Terence Trent D'Arby - Terence Trent D'Arby's Neither Fish Nor Flesh: A Soundtrack Of Love, Faith, Hope, And Destruction (1989)

“Neither Fish Nor Flesh: A Soundtrack of Love, Faith, Hope & Destruction” is the second album by the U.S. singer Terence Trent D'Arby, released in 1989 on Columbia Records. Following his highly successful 1987 debut album “Introducing The Hardline...”, the album was highly anticipated but was panned by many critics at the time as being overly indulgent, scattered with pretentious song titles, and unfocused.
Trouser Press wrote that "individually, most of the tracks have virtues; collectively, they add up to the most unfocused record in the history of western civilization. Weirdly intriguing but not at all good." Rolling Stone critic Mark Coleman said of D'Arby's effort "fails to establish him as a visionary pop godhead. It does, however, demonstrate convincingly that he’s far more than a mere legend in his own mind."
On the album commentary on his website, D'Arby (now known as Sananda Maitreya) claimed that the album's lack of commercial impact was due to his record company's "wholesale rejection of it" as well being hindered by German record producer Frank Farian who decided to release an album of his performances with funk band The Touch (from 1984) in Germany just weeks before Neither Fish Nor Flesh was due for release. Maitreya states that Neither Fish Nor Flesh was "the project that literally killed ‘TTD’, and from whose molten ashes, began the life of Sananda".
“Neither Fish nor Flesh” is a sprawling, overly ambitious work that incorporates Middle Eastern flavorings and even more of a gospel influence into his gritty mix of rock, R&B, and funk. Lyrically, d'Arby's pretensions run a bit wild, but the man does possess a voice that is a force to be reckoned with. Songs like the rousing, soulful "I'll Be Alright" and the sexy "To Know Someone Deeply Is to Know Someone Softly" are masterful. Other highlights include the breezy, Motown vibe of "Billy Don't Fall" (a song actually about AIDS) and the skeletal, fiery "This Side of Love." Neither Fish nor Flesh crashed upon release, but the album remains a compelling, if flawed, effort from a musician that is one of the more baffling unfulfilled talents of his time.

Track listing

01. "Declaration: Neither Fish Nor Flesh"  - 1:44
02. "I Have Faith in These Desolate Times"  - 4:14
03. "It Feels So Good to Love Someone Like You"  - 3:38
04. "To Know Someone Deeply Is to Know Someone Softly"  - 4:27
05. "I'll Be Alright"  - 5:57
06. "Billy Don't Fall"  - 4:21
07. "This Side of Love"  - 4:59
08. "Attracted to You"  - 4:01
09. "Roly Poly"  - 3:54
10. "You Will Pay Tomorrow"  - 4:54
11. "I Don't Want to Bring Your Gods Down"  - 6:19
12. "...And I Need to Be With Someone Tonight"  - 3:04

Credits
Terence Trent D'Arby - vocals, guitar, sitar, kazoo, saxophone, piano, Fender Rhodes piano, Clavinet, organ, keyboards, vibraphone, marimba, drums, cymbals, tambourine, timpani, hand claps, percussion, scratches
Christian Marsac - guitar, saxophone
Conor Brady, Pete Glenister - guitar
Helen Davies - harp
Wilfred Gibson, Ben Cruft, Alan Smale, Gavyn Wright - violin
Roger Chase, Chris Wellington, Neil Martin - viola
John Heley, Martin Loveday - cello
Mike Timothy - recorder, piano, Fender Rhodes piano
Richard Addison, Dave White - clarinet
Michael Jeans - oboe
Carl Geraghty - saxophone
Simon Clarke - alto saxophone
Richie Buckley, Tim Sanders - tenor saxophone
Stephen McDonnell, Roddy Lorimer, Dick Pearce, Paul Spong - trumpet
Jack Bayle - trombone
The Kick Horns - horns
Pete Wingfield - piano
Geoff Dunn - drums
Incredible E.G. O'Reilly - hand claps
Engineer – Tim Martin
Mastered By – Ian Cooper
Producer - Terence Trent D'Arby

Notes
All songs written and arranged by:  Terence Trent D'Arby
Genre:  R&B, Pop
Length:  51:24
Label:  Columbia Records

© 1989