'60s-style ensemble falls flat

By Erica Miller, On-Line Forty-Niner

Monday, September 14, 1998

Magic Fountain's debut album "Free," released by Surreal Records, is a lifeless stream of music with no magic to sustain it.

This recording from the self-proclaimed '60s-influenced modern rock group is often missing the heavy bass, distortion and driving guitar rifts characteristic of '60s and '70s music.

On "Who Do You Think You Are?" lead singer Brad Stanfield sings, "Some people slit their wrists, some people just get pissed." The lyrics are dry and reminiscent of the silly, nonsensical words of '80s music, but without the metaphors.

"Hologram" gives homage to the Internet while warning listeners about the traps of what Stanfield calls "immaculate deception." The dramatic beginning is promising but is ruined by bass and guitar lines that are too heavy.

This album lacks the social backdrop and turmoil of the '60s and '70s, creating trite renditions of the emotionally entrenched, idealistic songs that artists in past decades originated.