Fish
Sunsets On Empire (The Remasters)
October sees the start of Derek William Dick’s farewell tour or, as he is better known, Fish. That farewell tour will be much more than a retrospective of his years as Marillion’s frontman. And rightly so, because although his solo work maybe less well known than his Marillion legacy; whatever you do, don’t overlook that very period. To refresh your memory or to introduce you to his solo work for the first time at all, Written In Music dives into the catalogue of the sympathetic Scotsman and offers you an overview of Fish’s various studio albums. Previously we already shared our reviews of the EP A Parley With Angels, the albums Weltschmerz, A Feast Of Consequences, 13th Star, Field Of Crows, Fellini Days and Raingods with Zippos here. On the latter album, he collaborated with Steven Wilson. Its predecessor, Sunsets On Empire is the focus of this review. Not only did Steven collaborate on that, both co-writing and playing along, he also saw to the production.
Porcupine Tree had not yet made the name for themselves they have these days on the initial release of Sunsets On Empire back in in 1997, had not yet made the name for themselves that the band got thereafter and, to be fair, Fish was more impressed by what Steven Wilson made with Tim Bowness in no man. And that was followed up on Sunsets On Empire to the extent that Tim also contributed, alongside Steven and Fish, to the closing track Say It With Flowers. What was already noticeable at the time was that the album was solid in character, it sounded more direct and with more impact and urgency than predecessor Suits, and the opening riff of The Perception Of Johnny Punter, its vocal lines and lyrics made it clear that Fish still had something on his mind. Listening to the album with the knowledge of both the Wilson catalogue (Porcupine Tree, no man and solo) as well as Fish solo, it is easy to imagine that this very album was the result. Steven Wilson was still growing as a composer, but some of his signature sounds already made it onto this very album.
Fish was musically challenged, more so than on the previous album, but, you can listen to the album in a broader sense. The album simply sounds quirky and really has its own place within the Scottish singer’s catalogue. Steven Wilson obviously brought in his quirkiness, not necessarily as we know it from his Porcupine Tree approach so that sometimes you may have the idea you are listening to prog metal, but is also shows in bringing beats and rhythms to the fore in songs, funky lines and either loops, samples and keyboards from his hand, or in the guitar sounds that are recognisable and certainly also in his solo playing. Wilson can, even with small guitar accents, emphatically show that he is the one playing. And that works superbly here too.
Both the opening track and What Colour Is God? not only show Fish’s social-mindedness and engagement, both are also songs that, in terms of musical accompaniment, certainly deliver with ferocity. Although they are significantly different in structure and although in some ways What Colour Is God? is even more biting musically, Fish’s lyrics are sharp in both cases. The first lyrics prompted by Fish’s tour in Bosnia, the second by the prevalence of (everyday) racism. With Fish, you just feel the commitment in the way he sings, the words come out with fire, as they did way earlier on Forgotten Sons.
Of course, there is more than social engagement on the album. Goldfish And Clowns looks back at a click Fish had with a Polish woman during a tour and how that unfolded, just as Change Of Heart is about relationships. Things were not going well with Fish’s marriage and that entailed that he also started thinking about what might happen. At the same time, the album also has Tara on board, the ode to his then four-year-old daughter. For what might be seen as a lullaby, it is mainly the love between father and daughter that is described.
Bearing in mind both the very limited stream of income in the home studio and the effects that had on the lives of Fish and his wife, which included Fish away for tours and no to little personal contact, it is not hard to imagine that for Fish it felt like everything was about to collapse. With a troubled home situation in the background, it was not difficult to shape the title track. You might also hear in this composition the influences of a shared love between Steven Wilson and Fish for one of the prog dinosaurs of yesteryear. It does pick up very strongly here.
But there’s more. The album also has the amazing Jungle Ride that shows Fish from a different side. Simply enjoyable. And this is even more so with Brother 52, which deals with bikers and fan club members befriending Fish. It tackles, also with appropriately strong guitar work, the personal life story of one of them from the US who was sadly killed in an unfortunate confrontation with a government organisation that raided him because of his stockpile of weapons and ammunition. As sad as the story is, the song is very beautiful. The second member told Fish how it all went down and that conversation is reflected here with recordings.
Worm In A Bottle delves into how you can run your life and that it’s not always healthy. A subject we do hear again and again in Fish’s rich oeuvre. The two closing songs, the title track of which was highlighted earlier, both touch on relationships and specifically those of Fish and his wife. The personal side shows itself emphatically in both. With that, the album is varied, in terms of topics and themes, and has several strong songs. Steven and Fish have done their best to do full justice to that variety.
The demos we hear on the second CD also make it clear that the songs come from a pretty raw base. You can perhaps tell even more by listening to these versions rather than the completed versiosn that it was Steven Wilson who interfered with the songs and the production. The recordings of the demos show Fish sometimes pushing himself to the limit to get the songs across properly. The demos are very worthwhile: they give you an idea of the songs’ development process.
The live songs on the third CD mostly come from recordings from Poland. There, the band performed what Fish felt was the most successful version of his band. We hear Fish on fire and, although he even sounds painfully raw at times here, in terms of energy and presentation it is a fine put-together set of live recordings. This edition of The Remasters once again delightfully brought to life by Calum Malcolm and with fine artwork once again by Mark Wilkinson and extensive accompanying lyrics by Fish, is is another one gem well worth listening to. Not only do you hear the US-cut version of The Perception Of Johnny Punter here, you also get the wonderful Do Not Walk Outside The Area; perhaps it should have just been included on the album.
Sunsets On Empire is a strong and varied album that brings together the backgrounds and influences of two giants of progressive rock. You can expect a lot from a first collaboration and, whatever those expectations are, the two have achieved an album with its own distinctive look that also harbours many of their respective own characteristics. The production is simply marvellous: of course, Steven Wilson as original producer can be trusted to do just that. In any case, this is an album that stands out for its sometimes bold musical choices and tight production. Sunsets On Empire shows Fish as truly progressive. To his credit, he did not choose the easy path. Great album!
For all releases in this series, you won’t find them at retail. If you are interested in purchasing the titles, go to www.fishmusic.eu. There you will find most of the titles still in stock. Suits and Sunsets On Empire will be available again shortly in an edition of 1,500.