I vividly remember hearing this album for the first time. I can readily recall my initial reaction to the first four minutes or so of the first track, "Script for a Jester's Tear" and the surprise that quickly followed. I first thought, "oh no, this is a cheesy AOR ballad!". The song was tight, well written, but also melodramatic and radio friendly pap - or so I thought. The song had wild guitar solos, a heavy rhythmic kick, screechy vocals; it had started with a melancholic piano intro but I was quick to disregard it in light of what seemed like eighties excess. Then the outro riff hit and I was instantly floored. Here came this awesome bass groove, this sweeping synth line, a subtle harpsichord melody, and one of the most emotional vocal deliveries I had ever heard. Suddenly the music was weeping with grief, wrought with pain and saturated with a truly powerful atmosphere of claustrophobia and gloom. Needless to say, I was instantly hooked. By time the second track's bass groove hit, I was a Marillion fan through and through. Instant conversion.

Script for a Jester's Tear, isn't all that complex or sophisticated in light of the classic seventies prog that had preceded it. However it must be noted that what it lacks in technical dimensions it more than makes up for in terms of emotional communication and invention. The overall compositions are varied and largely dependant on expressly rhythmic riffs, which in turn are dependant on (usually) syncopated bass grooves. The music is saturated in lush keyboard lines and flowing, almost ethereal guitar melodies that very nearly float over the rhythm section.

Special note must be made of Fish's contribution as lyricist and vocalist. His work with Marillion could very well constitute the highest point of rock music's lyrical invention. The lyrics are complex, multi-faceted, ambiguous and just drip with melancholia, painful satire and seething outrage. The subject matter is often dark, dealing with a whole plethora of topics including drug addiction, synthetic personas, victims of senseless violence and suffocating depression.

Such topics are a rarity in progressive rock and probably reflect the political outrage of the late seventies punk explosion. A kind of lyrical realism pervades in Fish's every word. Not being the greatest vocal talent in the world, Fish still pours tortured emotion into every vocal line and uses a multitude of voices to express conflicting emotions and situational uncertainty. Fish is what pulls the album together and makes Marillion truly work.

This album is truly a milestone in moderately commercial, prog tinged rock music. It contains a despairing atmosphere, alternating between deeply troubling neurosis and poignant social satire. There are some places that lag, and some riffs simply disrupt the music's flowing groove. But it is the ambition the listener really notices, the visceral assault, the sense of purpose. Script for a Jester's Tear is simply an extraordinary debut album.

Note: Make sure to pick up the double disc re-master. It contains a bonus disc with demo versions of songs and B-sides/singles, including the mighty twenty minute epic "Grendel". The re-master is highly recommended.

Review by James Slone

Review date: 04/2000

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One of the earliest defining moments for Marillion, Fugazi is an exceptionally good record for a band who never lacked for good moments in their first few years. Fugazi finds the band moving further away from the early Genesis comparisons (though those will always have some basis in truth) and into a more refined sound that is precisely Marillion. Admittedly the first half of the album is a bit more stodgy and less captivating as the final three tracks. "Punch & Judy" is nothing more than a catchy pop number drenched in the Marillion approach. "Emerald Lies" relies on a more complicated songs structure, but doesn't quite gel as firmly as the rest of the album. "She Chameleon" is a creepy, dramatic and haunting number that is chilling. "Incubus" is among the best Marillion songs ever, containing a strong song structure and overall just impeccable playing. The title track also falls into the category of complex but compelling song structure. Fish's vocals throughout convey great narration of some very intense lyrics. Fugazi is simply a strong record that ranks highly in my opinion of this great band.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 11/1999

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The third album by English neo-proggers Marillion, Misplaced Childhood is hardly prog, but totally balls awesome regardless. By this point, the Fish-era manifestation of Marillion had streamlined their sound and to good effect. The aforementioned bass grooves (see my Script review) now dominate the sound, the guitar lines are so clean you can eat off of them, the keys are about as lush and full as you could ask for and Fish is in top form.

Misplaced Childhood is a concept album, with a pervasive and self-reflecting lyrical theme, complex lyrical and musical interrelation between tracks and a seamless flow from one track to the next. The music is very tight, with perfect cohesion between the bass drum and syncopated bass, tight interlocking riffs and precise keyboard runs. The guitar lines float above the driving bass and drum riffs, somewhere between metal distortion and ethereal clarity, always emotive and inventive. Some of the tracks sound a good deal like Moving Pictures era Rush, but with less intricacy and pomposity.

Fish's lyrics are wonderful as ever, and his voice has improved markedly by this point in light of the first two albums; he's a bit more subdued and mature at this point in his career. Lyrically this album is semi-autobiographical and deals with some interesting themes, namely the hell of touring, failed relationships, political injustice, nostalgic memories of youth, coping with adulthood, maturity and rebirth. Serious and mature themes indeed; Fish delivers them with conviction and lyrical virtuosity. The album has a steep narrative arc and climaxes in two tracks, the wonderful and inseparable "Blind Curve" and "Childhood's End?".

If this album has a flaw, it lies in its accessibility and commercial nature. There's nothing challenging are particularity progressive about it. In fact, it's really about as commercial as you can get without magically transforming into an R&B outfit. But it's solid, heavy, sophisticated rock and it's not something you'll hear on the radio in the present era. Besides, accessibility is hardly a flaw. This album would be great with synchronized dancing, plastic pants, guest appearances by Celine Dion and a live performance on MTV's "Loveline". Whatever, I'm rambling. Get this album!

Review by James Slone

Review date: 04/2000

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Clutching at Straws was the last studio album to feature Fish on vocals and is arguably the pinnacle of the band's achievement with him in charge. The stark desparation of his words are profound and moving throughout. Fish's tales of personal destruction, broken hearts and emotional turmoil are among the most introspective I've ever seen. In fact, his lyrics were what set Marillion apart from most prog rock bands. His leaving the band forever changed their direction.

So anyway, this last foray with Fish is remarkable. Shedding any of the Genesis coats they had worn in the past, Marillion had found a synergy within the band that finally gave them their own strong identity. Regardless of song mood, the band plays with abounding precision and energy, acting the perfect counterpart to Fish's dramatics. From start to finish, the flow of the album is complete and never ebbs for even a second. Whether it be the mournful "Going Under" or the celebrity burn of "Incommunicado" (by the way, this was the song that first hooked me on Marillion way back in 1987), the music matches the words and singing perfectly. Not too many bands can pull that off so well. Clutching at Straws is an underappreciated and unknown gem that really should be in your collection if you ever had the slightest interest in prog rock.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 10/1998

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Though Marillion later distinguished themselves with their own unique identity in the prog rock field, their early years were marked by a serious Genesis affliction. This collection of B-sides collected from 1982 to 1987 shows their progression. Starting out with epic length "Grendel" from 1982, you'd think that you were listening to vintage Genesis with Peter Gabriel. In fact, parts of this seventeen minute song are so Genesis-like that I truly think members of Marillion broke into the Genesis practice facility and stole all the notes and chords that were left lying around by Tony Banks, Michael Rutherford and Steve Hackett. Needless to say, if you ever liked Genesis around The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway era, you'll find the music of Marillion appealing. But getting past that, the Marillion sound is fully intact on their classics "Freaks", "Market Square Hero", and "Cinderella Search". Fish's introspective lyrics are one part loony, one part alcoholic, and always intriguing. And while guitarist Steve Rothery may have followed in the footsteps of other prog rock giants, his emotive solos and very effective style acts in accordance and quite well with the excellent keyboards of Mark Kelly. Full of songs that are fully on par with the proper album cuts, B'Sides Themselves is a fine collection.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 10/1998

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This is it, folks. The end of the line for authorized recordings of Fish's stint as Marillion's lead vocalist. The Thieving Magpie was recorded not long before Derek "Fish" Dick's departure from the neo-prog rock outfit, creating the predictable division between fans of the "old" era of Marillion and the current (and much longer running) "new" era. Regardless of fan debate, The Thieving Magpie is a stellar live recording that at the very least gives Fish a fine farewell.

The first disc contains a strong representation from three of the four studio albums up to that point, with a bit of emphasis on songs from Clutching at Straws, which so happened to be the album they were touring to support at the time. The band recreates the songs to stage very well, perhaps with some magic done in post-production. The music sounds excellent and the flow of the show is quite impressive. Fish sounds very strong with his voice throughout. Needless to say, any setlist with "Incommunicado", "He Knows You Know", "Fugazi" and "Script for a Jester's Tear" is going to be strong. Best yet, the band weaves between some of their longer, more ambitious songs to the more pop oriented newer material with ease.

The second CD contains Misplaced Childhood, considered by many to be their signature album from the Fish era, being recreated in its entirety. Buoyed by the phenomenal hit "Kayleigh", the second disc is a marvel that successfully translates the ambition of the disc to the live setting and never losing the thread holding it together. The build of mood and emotion is darned near perfection towards the disc's end.

Definitely more necessary than most live documents, The Thieving Magpie does a great job of giving the Marillion fan a package worth purchasing. The two discs capture the band at their best working with their best material. Losing Fish was certainly an obstacle, but at least The Thieving Magpie gives him a proper and graceful exit to his solo career while building a strong foundation for the band's continuation.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 10/2000

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Not long after the Fish/Marillion split and Steve Hogarth had taken over the singing for the band, the powers that be released this interesting compilation that highlighted the old Marillion with a mix of new selections from the band. To best demonstrate the contrast, the songs alternate between the two lineups. Naturally I tend to favor the Fish era as Marillion was fully immersed in their Genesis-esque dramatics and prog rock. The selection of songs is also fairly good: "Kayleigh" and "Incommunicado" represent two of my absolute favorite Marillion songs. Meanwhile, the Hogarth songs are good, but they represent a period of Marillion where they were very tame in comparison to their more ambitious past. Hogarth has a very rich and powerful voice that doesn't even attempt to replace Fish; rather Hogarth simply does his own style. But as I stated, the songs included here are very AOR-friendly and not terribly progressive. Not to say that they're bad...just that it's something you could expect your average Phil Collins fan to enjoy. All in all, this is still a good compilation and a great place for a new Marillion fan to start.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 11/1998

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Sometime after Steve Hogarth joined Marillion, I imagine the other members sat around the table and said, "Okay, we got this guy with a great voice...now what are we going to do with him?" Admittedly, Holiday in Eden, the first album with Hogarth that I personally heard, was decent, but it was much, much friendlier and tame than the usual Marillion fare. It was if they hadn't quite figured out how to best make use of their talented new singer. Luckily, by 1994 the boys must have figured some things out because Brave courageously returns the band to their adventurous roots while moving forward. Rather than writing pop songs, the music presented here is filled with sweeping movements, quiet sections gradually building into climatic moments and right back down again. It is certainly an album that must be listened to straight through and experienced rather than just "heard". Hogarth smartly doesn't attempt to fill the shoes left by the legendary Fish; rather he creates his own presence with his somewhat tragic and very powerful voice. On tracks like "Hard as Love", the band builds to a very powerful and strong crescendo with Hogarth's voice leading the way. On the flipside, he handles soft moments like "Made Again" with much allure and grace. Marillion needed an album this excellent to regain their momentum and establish a true identity. And as a bonus, it gets better with each listen.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 11/1998

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Marillion certainly peaked in the 90s with Afraid of Sunlight, conveniently released in 1995, the zenith of the decade. While 1994's Brave strongly hinted at what this band could achieve with Steve Hogath at the helm, Afraid of Sunlight simply goes out and pulls it off with no questions asked.

The album starts off with a very standard Marillion number that has an accessible pop music spice greatly enhanced by the band's progressive tendencies. It is "Cannibal Surf Babe" that really kicks this puppy into gear, featuring one of the dirtier and more rollicking numbers the band has ever done. Throughout the entire album, Marillion runs the table with stylistic ventures and emotional entrails. "Afraid of Sunrise" is a much quieter, contemplative number and segues nicely into the very echoing, atmospheric "Out of this World" that fully utilizes Hogarth's most natural talent. The man has the ability to really sell a song with enticing melodies and much of this album is able to work to his advantage. The album on a whole works through a series of quieter passages climaxing and building throughout. Afraid of Sunlight is definitely an album meant to be played through without interruption or track skipping. And even more significantly, it is one of the band's best moments in their long career.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 03/2000

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I have to admit that as far as Marillion releases go, regardless of who is doing the vocals, Radiation has been thus far the hardest to really get into and fully enjoy. It is distinctly a Marillion record - no doubt about that - but what seems to be missing is the truly gripping hook that made up even their furthest reaching material. Upon a half dozen listens Radiation is more inert than anything and I'm not sure who to fault. Steve Hogarth is still proving his ability as a vocalist. The musicians are inserting a bit more progressiveness into the songwriting, but it just simply comes up short. There is a drastic drop in attentiveness around "Now She'll Never Know" and "These Chains". From that point on the album fails to regain my attention. "Cathedral Wall" has a large keyboard assault to start the song, but it does seem vaguely familiar to something else. I just can't pinpoint what. Regardless, this album may take dozens of spins before it grows on me like other Marillion albums. But for now, I simply cannot recommend this album to anyone but the most fervent Marillion fans.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 05/1999

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