VIGIL IN A WILDERNESS OF MIRRORS

I was very disappointed when Fish left Marillion. Clutching At Straws was actually one of my favourite albums and I was sure that his leaving would have caused the end for both. I was wrong, and even if Fish didn't have a very brilliant solo career, things went a bit better for his former band.

On his debut album Fish is joined by his old mate Frank Usher who writes almost all the music and what he did is unexpectedly good.

The opener and title track starts in a very Marillion style, with just a subtle keyboard which gives Derek's voice the possibility to show his skill as interpreter. The song has different sections, in a Genesis (or Marillion) style and even if not at the level of the best Marillion's songs, isn't bad.

"The Wedge" was the album's single and the one with a video-clip on the air. It's rocky and has a brass section that I don't think fits well with Fish. It's effectively one of the two songs that I don't like very much.

Then, after "State of Mind" that's an average good slow song, it starts a great sequence:

"The Company", with the celtic interlude of violins closed by a great guitar solo is the first of the serie. I've just a bit disappointed when during a live Frank actioned a commercial tape recorder to play that part... The second act is "A Gentleman's Excuse Me". A piano based love song with an impressive melodic line. Good to improve the birth rate... I still don't know anything of "The Voyeur". I heard that song only once at the live I was mentioning before. It wasn't on the vinyl edition so it doesn't exist for me. I was surprised to hear the people around me singing it with Fish, while I was thinking to know every sngle note of that album. The sequence is closed by one of the most intense and moving songs that I know. "Family Business" is for me a masterpiece and together with Company and Gentleman makes a fantastic trio of songs.

After this "View From A Hill" sounds just like a filler. and "Cliche'" is quite poor. I'm used to skip that song and I find that also the lirycs are a bit trivial.

If all the album was at the level of these three songs I wouldn't have hesitated in rating it with the maximum. My rating is lowered by Big Wedge and Cliche, but it's a 4 stars in any case. The three songs in the middle can't be missed.