Fish - Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors (1990)

Fish is a somewhat eccentric Scotsman, who started singing in Marillion before leaving them to undertake a solo project. His influences lie in the 80s and there is a sound of Genesis, Pink Floyd and other rock bands of that era in his music, along with a small smattering of the Celtic. This is his first solo album.

It has an interesting, rather 80s rock cover - depicting a man and a woman wrapped in rather strange attire and standing atop a tower of televisions, on each screen is a face - possibly his. In the centre of the booklet, you get to see the entire painting - and it is surreal - a city in the background, a hill covered in crucifixes, nuclear waste, soldiers, men in biohazard suits. It's totally crazy, like a demented collage. The sky above is a black and blue streaked twilight affair, in which at one point sun rays split the clouds and a satelite appears against the black.

We start with the haunting melancholia of "Vigil". Fish's voice actually reminds me a little of Phil Collins, but his songs are more emotive.

The next track - "Big Wedge" - is a rockier number, catchy rhythms and an even catchier chorus. You know, I always thought he was saying "big wave". This is a song with a social message - an anti-America message from the sounds of things. It's all about consumerism.

A pop-py opening to "State of Mind" in which we hear more of Fish's political views:

"I don't trust the government, I don't trust alternatives. It's not that i'm paranoid, it's just that's the way it is..."

Again we've got the Phil Collins-slow rock vibe going on here. The music plays a twiddly and playful counterpoint to Fish's voice.

With a slightly folk-esque vibe, "The Company" is one of my favourite tracks. The music is gentle, an accompaniment to Fish's voice rather than telling a story of its own. It has a dreamy, moody feel with a somewhat Irish feeling chorus.

Gentle piano, and soft strings usher us into the finest song on the album - the haunting and beautiful "Gentleman's Excuse Me". The melodies and lyrics are sublime.

"Do you still keep flowers in the bottom drawer, with your Belgian lace, taking them out every year to watch the colours fade away..."

To me, this is a song of innocence and fragility, and its fleeting nature.

"The Voyeur" is another rockier number, with a vaguely amusing, vaguely sinister air to it.

"I like to watch..."

It seems to be about the voyeur inside us all when it comes to television - how we like to watch video nasties, natural disasters and all manner of terrible and dramatic things happening to other people. So much truer today than it was in the 80s, too.

Back into rather serious issues - "Family Business" is a moody song, with an element of the spirited and angry - the main theme being domestic abuse hidden behind the house doors.

Another moody and melancholic start, "A View from the Hill" quickly takes a turn for the rockier, as the guitars come crashing in for the chorus, then fade out again for the verses.

"Cliche" is another hurt and bittersweet piece. The guitars seem laden with confused misery, the vocals filled with inner fragility. It's almost as though he wants to write a love song, but cannot find the words because "...the best way, is with an old cliche..." And this turmoil, this inability to express how he feels, is driving him into sorrow. But finally, he comes up with the simplest, and the best.

Whilst there are some rockier numbers here, the general mood of this album seems to be melancholic (I know I've used that word a lot, but I'm really feeling it in the music) and moody. It is haunting, and beautiful, the songs centred around Fish's powerful and somewhat distinctive voice (which makes sense, since the album is named for him, after all). The lyrics are interesting, sometimes insightful and overall I rank this album a 7.5/10.

The Waterboys - Dream Harder (1993)

The Waterboys have been around for some time, gracing the world with their fusion of rock and folk, catchy tunes and fresh somewhat upbeat feel. They formed in 1983, dissolved in 1993 (obviously after this album) and then reformed again in 2000. I believe they were in fact performing in Australia yesterday too. Apparently over 50 people have passed through the band, spending time as a "waterboy" - some short term, others longer.

Now, for this album - which is something of a rockier number from them. I pounced on it in a sale bin in Real Groovy on one of my Wellington expeditions, knowing exactly one song from it - "The Return of Pan". The cover is appeallingly whimsical - depicting a man with guitar, a rather stylised tree, with hills and a rising sun behind him. I would say, acrylic paints have been used. Despite the childlife simplicity of the artistic style, the clouds look delightfully fluffy and it suits the music which seems to have a similarly whimsical innocence to it. Inside - no lyrics, but instead we have a story. Entitled "The Dream" it is short and not particularly well written (says my inner editor). Not sure how it relates to the actual CD, but it is definitely different!

The track opens with the sparkling, rockin' "The New Life". Solid rock bassline, strong vocals; and a uplifting message:

"The world is a miracle, and so are you!"

"Glastonbury Song" seems to be about finding god in the beauty of the English countryside. Again, uplifting rhythms, catching chorus and very catchy. This is a sunshine song, with rolling green hills, streams trickling merrily through grassy plains and around ancient runes. It contains a fresh vibrancy that cannot help but make you feel glad to be alive.

Now for a song about how love makes you feel like "Preparing to Fly". Bright, fresh, vibrant and polished. The music swoops and soars with the vocals, and one cannot help but feel brimming with hope about the future.

The first song I had heard from this album - "The Return of Pan" begins with... panpipes, of course. I remember videoing this from music TV back in the early 90s and thinking "that's a lot of goats". Pan is a pagan god, occasionally confused with the devil because he's cloven hoofed. But Pan is a nature God.  Or rather, was, for he was "killed" with the rise of Christianity. The panpipes weave along with the rock tune, making this the first actual folkish track on this CD. It's a powerful and haunting song, with a little bit of Pan's wildness in it.

We get a little bit country in "Corn Circles". It is a gentler number, the vocals being accompanied only by acoustic guitars.

And I think possibly a bit bluesy in "Suffer". This is the first actual negative song on the album, and it's more a pushing-you-away-because-I'm-sick-of-you-traipsing-all-over-me song than a you've-hurt-me-and-made-me-suffer.

"I'm gonna suffer for you no longer, I'm gonna suffer for you no more..."

So, really, it's more of a self-empowerment song than an angsty number.

Back into the folksy ballads now, with "Winter Winter" bringing with it a touch of the early chill wind, sending shivers down your spine. It is over in a heartbeat and after winter we are into "Love and Death". The blend is so flawless that I failed to notice it straight away. "Love and Death" is a melancholic number, beautiful and haunting, thanks to the additional of a cello's mournful voice..

Bringing a bit more of a spring into the step, with "Spiritual City". Reptitive choruses, nonsensical but fun lyrics and a darned catchy song overall and pleasantly upbeat. And it stars Billy Connolly, as well.

"Hey ho, skedoodle-a-lo..."

 "Wonders of Lewis" is a strange little number. Who's Lewis? Perhaps something to do with drugs? The music is haunting (celo again?), the vocals spiritual and dream-like. Kinda a little bit hazy too.

And one of the most memorable pieces from the album - "The Return of Jimi Hendrix" which is an entertaining rock number with some goodly guitar, perhaps reminiscient of the great man himself.

And what better way to end a CD then with "Good News". Something of a slower, mellower number. It sounds almost melancholic, but flavoured with the bittersweet taste of hope and faith. Rather lovely.

A nicely eclectic CD, with a goodly blend of the rockin' and the mellow. Perhaps a little less folk than some of their fans might like, but definitely worth a listen.

Rating = 8/10.