Fountain Started Life as a Mac Solo - Knew It

[King Of Kings]

After a four-year wait comes Echo & The Bunnymen's 11th studio album, The Fountain. Since their reunion with 1997's Evergreen, the legendary Liverpudlians have enjoyed a new lease of life, and 2005's excellent Siberia was a high water mark in the band's discography. But the 2009 Bunnymen line-up hasn't exactly rekindled the glory of their psychedelic post-punk years in the early '80s.

Maybe the long gap between records is due to Siberia not selling as well as it should have done. But The Fountain's release was delayed from 2008, suggesting some problems in the studio. Indeed, the project was not initially intended to be a Bunnymen album at all. Singer Ian McCulloch started working on the songs with different musicians in 2007, before the other remaining band member guitarist Will Sergeant got involved.

Presumably the bright, poppy sound of this album from producer John McLaughlin (not the famous jazz-fusion guitarist, but a collaborator with the likes of Busted and 5ive) is an attempt to get more radio play. But it does not suit the off-beat atmospheric moodiness of the Bunnymen's music. Its natural quirkiness seems to have been ironed out into a bland smoothness, though the songs are not strong enough anyway. Too often they feel like they're going through the motions without any real urgency.

Current single Think I Need It Too is a reasonably catchy upbeat tune with a big chorus, but not one of the band's more memorable songs. It fails to really grab your attention at the start of the album. As usual, McCulloch is trying to work out who he is and what he should be doing - "Must have forgotten something/How to forget how to be true" - though the mood for once is pretty optimistic.

Forgotten Fields sounds distressingly close to a Coldplay power ballad at times, which might come as little surprise given that Chris Martin appears on the album's title track, and McCulloch mentored Coldplay's album A Rush Of Blood To The Head. Do You Know Who I Am? is much better, featuring McCulloch's trademark looping backing vocals on another identity-questioning track. The pedestrian-paced Shroud Of Turin may be tongue in cheek, but McCulloch's messianic complex enters dodgy territory, while Life Of 1,000 Crimes' syncopated rhythm has more of a dance beat.

The mellow title song soars melodically with strings attached but Everlasting Neverendless' romantic sentiment is forgettable and Proxy's hard-to-impress attitude - "Show me something that I've not seen before/And show me somewhere I've not been before" - is backed by unimpressive music.

Easily the best song on the album is Drivetime, a string-laden song with a driving rhythm ending with an unsettling echo that actually sounds like it was written because it had to be. The awfully punning Idolness Of Gods is a slow-moving track that goes nowhere and quietly fades away from the consciousness as the album tamely comes to an end.

As always, McCulloch's lyrics are generally opaque, with a few striking phrases that stay in the mind, but as a singer he is at the top of his game, with his mature middle-aged vocal style much more sophisticated than when angrily young. Sergeant, one of the most distinctive guitarists around, seems strangely muted throughout, as if on autopilot during these largely underwhelming songs. After 30 years since their first incarnation, has the flowing fountain of creative inspiration finally run dry for the Bunnymen?

- Neil Dowden

http://www.musicomh.com/albums/echo-bunnymen-2_1009.htm

[Scouser]

It didnt take a genius to work that out!

Its brilliant that Smith is getting all excited about an album helmed (by that I mean production AND co-writing duties) by the guy behind 5ive and Busted. Everybody get up, eh Dave, 5ive will help yer get down, down, down.

Dare I say it (again)...not as good as Comsats.

[the ghost of guitarplayer]

I read that yesterday. Interesting review, although I'd say Drivetime sounds like Coldplay and is not the stand out track. That Neil Dowden must of got his tracks mixed up. He even suggests that Do You Know Who I Am? is better than Forgotten Fields.

[fat cherry]

so, where's this bloke, a part time writer for a web site, get his info?

[the ghost of guitarplayer]

No idea, perhaps he got a tip-off while he was proof reading Harry Potter on a laptop in a coffee bar or whatever his day job involves. I wasn't aware that it started off a solo album project - so we were told work began on The Fountain when the Bunnymen had re-signed for the newly recreated Korova label.

[fat cherry]

the first i remember it was the jonny others interview, which was two years ago now (http://www.indieoma.com):

WS: Yeah, well Siberia was more of a joint effort again. We are definitely at our best when we work together.
ME: So is the new one similarly collaborative?
WS: (sigh) Not really. The new one is probably a bit more Mac than me again.
ME: Oh dear. So are you not too happy?
WS: Well, I’ve done some really nice guitars on this one and it’s a lot, lot better than What Are You Going To Do With Your Life. But I don’t think I’ve ever made an album I’m really happy with.
ME: Ha-ha.
WS: You can never really achieve musically. You do what you can, you spend ages in the studio and then it still doesn’t sound right.
ME: That’s a bit depressing
WS: Maybe it is. I think I’ve probably been depressed all me life.
ME: So, is there a lot of tension in the studio?
WS: Not really. Singers always tend to get their own way because they can shout and scream the loudest. You just put up with it in the end because it’s not worth the hassle.
ME: Is the new stuff sounding very different to the last album?
WS: (shrugs) Probably not. Well, I think it sounds slightly different but it probably just sounds the same.

[fat cherry]

and this bit - classic, in a sad sort of way, but i'm sure there was a twinkle in his little scouse eye. or maybe not.

ME: You’re headlining the second stage tonight. Are you looking forward to it?
WS: I’m looking forward to it being over and getting off home.

[the ghost of guitarplayer]

There's a difference between solo effort and being a solo album as it is perfectly obvious from the songs on The Fountrain that it is a solo effort with Will invited along for the ride very much in the passenger's seat (probably one at the back rather the front next to the driver). The first article implies it was originally going to be a Mac solo album, which I wasn't aware of.

[fat cherry]

well you lost me a bit with that argument ghosty. i'm not sure it is that obvious.

[the ghost of guitarplayer]

Lack of Will's guitars other than in TINIT, Forgotten Fields, Do You Know Who I Am?, Shroud of Turin and Everlasting Neverendless. Even when you can hear them in Proxy (instrumental break thingy) and Drivetime, they are pretty low in the mix - pretty much like WAYGTDWYL? was.

[Grumpy_Jimbo]

Lack of Will's guitars other than in TINIT, Forgotten Fields, Do You Know Who I Am?, Shroud of Turin and Everlasting Neverendless. Even when you can hear them in Proxy and Drivetime, they are pretty low in the mix - pretty much like WAYGTDWYL? was.

You must have a different mix from me......

Plenty of Wills guitar on my copy......

[the ghost of guitarplayer]

Where, other than the songs I mentioned?

[fat cherry]

- pretty much like WAYGTDWYL? .

thing is, that album is still growing on me. Theres a couple of songs i still think are crap but the guitar that is on there is pretty much perfect for the songs.

[the ghost of guitarplayer]

Sure, and I don't think it's crap as a whole. But listening to some of the stuff, I kind of miss no solo breaks from Will other than on TINIT and Do You Know Who I Am?. Everlasting Neverendless is a case of point (probably my favourite track on the album actually). Some really fantastic guitar work going on there, but would of been nice with a Seven Seasish instrumental break in the middle that would have really rounded the song off well. Same with The Shroud of Turin. Other stuff like The Fountain, Life of 1,000 Crimes, The Idolness of Gods, it could be anybody playing the guitars. Perhaps I'm being too nitpicky after enjoying Will's work on Siberia, Evergreen and Flowers.

[shadows on the trees]

the first i remember it was the jonny others interview, which was two years ago now (http://www.indieoma.com):

WS: Yeah, well Siberia was more of a joint effort again. We are definitely at our best when we work together.
ME: So is the new one similarly collaborative?
WS: (sigh) Not really. The new one is probably a bit more Mac than me again.
ME: Oh dear. So are you not too happy?
WS: Well, I’ve done some really nice guitars on this one and it’s a lot, lot better than What Are You Going To Do With Your Life. But I don’t think I’ve ever made an album I’m really happy with.
ME: Ha-ha.
WS: You can never really achieve musically. You do what you can, you spend ages in the studio and then it still doesn’t sound right.
ME: That’s a bit depressing
WS: Maybe it is. I think I’ve probably been depressed all me life.
ME: So, is there a lot of tension in the studio?
WS: Not really. Singers always tend to get their own way because they can shout and scream the loudest. You just put up with it in the end because it’s not worth the hassle.
ME: Is the new stuff sounding very different to the last album?
WS: (shrugs) Probably not. Well, I think it sounds slightly different but it probably just sounds the same.

Somebody call the WAAAHmbulance.
If he hates playing w/ EATB so much, why doesn't he just quit? Annoying.