Fish Fleshes Out His Solo Start For Deluxe Sets

With Fish‘s career officially over, it’s about time for Derek Dick to take stock and cement his legacy for good. He may have started working towards this goal two years ago by issuing the “Vigil’s End” concert set, and expanding his last studio efforts too, but July 22nd should find the Scottish singer return to the very beginning of his individual career with the release of deluxe editions of the two albums which set the veteran on the course to solo glory – and they’re bound to be brilliant to say the least.

Actually, these packages of 1990’s “Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors” and 1991’s “Internal Exile” are rather close to the MARILLION box sets as they’re comprised of four CDs and a Blu-ray each – with the Dolby Atmos and 5.1 mixes created by Avril Mackintosh and Andy Bradfield who delivered the same for the band’s recent remasters – only there’s no sonic upgrade of original versions this time around, as both records have been recently remixed in stereo by by Calum Malcolm who also slightly adjusted the running order of the tracks, which is especially notable on the second album where B-sides got moved into the context, to sculpt a different listening experience. Of course, included en masse are demos, allowing to relish Mickey Simmonds, Janick Gers and Ted McKenna’s parts, and, on CD, live recordings of the relevant numbers, while each Blu-ray contains two complete concerts, in audio, that were available in 1993 on Fish’s “Official Bootleg” series and then deleted. As for the video aspect, there are close to two hours of documentary footage on the discs, focusing on lengthy interviews with Derek and Mark Wilkinson, the designer of the albums’ memorable cover artwork, and promo videos. All of the riches arrive in a hardcover book in a slipcase with a lot of reading material and illustrations – and the prices feel just as well.

Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors

CD 1 – Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors – 2024 Remix:
1. Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors
2. Big Wedge
3. State Of Mind
4. The Company
5. A Gentleman’s Excuse Me
6. The Voyeur (I Like To Watch)
7. Family Business
8. Cliché
9. View From A Hill
10. Jack And Jill (B-side)
11. Internal Exile (‘89 version)
12. Whiplash (B-side)

CD 2 – Demos:
1. Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors
2. State Of Mind
3. The Company
4. The Voyeur
5. Big Wedge
6. Big Wedge (instrumental)
7. Cliché (no guitar solo)
8. View From A Hill
9. Family Business
10. A Gentleman’s Excuse Me
11. The Curious Hill (unused Mickey Simmonds demo)

CD 3 – Live:
BBC Town And Country – November 11th, 1989:
1. Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors
2. Family Business
Hammersmith Odeon – April 2nd, 1990 – “Pigpen’s Birthday”:
3. The Voyeur
4. State Of Mind
5. A Gentleman’s Excuse Me
6. Cliché
BBC Nottingham Royal Court – November 15th, 1991:
7. Big Wedge
8. The Company
9. Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors
Muziekcentrum Enschede – June 28th, 2002:
10. State Of Mind (with Jan Ackermann)

CD 4 – Live:
Düsseldorf Phillips Halle – December 7th, 1991 – “Uncle Fish And The Crypt Creepers”:
1. Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors
2. Big Wedge
Haddington Corn Exchange – November 8th, 1991 – “Derek Dick And His Amazing Dancing Bear”:
3. State Of Mind
Utrecht Vredenberg – March 21st, 1994 – “Sushi”:
4. Family Business
5. The Company
Przemyśl, Poland – 1997:
6. Cliché
Leamington Spa, November 24th, 2021 – “Vigil’s End”:
7. View From A Hill
8. A Gentleman’s Excuse Me
The Studio, Spittalrig Farm – March 11th, 2012 – “Fishheads Club” Acoustic Versions:
9. Family Business
10. Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors

Blu-ray:
“Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors” – Dolby Atmos and 5.1 mixes
Documentaries:
⦁ Fish Interview – “Climbing The Hill”
⦁ Mark Wilkinson Interview – “The Art Of Vigil”
Original Promo Videos:
⦁ State Of Mind
⦁ Big Wedge
⦁ A Gentleman’s Excuse Me
“Pigpen’s Birthday” – Live At The Hammersmith Odeon – April 2nd, 1990 – Audio:
1. The Voyeur (I Like To Watch)
2. Punch And Judy
3. State Of Mind
4. Family Business
5. Assassing
6. The Company
7. Script for A Jester’s Tear
8. A Gentleman’s Excuse Me
9. Introduction Of The Band / Happy Birthday
10. Sugar Mice
11. Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors
12. Kayleigh
13. Lavender
14. Cliché
15. Big Wedge
16. Internal Exile
“For Whom The Bells Toll!” – Edinburgh Playhouse – New Year’s Eve 1991 – Audio:
1. Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors
2. Credo
3. Tongues
4. Family Business
5. Incubus
6. Giz A Bun
7. The Company
8. Shadowplay
9. Dear Friend
10. The Bells/Happy New Year
11. Lucky
12. Big Wedge
13. Heart Of Lothian
14. Forgotten Sons
15. Flower Of Scotland
16. Internal Exile
17. Market Square Heroes

Internal Exile

CD 1 – Internal Exile – 2024 Remix:
1. Shadowplay
2. Lucky
3. Just Good Friends (Close)
4. Favourite Stranger
5. Tongues
6. Something In The Air
7. Poets Moon
8. Dear Friend
9. Credo
10. Internal Exile
11. Carnival Man

CD 2 – Demos:
1. Lucky
2. Favourite Stranger
3. Tongues
4. Credo (guitar version)
5. Dear Friend (jam)
6. Poets Moon
7. Internal Exile (‘89)
8. Dear Friend
9. Shadowplay
10. Favourite Stranger
11. Just Good Friends (instrumental)

CD 3 – Studio & Live Versions:
Studio Re-recordings 1995:
1. Credo
2. Just Good Friends (with Sam Brown)
3. Lucky
4. Favourite Stranger
BBC Sessions Nottingham Royal Court – November 15th, 1991:
5. Internal Exile
6. Tongues
7. Credo
Utrecht Vredenberg – March 21st, 1994 – “Sushi”:
8. Lucky
9. Poets Moon
10. Just Good Friends
11. Internal Exile
12. Credo

CD 4 – Live Versions:
Düsseldorf Phillips Halle – Dercember 7th, 1991:
1. Shadowplay
2. Credo
3. Lucky
4. Tongues
5. Dear Friend
6. Internal Exile
St Mary’s Church, Haddington – August, 27th, 2006 – “Communion’ Acoustic”:
7. Favourite Stranger
8. Just Good Friendw
TJ’s, Newport – June 27th, 1994 – “Fortunes Of War” Acoustic:
9. Lucky
Mean Fiddler, London – June 29th, 1994 – “Fortunes Of War” Acoustic:
10. Dear Friend
Edinburgh Playhouse – January 31st, 1991 – “‘For Whom The Bells Toll!”:
11. Shadowplay
Rynek, Przemysl, Poland – October 10th, 1997 – “Sunsets On Empire”:
12. Internal Exile

Blu-ray:
“Internal Exile” – Dolby Atmos and 5.1 mixes
Documentaries:
⦁ Fish Interview – “Internal Exile – A Boy’s Own Story”
⦁ Mark Wilkinson Interview – “The Art Of Internal Exile”
Original Promo Videos:
⦁ Credo
⦁ Just Good Friends
⦁ Internal Exile
“Uncle Fish and The Crypt Creepers” – Dusseldorf Phillips Halle – December 7th, 1991 – Audio:
1. Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors
2. Credo
3. Tongues
4. Family Business
5. Incubus
6. Shadowplay
7. Dear Friend
8. The Company
9. Lucky
10. Big Wedge & Windswept Thumb Acapella
11. Heart Of Lothian
12. Fugazi
13. Internal Exile
14. Market Square Heroes
15. Forgotten Sons
“Derek Dick And His Amazing Electric Bear” – Haddington Corn Exchange – November 3rd, 1991 – Audio:
1. Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors
2. Credo
3. State Of Mind
4. Tongues
5. Family Business
6. Incubus
7. Shadowplay
8. Dear Friend
9. Lucky
10. Big Wedge
11. Fugazi
12. Heart Of Lothian
13. The Company
14. Forgotten Sons
15. Internal Exile
16. Market Square Heroes

June 20, 2024