What does it sound like?:
Originally released in 1984, I’ve always harboured rather ambivalent feelings about this album, the band’s second effort. It’s certainly shows how they’d progressed from their debut, the previous year’s Script For A Jester’s Tear, but for me it’s not in the same league as the final two albums that were still to come in the Fish era. There are some strong songs on show on this 2021 remixed edition such as Assassing, Punch and Judy and the title track, but some of the other pieces are a bit Marillion by numbers for me and, although there’s some inventive musicianship, Fish’s lyrics are verbose to say the least, and at times he tries rather too hard with the puns and wordplay for his own good. Nonetheless, it was good listening to the album all the way through for the first time in a good few years, and I think the remix has brought some much needed added clarity and separation to the overall sound on the whole. Overall, I’d view it as a necessary stepping stone to reach the two best albums of this incarnation of the band, Misplaced Childhood (still one of my favourite albums) and Clutching At Straws. The other two cds in this package comprise a previously unreleased live show from Montreal recorded in 1984. Obviously this concentrates on showcasing the then recently released album, but you also get a good selection from Script too, along with an outing for the non-album song Charting The Single. It’s a good show rather than an earth shattering one, but gives a good idea of where the band was at during that particular stage of their evolution. The blu ray disc is the pick of the bunch here though. It contains two excellent documentaries, one on the making of the album itself and the other looking at the album on a track by track basis – these are both really worth watching, and shed some interesting light on the dynamics operating within the band. Alongside the now usual 5.1 mixes, there’s also video of a contemporary fifty minute concert taken from Swiss television, together with seven (audio) bonus tracks comprising various demos, alternate versions and B sides – note though that these are the same ones that appeared on the second cd of the 2008 reissue. All in all, another great package for fans, and one that concludes the Fish era reissues.
What does it all *mean*?
Along with Jethro Tull, Marillion have really set the standard for this type of reissue – here in this three cd plus bluray set there’s well thought out musical and video content, accompanied by an informative and comprehensive sixty page booklet, and the whole caboodle is served up at a very reasonable price.
Goes well with…
Scanning obituary columns in search of absent school friends.
Release Date:
10 Sept.
Might suit people who like…
Fish, early period Marillion.
Chrisf says
I didn’t realise that it was only officially released next week – I ordered direct from Marillion and received today, all the way over to Singapore. I know they posted it early, but thought it was out today !
Not listened to the new one yet (and it’s ages since I listened to the album) but remember Punch & Judy and Assassing being amongst my favourite tracks of theirs. I do agree with you that Misplaced Childhood is their peak.
Paul Wad says
I preordered it from the tax dodgers and was quite excited till I got the end and the release date, as I thought the review was because it was out today, but I can wait another week. Kicking myself I never bought the SFOJT deluxe edition. I’ve been keeping my eye out for a copy, but want to pay considerably less than the £50 I rarely see if drop below. I can live without it, as for me Misplaced Childhood and Fugazi were the best of the 4 Fish era ones, but I’ll still keep looking, cos you never know.
Rigid Digit says
Keep searching, you might get lucky.
I picked up the Script set for 30 quid from ebay. I think I just got lucky, as I’ve never seen it drop to that figure again.
dai says
40 years on and they still leave me stone cold and uninterested, so I respect their consistency.
Rigid Digit says
My entry point for band – pretty good album, but I agree with your “Fish is being a bit wordy” statement (still, it gave me some new words to lever into English Language O Level coursework).
Totally agree that the next 2 were peak Marillion.
This set will take it’s place on the shelf along side the other boxes.
Lodestone of Wrongness says
I love Marillion
Vincent says
For years I thought they were, bar bits of “Misplaced Childhood”, forced shit. Decades past, and the new singer made it his domain until the old one was their Paul DiAnno. After years of prejudice, I listened to them. They were so much better than I remembered. I’m now a big fan. Unlike some big progressive artists (cough, “Yes”, cough), they can find new tunes worth listening to, and are not reliant on a handful of ancient albums.
Paul Wad says
My Fugazi deluxe edition arrived this morning. In the days where artists are releasing some of their lesser albums as £100+ boxed sets, it’s amazing value. The remastered CD, a 1984 live show over 2 CDs and a blu ray including the album in 5:1, along with the live album and some bonus tracks, a 72 minute documentary about the making of the album, a 35 minute story of the songs, track by track, the Assassing promo video and a live concert video recorded for Swiss TV in 1984, in a 62 page book-style packaging. All for £21.
In comparison, the upcoming deluxe edition of The Rolling Stones’ Tattoo You, which doesn’t usually make the top 10 of the Stones’ albums, is £100 and contains far less content, including no visual content or 5:1 mix. I imagine the Stones would be less in need of a big payday than the members of Marillion.
I really, really wish I’d bought the Script For a Jester’s Tear set. I only got the Misplaced Childhood one when more copies were made available a couple of years ago. Methinks it’s time to flog a few things to raise £50.
Edit – just looked Script up on Amazon and there are now more copies available for £33. Result!
Beezer says
I saw Marillion in 1983 on the Script For A Jester’s Tear tour (a tear tour? Yes, a tear tour) at the Newcastle Mayfair.
I might have enjoyed it but for the red-faced straw-haired lummox who was head banging to everything for the entire show about 4 inches from my face.
I’ve never liked Marillion since just because of that. Entirely and stupidly unfair of me.
salwarpe says
I used to really like this album when I was 18-20. I did my daily exercise routine to the title track, completing my last sit up to the line “Do you realise, this world is totally fugazi!” The lyrics are very silly and overcomplicated, but good fun to sing along to.
I hadn’t heard it in about 30 years, until a reference to it made me want to revisit past follies. Seeing this post in the forum made me once again try to find the schoolfriend who first introduced me to it.
Before, searches always ended up nowhere. This time, maybe the accumulation of internet data made me able to strike lucky, and today I got a message from him, 3 decades since we were last in contact. “Fugazi? No I don’t really remember that” was more or less what he said…
Rigid Digit says
What a marvellous story – Marillion Reunited.
You were lucky – most of my mates called it silly hippy pretend Prog. Apart from one who liked Market Square Heroes, and Side 1 of Misplaced Childhood.
An enjoyment of Fish era Marillion is/was a lonely place
salwarpe says
I didn’t like it at first, being being more into Love by The Cult at the time, but I guess I was worn down by his playing it and enthusing over it. A good lesson in overcoming my musical snobbery (an ongoing battle, I fear).