Dublin's AN EMOTIONAL FISH are a great example of a knock off. They recorded three records in the late 80's and 90's that owed a huge debt (or is it thievery) to u2. I would imagine that living in Ireland around the time of "The Joshua Tree" meant that every band that made a record at this time would inevitably be compared to arguably the biggest band in the world but these guys seemed to ape everything about Bono and the boys. Which is to bad. On their own this four piece had some artistic merit, but they seemed to be trying to hard. Even when they tried to change their image they released a more avant garde record at the same time that u2 released "Achtung Baby".So why do I waste some of your valuable time writing about a non-entity in the world of rock such as An Emotional Fish? Because as I was digging through my cd collection I plucked it out and listened to them and Damn if they don't sound really good. Maybe it's time or maybe I'm in a different place but the songs sounded fresh and interesting. Just goes to show that anything can sound better with a new perspective. I wasn't expecting anything great and was pleasantly surprised. Sometimes, the flip occurs. Some great records do not age well. (that is not to say that this is a great record, merely a passable one) Some bands seminal work becomes instantly dated after a year or two. Others have their records mature over time till they ripen with age. So go back to your collection and pull out something you haven't heard in while. Did it get any better?
p.s. I did not know this but the band opened for u2 in Ireland in 1993. Now that's just funny!
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