BBC review of The Fountain - Sounds about right

[Mr.Sparkle]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/p328

The Echo & the Bunnymen of the past decade may bear little similarity, beyond the presence of Ian McCulloch’s vocals and Will Sergeant on guitar, to the band that courted such acclaim with their first four albums – Crocodiles (1980), Heaven Up Here (1981), Porcupine (1983) and Ocean Rain (1984) – but line-up changes haven’t prevented the post-punk outfit from scoring critical hits. Their first record without founding bassist Les Pattinson, 1999’s What Are You Going to Do With Your Life?, picked up a 9/10 in the NME, and broadsheets took to 2005’s Siberia with all the enthusiasm that greeted their first wave of releases.

But while Siberia did an admirable job of conjuring a spirit comparable to the Liverpool band’s finest 1980s releases – it’s a closer cousin of Crocodiles than, say, the band’s 1997 reunion affair, Evergreen – The Fountain aims for an awkward middle ground between styles, failing to perfect that itchiness that made the Bunnymen so irresistible in their early days while also falling short in the Big Indie Anthem stakes. There’s no Nothing Lasts Forever here, however hard they’ve tried, and not even the presence of Coldplay’s Chris Martin on the title track can stir anything more than moderate interest.

Things begin bouncily enough, with Think I Need it Too riding a ripple of pristine guitar, the inevitable explosion of percussion arriving at the perfect moment to propel the piece towards a surging chorus. But while the song’s astutely arranged, it’s no more than you’d expect from a songwriting pair who’ve worked together since the late 1970s. It’s a safe bet, seemingly an auto-pilot affair that, while capable of ticking long-term fanboy boxes, is unlikely to attract fresh interest in a band now operating on the fringes of contemporary rock.

It’s McCulloch and Sergeant’s evident comfort on the sidelines that has led to a record like this. The Fountain never gets out of third gear, content to trundle when, in the past, its makers would have floored it for a few thrilling seconds, flying around blind bends far too fast. There are no surprises, a succession of songs blurring together to comprise a single mass of comparative mediocrity. If this was the work of a nervy new band you could forgive its hesitance; but knowing what these musicians are capable of, The Fountain can only be summarised as a wholly half-hearted affair.

[black francis]

sadly that sounds about right.

[Mr.Sparkle]

I think most people on here will find at least a few songs to like on the album, if not more, but that review is pretty dead on with how I feel about most of what I've heard from the Fountain so far.

[Dr Cheese]

... a single mass of comparative mediocrity. ..

And in that one phrase the Bunnymen of today are summed up perfectly.

[fat cherry]

i dont pay my license fee to read rubbish like that. I'm writing to the governor..... funny, doesn't mention boyband uber bloke writing partner does it. like the 'long term fanboy boxes' line though. must remember that. and oo, comfort on the sidelines. do they understand rock n roll? some would kill for a place there.

[Dave Smith]

You could write that review about most bands that have been together 30 years

[withahip]

Depeche Mode

Sounds Of The Universe

Forget the sudden spate of reunions, if there is an Eighties revival under way it is because the real big guns are still firing, and still determined to be heard. Gauntlet-throwing albums from U2, the Cure and Metallica are now followed by a punchy, electrorock blaster from Depeche Mode. With its bleeping synths, distorted guitars, bluesy melodies and crunchy percussion, it sounds a lot like Violator, only without the silly Gothic posturing.

Their 12th album suggests a route back to the future.

Download this: Perfect

Telegraph Rating: * * * * *

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/musi ... eview.html

[fat cherry]

Gauntlet-throwing albums from U2, ......

really? my mate is a mega U2 fan and, well, it was quite amusing listening to him explaining his disappointment in the new album. i said you ought to try following my lot around mate.

[withahip]

I'd have to agree - must be their sell out shows that get them a pass in the press - but it is a pass - something EATB aren't getting.

[the ghost of guitarplayer]

Depeche Mode

Sounds Of The Universe

Forget the sudden spate of reunions, if there is an Eighties revival under way it is because the real big guns are still firing, and still determined to be heard. Gauntlet-throwing albums from U2, the Cure and Metallica are now followed by a punchy, electrorock blaster from Depeche Mode. With its bleeping synths, distorted guitars, bluesy melodies and crunchy percussion, it sounds a lot like Violator, only without the silly Gothic posturing.

Their 12th album suggests a route back to the future.

Download this: Perfect

Telegraph Rating: * * * * *

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/musi ... eview.html

When you read Amazon reviews like "I've always had a soft spot for Depeche Mode simply for the acoustic version of your Own Personal Jesus, which is a work of brilliance. But, I've never really been a fan. Just liked one or two of their songs. I assumed there'd be nothing there after 25 years - how can you still have something to write/sing/create after 25 years of writing/singing/creating? But, I bought this prompted by the reviews that suggested there was something special happening here. And there is. The retro fest the other 80s bands - Spandau, Ultravox, Durans - are tediously engaging in is old and tired. This album is incredibly new and fresh." it makes your want to cry into your Ocean Rain Live deluxe collectors special edition. A couple of negative reviews, but enough positives to at least make you listen to the sample tracks.

Still, The Fountain seems to have a healthy sales rank in Amazon sales a week before it is released. Maybe tonight's and Friday's performance on Later might get it into the top 80, taking over from Hannah Montana The Movie or Spandau Ballet's Greatest Shits.

[withahip]

Still, The Fountain seems to have a healthy sales rank in Amazon sales a week before it is released.

Would those sales be by retailers stocking it? Not individual fans?

[the ghost of guitarplayer]

No idea. I thought it was sales. Have they got 152 copies in stock then?

[withahip]

I don't know. On the U.S. side, it is available as an import. Over 25 dollars for this cd?

I don't think so.

# Format: Import
# ASIN: B002NVTBX6
# Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,662 in Music

[marco]

Looks like the The Fountain will be out in the States on November 10 (non-import) for $13.49 on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Fountain-Echo-Bun ... 618&sr=8-2

[withahip]

Thanks. Half the price.