Fish Rising, the 1975 debut solo album by Steve Hillage, remembered in bands like Egg, Khan and Gong, to name a few, features primarily members of Gong, as well as keyboardist Dave Stewart of Hatfield and the North, with whom Hillage had played in Khan.
The album was recorded shortly after You, the final album in Gong's "Radio Gnome Invisible" trilogy. Fish Rising is indeed influenced by the trilogy, but the album's psychedelic feel is closer to Khan's atmospheres than Gong's madness. It's beautiful, and I could listen to it on repeat.
This album represents a unique fusion of psychedelic rock and progressive rock, showcasing Hillage's talent as a guitarist and composer.
The album's tracks are characterized by hypnotic melodies and complex arrangements, which transport the listener on a captivating sonic journey.
Some notes on the tracks
- Solar Music Suite is an epic suite lasting about 17 minutes, starting with a soft mood before igniting a rousing instrumental section. Beautiful.
- Meditation of the Snake is a short instrumental with a complex and ambiguous synth sound.
- Fish is a very intense song, just over a minute long, with a brief vocal duet and a beautiful instrumental middle section.
- The Salmon Song is more rock-oriented, with a memorable guitar riff and a beautiful atmospheric interlude featuring Lindsay Cooper's bassoon. A great track.
- Aftaglid closes the album, a superb cosmic journey in eight phases.
Tracks like "Solar Music Suite" and "The Salmon Song" also demonstrate Hillage's ability to blend acoustic and electronic elements.
With its avant-garde approach, Fish Rising is undoubtedly a timeless classic in the history of progressive music and in particular of the Canterbury scene…
Tracklist
1. Solar Musick Suite: (16:55)
- a) Sun Song (I Love Its Holy Mystery) (6:15)
- b) Canterbury Sunrise (3:25)
- c) Hiram Afterglid Meets the Dervish (4:05)
- d) Sun Song (reprise) (3:10)
2. Fish (1:23)
3. Meditation of the Snake (3:10)
4. The Salmon Song: (8:45)
- a) Salmon Pool (1:17)
- b) Solomon's Atlantis Salmon (2:08)
- c) Swimming with the Salmon (1:37)
- d) King of the Fishes (3:43)
5. Aftaglid: (14:46)
- a) Sun Moon Surfing (1:36)
- b) The Great Wave and the Boat of Hermes (1:51)
- c) The Silver Ladder (0:40)
- d) Astral Meadows (2:01)
- e) The Lafta Yoga Song (2:42)
- f) Glidding (2:23)
- g) The Golden Vibe / Outglib (3:33)
Duration 44:59
LineUp
- Steve Hillage (aka Steve Hillfish) - lead vocals, electric guitar, co-producer
With:
- Dave Stewart - organ, piano
- Tim Blake (aka Moonweed) - synthesizers (Moog), tamboura
- Didier Malherbe (aka Bloomdido Glid de Breeze) - saxophone, Indian flute
- Lindsay Cooper - bassoon
- Mike Howlett - bass
- Pierre Moerlen - drums, percussion, marimba, darbuka
- Miquette Giraudy (aka Bombaloni Yoni) - vocals, glockenspiel, bells
The "Power Trio" consisted of SH, Morlen, and Howlett
Note: All links to the musicians' works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists" page
