13th Star | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 6 September 2007 | |||
Genre | Progressive rock | |||
Length | 55:30 | |||
Label | Chocolate Frog Records | |||
Producer | Calum Malcolm | |||
Fish chronology | ||||
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Singles from 13th Star | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [1] |
Scotland on Sunday | [2] |
13th Star is the ninth solo studio album (eighth of original material) by Fish since he left Marillion in 1988. Released as a limited edition via mail-order in September 2007 and to retail in February 2008, it is his first since Field of Crows (2004). Released on Fish's own imprint Chocolate Frog Records, retail distribution is handled by Snapper Music.
Steve Vantsis, who was Fish's permanent bassist from the Sunsets on Empire tour (1997) until 2008, was the main writing partner on this album (a role previously held by, among others, Mickey Simmonds, Steven Wilson, John Wesley and Bruce Watson). It features a rougher, more guitar-based and slightly industrial sound on a number of tracks and is therefore perceived as a departure by many fans. However, Fish had explored similar ideas as early as on Sunsets on Empire and Raingods with Zippos (1999). Also, a number of tracks have classic Fish hallmarks, significantly enhanced by the presence of his longtime companion Frank Usher on guitars.
Most lyrics deal with, or are at least implicitly in reference to, Fish's failed relationship with Mostly Autumn singer Heather Findlay who left him in 2007, cancelling their scheduled wedding. The title 13th Star originally referred to her as being the 13th female significant other in Fish's life, but ended up as a metaphor for an (unknown) future relationship. The original title of the song "Zoë 25" was "Micklegate", after the place where Fish had proposed to Heather. The title also refers to the album as the 13th studio album of his career (four with Marillion and nine solo).
Steve Vantsis, previously strictly the bassist, emerges as the dominant musician on the album. Apart from most of the songwriting, he is also responsible for electric and acoustic guitars and keyboards. The main guitarist is once again Frank Usher, who also co-wrote one song ("Openwater"). Keyboards are handled by Foss Paterson, returning into the line-up for the first time since 1997 (except for a brief one-off stint on the 2000 tour of Bosnia). He also co-wrote the only other non-Vantsis song on the album, the piano ballad "Miles de Besos". Further guitar credits go to Chris Johnson (of The Evernauts and Mostly Autumn), who is also the second guitarist on the tour. Another Mostly Autumn connection is former Karnataka drummer Gavin Griffiths, who played with them for most of 2007. Dave Haswell, who had already contributed to Fish's previous three studio albums, plays additional percussion. Female backing vocals are by Lorna Bannon, who had appeared on Songs from the Mirror , Suits and Sunsets on Empire .
The album was produced by Calum Malcolm, who had mixed and/or (re)mastered several Fish albums before.
The cover was designed by Fish's long-time collaborator, artist Mark Wilkinson. Although Wilkinson had designed all official album releases by Fish (with the exception of Songs from The Mirror), the more recent ones had largely been computer-aided ones, while the cover of the previous album Field of Crows emulated Vincent van Gogh's style. By contrast, the artwork for 13th Star, spreading across three sides a fold-out digipak and the booklet, marked a return to Wilkinson's hallmark airbrush style that had been a characteristic feature of the Fish-era Marillion gatefold covers as well as Fish's first solo album Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors (1990). A vinyl version of the album was released in a gatefold cover whose large format is better suited to the scope of Wilkinson's painting. The image of the "Dark Angel" navigating his boat from the booklet's front cover illustrates the style and atmosphere of the artwork for this album.
The track "Arc of the Curve" is released as a single on 3 March 2008. The CD version contains only two tracks (the album version and an edited version of the title track), however, a download version including three live tracks is available from iTunes. On 6 October 2008, "Zoe 25" was released as the second single along with two live tracks (download and CD version).
Fish first presented the album on the European Clutching at Stars tour which began in the summer of 2007. In addition to focusing on the 13th Star material, the tour celebrated the 20th anniversary of Clutching at Straws (Fish's last album with Marillion), and so most of the set list was drawn from these two releases. This tour covered the spring and summer of 2008, with Fish giving a meet-and-greet for some fans before each show.
Total time: 55:30
Derek William Dick, better known by his stage name Fish, is a Scottish singer, songwriter and occasional actor. He was the lead singer and lyricist of the neo-prog band Marillion from 1981 until 1988. He released 11 UK Top 40 singles with the band, including the Top Ten singles "Kayleigh", "Lavender" and "Incommunicado", and five Top Ten albums, including a number one with Misplaced Childhood. In his solo career, Fish explored contemporary pop and traditional folk, and released a further five Top 40 singles and a Top 10 album.
Marbles is the 13th studio album from rock band Marillion, released in 2004. Unlike their previous studio album, Anoraknophobia (2001), which was financed largely by a preorder campaign, the band funded the recording, and it was the publicity campaign that fans financed for the album. Those fans who pre-ordered the album received an exclusive 2-CD "Deluxe Campaign Edition" with a booklet containing the names of everyone who pre-ordered before a certain date. The public release date of the retail single-CD version of the album was 3 May 2004 while a plain 2-CD version was made available from the band's website. A limited edition was released on white multicoloured vinyl by Racket Records on 13 November 2006.
Script for a Jester's Tear is the debut studio album by British neo-prog band Marillion, released in the United Kingdom on 14 March 1983 by EMI Records. The album reached number seven and spent 31 weeks in the UK Albums Chart, eventually achieving a platinum certificate, and produced the top 40 single "He Knows You Know" and the top 20 single "Garden Party".
Mark Wilkinson is an English illustrator. He is best known for the detailed surrealistic cover art he created for a number of British bands.
Unplugged at The Walls is an album by British rock band Marillion released in 1999. It was recorded in a small restaurant in Oswestry, near where they were mixing Radiation, on 25 and 26 June 1998 as a strictly acoustic set. Lead vocalist Steve Hogarth is reported to claim "We offered to play a gig in there for a free meal and some beers."
Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors is the debut solo album by Scottish neo-prog singer Fish, released in 1990.
Songs from the Mirror is the third solo album by Scottish singer-songwriter Fish, released in 1993 as his final album for Polydor. It does not contain any original material; instead it is a cover album featuring Fish's versions of songs by artists who inspired him before his career started. It reached 46 on the UK Albums Chart.
Bouillabaisse is a compilation double album by Fish released in 2005. It is the third "best-of" collection after Yin and Yang (1995) and Kettle of Fish (1998), however, it covers Fish's entire solo career up to the previous year's studio album Field of Crows. The songs are divided into two sets: Disc 1, entitled "Balladeer", and disc 2, entitled "Rocketeer". It also features the single edits Marillion's three biggest hits, "Kayleigh", "Lavender" (1985) and "Incommunicado" (1987). It also features an edited version of "Goldfish and Clowns" from Sunsets on Empire (1997) which has never been released due to the planned single being ultimately cancelled.
Suits (1994) is the fourth solo album by former Marillion singer Fish, and his third studio album with original material. It is the first album to be released on Fish's new own label, the Dick Bros Record Company, which he set up after being dropped by Polydor. The album continues the cooperation with producer James Cassidy who had already produced Songs from the Mirror. Cassidy also contributed keyboards recordings and co-wrote five out of ten songs on the original version of this album. Together with keyboardist Foster Paterson, who had been part of the tour line-up since 1992 and co-wrote three tracks, Cassidy takes the role previously held by Mickey Simmonds. Further songwriting credits go to guitarist Robin Boult and bassist David Paton.
Yin and Yang are the titles of two separate compilation albums by Fish co-released in 1995. They are a retrospective on Fish's four solo albums and four albums with Marillion.
Field of Crows is Fish's eighth solo studio album since he left Marillion in 1988 and the first since Fellini Days (2001). Released on Fish's own label Chocolate Frog Records, retail distribution is now handled by Snapper Music.
Brief Encounter is a compilation EP by the British neo-prog band Marillion. It contains two studio and three live tracks that EMI's American label Capitol Records released there in 1986, coinciding with the band's tour of the U.S. and Canada that year. The band was Rush's support act on the Power Windows tour and also played headline gigs at smaller theatres. The "mini album" contained five tracks: the band's European breakthrough single "Kayleigh" ; its b-side "Lady Nina"; "Freaks", released in Europe as the b-side of the follow-up single "Lavender"; and live recordings of the first two albums' title tracks, Fugazi (1984) and Script for a Jester's Tear (1984).
Sunsets on Empire is the fifth studio album by Fish since he left Marillion in 1988. It was mostly written together with Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree, who co-composed six out of ten tracks on the original version, and also produced the album. Tim Bowness, Wilson's partner in No-Man, has additional writing credits on one track. Two permanent members of Fish's line-up, keyboardist Foster Paterson, and guitarist Robin Boult co-wrote one and two tracks, respectively.
Kettle of Fish (88-98) is the title of a compilation album by Fish released in 1998, providing a retrospective on his solo career plus two new songs. Unlike the previous best-of Yin and Yang (1995), this is a single disc and does not include any Marillion material. Kettle of Fish was Fish's first release under a new contract with Roadrunner Records, who signed Fish after the financially catastrophic Sunsets on Empire album and tour of 1997 had forced him to dissolve his own label Dick Brothers Record Company. Roadrunner also re-released Fish's entire backcatalogue; Kettle of Fish was intended to draw attention to these titles, which explains the publication of another "best-of" compilation with just one studio album between this and the last one. The album was accompanied by an eponymous collection of video clips with slightly different tracks. In Europe, the limited first edition of the album included a bonus CD-ROM with three videos and additional material.
Fellini Days is Fish's seventh solo studio album since leaving Marillion in 1988, his first since Raingods with Zippos (1999) and the first on his own label Chocolate Frog Records.
The Best of Marillion is a compilation album from the band Marillion. The songs come from both the Fish era and Steve Hogarth era of the band. It was released in mainland Europe only.
"State of Mind" is the debut solo single by Scottish singer Fish. It was released in October 1989, about a year after his departure from Marillion and preceding the release of his first solo album Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors. It is also the first-ever record Fish did outside Marillion except for his 1986 collaboration with Tony Banks on the single "Shortcut to Somewhere" from Banks' album Soundtracks.
Lady Nina is a song by the British neo-prog band Marillion. First released in 1985 on the B-side to the #2 UK hit single "Kayleigh", it was the only single from the EP Brief Encounter released in the United States by Capitol Records in April 1986. A music video was also shot to promote it. While the EP climbed to #67 on the Billboard 200 album charts, "Lady Nina" did not make the Billboard Hot 100, but did reach #30 on the Mainstream Rock charts.
"Heart of Lothian" is a song by British neo-prog band Marillion. It is the fifth track on the 1985 concept album Misplaced Childhood. The song was released as the third single from Misplaced Childhood on 18 November 1985 in the UK, the Netherlands, West Germany, Canada, South Africa and Australia. "Heart of Lothian" became the third Top 30 UK single from Misplaced Childhood, peaking at number 29. The song also peaked at number 51 on the German singles chart.
Sugar Mice is a song by British neo-prog band Marillion. It was released as the second single from their fourth studio album, Clutching at Straws (1987). Released on 13 July 1987, it peaked at number 22 in the UK Singles Chart, becoming the band's eighth top-30 hit in a row. Outside the UK, it charted in the Netherlands and West Germany.