The Fountain Of Salmacis (track)
by Genesis
Year: 1971
From the album Nursery Cryme (track #7)
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The Fountain Of Salmacis appears on the following album(s) by Genesis:
- Nursery Cryme (track #7) (this album) (1971)
- 1970-1975 (Box Set) (track #13) (compilation) (2008)
- Three Sides Live (track #12) (1982)
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The Fountain Of Salmacis ratings
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Showing latest 5 ratings for this track. | Show all 175 ratings for this track.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Track ratings | Avg. track rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 06/15/2026 17:32 |  DommeDamian | 76,628 | 51/100 |
| ! | 06/07/2026 17:08 | dukeboxkool | 8,459 | 75/100 |
| ! | 04/23/2026 09:51 | Pavloss | 2,378 | 60/100 |
| ! | 03/23/2026 04:10 | Exist-en-ciel | 169,496 | 71/100 |
| ! | 02/26/2026 18:04 | Johnnyo | 45,255 | 80/100 |
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(*In practice, some tracks can have several thousand ratings)
This track is rated in the top 1% of all tracks on BestEverAlbums.com. This track has a Bayesian average rating of 86.4/100, a mean average of 86.1/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 87.0/100. The standard deviation for this track is 12.0.
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The Fountain Of Salmacis comments
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Great mellotron heavy track, great rhythm section and a great story. One of the highlights of the album.
The rhythm section really shines on this one, as Banks brings power with the orchestral feel of the mellotron, while Rutherford and Collins provide a somewhat groovy feel to the backdrop of the verses. The roaring soundscape that begins the song in particular is super captivating, and the fact that it reprises itself multiple times throughout shows that Genesis knew this. Of course, Hackett shines too with a short but tight guitar solo midway through, as well as a perfectly prog solo in the final minute to lead the track into the swell of the closing. I'm so often captivated by the music here that the lyrics and vocals are usually secondary in my mind, which is a shame because it tells a rather interesting story. I do wish this song were a bit more cohesive and easier to follow along with, but as it stands, it's a really nice finish to the album.
Grouse 08/05/2018 13:05 | #219262
A masterpiece!
Early example of Genesis's masterful songwriting/arranging. A prog classic
neilgee 09/26/2015 14:15 | #150509
This is another good Gabriel vocal against a shimmering backdrop.
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