FIRST PICTURES: Echo and the Bunnymen / “Crocodiles” 2LP book

After some delays, Vinyl180’s deluxe double vinyl, hardback book edition of Echo and the Bunnymen‘s classic 1980 debut Crocodiles was released this week.

This set pairs a heavyweight vinyl LP of the album proper, with a second 180g LP offering the ten bonus tracks from the 2003 CD reissue. All this is presented in a hardback book form. The vinyl specialist has put out other titles like this previously, notably Liza Minnelli’s Results.

The cover is very thick and artwork reproduction is excellent. One change is that the typography sits above Brian Griffin’s famous cover photo, rather than on top of it. Also, this image has a high gloss finish, so you do have to be quite careful about fingerprints. You won’t want to be handling this copy of Crocodiles straight after scoffing down a large packet of cheese and onion crisps…

Both LPs come in their own era-accurate inner sleeves and reside securely inside two large pockets. The records are easy to get in – and out – but still feel snug and secure in this setting. With just 12 pages, book itself doesn’t perhaps offer the amount of content you might expect, given the grandness and luxury of the overall presentation, but the photos all look fantastic, particularly when used full page. Alongside these images, guitarist Will Sergeant offers detailed and personal memories of the recording process and the photo session for the cover.

The rear image is as per the original vinyl, albeit with a track listing that reflects the addition of bonus tracks on sides three and four of the second LP.

The vinyl itself was flat and clean – these have been pressed at The Vinyl Factory plant in Middlesex and Andy Pearce handled remastering at London’s Masterpiece Studios. The source was the 25th Anniversary remasterings that Warners issued.

The hardback book format is a deeply satisfying and quite indulgent way to own one of your favourite albums. At around the £35 mark it’s hardly cheap, but on the other hand vinyl isn’t cheap anymore, period. When music fans are regularly asked to part with with £20 for a standard new vinyl release, suddenly the money being asked for a double album in this luxurious setting seems not unreasonable.

Crocodiles 2LP Hardback book is out now.

>Order from Amazon:

• • UK Order: Crocodiles 2LP Hardback Book [VINYL]
• • GERMAN Order: Crocodiles 2LP Hardback Book [VINYL] 
• • FRANCE Order: Crocodiles [2LP Hardback Book]

> Click here to Order from Vinyl180

Track listing

Side 1

• 1. Going Up
• 2. Stars Are Stars
• 3. Pride
• 4. Monkeys
• 5. Crocodiles

Side 2

• 1. Rescue
• 2. Villiers Terrace
• 3. Pictures on My Wall
• 4. All That Jazz
• 5. Happy Death Men

Side 3

• 1. Do It Clean
• 2. Read It in Books
• 3. Simple Stuff
• 4. Villiers Terrace (Early Version)
• 5. Pride (Early Version)
• 6. Simple Stuff (Earlier Version)

Side 4

• 1. Crocodiles (Live)
• 2. Zimbo (Live)
• 3. All That Jazz (Live)
• 4. Over the Wall (Live)

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