Bicyclelegs approached me a few weeks ago and asked if I’d be interested in picking my favourite song from each (studio) album. Immediately I agreed. Considering the depth of the discography, he decided to split this into two episodes. This is part one: the EMI years. Four albums with Fish, and four albums with Steve Hogarth:
Script for a Jester’s Tear
Fugazi
Misplaced Childhood
Clutching at Straws
Seasons End
Holidays in Eden
Brave
Afraid of Sunlight
I found myself changing my lists up to the last day, but I think I’m happy with how this turned out. What you will find in this show is a lot of love for some great songs, a little bit of history, and a lot of great music.
Here is what Bicyclelegs had to say:
Welcome to another episode of Favourite Song From Each Album. In this series we look at the catalogue of an artist and pick our favourite song from each studio album chronologically. Today Mike Ladano from Grab A Stack Of Rock joins me to talk Marillion and pick our favourite songs from the first 8 studio albums (the EMI years). We will come back in a month or two’s time to cover the rest of the catalogue. Enjoy!
Although our back porch at the cottage is arguably nicer and more comfortable, the front has its advantages. What it lacks in privacy, it makes up for in a huge front awning that has protected me from in in every storm, and even broadcast Grab A Stack of Rock in the rain. It has the best view, with the bright blue of Lake Huron peeking through the trees, right in my eyeline, no matter what I’m doing.
But I’ve always had a preference for the front, even at home when I was a kid. Despite the privacy of the back, I was usually playing in the front. I always wished I had a bedroom with a front window. The back didn’t give me much to look at when I stared out the window. Which I did a lot.
Was I trying to see, or be seen?
Like my dad, I always have this sense of…keeping watch? If I hear a loud motor coming down the road, I usually look. We used to make fun of my dad for this, but I have become my dad.
I have a sense that I’m partly keeping an eye out, but am I also intentionally making myself visible?
Back then in my youth, I’d be playing Lego in the front yard. Then, G.I. Joe and Star Wars. The grass and twigs were great for fort building.
Later, it would be ghetto blasters, guitars and music. A lot it would happen on the front patio.
I’m a shy guy by nature and I prefer to let neighbors walk by as I focus on whatever I happen to be focusing on. Sometimes writing, sometimes listening, sometimes just watching cartoons. I like to play the music at a decent volume, and yes, you can usually hear it from the road. (Sorry.) So why do I draw this attention to myself?
I think there’s a part of me who still thinks, “Hey look at me, listening to 80s Styx on the front porch like a bad ass,” even at age 51.
RECORD STORE TALES #1061: Musical Flashbacks and Flame Throwers
I know how to pick the tunes.
Trip up: Of course, it had to be High Noon by the Arkells. Had to be. That album has become too important to me. And so we played and I sang along, and really struggled and failed to hit the one “ooo ooo ooo” in “Never Thought That This Could Happen”. One of many signs of my aging body this weekend.
Three day weekends are really special. Sure, we didn’t get to finish everything we wanted to. But we did have fun. For the first time, we checked out a local shop called the Beef Way. We picked up a delicious tomahawk steak and some apple pie jam. Highly recommended. We are all done with Robert’s Boxed Meats in Kitchener. For the second time, he sold us steak that had gone bad. Never again, Robert! Beef Way has our money now. Guy was super helpful.
When we arrived on the front porch, it was all about the music once again. I captured some on video for you to enjoy, and I hope it gives you that “being there” feeling. The idea this weekend was, once again, to travel back in time. Listening to albums in the place I first heard them: the cottage. Priest…Live! Misplaced Childhood by Marillion. White Lion’s Big Game (who Jen understandably confused with Bon Jovi). This time it just made me glow.
The biggest deal about this weekend was the unprecedented spotting of wildlife! I managed to capture all of it either on photo or video. There was a beefy raccoon. We had a turkey. There was a beautiful skunk. Best of all, our fearless little chipmunk friend returned to visit us on both front and back porches. On Saturday we had a Lego session, and he came right out to help.
A word about Lego: It sure has changed a lot since we were kids. Now there are angles for every degree and orientation, slopes we never had before, lots of pieces that have both right and left-handed counterparts, and building techniques that involve going sideways just as often as upwards. It was challenging for both of us. But we’re both making progress! And I thought we’d be done in a weekend….
If YouTube allows the music, then check out my picks.
This review dedicated to the greatUncle Meat. Part 1 of a 2 part series!
MARILLION – Early Stages (Official Bootleg Box Set 1982-1987) (EMI)
This is the first of two Marillion Official Bootleg box sets. The second covers the Hogarth years 1990-1994. Mine came with an autographed print!
I listened to this box again over the course of a week. I chose the car as the setting. I’ve spent a lot of time driving to Marillion in the past (lots of great memories) so this setting works for me. I enjoy loading long box sets onto my car MP3 player. I did that recently with the 12 CD Deep Purple Bootleg Series box set. As soon as I was done with that one, I dove into Early Stages.
I also acquired the recent compilation Early Stages: The Highlights. Why, you ask? Well, like many “highlights” packages, they usually stick on one exclusive song to get you to buy the same thing twice. The bait is “Market Square Heroes” Fife Aid 1988, the final song of the final show with Fish. OK, I’ll bite.
I don’t have a lot to say specifically about any of the concerts included in this box set. There are a lot of songs from periods before they were recorded on albums, and that’s cool. There are four different drummers on this set*, representing the rarely documented transitional periods in Marillion’s lineup. The discs are all of great sonic quality considering the years they were recorded. Fish is a great frontman, usually funny but occasionally serious, and always entertaining.
Here are some observations about some of the set’s highlights. From The Mayfair, Glasgow, 1982: “He Knows You Know” is not quite as slick as we’re used to, a little tentative, but no less powerful. An early version of “She Chameleon” is quite different musically from what it would become, although the lyrics are mostly in place.
When you get to the Marquee show (December of ’82), Fish is especially talkative and sentimental. The gem here is obviously “Grendel”, a song which never ceases to amaze me. Fish’s expressive voice has me hook, line and sinker. You’ll be treated to the complete workout of “Grendel” again in 1983 (Reading). The 1984 Hammersmith concert has emotional classics like “Jigsaw” and “Cinderella Search”. The real treat is an early version of the first track for the forthcoming album Misplaced Childhood; a track Fish calls “Side One”. It’s an early version, the lyrics still not all the way there, and it’s missing the entire “Lavender” section. But you can hear the shape of things to come.
Hey Uncle Meat! Who’s your favourite lyricist?
The box set closes with a late period show, and a big one: Wembley, 1987. A good chunk of Misplaced Childhood (all of Side One) and Clutching at Straws are presented. There are only a couple oldies: “Fugazi” and “Incubus”. This is a slicker, more commercial-sounding band, much more skilled at writing complicated yet catchy music.
Of note: there are a whopping 15 pages full of liners notes by one Derek W. Dick, aka Fish, and new cover art by Mark Wilkinson! If that doesn’t sell this set, then nothing will.
5/5 stars
* Mick Pointer, John Martyr, Andy Ward, and Ian Mosely. Only Jonathan Mover is not heard on this, although he is on the 6 CD Curtain Call box set.
MARILLION – Script For a Jester’s Tear (EMI 2 CD remaster, originally 1983)
“So here I am once more, in the playground of the broken hearts.”
So let it be written, the first words on the first full length album by the singer Fish and the band Marillion. Indeed, early Marillion is so heavily associated with their original singer that it is futile to try to separate them. Early Marillion, meaning the first four crucial albums, is revered for their lyrics as much or even more than their music. Layers upon layers of meanings, tongue-twisting words, symbolism galore, it’s all here for the poetry lover in you. I especially like Fish’s use of homophones for that extra touch of wonder.
Musically, early Marillion were very much in Genesis worship mode, even if they don’t like to talk about it. “Grendel” (appearing here in an awesome alternate take) is essentially “Supper’s Ready”. Many people in my own record store have confused Fish’s voice for Peter Gabriel’s and even Phil Collins from time to time. This is progressive rock for the dudes who love progressive rock. Do you like 8 minute songs with time changes, and ample keyboard & guitar solos? Early Marillion is the band for you.
Highlights on this album include the broken-hearted and angry title track, and the drug-induced “He Knows You Know”. Part of the appeal of Fish’s lyrics is how he alternately caresses them and then spits them out at appropriate moments. “He Knows You Know” is a great example of this. From high pitched emphasis to mid-range melody, Fish knew how he wanted to express his words. “Don’t give me your problems!”
“Garden Party” is, of course, a wry stab at the English class system. These lyrics could only have come from the man known as Fish, and this is one of his most sarcastic and humourous achievements. It is also one of Marillion’s bounciest songs, one that still creates euphoria in audiences today.
The bonus disc here is loaded with greatness. Their first single “Market Square Heroes” is present in alternate versions. One of these is the “Battle Priest” version. Fish was forced to change the lyrics from “I am your antichrist,” to “I am your battle priest” (???) and that version is available here. Fear not, collectors, as the original is available on the singles box set, and other compilations as well. “Grendel”, all 20 minutes of it, is also present in an alternate take. It is simply stunning that an alternate take of a 20 minute song even exists. Again, the original is available on the box set as well as the album B’Sides Ourselves. The original take of “Three Boats Down From The Candy” is here, slightly different from the version that would turn up later. Here, there is a slight reggae vibe in the final verses. Fill out the bonus disc with some well fleshed out demos, and you have a very solid listening experience.
Liner notes, by Fish and the others, are of course essential, brilliant, and engrossing. Ample photos and artwork from Mark Wilkinson are also included.
For the die hard collector who just can’t get enough, there were two singles (“He Knows You Know” and “Garden Party”) plus the debut “Market Square Heroes” with additional material to enjoy. As far as live material goes, the six CD box set Early Stages has four discs from this period alone, including not one but two live versions of “Grendel”! Finally, the beautiful Curtain Call box set included a live album from October 1983 in Germany, featuring new (short tenured) drummer Jonathan Mover.
Script For a Jester’s Tear is an essential Marillion album, but it is not for beginners. Beginners may find such progressive fare as “Forgotten Sons” or “Chelsea Monday” to be a bit impenetrable on first listen. They would be advised to pick up the magnum opus Misplaced Childhood first. Once you are addicted to that music, come back here and feast of the bones of “Grendel”.
RECORD STORE TALES PART 66: The First Time I Heard Marillion
Winter – spring, 1999. The last couple of years had been a messy string of bad dates, break-ups, and bad music. Heavy metal, at least in this town, spent most of the 90’s in a coma. I had been stretching out and selectively buying different kinds of music, just due to the sheer lack of quality and selection in new metal music. I don’t think that really changed until Iron Maiden roared back with Brave New World. I noticed a seismic shift, a growing pulse, in metal at that time.
Working in the store, I got to try anything I wanted. I had explored Brit-pop, Australian indi bands, a little electronica, and a lot of mainstream stuff, as long as it had some guitars or aggression to it.
One day, the same guy who sold me that rare Oasis live album walked in. He had a whole bunch of remastered albums for sale, among them three Marillion discs: Script For A Jester’s Tear, Fugazi, and Misplaced Childhood. These were the remastered versions with the bonus discs. Absolutely impossible to find in town. Even hard to get on the leading websites, such as HMV.com and CDnow.
Now, I had definitely heard of Marillion, but never heard Marillion. I had read about them in M.E.A.T Magazine, and my buddy Tom had a dozen Marillion posters on the wall. I thought they would be my kind of band, just I had never stumbled upon them before.
I called Tom.
“Tom! I just got three Marillion remasters in. Misplaced, Fugazi, and Script. Do you want?”
“Oooh…he didn’t have Clutching at Straws, did he?” Tom asked. I replied in the negative.
“Listen,” Tom said. “You have three great albums there, but if you want to try some Marillion, go for Misplaced, before you try the other two. You’ll like Misplaced. The other two can be kind of dense at first.”
I took Tom’s advice, and bought Misplaced. I brought it to the cottage with me that weekend, and listened to the whole thing on my boombox.
What an experience, immersed in the music at the lake, nobody around, hearing Fish’s smooth voice and sometimes jagged enunciation. This Fish guy, I didn’t know what he was on about yet, but I was intrigued by three things:
He looked cool.
His lyrics were very poetic, unlike any I’d heard before.
He was Scottish, just when I was starting to get interested in my own Scottish half-background.
“Kayleigh” jumped right out at me on the first listen, but soon “Heart of Lothian” followed. Then “Lavender”, “White Feather”…the album really spoke to me! I get it! It’s about girls, right?
In the same Oasis article mentioned above, I talked about being an obsessive compulsive collector. Well, after buying Fugazi and Seasons End in short order, I was off to the races. I went to their website and bought everything. Every friggin’ thing.
Everybody at work hated Marillion. Everybody! I remember being at a record store party once. This guy named “German Mike” was there, he was somebody’s friend that had flown in. From Germany. Anyway, they were on the topic of whatever new bands were happening at the time. I broke in, saying, “I’ve actually been going back to discover old bands. I’m really into Marillion right now.”
“Fuck Marillion,” said German Mike. He later puked potato chips all over his shirt.
Nah, sorry German Mike. I’ll stick to Marillion, but maybe you should cut the chicken chips!
mikeladano.com 