The first thing that springs to mind when I think of Fish Rising is a bit in the Salmon Song, to which my chemically unhinged brain conjures cartoons of lines of salmon marching across the walls on their rear fins in time to the music…

The second thing that I think of is the person who introduced me to this record. I have described this person in my review of Angel’s Egg by Gong. If anything, Fish Rising means more to me than Angel’s Egg, which was my first introduction to the Gong clan.

Fish Arising, early in the morning…

Solar Music Suite …and so we set foot on the pathway, between the pillars of black and white — to put aside the fears and doubts that hold this old world down, and open up our hidden store of light within … an alchemical journey to the centre of the soul … Oh! I love it’s holy mystery! Guitars twinkle and soar, echo echo, bassoons rumble, basses thunder, drums smash all over it (all in quite an orderd/disordered way)…we’ve got to learn to use our hearts and minds…

and then, approaching from the distance, come the KILLER RIFF…Steve Hillage is an unacknowledged master of these rock’n’roll beauties….the organ writhes and wriggles, seathes and sears….phew, and we’re still on the 1st track…never let the seal of love be broken, lest you act uncertainly…the answers that we sit and hope to find are swimming in our mercury…lovely delayed guitar at the end…dreamy beyond belief. 

Fish…woah! Underwater sounds…bubbles and…flute…polyrhythmic chaos…and we’ll get there if we can…

waves of guitar heaven waft around the room…Meditation of the Snake…serpentine guitar lines writhe…(btw, Yoga is cool…psychedelia and health all rolled into one, who could ask for more. And once you’ve learned enough to do your own routine, it’s free!)

Then the aforementioned Salmon Song…yipee! I love that opening riff… guided from Atlantis to the water bearer’s jar/far out/nearer in/and back to where we are/you know the way to be/you know the way to be/you know the way to beeeeeeeyeeyeeyeeyeee! You know the wayeeayeeay to be!…then we plunge underwater…basoonofish and wahguitar…then it all thunders back in, tomtoms agogo. Salty Solomon Salamander Solomon…King of the Fishes — wooh! Or something like that.

<btw*> I’m a veggie and have been for more than 20 years, and I’ve read Merrick’s don’t drink milk article, which I agree with, but don’t have the strength of character to persevere with, and I know Hillage seems to glorify fishing on this album, and I know fishing is a bloodsport, and I hate bloodsports, but Hillfish seems to have a unity with the fishes…feeble excuse?? I’m not sure, but perhaps it’s all just symbols anyway…I just love the music. Isn’t Hillage a strict veggie now anyway? Can anyone fill me in on this detail?</*btw>

Afterglid..finger cymbals ..Sun Moon Surfing…<*thunder*> the great wave and the boat of hermes…Moonweed excels…the Thighpaulsandra of his day! And Bloomdido Glid de Breeze wails and cries!! From the mountaintop! Gradually we slide into a whirlpool of delays and vocodered vocals…letting it a flow! …the seven open lotuses on the tree of life…as above and so below…ddddddddDDDDDDDDdakdukiddleelelem <*one of the greatest drum breaks EVER*>SLAM guitars..horns…jazz rhythms …Echo fire guitar…mitch mitchell stylee jazz rock drums…zen bop echo guitar fade…dream on…a positive vision of the future

Steve Hillfish — gitfish, fishy rythms, pierre moerlin — batterfish, dave stewart (no, not that one) orgone, pianofish, mike howlett — bassafish, lindsay cooper (yes that one) — basoonafish, moonweed — synfish, bloomdido glid de breeze — saxofish. bambaloni yoni — fish tales fish scales fish bells.

If I remember rightly, the original vinyl copy had a photcopied paper insert with the lyrics and other stuff, which I have long since lost…if you have one, could you send me a scan of it?? 

See also Angels Egg by Gong and Happy Dog Potatohead’s review of Magick Brother by Gong

The Sound of Nirvana is Delicately Shaped
The Noise of Nirvana is Absolute
Squid Tempest 2000