We’ve seen the cliche a million times over: A classic band announces a final album/tour. If I had a dollar for every band who pulled this stunt, only to return a few short years later, I’d be rich. If I had a dollar for every band who kept their word, I’d have less money than I do already. So what makes progressive rock stalwart Fish different from all the others? For one, he has greater scruples than your typical bloated 80s hair metal band (not naming names, but I’m sure you could guess). And from my first listen of his “final album”, Weltschmerz, I don’t know if there’s anything left for Fish to say that he hasn’t said already.
The East Lothian born and bred enigma has not lost the slightest bit of brilliance. Albeit older, wiser, and a tad weathered, he’s the same man who won the hearts of thousands upon the release of Marillion’s Script for a Jester’s Tear (1983). Perhaps that’s why Weltschmerz is the end of this nearly 4 decade musical script. Fish cannot and will not allow himself to be anything less than superior. He is a progressive rock perfectionist, lauded poet, and the rightful heir to Peter Gabriel’s ivory throne.
Of all the “farewell” albums that have been, Weltschmerz is one of the most convincing in recent memory. The theme of departure runs deep in both the lyrics and music. When you consider Fish’s ability to write some of the most picturesque lyrics in rock history, these songs become painfully gut wrenching. One can’t help but listen to the delicate “Garden of Remembrance”, or mesmerizing “Waverley Steps (End of the Line)”, and ponder that this really is the end.
Musically, Weltschmerz is filled with strings and acoustic guitars, creating a large, yet lush, atmosphere. It’s the perfect paring for such thought provoking lyrics. “Man with a Stick” is a synth driven, rhythmic cut, examining the struggles of man vs. authority. Meanwhile, the cold, throbbing, new age nuances of “Little Man What Now” serve as a backdrop to the harsh assessment of a shallow protagonist. Critics have long abused the term “thinking man’s music”, but it’s this oft used phrase which Fish specializes in.
If Weltschmerz truly is Fish’s swan song, I can’t think of a better way to end such a storied career. Even after a brilliant 30 year journey as a solo artist, I’d go as far to label this his finest post-Marillion outing. To that end I say, swim on schindleria praematurus. Your words and music have contributed to the greater good of man and will continue to do so long after we’ve perished. “The game is over.”
9 out of 10
Label: Chocolate Frog Records
Genre: Progressive Rock
For fans of: Marillion, Genesis, Porcupine Tree