Neither Fish nor Flesh

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Neither Fish nor Flesh is the second album by American singer Terence Trent D'Arby, released October 23, 1989 on Columbia Records. Following his debut Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby (1987), the album blends psychedelic pop, rock, R&B and funk and runs about 51 minutes.

It was a commercial disappointment, spending only four weeks on the UK Albums Chart, and critics called it self-indulgent and overreaching. Some reviews were more mixed or positive: Robert Christgau of The Village Voice praised the music for showing mastery of Black musical styles from traditional R&B like “I’ll Be Alright” to the Prince-like funk of “This Side of Love,” even if some lyrics seemed pretentious. Andrew Martin of Music Week labeled it Album of the Week and a complete masterpiece, noting D’Arby’s wit and genius. Rolling Stone’s Mark Coleman said it doesn’t establish him as a visionary pop figure, but proves he’s more than just a legend in his own mind. Music & Media felt that rumors preceding the LP actually helped its reception, finding most of the work accessible and entertaining. AllMusic’s Tom Demalon later called it sprawling and ambitious, adding Middle Eastern flavors and more gospel influence to D’Arby’s mix of rock, R&B and funk, though he thought the pretensions ran a bit wild.

D'Arby, who now goes by Sananda Maitreya, has said the album’s lack of commercial impact was partly due to his label’s lack of support and because German producer Frank Farian released an album of D’Arby’s performances with the funk group The Touch in Germany just weeks before this album. He has said Neither Fish Nor Flesh helped lead to his rebirth as Sananda.

All songs were written and arranged by Terence Trent D'Arby. The Degani Ensemble (Alan Smale and Katherine Smale) appear on some tracks, while The Kick Horns (Simon Clarke, Roddy Lorimer, Paul Spong, Tim Sanders) contribute as well.