RAINGODS WITH ZIPPOS

I was reluctant to buy any new Fish albums after hearing some hideous samples from his post-debut releases. Eventually after seeing him do an excellent live performance back in 2002(?) I finally decided to give his studio material one more chance. After limiting my choice between Sunsets On Empire or Raingods With Zippos I went for the latter seeing that it included a lengthy suite that alluded my prog senses.

After listening to Raingods With Zippos a couple of time I can conclude that this album works rather well although it does have quite a great deal of forgettable material as well. Tumbledown is a great album opener and it was fun to hear a cover of Faith Healer since Fish did it so well. The rest of the material leading up to the suite isn't all that memorable but the music definitely doesn't make me cringe like some of Fish's previous offerings. The suite Plague of Ghosts starts off and ends on high notes although the middle section is somewhat shaky.

Overall this release was better that I expected it to be but I can't recommended to everyone. The album shows that Fish has definitely matured as an artist but that doesn't always make it a good thing considering that most progressive rock icons do their greatest work in the early years of their life. Raingods With Zippos is a food, but far from essential release that will probably make the already established fan-base happy but I doubt that it will introduce any new fans to Fish and his body of work.

***** star songs: Raingod's Dancing (4:16) Wake-up Call (Make It Happen) (3:32)

**** star songs: Tumbledown (5:52) Faith Healer (5:01) Old Haunts (3:13)

*** star songs: Mission Statement (4:00) Incomplete (3:44) Tilted Cross (4:19) Rites Of Passage (7:42) Digging Deep (6:49) Chocolate Frogs (4:04) Waving At Stars (3:12)