Chris Squire's "Fish Out Of Water"...the GREATEST prog rock solo album of all time?

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Pretty much every major league player from Yes, Genesis, King Crimson...the first wave of progressive rock...spewed out a solo album at one time or another.

But Squire's "Fish Out Of Water?" I'm listening to it right now, for the zillionth time, and holy CRAP...34 years later and there are not a lot of albums as good as this one, ESPECIALLY in the prog rock genre.

YOUR favorite prog rock solo album?

[enigmatic]

1. I know I just posted about this on another thread

But I'll still go w/ Talk Talk's "The Spirit Of Eden":

[Amerigo Vespucci]

2. Just pulled this up on Napster and will give it a spin...

...thanks for posting.

:toast:

[enigmatic]

3. you got it!

:D

[no name no slogan]

7. And if you can find it, "Laughing Stock" (the one after SoE)

That album literally changed the way I thought about music and composition when it came out in 1990. It was so amazingly different from anything they (or anyone else in the post-punk genre) had done. Check it out if you can.

[enigmatic]

8. I love Laughing Stock

Though The Spirit Of Eden is a bit better for me personally. Mark Hollis'
solo record is an austere masterpiece too, and it's our loss he retired from music afterwords:

http://recluseshow.blogspot.com/2007/10/colour-of-spring-mark-hollis.html

[Amerigo Vespucci]

10. That's available on Napster, too...

...and the whole album can be heard for free on the free version of Napster:

http://free.napster.com/view/album/index.html?id=10501989

:toast:

[hellbound-liberal]

4. I bought two of the Yes solo albums when they came out in the 70s

Steve Howe's beginnings and Alan White's Ramshackled. I really liked the latter. I never got Squire's so I'll have to take your word for it.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

5. It was a matter of the songs, and the lineup...

...side one of the vinyl LP was an extended suite of "Hold Out Your Hand / You By My Side / Silently Falling." It had a sustained level of energy and angst that Yes had left in the rear view mirror at the time. Patrick Moraz is on keyboards, Bill Bruford on drums, King Crimson's Mel Collins on sax...

Rhapsody allows you to play 25 songs for free per month without an account, and the Squire album only has 5 tracks...so if you even have a passing interest, it's here:

http://www.rhapsody.com/chris-squire/fish-out-of-water

...and you can hear it front to back for free.

:toast:

[hellbound-liberal]

6. Thanks a lot, Amerigo. I'll check it out tomorrow!

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. I'd have to go for a Peter Gabriel album

probably the third (melting face), though 'So' is nearly as good.

Or do you mean the album itself still has to be clearly in the 'prog' genre? Many would say Gabriel moved a little out of it.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

11. Not the album itself...

...I was thinking along the lines of someone who gained their reputation in prog and then delivered an outstanding solo album, regardless of the genre.

Steve Hackett's a good example of that. He's produced material that clearly has roots on his Genesis work, as well as compositions that are a world away from it...often on the same album.

Gabriel later became more associated with the tag "world music," but I think his biggest accomplishment was to transcend labels altogether. In 2009, I certainly wouldn't call him a "prog" artist.

[6000eliot]

20. Spectral Mornings by Steve Hackett is gorgeous.

"The Virgin and the Gypsy" is transcendent. It is my choice for favorite solo prog. album.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

22. Richie Havens' vocal on "Icarus Ascending," from Hackett's "Please Don't Touch"...

...can't even describe how good this one is. A career-best performance from Havens, and a very Genesis-y solo from Hackett, PLUS a good song. It always has to begin with a good song.



"Spectral Mornings" is also a favorite of mine.

:toast:

[MilesColtrane]

12. Bill Bruford "One of a Kind"

...along with Alan Holdsworth, Dave Stewart, and Jeff Berlin

[scubadude]

13. Yeah, Bruford, another Yes man....

Great Album, along with Fish Out Of Water one of my favorites.

I don't know if this quite fits but Todd Rundgren's A Wizard A True Star was amazing as well.

A few years back I had Chris Squire sign my copy of Fish Out Of Water. He was playing small bars with a band called The Syn.

He told a most amazing story. He claimed to have grown up never meeting a black man. The Syn was on tour in 67 or so with a minor hit and was opening on the road this one gig for a band he had never heard. He was in the practice room and this black fellow who led the main band was going over a bass part with his bass player, who couldn't get it right. Squire said he felt like grabbing the bass and playing the part himself. After they finished up Squire talked to the black guy for a while then went out to open the show. In the front row he saw Clapton, John, Paul, George and Ringo, next to Jimmie Page and Robert Plant and others.... He had opened the first European show for Jimi Hendrix, the first black man he had ever met.

I think I'll put that one on now,
Scuba

[Enthusiast]

16. OMG! Jimi Hendrix!

What an audience Chris had!

Funny, but black people were very scarce where I lived growing up. There were no black kids in my schools at all.

Fellow FZ fan here, Scuba. :applause:

[scubadude]

17. Nice to meet you!

It amazes me Chris could have lived 20 years of life so secluded, but it sounds like you were too! Well, if your an EffZee fan you must not be too sheltered!!! :smoke:

EffZee is certainly a favorite of mine. I got to see him a few times, and each one was a superb experience.

Listening to Fish Out Of Water again, this time second side. Of course Squire, but Bruford too. What a great album!

Scuba

[Enthusiast]

19. And nice to meet you, Scuba.

I got to see Frank three times in the 1970s at Veteran's Memorial in Columbus Ohio. Those bands had incredible lineups including Terry Bozzio and George Duke. Amazing music.

[scubadude]

21. Terry and George, great talents.

I saw Terry at least once, with the Zappa Does Zappa tour. That was the second time I saw Steve Vai though, with the first being one of his first on stage appearances with Zappa. Frank was a little critical of the then 20 year old's playing if memory serves me.

Zappa'a bands were the tightest bands I have ever seen. Super complex music requires that! Peaches N Regalia!

Scuba

[Enthusiast]

28. +1, Scuba

Growing up in my little community I was kind of a FZ pied piper, or something. Now it is hard to get any of the dummies to listen, including my wife, lol. One evening I'll have to hook up with my brother, he remains a FZ fan. :toast:

[Amerigo Vespucci]

24. Yes, that and the first "UK" album...

...the UK album was especially interesting as a tougher forerunner of "Asia"...Holdsworth was gone by the second album, "Danger Money," and Terry Bozzio filled the seat left vacant by Bill Bruford. That, coupled with the fact that they apparently used all of their good compositions on the first album, brought about the end rather quickly after that.

:toast:

[Enthusiast]

14. Just listened to Fish Out of Water

for the first time, on your recommendation. I've been away from Yes and progressive rock for many years. I seldom read the DU Lounge, glad I caught this.

[scubadude]

15. Read my post for an interesting Chris Squier story, Scuba

[Amerigo Vespucci]

25. Glad you liked it...

...I used to do the Web Site for a local CD store which...sadly...went out of business a couple of years ago.

BUT...at the time I did the site, I had a "Managers Picks" page, and we set up a "Managers Picks" display dead-center between the two cash registers at the front counter. The Managers had nothing to do with the selection...I came up with a dozen "back catalog" classics every month. I wrote little reviews for each on the site and the store filled the display.

The 3 most popular titles I picked...so popular that they had trouble keeping them in stock because they kept selling out...were Squire's "Fish Out Of Water," Santana's "Welcome," and J Geils Band "Full House Live."

:toast:

[LynneSin]

18. I'm going to have to get me a copy of that album

I'm seeing "Yes" on July 23rd!

[Mudoria]

23. This has always been my favorite prog rock album..

[Amerigo Vespucci]

26. If you are a fan of Fish's tenure in Marillion...

...then I highly recommend his album "Raingods With Zippos." It's probably his most consistent solo album to date, and the "Raingods" suite is transcendent:



:toast:

[travelingtypist]

27. Thank you.

Misplaced Childhood is #2 of my all-time favorite albums, after PF Animals.
This definitely goes on the must-buy list.

[MissMillie]

29. Well, Squire's a great bass player

I met him a couple of times and once had dinner w/ his current s/o. He seems like a nice enough guy.

I think Wakeman gives him a run for his money for best prog rock solo album, though.

[LynneSin]

30. BTW THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

I just downloaded the album last night from Itunes (and it was only $5). Great album!

[Amerigo Vespucci]

31. You're welcome, and that is an excellent price!

Squire has also teamed with Billy Sherwood, who was in Yes during the "Ladder" period, and they called themselves "Conspiracy." They have two studio albums and one live album. Finding their stuff on Napster or Rhapsody can be a little tricky because there is a rap act that goes by the same name. Here are the direct links on Rhapsody:

"Conspiracy" (first album, contains a killer cover version of "Comfortably Numb"): http://www.rhapsody.com/chris-squire/conspiracy

"Conspiracy Live" (a CD which is also available as a DVD, a "live in the studio with small audience" recording, and the song "Days of Wonder" is as good as any track on "Fish Out Of Water"): http://www.rhapsody.com/album/conspiracy-live?artistId=10907482http://www.rhapsody.com/album/conspiracy-live?artistId=10907482

The second studio album, called "The Unknown," is available on Napster.

:toast:

[pdx_prog]

32. Fish out of Water was good....

I liked Howe's Australia and Beginings as well. Bruford's "One of a Kind" and "Hells Bells" was good as well. The UK stuff was all awesome.....I liked the entire line up....all of the members.

Anything by the Dregs or Morse is great too.