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"Gerard Whelan is transformed into a mean bulk of enflamed sexual fireworks once he joins bass player Enda Wyatt, guitarist Dave Frew, and drummer Martin Murphy on stage. There is a real sense of impending greatness surrounding An Emotional Fish and it's highly infectious." (New Musical Express) "AEF are ironically reminiscent of The Doors, even Canned Heat in some respects. The music is, on the one hand, mean and moody, a la Morrison and Co., while at the next turn being mindful of Bob Hite's bluesified boogie... Power and passion, An Emotional Fish possess aplenty. Neither can glory be too far away." (Hot Press) "It's wild and beautiful and alarming. Wildfire contagion is inevitable." (Melody Maker) This is just a sample of the rave-up U.K. press that An Emotional Fish has generated in recent months. Formed in Dublin, Ireland in the spring of 1988, the quartet has already hit the top ten in their homeland, while earning a reputation for incendiary live performances.

The first An Emotional Fish single,"Grey Matter", immediately established the on the Irish scene. They began touring, quickly building a rabid following fro their ecstatic performances.
On stage, Gerard demonstrates a rare level of commitment and intensity. "there's a feeling I get when I write a song, so I try to recreate that character every time I sing it. I get annoyed if I sing a song and just let it slip by me. I want our shows to be events, not just gigs. I've been to too many concerts where the audience seems like they're just...watching television". The band's second single, "Celebrate" was a top ten hit in Ireland and stayed on the charts for four months. Meanwhile, the band was signed by East West U.K. and Atlantic in the U.S., and they began looking for a producer.
After auditioning a number of candidates, they decided to work with Tim Palmer (Mission U.K., Tin Machine). "What attracted us to Tim was the live sound of his productions, since we wanted tyo get as live a sound as possible", explains Gerard. "He was a good guy to get on with", adds Dave. There was nothing of the prima donna about him.
The group went into Windmill Lane studios in Dublin, cutting the basic tracks live. "It was a very human experience; it's all to do with relationships in the studio", says Gerard. "Every mood that occurred in the studio ended up on the record. I really love that word "record", because that's what it is. It's a record of what we were doing and where we at that particular time".
Most importantly, the album captures the over-the-top rock'n'roll momentum that An Emotional Fish achieves on stage.
Released in September of 1990, AEF's self-titled debut album established the Irish quartet as one of the most powerful and passionate musical outfits to emerge that year. The album yielded the top five alternative hit, "Celebrate," while garnering raves from fans and critics alike, and  caused a great sensation also overseas.
"AN EMOTIONAL FISH" contains re-recorded versions of their Mother singles, "Celebrate" and "Grey Matter", and nine other captivating tunes. "Even though every song has its separate identity", says Gerard, "there's intensity in all of them, and that's the main thing". Gerard's lyrics are very powerful, and if I can capture the feel of what he's talking about in my guitar parts, it's great", adds Dave. With entrancing melodies, inspired musicianship, and lyrics marked by "a mix of childlike happiness and brooding cynicism", An Emotional Fish is a band about to surface. (Melody Maker)