Songs from the Mirror |
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Released: January 20, 1993 Peak: -- US, 46 UK, -- CN, -- AU Sales (in millions): -- Genre: neo-progressive rock |
Tracks: Song Title (Writers: original performer) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts.
Total Running Time: 44:53 The Players:
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Rating:  3.096 out of 5.00 (average of 16 ratings)
Awards: (Click on award to learn more).
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About the Album: Fish’s second solo album, Internal Exile, “hadn’t done very well from a sales point of view. Polydor was getting restless and Fish needed more time to write a good follow-up record,” ES deciding to offer up an album of cover versions. His “idea to make a cover album dates back to the late Marillion [the neo-prog group he fronted in the ‘80s] period, but had been rejected by the band.” WK Polydor initially rejected the project, wanting a new studio effort instead. The company eventually relented and “accepted it as the second album Fish was obliged to deliver under their contract.” WK “As was to be expected, the partnership ended then and there.” ES “As of February 2008, Songs from the Mirror is Fish’s last ever output on a major record company.” WK It “wasn’t a success [and] loads of Fish fans consider it to be their least favourite Fish album.” The album serves as a tribute to the “artists who inspired him before his career started. The choice of songs by Pink Floyd, Genesis, David Bowie, The Moody Blues and others, all originally from a period between 1970 and 1976, reflects Fish’s taste in music when he was 12 to 18 years old. The title is a reference to the time when he would impersonate his teenage idols in front of a mirror.” WK “Some of the tracks are very good, like Question…, Fearless [and] Five Years.” ES “Solo is probably the least well-known track on the album. Nevertheless it became one of Fish’s best ballads ever.” ES “The rest of the songs are either just nice or don’t really fit Fish’s normal style (Apeman) but are still interesting.” ES Fish understandably covers Genesis here (his voice is often compared to Peter Gabriel and when Fish was with Marillion the band was often compared to Gabriel-era Genesis. As one reviewer says, however, the Genesis song of choice here, I Know What I Like, was already “just on the edge of being ‘too sweet’…[and then] Fish took it and made it even sweeter than the original.” ES “The core line-up on this album is the same as on the 1992 tour. Since the recording of Internal Exile, keyboardist Mickey Simmonds had been replaced with Foster Paterson, while drummer Kevin Wilkinson had taken over from session player Ethan Johns. The spots for guitars (Robin Boult, Frank Usher) and bass (David Paton) had remained unchanged. Other than that and backing vocals, only two tracks (‘Solo’ and Jeepster) feature an additional guest musician, Ben Molleson on violin and tin whistle. The album was mixed and produced by James Cassidy, who Fish had met while recording guest vocals for Jeff Wayne’s musical Spartacus. Cassidy would also produce and co-write Fish's next album Suits (1994).” WK “Songs from the Mirror is the only regular Fish album not to be designed by Mark Wilkinson. Fish had deliberately decided to not use Wilkinson, as he didn’t want to give the impression it was an album with original material. Instead, he chose the ‘The Guddler’ by Scottish painter Keith McIntyre as the cover. ‘The Guddler’ had also been the working title of the project.” WK “The 12-page booklet does not feature any lyrics (probably because of copyright reasons) but is full of pictures and liner notes about this period in Fish’s career, the role music played in his childhood and the selection of tracks on the album.” ES
Notes: A remastered edition bumped “Jeepster” in favor of a pair of covers of Yes song – “Time and a Word” and “The Seeker.” |
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Last updated 6/12/2021. |
