SONGS FROM THE MIRROR

It doesn't matter whatever reasons had been thrown in the ring to put out this album, they never justified it at all, it's nothing but a compromise that the artist needed to make for the record company he was so hugely in debt with since Polydor had bought him out of the EMI-contract. And it was an ill-advised compromise as well, though, if you like tribute-albums, you may enjoy "Songs from the Mirror", cause that's what it is, Fish is paying tribute to some of his heroes by covering some of their songs. He doesn't destroy them, but who in the world has needed this when Fish would have needed to come back with another original album made to convince the audience that he still can write songs that appeal to a larger audience ? Why withdraw faith from the artist when one album doesn't quite sell the way it was expected ? It was faith that he needed, not this step on a deceptive "secure" side with well known songs that - singled out - if anything were welcome additions/encores in a live concert but also ones he could only fail to improve on record !!! I'm a big T. Rex fan and I'm sure that Fish is, too - and that's why "Jeepster" is amongst the chosen tracks. It's a very good example for this album. It's okay - but there was no need to do it, it's hats off to Marc Bolan and nothing more, not even the fun it may have been in concert. The original is miles above and I'm sure that Fish will agree. The problem is - Fish, at his best, can see eye to eye with Marc ( imo ), so why present yourself below your own artistic merit and credibility ? Worse to that... why give food to those who never saw anything else than a Genesis-Clone in Marillion and, in particular, a Peter Gabriel-clone in Fish by covering "I know what I like" ? Someone should have stepped in to cancel this project, really. To me, it was as superfluous as can be and it only gets a second star because it doesn't cause me too much pain to listen to it and, what's best about it, it doesn't take too long ( and my old mate Manfred appeared to like it ). Apart from that. "Songs from the mirror" is the last album before Fish had severe problems with his voice, and though I've heard he got over that by taking singing-lessons and training it in the meantime... to me it's never been the same anymore. I simply lost interest after a while, having had several listen-ins to later releases I couldn't see myself buying one, so this has to be my final review to one of his albums - sorry, Derek, but all the best !