It's a comparison that has dogged
Fish throughout his professional career, but it's hard to listen to his music -- either his work with
Marillion or his solo albums -- and not be reminded of prime-period
Genesis, when
Peter Gabriel was fronting the band. It's not only because his voice uncannily recalls
Gabriel's and that the musical approach is heavily influenced by Selling England By the Pound and The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, but it's also because
Gabriel has stopped recording the kind of fruity, pompous prog-rock that dominates
Fish's second full-fledged solo album, Internal Exile. That might sound like a harsh criticism, but it's meant as a compliment, simply because in 1991 -- or for that matter, the '90s -- nobody does classic British prog as well as
Fish. True, Internal Exile relies a bit too much on contemporary studio techniques, resulting in a clean, almost sterile sound, but it's appropriate for such precise, mannered music. At times, it's a little
too mannered, but much of the album delivers exactly what
Fish and
Marillion fans need -- and what old-school
Genesis fans have been waiting to hear. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
