Do you like Fish?! I hope so. Let's start from the beginning with what the FISH project is all about. In the early '80s, a new band appeared in England that somewhat resembled GENESIS yet had its own unique sound. A new glorious chapter in the history of progressive rock began to be written under the name MARILLION. In 1988, after four studio albums, a dozen and a half singles, four videos, and two live records, the band's vocalist Derek William Dick — better known by his stage name 'Fish' — left the group. What happened to MARILLION — unfortunately or fortunately, they moved toward a more commercial sound. As for Mr. Fish, his super-successful debut came out in January 1990. To date, Derek has eight solo studio albums, numerous compilations, dozens of singles, and two dozen live recordings to his name. It is about the most recent of these live albums ("Return To Childhood") that we will talk in detail.
The concert took place on November 13, 2005, in the Dutch city of Tilburg; the very last track was recorded a few days later during a show in Cologne, Germany. The concert was dedicated to the twentieth anniversary of MARILLION's third full-length album "Misplaced Childhood" and consisted of two parts.
The first CD features 52 and a half minutes of songs predominantly from the musician's more recent years. From the first two studio albums, there are only two compositions; two each from the 1997, 1999, and 2003 albums; and one song from 2001. Guitarists Frank Usher and Andy Trill, bassist Steve Vantsis, drummer John Tonks, keyboardist Tori Sherrill, and backing vocalist Deborah French — these six musicians performed the aforementioned material, and we haven't even mentioned the seventh — Fish himself! He is the brain, the engine, and the nucleus of the project. Speaking of his vocal form, let's be objective — his voice has changed somewhat over the past twenty years (Derek was 48 at the time of the concert recording), but his inimitable, stunning timbre remains with him; though his voice may lack its former power, the energy is still there, and that is what matters most.
The second disc, however, is the real surprise. The concert was dedicated to the 20th anniversary of "Misplaced Childhood," and so Mr. Fish performs the album in its entirety, from "Pseudo Silk Kimono" to "White Feather," adding three more hits from three other MARILLION albums on which he participated. The second disc runs over 70 minutes in total. Already on the first song, the main surprise awaits us — a vocal performance of stunning sensitivity. The dynamic energy of his solo work is set against the famous melodies of tranquility and harmony; the instruments play more softly, and maximum emphasis is placed on the vocals. The musician always plays songs from those years at his concerts, but performing the album in full, in the same order as the studio version, is truly a rare gift to the fans.