Album of the Day

The overcast skies on the cover of HEAVEN UP HERE accurately reflect the gloomy post-punk of Echo & The Bunnymen's second album. Co-produced by Hugh Jones, the 1981 Sire set has a disconsolate vibe akin to Joy Division but leavened with what frontman Ian McCulloch termed a “spikey edge.” While such songs as “Over the Wall,” “A Promise” and the title track may be less familiar than later hits, they nonetheless helped make the collection a Top 10 success in the group's native U.K.; the album also reached the Billboard chart in the U.S. - a first for the band. HEAVEN UP HERE was named by both Rolling Stone and NME as one of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and we'll cue it up now to wish original Bunnymen bassist Les Pattinson a happy birthday.