The Fountain (album)
Encyclopedia
The Fountain is the eleventh studio album by British band Echo & the Bunnymen
. The album was released on 12 October 2009 and was produced by John McLaughlin, Ian McCulloch
and Simon Perry. The first single from the album, "Think I Need It Too
", was released on 28 September 2009.
, Johnny Sharp described the album as "mid-tempo, middle of the road, middle-aged pop-rock". Sharp went on to say that the only character was to be found in the "pun-laden lyrics" of "Shroud of Turin". Writing in The Word, Andrew Collins said that despite there being a "languid grace" to whatever the pair do, [lead singer, Ian] McCulloch's
voice "sounds shot" and [guitarist, Will] Sergeant's
guitar sounded like a "diluted copy of somebody copying him". Stephen Troussé for Uncut
described the album as "dismayingly anonymous". Troussé went on to describe McLaughlin's production as "hyper-compressed, anodyne-sheen".
In The Guardian
, Dave Simpson gave the album four stars. He described the album as, "Their most accessible offering in a long time sees Ian McCulloch at his most lyrically playful and cocksure, hovering between confessional [...] and mischievous, and firing off one-liners as if it were the band's 80s heyday. Will Sergeant's guitar-playing is at its scintillating best [...] Their poppiest tunes since 'Bring On the Dancing Horses' could win the Scouse veterans a new generation of fans." Writing in the music magazine Q
, Garry Mulholland described McCulloch and Sergeant's sound as "remarkably perky" and "rejuvenated by an injection of youth from new rhythm section Simon Perry and David Thomas and pop producer John McLaughlin."
The Fountain has reached number sixty-three on the UK Albums Chart
.
Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut...
. The album was released on 12 October 2009 and was produced by John McLaughlin, Ian McCulloch
Ian McCulloch (singer)
Ian Stephen McCulloch is an English singer, born in Liverpool, and is best known as the frontman for the rock group Echo & the Bunnymen.-Career:...
and Simon Perry. The first single from the album, "Think I Need It Too
Think I Need It Too
"Think I Need It Too" is a song by the British rock band Echo & the Bunnymen. The song was released as a single on 28 September 2009 on Ocean Rain Records. It is the first single from the band's eleventh studio album, The Fountain .-Background:...
", was released on 28 September 2009.
Reception
Reviewing The Fountain for the British music magazine MojoMojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
, Johnny Sharp described the album as "mid-tempo, middle of the road, middle-aged pop-rock". Sharp went on to say that the only character was to be found in the "pun-laden lyrics" of "Shroud of Turin". Writing in The Word, Andrew Collins said that despite there being a "languid grace" to whatever the pair do, [lead singer, Ian] McCulloch's
Ian McCulloch (singer)
Ian Stephen McCulloch is an English singer, born in Liverpool, and is best known as the frontman for the rock group Echo & the Bunnymen.-Career:...
voice "sounds shot" and [guitarist, Will] Sergeant's
Will Sergeant
Will Sergeant is an English guitarist, best known for being a member of Echo & the Bunnymen. Born in the centre of Liverpool, he grew up in the suburb of Melling and attended nearby Deyes High School...
guitar sounded like a "diluted copy of somebody copying him". Stephen Troussé for Uncut
UNCUT (magazine)
Uncut magazine, trademarked as UNCUT, is a monthly publication based in London. It is available across the English-speaking world, and focuses on music, but also includes film and books sections...
described the album as "dismayingly anonymous". Troussé went on to describe McLaughlin's production as "hyper-compressed, anodyne-sheen".
In The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Dave Simpson gave the album four stars. He described the album as, "Their most accessible offering in a long time sees Ian McCulloch at his most lyrically playful and cocksure, hovering between confessional [...] and mischievous, and firing off one-liners as if it were the band's 80s heyday. Will Sergeant's guitar-playing is at its scintillating best [...] Their poppiest tunes since 'Bring On the Dancing Horses' could win the Scouse veterans a new generation of fans." Writing in the music magazine Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
, Garry Mulholland described McCulloch and Sergeant's sound as "remarkably perky" and "rejuvenated by an injection of youth from new rhythm section Simon Perry and David Thomas and pop producer John McLaughlin."
The Fountain has reached number sixty-three on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
.
Track listing
All tracks written by Ian McCulloch, John McLaughlin, Simon Perry, David Thomas and Will Sergeant, except where noted.- "Think I Need It TooThink I Need It Too"Think I Need It Too" is a song by the British rock band Echo & the Bunnymen. The song was released as a single on 28 September 2009 on Ocean Rain Records. It is the first single from the band's eleventh studio album, The Fountain .-Background:...
" – 3:41 - "Forgotten Fields" – 3:46
- "Do You Know Who I Am?" – 2:52
- "Shroud of Turin" (McCulloch, Sergeant) – 4:10
- "Life of a Thousand Crimes" (McCulloch, Sergeant) – 3:22
- "The Fountain" (McCulloch) – 4:01
- "Everlasting Neverendless" – 3:08
- "Proxy" (McCulloch) – 3:15
- "Drivetime" – 4:11
- "The Idolness of Gods" (McCulloch) – 4:26
Personnel
- Ian McCullochIan McCulloch (singer)Ian Stephen McCulloch is an English singer, born in Liverpool, and is best known as the frontman for the rock group Echo & the Bunnymen.-Career:...
– vocals, producer, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
("The Fountain") - Will SergeantWill SergeantWill Sergeant is an English guitarist, best known for being a member of Echo & the Bunnymen. Born in the centre of Liverpool, he grew up in the suburb of Melling and attended nearby Deyes High School...
– guitar - John McLaughlin – producer
- Simon Perry – producer ("Think I Need It Too", "Forgotten Fields", "Do You Know Who I Am?", "Life of a Thousand Crimes", "Everlasting Neverendless", "Drivetime")
- David Thomas – mixing (except "The Fountain")
- Andrea Wright – additional production, mixing ("The Fountain")
- Paul Fleming, Gordy Goudie, Nick Kilroe – additional musicians