01	Hold Out Your Hand			You can feel it coming with the morning light And you know the feelings, gonna make you feel. Alright Almost close enough to, Hold out your hand Span the distance Store resistance, To attack is to retreat All you've got to do is Hold out your hand For the treasures of the universe, are lying at your feet. You can hide it, lose it, but it's always found. You can laugh it off, but it always comes, Back on you, so true. True is true enough to Hold out your hand. Forward motion Life promotion To reverse is to repeat All you've got to do is Hold out your hand For the treasures of the universe, are lying at your feet. Hold out your hand Span the distance Store resistance To attack is to retreat. Almost close enough to Hold out your hand For the treasures of the universe, are lying at your feet.			04:13
	02	You By My Side			You know I love you. I can't be without you. When I'm alone, I still feel this way about you. Everything's clear Here is here And everything is as it appears to be so Here am I dreaming I stand by myself Look and it's easy to see, that, I'm not the only one reaching for a new kind of wealth Reaching with nothing to hide And you by my side. You know we love you We can't be without you When we're at home, we still feel this way about you Everything's clear Here is here And everything is as it appears to be so, Here we are dreaming We stand by ourselves Look and it's easy to see, that, We're not the only ones reaching for a new kind of wealth Reaching with nothing to hide And you on our side.			05:00
	03	Silently Falling			Silently falling down, Bringing hope of the future to the children. Fills the air with a magic sound. Giving light to sight that cannot see, Hopefully, hopefully Don't believe in miracles, I do believe in love. Don't advise you to stick to rules, There ain't no need to push and shove Or in the end you'll reflect the pool Reaching for the sky above I know there's something, I don't know how long its taking in coming, I still sing the song. All of the pieces fit, The puzzle carries on. Silently circling around Giving scope to our imagination Stills the sea, restore the crown Breathing life to life that could not be, Hopefully Eventually Silently falling Falling down			11:27
	04	Lucky Seven			In the shadows of the fading light Nothing in sight, nothing in mind. Nothing gained when you're feeling restrained The more you look, the more you find Take a bite from the apple of life's not as bad, as its right,as its right, and I think you could be, Lucky tonight By the fates that drive us on Upon the sea we swiftly sail In the wake of the carnival trail The more we try, the less we fail You and I, the more we strive in our search for truth, I love and honesty could be, Lucky tonight From the trees by the silvery sands To the ice of the golden midnight lands Runs a thread of the tears that are shed With laughter on the other hand Keeping up with the plans and the schemes, chasing dreams,hard to tell what it means, but I think we could be, Lucky tonight			06:54
	05	Safe (Canon Song)			When your saviour lets yo down Who will mind When your lover turns around You will find joy in the morning. Love in the stars Peace and understanding, standing right beside you when you're walking down the street. Walk in time Standing beside you To shelter your heart's Like a ship in a harbour, blown in by the storms that surround us,and you will be, Safely where nothing can ground us and you will be, Safe with me When you face the doors of doubt Have no fear When the changes come about I'll be near I'll be waiting beside you To shelter your heart's Like a ship in a harbour, blown in by the storms that surround us,and you will be, Safe with me.			14:56

(p) (c) 1975 Atlantic Recording Corporation

"This album, my first solo album, was concieved and recorded in Virginia Water,
Surrey and at Morgan Studios during the Spring and Summer of 1975"

Band Members:
Chris Squire- bass, vocals, guitars
Bill Bruford- drums and percussion
Patrick Moraz- organ, bass synthesizer
Mel Collins- sax
Jimmy Hastings- flute
Barry Rose- pipe organ
Andrew Pryce Jackman- acoustic and electric pianos
Nikki Squire- vocals (1)

The leaders of the orchestra were:
Julian Gaillard- strings
John Wilbraham- brass
Jim Buck- horns
Adrian Brett- woodwind
David Snell- harpist

Written, Arranged and Produced by Chris Squire


Chris Squire
Fish Out of Water
Atlantic Germany (7567-81500-2)
UK 1975

Chris Squire, vocals, bass, 12-string electric guitar;
Andrew Pryce Jackman, acoustic and electric pianos, orchestrations;
Bill Bruford, drums;
Patrick Moraz, organ, bass, synthesizer;
Barry Rose, pipe organ;
Mel Collins, sax;
Jimmy Hastings, flute

Tracklist:
1. Hold Out Your Hand - 4:13
2. You By My Side - 4:59
3. Silently Falling - 11:26
4. Lucky Seven - 6:54
5. Safe (Canon Song) - 14:56

total time 42:34

bob

This album and Anderson's Olias are probably my two favorite solo efforts from members of Yes. Released around the same time, those two albums help define what it is that each of the two core members of Yes brought to that band's sound. Not that either disc sounds like a Yes clone, though.
Squire's only solo album definitely sounds like the creation of a bass player - thick and solid, with strong melodies that tend to start simply and build in intensity. This is particularly true on side two, with "Lucky Seven" laying down a catchy yet dark sounding organ and drum groove and running with it for close to seven minutes, while the bass, sax, vocals and string section alternate ornamental melodies. The real gem of the album though is the final song, "Safe", which goes by in what seems like much less than its fifteen minutes. The coda of chiming, ringing bass notes is my favorite part of the whole album.

Squire's lyrics and vocals aren't bad either. I particularly like the words to "Silently Falling". On the other hand, his emphatic "You know I love ya! I can't be without ya!" from "You By My Side" is a little grating.

But if you're a fan of classic Yes, or just enjoy good symphonic prog with a strong bass presence, then this album is a must-have. Well worth the $20+ I paid for a Japanese import copy.


sean

This was Chris Squire's solo album from the Yes break from 1974-1977. It is a fairly strong album that stands up well to Yes' material of the period. Squire's bass is, of course, given a prominent role and supports the music very well, often taking the lead role a guitar might on another album. He is joined by Patrick Moraz on keys, as well as ex-Yes drummer Bill Bruford.
Squire also takes lead vocals on this release, and handles them reasonably well. I find his phrasings a bit annoying during "You By My Side", but his vocal style is perfect for "Silently Falling" and "Lucky Seven", which is well-named given its meter. The dropped-beat meter is also used in "Safe", during a passage of 11/8. "Lucky Seven" features some very expressive sax work from Mel Collins. "Safe" is the album highlight, approximately fifteen minutes long and almost entirely instrumental. It is sub-titled "Canon Song", but while there is definitely some counterpoint between the different instruments I don't think it fully follows the strict format of a canon. It is still neat to hear a part on bass later played on horn and then on a flute, and then on a violin, and so on, in a canon-like repetition of "voices".

On this album Squire shows how integral he was to the success of Yes' progressive material. This album is definitely in the same league as those releases and should be accorded the same respect.


joe

One of the strongest of the flurry of Yes solo albums released during the group's short hiatus in the mid-70s. Surprisingly, Fish Out of Water remains Squire's only solo effort in 25 years. The bassist proves what Yes fans probably long suspected anyway up until then: he's more than capable himself as a lead vocalist. His lyrics seem to show a bit of influence from bandmate Jon Anderson: evocative and abstractly positive, yet generally more accessible then what Anderson was writing contemporaneously. The five lengthy songs on this album are all satisfying listens, and at certain moments really pack quite a punch. I love the church organ on "Hold out Your Hand," for which the term 'cathedral rock' might apply. Not to be outdone, Patrick Moraz sets his Hammond ablaze on the soaring jam in the middle of "Silently Falling." Other strong tunes include "You By My Side," which reminds me of the Beatles, and "Lucky Seven," with its infectious, after-hours electric piano riff and Mel Collins' snaky hooks on sax.


eric

Squire_s only solo effort to date features his trademark distorted/reverb bass blasting upfront on all the tracks, but the songs take on their own unique sound, not mere clones of Yes songs. Fellow Yes alumni Patrick Moraz and Bill Bruford lend support, along with Mel Collins on sax. "Hold Out Your Hand" is very catchy, with an excellent bass line, and clever drumming from Bruford; it leads directly into "You By My Side", a ballad containing a flute arrangement and almost Beach Boy like vocal underneath. Squire_s voice, which always meshed well harmonizing with Anderson, is pleasant as the lead. A horn/orchestral arrangement opens up "Silently Falling" which moves into a more jazz feel. "Lucky Seven" is kind of spacey atmospherically, and Collins' sax lines give the song its identity. "Safe (Canon Song)" ends the CD clocking in at over 14 minutes, going from a mellow opening to a Yes like section, and near the middle, everything kind of stops and rebuilds around a simple bass line, as the arrangement keeps adding more instrumentation leading to a string quartet to your surprise. Considering Squire_s ability as a writer, arranger etc., I am surprised he never attempted another recording. A must for Yes fans and prog fans alike.








Squire, Chris - Fish Out Of Water
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Release Date: 1975
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Track Listing
1) Hold Out Your Hand
2) You By My Side
3) Silently Falling
4) Lucky Seven
5) Safe (Canon Song)

Member: Rickenbacker - 05/26/03

I'd seen this solo album sitting in the bins & was always curious to hear it, but put it off until very recently. I was left wondering what in the hell took me so long! What struck me right away was hearing Chris' voice on it's own without Jon Anderson & the others backing him up & I'd say he's quite good for what he does.

The album's opener, "Hold Out Your Hand" greets you with majestic pipe organs- a familiar sound to Yes fans, yet after the vocals begin, you know it isn't Yes. It's a fine blend of prog elements & easy to swallow pop sense. Squire has an orchestra backing him on this track without overpowering him. As expected, Chris' trademark potent, flowery playing on his Rickenbacker bass is to the fore on this & the rest of the album. Fans of his thick, chunky tones will not be disappointed.

"...Hand" flows directly into "You By My Side". I couldn't help but think the Beach Boys during some of the harmonic vocals here at roughly the 1:50 minute mark. This is a pretty & subtle love song with a slower waltz feel, but it slowly builds in grandeur with the orchestra & brass then gently descends back to earth like a feather. Almost sounding like the end of a church hymn. Beautiful.

It again flows straight into what is to me, the album's center piece- "Silently Falling". The flutes & wind instruments play like a soundtrack to a prog rock opera. If you'd heard the opening to this song on its own, you wouldn't guess in a thousand years it was off an album by the same guy who came up w/ the rocking bassline to "Roundabout". But as soon as that familiar Rick' bass cautiously walks its way into the scene, you know you'll be in for a ride! Chris takes us on a hopeful, positive journey on this track which begins as soon as you hear that buzzing Rick' & the band kicks in. He & Bill Bruford work perfectly on it. This song is one you're bound to play again & again. The colorfully melodic 1st half comes to a sudden end when the tempo picks up & we're soaring through the air on a Bruford/Squire-led, wild, swirling, jazzy flight to anywhere. It gradually swells with intensity & then as suddenly as it began, you're softly awakened from it all w/ another sung verse & a return to the original musical theme. This song could've easily been divided into 3 'suites' as Yes were so prone to doing. The final section is a slow motion goodbye to the listener w/ the strings & band melding together perfectly.

"Lucky Seven" reminded me somehow of the 70s jazz albums I'd heard as a kid. Maybe Bob James? I think Bruford's influence is strong on this album & it would've had a completely different atmosphere had Alan White taken drumming duty. Squire's playing sounding almost funky in a 70s way with the hammer-ons etc. You get the impression he had fun with this one & it almost sounds like he improvised it. The sax occasionally reminding you of its presence & then soloing on it's own in the fade-out accompanied nicely again by Bruford.

We seamlessly glide into the album closer, "Safe (Canon Song)". Lyrically, it's a song of reassurance. That things will be fine. A perfect way to leave the listener. Chris once again getting some unique tones from his Rick'. This time more on the trebly, "ringing" end. Almost like an 8-string bass at some points. (though I suspect it's Chris on an electric 12-string guitar) It culminates dramatically & melodically along w/ the orchestra without forgetting the rock'n'roll side of this outfit. Reminiscent of what ELP was doing on almost all of their albums. The bass synth fading it out & then what sounds like Chris' bass(?) quietly giving the finishing touch to a great album.

This album was written & recorded in a surprisingly short amount of time; in roughly 2 months following Yes' Relayer tour. And the fact that it turned out to be such a quality project from The Prog Bassist only further proves Chris Squire's songwriting prowess & importance to Yes.

I've heard this album described as "the lost Yes album", but y'know, I'd have to disagree. There certainly are parts of it that'll no doubt remind you of Yes, but to my ears, the finished product is "un-Yes". It sounds precisely like what it is- solo Chris Squire.





Chris Squire - Fish Out Of Water

Released: 1975/1998
Label: Atlantic / WEA International
Cat. No.: 18159 / 81500
Total Time: 42:30


Reviewed by: Tom Karr, March 2004
There may be some contentious arguments as to which of the many solo projects by the members of Yes is the best. Anderson's Olias Of Sunhillow? Wakeman's Six Wives Of Henry The VIII, or his magnificent Journey To The Centre Of The Earth, perhaps? Steve Howe has produced many fine solo works, more than I've heard, I shamefully admit. And one must not forget Patrick Moraz's very entertaining work, The Story Of I. There is plenty to argue about, to be sure. I will say that for me, the choice is obvious. Chris Squire's Fish Out Of Water surpasses all of the others, in its songwriting, vocals, the choice of sidemen, and its kinship with the sound and more importantly, the soul of Yes.

After the tour in support of Relayer the members of Yes did what a number of top acts did in the 1970s. They took a lengthy sabbatical from the road and each member produced a solo album. These efforts were, of course, all over the board, and some of the works fare better than others. Chris took the path that I find most to my liking, and released what I believe is the best of the bunch, though I will admit to a love of Wakeman's and Moraz's first solo recordings as well.

Fish Out Of Water is a pleasure to listen to now, nearly thirty years after its release, and even more importantally, I believe, it continues to reveal new details every time I listen to it. That, I think, is one of the highest praises that I can bestow upon any recording. There are only a few recordings I can recall right now that have that quality, that endearing aspect.

Fish Out Of Water is also the most Yes-like of any of the solo works of the members, I am sure of that. The presence of Bill Bruford and Patrick Moraz assure that, but it goes deeper than that. I seem to recall Chris saying something about he and he alone owning the rights to the name Yes, feeling I suppose, that he, and whoever he chose to play with were Yes. I refer to the time of Yes L.A. and their legal battles with Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe. Indeed, nasty things are said whenever lawyers come around. But the point is, Squire was probably right. I didn't really understand, before hearing this work for the first time, how much of what we think of as the Yes "sound" is the result of Chris, his bass, his writing, his voice. This release could, with little change, stand alongside Yes's best and most popular albums.

All the material on this CD is very, very good, but I think that Chris wrote two absolute masterpieces of the genre here, those being the CD's opening track, "Hold Out Your Hand," and the third cut, "Silently Falling."

"Hold Out Your Hand" begins in a quite Yes-like manner, with a flourish of keyboards and a brilliant bass line, one of those lines that comes at you, and by the time you figure out where it is going, and how its going to be resolved, it turns a corner and doubles back on you. This album is a textbook of the Squire bass style, and that is reason enough to pick this up. The opening cut features some impressive and very satisfying keyboard work, and any time spent listening to Bruford's drumming is time well spent as well. This piece, as well as the rest of this release, boasts some lovely work by an ensemble of musicians on strings, flute, woodwinds and horns. Chris's vocals will leave no doubt as to who is really responsible for that classic Yes harmony we all love. Chris is not only a quite accomplished lead vocalist, but is usually the arranger of Yes's vocals. I will not bog all of us down in an endless dissection of the music on this album, but lets just say that "Hold Out Your Hand" will stand on its own when compared against the best material of Yes.

"Silently Falling" now sends shivers down my spine every time! At over eleven minutes, this is THE highlight of this release, and my personal favorite. It begins with woodwinds and some of the finest flute work I have ever heard, played by Jimmy Hastings, just one of the many outstanding players appearing on this CD. Hastings is one of the most storied flutists in England, and has worked with Caravan, National Health and Soft Machine as well. As I said, one of the great strengths of Squire's work is the great care he took in his choice of sidemen. One fascinating tidbit about this release is the appearance of Dr. Barry Rose, Chris's choir master from Guildford Cathedral. The good Reverend contributes his enormous talents on pipe organ, as well as other keyboards. Speaking of keyboards, and "Silently Falling" as well, this number features Moraz on a blistering organ/synthesizer solo, one of the best I have heard from him. This song also shows one of Chris's and by extension, Yes's, greatest strengths and most noticeable tendencies. Everything always begins or ends one beat before or after you think it will. This song displays Bruford's very tasteful style and his beautiful cymbal work. Chris misses no opportunities on this one either, and his bass line is powerful and could likely carry the song by itself.

All in all, this is a brilliant CD, and one that will show some of England's finest musicians in addition to Squire. He shows us all just what a masterful musician, composer and yes, what a great lead vocalist he really is.

Rating: 5/5

More about Fish Out Of Water:

Track Listing: Hold Out Your Hand (4:13) / You By My Side (5:00) / Silently Falling (11:27) / Lucky Seven (6:54) / Safe (Canon Song) (14:56)

Musicians:
Chris Squire - Bass, Guitar, Vocals
Bill Bruford - Drums, Percussion
Patrick Moraz - Organ, Synthesizers, Keyboards
Adrian Brett - Woodwinds
Jim Buck - Horns
Mel Collins - Saxophone
Julian Gaillard - Strings
Jimmy Hastings - Flute
Barry Rose - Organ, Pipe Organ
Andrew Jackman - Piano, Electric Piano, Keyboards
David Snell - Harp
John Wilbraham - Horns

Contact:

Website: www.chrissquire.com
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Discography

Fish Out Of Water (1975/1998)