Fish Out Of Water - CHRIS SQUIRE****

Hold Out Your Hand/You By My Side/Silently Falling/Lucky Seven/Safe (Canon Song)

Fish Out Of Water was the well received sole album release from the Yes bassist Chris Squire, released at a time when his band was taking an extended break. (US:69 UK:25)

“Whereas most bass guitar players are happy to sit in the background, looking cool and providing a needed bottom to the sound, Squire was always out front, with triple-necked bass guitars and frequent solos. Rather than treating the bass like a background instrument, Yes always gave it equal time with the guitar.”

“The only album by Yes bassist and founding member Chris Squire, recorded at a time when all members took a break from group activity and recorded solo projects. This is a very ambitious undertaking, involving a large orchestra and a group of musicians playing music composed by Squire. He plays bass and sings lead vocals (his voice sounding remarkably similar to Jon Anderson). The result is a classic prog album, perhaps one of the last classics of the golden decade and certainly more interesting than anything Yes as a group were doing at the time. The compositions are concise, but nicely developed, and there is none of the extravagant (and often pompous) typical Yes prolongation and repetition. All the players do a splendid job and Squire’s bass, often in the lead, is powerful and impressive.”

“This is a wonderful symphonic rock album fully achieved, with beautiful passages of English classic music, delightful melodies, strong passages of aggressive rocking plus changing tempos from hard ones to others highly lyrical.”

“Chris Squire gives us a very convincing album of five solid, interesting and alluring compositions. The music is muscular, with the deliberate and pointed accents so typical of 70s progressive fare. There is plenty of tasteful time signature trickery and the basic rhythm section lacks for nothing. The lead vocals have character and the harmony vocals are strong, and simply beautiful. An orchestra is used in certain sections and are unobtrusive and work, much like a keyboardist would, to colour passages and bring added emotion where appropriate. Nothing here is sappy or commercial; this album is in very good taste throughout.”

“It's not easy for a bass player to record a solo project. The temptation is to make your instrument dominant on the album. Luckily he doesn't give into that temptation, and instead draws the perfect distinction between out front, and overpowering.”