Fellini Days

Following on from Raingods with Zippos, Fish released Fellini Days in 2001. Originally available by mail order only on May 2nd of that year, it was released to the retail market on the 13th of August. The band on this album consisted of guitarist John Wesley, keyboardist John Young, bassist Steve Vantsis, drummer Dave "Squeeky" Stewart, and percussionist Dave Haswell, with Susie Webb and Zoe Nicholas on backing vocals. The album was written in memory of Federico Fellini and is conceptually related to the great Italian film director's imagination, although it is not a concept album. Those seeking a prog rock album would be disappointed, as Fish appeared to have firmly moved on from his early Marillion days and was now writing more melodic tunes. The album opens with "3D," an atmospheric track that takes time to build but is allowed to do so, and ends up at just over nine minutes long. There are a number of other strong tracks on the album, including "Tiki 4" and "Dancing in Fog," before Fellini Days reaches the low point of "Obligatory Ballad," one of Fish's poorer efforts and out of place on this album. Fortunately, the final two tracks, "The Pilgrim's Address" and "Clock Moves Sideways," redress the balance and round the album out in fine style. ~ Sharon Mawer|