Fountain Of Lamneth

[Show Don't Tell]

In case you didn't know, this song is AWESOME! I recently got into it, after not really listening to it for God knows how long. After first listen, I thought it was average. Never listened to it again. About a year later, I listened to it because it came after The Necromancer (which I had just finished listening to -- great track also, by the way), and I thought I'd give it another shot. Now I'm hooked! It's so good! Lerxst's guitar work is SO NICE on this song!

 

In my book, it rivals Hemispheres and 2112 for the best side-long epic!

[troutman]

My favorite tune on COS!! Helped me through a tough time back in the late 70's.

[RushFanForever]

I was flicking through the channels today and 'Dirty Dancing' with Patrick Swayze was playing.

 

There is a restaurant scene in the movie where this character named Neil Kellerman (played by Lonnie Price) that likes Frances 'Baby' Houseman (played by Jennifer Grey) attempts to give her a copy of the book 'The Fountainhead' by Ayn Rand and then she pours a pitcher of water on him. She realizes how much of a jerk he is.

 

The Fountain of Lamneth probably was inspired by 'The Fountainhead' book.

Edited September 20, 2009 by RushFanForever

[shaun3701]

I lost my virginity to this song

[GeddyLeeRoth]

Sorry, but I think this song is totally over-rated. Really its a collection of songs with only 'In The Valley' and its reprise, 'The Fountain' connecting the whole work together. And serving as the opener and closer of TFOL, they are quite mediocre. No One At The Bridge and Bacchus Plateau are the only real genius on side two, but this is only a third of TFOL. The Necromancer needs a lot of work too. Don't get me wrong, I still dig these songs, but they simply don't come close to other epics like 2112, Xanadu, Hemispheres or La Villa Strangiato.

[RUSHHEAD666]

"Opinions are like assholes, everybody has one!"

 

This song is fukking fantastic!!!

 

Phantastic!!!!

 

LOVE IT!

 

 

Funny, I lost my virginity to Whitesnake's "Slide It In" at my parents house when they were in Hawaii during some long, hot summer night.

 

Timing truly is everything and ironically it was the worst lay of my life.

 

 

[Blenderhead]

QUOTE (RUSHHEAD666 @ Sep 20 2009, 02:42 AM)

"Opinions are like assholes, everybody has one!"

Baby Born Without Butthole

 

I dig Lamneth. One of my favorite Rush songs.

[RUSHHEAD666]

QUOTE (Blenderhead @ Sep 19 2009, 11:49 PM)

QUOTE (RUSHHEAD666 @ Sep 20 2009, 02:42 AM) "Opinions are like assholes, everybody has one!" Baby Born Without Butthole   I dig Lamneth. One of my favorite Rush songs. HAHAHA!   Blender! You are too much. I honestly didn't want to go there "butt" I will! LOL!   My cousin from New Jersey was born without and anus. It's true. It actually happens all the time to humanity. It is a bad slogan I suppose since not everyone is really born with an asshole. Of course when she was a baby she had the surgery and everything comes out just fine now.     Anyway, back to your regularly scheduled programming........................   For all of the people who hate "The Fountain Of Lamneth" did you know that you can take the word "LAME" out of "LAMNETH?"   Signed,   "ANAGRAM (For Mongo)"

[sdhonda]

Everyone is entitled to an opinion right? Wrong! Everyone is entitled to an informed opinion. ~ Harlan Ellison (probably off a bit)

 

I'mma have to agree with GeddyLeeRoth though. After "No one at the bridge", the whole thing just drags on and on. It's not horrible, of course, but compared to 2112 or Hemispheres, it just lacks to the cohesiveness, narrative and all around epicness to be found in the other two.

[rushgoober]

Caress of Steel was one of the albums I obtained shortly after I got into Rush in 1981 when I was catching up on their back catalog. Most of the album I just didn't get, except for Bastille Day and Lakeside Park which I loved immediately. I

 

t would literally take me about 25 years before I appreciated and loved The Fountain of Lamneth. Usually with Rush, I either like a song as much as I did at first, or if anything over time my opinion of it will slip some. This is the rare exception where my opinion of a Rush song improved dramatically over time.

 

Now I think it's brilliant. I still don't like the other two songs (subject matter of ITIGB too ridiculous and The Necromancer destroyed by the narration), but TFOL really does rival 2112 and Hemispheres for best sidelong epic.

[Weakly Criminal]

TFOL may be constructed a bit haphazardly, but there is MUCH to appreciate about it. It's an acquired taste though, I admit.

 

Also, I'm wondering if an instrumental can be an epic? Doesn't an epic require subject matter by definition?

[rushgoober]

QUOTE (Weakly Criminal @ Sep 20 2009, 05:09 AM)

Also, I'm wondering if an instrumental can be an epic? Doesn't an epic require subject matter by definition?

Only if you say it does. La Villa is an epic. There are PLENTY of long instrumental tracks in the prog universe that to me are as epic as songs with lyrics...

[Alex]

Thats what I love about Rush. You can re-discover things and realize they are amazing AGAIN.

[Wilderness_of_Mirrors]

i definately agree with GeddyLeeRoth.

[The Big Money]

I hate cos

[Picture Moving]

Took me 23 years to get into Caress Od Steel and The Fountain Of Lamneth is without question, the standout track on this very good album.

 

 

[mankad89]

I still think the song is pretty disjointed and pretentious.

[apetersvt]

QUOTE (RushFanForever @ Sep 19 2009, 08:24 PM)

I was flicking through the channels today and 'Dirty Dancing' with Patrick Swayze was playing. There is a restaurant scene in the movie where this character named Neil Kellerman (played by Lonnie Price) that likes Frances 'Baby' Houseman (played by Jennifer Grey) attempts to give her a copy of the book 'The Fountainhead' by Ayn Rand and then she pours a pitcher of water on him. She realizes how much of a jerk he is. The Fountain of Lamneth probably was inspired by 'The Fountainhead' book.

I don't quite get the Fountainhead reference. I haven't read it in 15 years so I might be missing something.

 

Anyways, I can't get enough FOTL. I've probably spent more time listening to that song than HYF, Presto, RTB, Counterparts, TFE, VT, Feedback, and S&A combined.

[GeddyLeeRoth]

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Sep 20 2009, 09:35 AM)

QUOTE (Weakly Criminal @ Sep 20 2009, 05:09 AM) Also, I'm wondering if an instrumental can be an epic? Doesn't an epic require subject matter by definition? Only if you say it does. La Villa is an epic. There are PLENTY of long instrumental tracks in the prog universe that to me are as epic as songs with lyrics... Its an epic that happens to be an instrumental. Or vice versa. Take your pick, but its an epic. I says so.

[Rush Cocky]

Fountain of Lamneth is awesome.

[KlanKaos]

Not that I don't love Fountain of Lamneth, but I honestly don't appreciate it as much as 2112 or Hemispheres. It just lacks the finish of the other two. It's not as polished or refined. I also agree that it doesn't seem coherent - transitions between chapters are often harsh in that song, and sometimes it just doesn't seem to make sense. It's still fun to listen to, but it's not as great as it could be.

[ytserush]

QUOTE (mankad89 @ Sep 20 2009, 03:01 PM)

I still think the song is pretty disjointed and pretentious.

and very naive and embryotic, but I LOVE it.

Edited September 22, 2009 by ytserush

[Ancient Ways]

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Sep 20 2009, 06:21 AM)

Caress of Steel was one of the albums I obtained shortly after I got into Rush in 1981 when I was catching up on their back catalog. Most of the album I just didn't get, except for Bastille Day and Lakeside Park which I loved immediately. I t would literally take me about 25 years before I appreciated and loved The Fountain of Lamneth. Usually with Rush, I either like a song as much as I did at first, or if anything over time my opinion of it will slip some. This is the rare exception where my opinion of a Rush song improved dramatically over time. Now I think it's brilliant. I still don't like the other two songs (subject matter of ITIGB too ridiculous and The Necromancer destroyed by the narration), but TFOL really does rival 2112 and Hemispheres for best sidelong epic.

our paths were similar and then converged. I had everything up to and including MP and Fountain was probably my fav right from the beginning. I used to just sit there and listen to it with headphones pretty often. Now I am wondering how I found the time to do that then. I rarely get the chance these days.

[Weakly Criminal]

QUOTE (GeddyLeeRoth @ Sep 20 2009, 10:50 PM)

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Sep 20 2009, 09:35 AM) QUOTE (Weakly Criminal @ Sep 20 2009, 05:09 AM) Also, I'm wondering if an instrumental can be an epic? Doesn't an epic require subject matter by definition? Only if you say it does. La Villa is an epic. There are PLENTY of long instrumental tracks in the prog universe that to me are as epic as songs with lyrics... Its an epic that happens to be an instrumental. Or vice versa. Take your pick, but its an epic. I says so. Well there's no question that LVS is an epic work, I suppose that 'an epic' could refer to any art form, whether theres a story or not. Come to think of it, LVS does tell a story with music.

[GeddyRulz]

I'll agree with those who say it's a little disjointed: when I was first listening to it in my teens, I didn't understand the story line. What the hell happens in the story? With "Hemispheres" and "2112" the story is clear; not so much with "Fountain of Lamneth." I'm still a little confused by "what happens," but have arrived at a personal interpretation.

 

Nevertheless, I LOVE IT. The music is great in every part, particularly in "No One at the Bridge" (Alex's most emotive guitar solo EVER) and "Bacchus Plateau" (nice riff rock). As burnt on "2112" as I am, I'd pick "Lamneth" over that epic in a heartbeat... but that's just where I am these days.