Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Fish
Label: Chocolate Frog Records
Release: 2007
Rating: 4.5/5
Fish’s solo career has more than clearly been getting a fresh burst of energy in recent years. After a bunch of more-or-less average albums in the ’90s, of which “Sunsets On Empire” (1997) and “Raingods With Zippos” (1999) stood out the most, it already looked like, thanks to a not-too-enthusiastic critical response and commercial flop, but above all a drying-up of fresh creative inspiration, he’d throw in the towel and pivot to an acting career. After seriously mulling that over right before the release of “Field Of Crows” (2004), the previous album that pleasantly surprised everyone and turned out to be one of his better efforts, he thankfully changed his mind. The unexpected success of the “Return to Childhood” tour, where he played the entire Marillion classic “Misplaced Childhood” (1985) live, surely played a part too. That more than obviously spurred him to rekindle his musical passion. Throughout his career, Fish was always well aware that the shadow of Marillion and his neo-prog rock legacy was too big to simply slip out from under, no matter how experimental and “different” an album he tried to make. After past failed attempts, with “13th Star” he finally managed to craft an utterly convincing and mature-sounding album, one that speaks volumes about his growth as a solo musician without breaking from his lyrical heritage. Fittingly, he decided to make “13th Star” a concept album.
The concept of the album is, as expected, pretty personal and very typical of Fish, and more than obviously inspired by the unhappy ending of his episode with Heather Findlay (otherwise the singer of the modern folk prog rockers Mostly Autumn): it’s about a man trapped in daily routine who decides to find a navigator through life, someone who’ll make his existence less pathetic and apathetic. When he finds her, he’s convinced he’s found his true love, but soon suffers the painful end of his illusion. In the end he somehow manages to pick himself up out of the depression and head into the future with new hope and goals. Sure, maybe it’s one more pathetic cliché from the eternal poet of the broken heart, a role he’s carried since his earliest days with Marillion, but you have to admit Fish was always at his strongest precisely when it came to lyrically expressing his own traumas and emotional lows. The more painful the experience, the more heartfelt and from-the-gut he’d usually sing it. Fittingly, a dark mood dominates the album, though a ray of sunshine breaks through here and there.
Sonically, the album delivers excellent production and some of the best musical moments of his solo career. A pleasant surprise is the hefty dose of electric guitars and the abundance of punchy riffs, mostly the domain of Fish’s original guitarist Frank Usher. Most of the credit for the superb production, as well as a considerable say in writing most of the music, goes to bassist Steve Vantsis, who is also excellent on his bass, which fits best in the album’s heavier and darker moments. Despite the fairly dark and sharpened atmosphere, the album also has some calmer parts with plenty of uplifting moments, usually with acoustic guitar and piano parts. These bring balance and the right contrast, so the album as a whole doesn’t come off too one-sided and gloomy. The excellent Foss Paterson is back on keyboards, who has also worked with Camel and Jethro Tull, among others. His contribution is felt on the album right away. Fish’s voice, admittedly, lost noticeable flexibility several years ago, and lower registers have suited him better for a long time now, but the guy is still a great actor and a charisma machine without equal, able to conjure up a real movie for the listener with his vocal performance.
“13th Star” is opened by the rather dark and obscure “Circle Lane”, where the listener gets hit by lots of electronic samples on keyboards, a punchy guitar riff, a grooving rhythm and that unmistakable poetic voice. What surprises most is the abundance of punchy guitar passages (Usher’s electric guitar is occasionally complemented by Chris Johnon and Steve Vantsis). Through a song that depicts the main character’s gray everyday life, Fish bares his teeth right from the start and makes it clear this is by no means an easy album to swallow in one gulp, but something noticeably deeper. The album really does develop, growing from song to song. “Square Go” sounds even punchier, with Vantsis’s bass rattling away unmistakably, soaked in an electrified guitar riff. The chorus is a real “punch to the head” and Fish sounds pretty fired up the whole time, while also treating himself to some spoken-word bits, which he’s always loved. I’m not usually used to this much punch from Fish, but he managed to convincingly set up the opening mood of the concept and lay the groundwork for the rest of the album. “Milos De Besos” calms things down, an atmospheric ballad where Foss Paterson on piano and Frank Usher on acoustic guitar shine, forming a superb acoustic melody. Although it seems like a love ballad at first, it takes an interesting, completely unexpected turn near the end, with an energetic motif.
“Zoe 25” is, in my opinion, the lyrically strongest piece on the album. Inconsolable feelings of melancholy practically pour out of Fish’s voice. It’s a great mix of acoustics, symphonic arrangements and a lovely multi-voice chorus. “Arc Of The Curve” is definitely one of the album’s peaks, with its impressive use of acoustic guitar, strong melody and great vocal expression from Fish. It’s a proper rock anthem with a superb melody, hypnotic instrumental parts and an excellent multi-voice chorus. At this point in the concept, the protagonist thinks he’s finally found his true love. Of course, that feeling doesn’t last long, and on “Manchmal” (German for “sometimes”), which I think is the hardest-hitting thing he’s done so far, his rage sloshes out in all directions. A heavy guitar riff, the kind you’d normally expect from some metal band, is brilliantly woven together with furious vocals and a raging rhythm. The samples add good contrast and temper Fish’s rage at “the whole world”. “Openwater” is another pretty punchy creation, opened by a hard-hitting guitar riff and Fish’s narration, leading to a nice piano passage with a bluesy motif. Here too, plenty of samples are laid down for a successful contrast.
“Dark Star” is another one of the album’s peaks, and with its dark, mysterious mood, rhythm, punchy guitar riff, tone of voice and many samples, it reminds me a bit of some of the stuff Fish’s great inspiration, Peter Gabriel, recorded on “Up”. The song sounds darker with every passing minute. I’m especially impressed by the part where Fish’s narration is recorded like a monologue with himself. In the final section, some completely unexpected tempo changes catch you off guard. Not to forget the tasteful symphonic arrangements. “Where in the World” is a lovely ballad that brings fitting contrast after its dark predecessor, as the protagonist, after his fall, has already started emotionally picking himself up, but is still haunted by memories of the past. Excellent lyrical expression over lovely arrangements on acoustic guitar, piano and other keyboards. In the second half a dreamy melody emerges, and the hypnotic female backing vocals add their own charm. The closing “13th Star” is the protagonist’s emotional peak, as he picks himself up from rock bottom and looks ahead with hope. Up to that point Fish sang most of the album in a lower register, which has suited his voice better in recent years, but this time he goes even lower, coming across as emotionally almost completely empty and cold. At one point it almost seems like he’s crying while singing, though I find it pretty hard to picture such a giant in tears. Excellent symphonic arrangements, an interesting touch of mandolin and female harmonies give it some extra, broader dimension. In the end he rises up from behind the “bar” anyway and finds new hope and goals in life, somewhat in the style of the Marillion classic “Sugar Mice”, and decides that from now on he’ll follow the “13th star”.
With “13th Star”, Fish has finally made the album we’ve been waiting a long time for – an album that at last proves his new level of maturity and his growth as a solo musician. The close collaboration with Vantsis on the writing ultimately bore unexpectedly rich fruit. The result is one of his best albums, if not the best period (definitely the best when it comes to vocal and lyrical conviction, and also the inventiveness of certain motifs). Still, don’t go expecting anything on the album to be musically comparable to what he did with Marillion, because apart from live shows he’s left that chapter of his career far behind, and there’s really no comparing the two anymore. The only thing that still ties him to those days is that Fish, at his core, is still the same good old Fisherman, the friendly giant and lovable “loser” whom the female chameleons he gets attached to always leave high and dry in the end. As such, he’s kept his favorite lyrical concepts. The sadder and more disillusioned he is, the better the album he makes, just like the best poets have always done. My only small gripe is that “13th Star” can only be had through his website or at his tour shows. On the other hand, that’s solid proof that lately he really creates only for his own pleasure and that of his loyal fans. All of you who’ve been skeptical about the solo career of the friendly Scottish giant, spin this album and blow away your doubts about his abilities as a solo musician. Fish has successfully beaten both past and recent demons and made his most mature work since striking out on his own.
Lineup
Fish – vocals
Frank Usher – electric guitar, acoustic guitar
Steve Vantsis – bass guitar, samples, programmed drums, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboards, clavinet (2)
Foss Paterson – keyboards, piano, organ, samples
Gavin Griffiths – drums
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Chris Johnson – electric guitar, acoustic guitar
Lorna Bannon – backing vocals
Dave Haswell – percussion
Production
Steve Vantsis
Track List
1. Circle Line (6:04)
2. Square Go (5:31)
3. Miles de Besos (4:22)
4. Zöe 25 (5:19)
5. Arc of the Curve (4:29)
6. Manchmal (5:42)
7. Open Water (5:07)
8. Dark Star (6:48)
9. Where in the World (6:05)
10. Thirtennth Star (5:41)
Trajanje albuma: 55:13
