SONGS FROM THE MIRROR

This is course a particular album in Fish's discography. Prog is not even next door. But that's what it was all about. To perform some great songs (but not all of them) from great artists (but not all of them are great IMO).

To start this review, I would think that one of the least probable song here is "Solo" from Sandy Denny. The great folk female vocalist who was backing Plant during "The Battle Of Evermore" (Led Zep, would you believe!). This interpretation is one of the good moments of this album.

During my mid teenage days, I was a fan from "The Sensational Alex Harvey Band" and even if "Boston Tea Party" is pretty well executed, it doesn't have the grandeur of "Faith Healer" of course. But most of these covers don't dig in the best repertoire of the artists featured (maybe a royalty issue?). "Fearless" (without You're Never Walk alone) from the Floyd being a wonderful example.

And even if the version of "Apeman" might sound funny (The Kings), it is far from being great. A typical "Press Next" T song. And the "Argent" cover does sound too much like a weak Collins one to be interesting.

With the last four songs, Fish is touching some other big, very big names (but remember, he already covered "The Kinks", and Floyd). As one could have expected, the "Genesis" cover won't be "The Musical Box" nor "Watcher" nor "Firth". Just their most commercial song (still great of course) : "I Know What I Like". His interpretation is good of course. Funny to hear Fish singing a Genesis number (but the closing part is quite difficult to bear).

In the early mid-seventies, I was quite in the glam rock fantasy; and T-Rex was of course a fave of mine. This version of "Jeepster" is probably not as good as the original but not too bad at all.

You might have understood for about fourteen months and some 1,400 reviews (although I do not relate too much of him here) that I have a special relation with this great man (?). Since I was fourteen. Yes, it all started in 1973. And it never stopped. This version of "Five Years" is a good one but the choirs are a bit too much. Not on par with the original IMHHO (you know the humble and honest affair, I guess). I just LOVE this song and I believe it is one (out of plenty) out of the greatest Bowie wrote.

A good closing number but if you sincerely listen to each song, there is little to write home about here. I am rating this album with three stars, not due to Fish's great interpretations, but more to some excellent original songs. And most of them are so closely related to band s I appreciated so much.

Three stars.