Fish Out of Water
	Produced by Chris Squire
	Released on November 1975
	US CHART POSITION #69
	Find it at GEMM
SD 18159 cover [high resolution photo]

I t’s interesting that a band whose music always paralleled classical construction (themes, movements) should flounder so when accompanied by an orchestra. Time And A Word, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, The Symphonic Music of Yes... some of the most misguided music in their canon. Chris Squire’s first solo album chases the same butterflies with orchestral accompaniment, longwinded concepts stretching the credibility of a patchwork sail and a voice that invites (and suffers by) comparison to Jon Anderson. Squire plays bass and 12-string electric guitar, opting to thrust the bass into a lead role and thus exposing it as a poor substitute for Steve Howe’s leaping leads. The other elements are less troubling: Bill Bruford, Patrick Moraz and Mel Collins “get” the whole progressive thing and elevate the discussion accordingly. The orchestrations from Andrew Pryce Jackman are very good too, but inflate the music rather than elevate it. Had Squire elected to write songs rather than side-long symphonic statements, he might have distilled some of these ideas into four-minute charmers like Steve Howe (“You By My Side” is better-suited to be a song than part of a lyric symphony). Like Howe’s Beginnings, Squire throws a lot of ideas at the listener on Fish; some of it sticks, some of it stinks, and all of it suggests that Squire’s muse is better served within the confines of Yes. If you come into this expecting the manic rock of a “Parallels” or “The Fish,” you’ll be surprised how airy things are out of the water. Like the classical hybrid of King Crimson’s Islands, the mix of pastoral orchestral passages and progressive rock is by turns charming and churning, which prevents the listener from settling into a comfortable state. Still, it’s an ambitious record, joining the likes of Six Wives, Olias and Story of I as parallel fables in the great storybook of Yes.

SD 18159 lyric gatefold	SD 18159 back cover	K.450203 cover

TRACK LISTING

1. HOLD OUT YOUR HAND    4:14
2. YOU BY MY SIDE    5:03
3. SILENTLY FALLING    11:21
4. LUCKY SEVEN    6:57 SAFE (CANON SONG)    14:53
   
   All titles written and arranged by Chris Squire

CREDITS

CHRIS SQUIRE -- basses, twelve string electric guitars, vocals
BILL BRUFORD -- drums and percussion
MEL COLLINS -- saxophones
JIMMY HASTINGS -- flute
PATRICK MORAZ -- organ & bass synthesizer
ANDREW PRYCE JACKMAN -- acoustic & electric pianos, orchestrations, conductor, invaluable assistance & encouragement
Adrian Brett -- woodwind leader
Jim Buck -- horns leader
Julian Gaillard -- string leader
Nikki -- vocal help (1)
David Snell -- harpist
John Wilbraham -- brass leader
Greg Jackman -- sound engineer
Laurence Bernes -- album cover design & photography
Brian Lane -- front cover Polaroid
Pete Sinfield -- suggestions on "Safe"
Trevor Spencer & Graham Presket -- finishing touches
Phil Carson -- special thanks (long overdue)

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