided melodic string arrangements. Fun Lovin’ Criminals play horns on the songs “Get in the Car” and “When It All Blows Over”. The track “Fools Like Us” also features original member Les Pattison playing bass for Echo and the Bunnymen for the last time before leaving the group.
The re-release of What Are You Going To Do With Your Life? will drop on November 29th via London Records. The album will be available in crystal clear vinyl and a limited edition rust orange vinyl. Also being released will be an expanded 34-track double CD edition featuring
B-sides, alternative takes, and live performances. The live performances will include Radio One’s John Peel Show at The Improv Theatre in London and Cream in Liverpool and will feature classic Echo and the Bunnymen songs “The Killing Moon,” “Lips Like Sugar,” “Back Of Love” and “The Cutter.”
