FISH RISING

If you (1.) find yourself wishing that there were more Gong albums from the infamous "Trilogy" period , and (2.) have never heard this album, this is your lucky day! Hillage's first solo album is really a Gong album without Daevid Allen. Steve didn't develop a distinctive style and sound in his solo work until later. You've got the same musicians and the same instrumentation, and Hillage's vocals don't distract from the overall Gong vibe. My only problem with this release is the CD's sound quality: a bit muddy-sounding, and lacking high and low frequencies. I do remember the LP sounding similar, but I'll bet a remaster would help. I think that Hillage's guitar sound contributes to the problem, too. The listener's ears get tired of hearing so much heavily-processed guitar, and let's face it: there aren't too many places on the album that don't have a lot of "saturation".