Hi jim , so glad you got round to clutching at straws. This is without a doubt my favourite album, yes album of all time . I bought it on day of release when i was 15 . Music is all about time and place and i totally fell in love with this recording. A stunning piece of work . Keep up the great work .
This is high up there with the Misplaced Childhood. I've been listening to both since 1985, but I couldn't decide which one I like most yet. Simply brilliant, simply gorgeous. Pete is fantastic as always, Ian shows how solid a drummer he is in White Russian with all those changes & syncopated rhythms. Mark's keys are so sweet in Just for the Record and Steve shows its genius all the way from start to the end. Would it sound a little strange if I mention about how I shed a teardrop or two, out of joy that I get from listening to this masterpiece, even after all those years?
I can still see the spotlights dancing over the crowd. First one, then another one, and another one, and another one, all on the tunes of La Gazza Ladra. And then Slainthe Mhath... dang. One of the best concerts ever. Rotterdam 1987
Fish"s lyrics matured massively on rhis album. Keeping it simpler but still articulate, as opposed to trying too hard as he did in places on Fugazi. Almost a prog singer songwriter album., it has stood the test of time very well.
Great album. When it was released I was home with pneumonia but my friend Adam went and picked it up for me after school then came over. Adam HATED Marillion but he was a great friend, sadly he died far too young and this reminds me how much i miss him.
Oddly I didn't connect with this album when I first heard it in 1992. I even got rid of it. Now? It's possibly my favorite album of all time. Not kidding. An absolute masterpiece of music and storytelling. And a timeless, full sound that has the keys balanced between piano, lush analog pads and the infrequent Moog solo. For an album that has largely shed the Moog-style keyboard solos, IMO the one in the second half of Just for the Record manages both keyboard gymnastics and a solemn majesty that has me in goosebumps - it's not there to impress but to add to the muscial story. Finally, I'd say this album is Fish's best vocal performance of his career along with his most cohesive thematic lyrics forming a true concept album (almost a rock opera) from the first to the last song.
Thanks for this great reaction. Nice to hear this album again. It was to long ago. You hear Marillion changing. On the front side of the album you see that Jester is leaving. He is standing on the corner of the bar.
What brilliant album.....Fish is a criminaly underrated genius. If only i could hear this album again for the first time......i remember being mesmerised first time round. Absolutely love this album.....thinking mans rock!!!! That is THE way to listen to it ,with headphones on.
Thanks Jim for reminding me how good Marillion were in the early days, shockingly I do not own this on wax - yet. ⛄MERRY CHRISTMAS 🎄& 🎊A HAPPY SPINNING 2024🎇
Absolutely cracking review, it took me a while to like the early Fish Marilliobn, but this one album, I really enjoy listening to now. Also can't wait to hear Marillion monthly, we'll done Jim! 😎😁👍
about time and thank you i feel this album has been lost in the mists of time. DEFO ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVS..... for fun fush has a 2008 live version on spotify
They wrote "White Russian" after visiting a concentration camp in Poland. Uzis are rapid-fire rifles. And what a great idea to start the follow-up to the concept album "Misplaced Childhood" with 3 tracks that also merge into one another seamlessly. The character of "Jester" was replaced by "Torch", who wears a coat on the cover from which the Jester cap peeks out... This is a (-nother) Masterpiece...
This is definitely my favourite Fish era Marillion album. I saw them on this tour (still got the t-shirt somewhere) - I was so lucky to have seen them with Fish! And I love the sound of your vinyl! Happy Christmas, Jim!
This is - straight up - my favourite album of all time. It’s so goddamn beautiful. Lyrics tell an amazing story, the band was at their creative peak…it’s flawless. The only perfect album I own. I’ve been waiting for you to do this for years.
Fish’s lyrics are gut-wrenching for anyone that’s been around drinkers, artists, adficts…and Rothery’s guitar has never soared like it does here. Fish’s voice is just perfection, Mosley’s drums drive like on no other album. Fun note - my second fave song on this album, Just for the Record, is the only one they’ve never played live fml. And the he live version of Slainte Mhath on La Garza Ladra nearly brings me to tears. It’s everything Marillion excels at - power, sadness, incredible dynamics and raw majesty. I could not love this album more.
Definitely the best of the Fish crop, this album is simply outstanding. By the way, I agree with the Simple Minds comparison.. I still hear that in some of their new stuff
Glad you are enjoying the album Jim. It is definitely the one that h feels most connected with from the Fish era. The band often pull out songs from the album out on tour. I missed seeing Fish live and can only go off of the concert recordings that I have seen and heard. Watching h perform the “Warm Wet Circles” suite, “Sugar Mice”, “Incommunicado”, and “Slainte Mhath” are all fantastic as he brings his distinct energy to the material. Every once in a while they have also done “White Russian” which is a real banger live.
Slàinte mhath is the Scottish spelling, Slàinte mhaith is the Irish, in both languages, the mhath or mhaith can also be omitted, shortening the toast to Slàinte (health). How do you pronounce Slàinte Mhath? Slàinte Mhath is pronounced as either slanschewaa or slansche ‘va. Phonetically it is written as slɑːndʒə ˈva. To understand this, here are a few of the Scottish Gaelic pronunciation rules that apply to this toast: Accented vowels are drawn out. The I in “AI” is mute here. ‘Mh’ in mhath becomes ‘w’ and ‘th’ is pronounced as a mute h.
Hi! Thx for keeping this great music alive. One of many things I like about this album is how they utilised female backing vocals (Tessa Niles - known from many collabs, incl. Clapton). It sounds so good in That time of the night. Also the sleeve design is great - introducing new character, Torch, replacing Jester (but he's got Jester's hat hangin' from his coat's pocket). Many ppl aren't pleased with this artwork (incl. Mark Wilkinson himself - because of the short deadline). But it's brilliant. More modest, dark. That darkness corresponds with the music.
Thanks for this one Jim. When this first came out in ‘87 it was comfortably my least favourite of the 4 studio albums, the songs were shorter and less classic prog based. As the years went by I realised what a gem this album really is and now I love all 4 equally. I saw them tour the album at the NEC in 87, (It Bites supported). After their La Gazza Ladra intro, the curtain dropped and they powered into Slainte mhath, Fish did a high kick and ripped his multi coloured suit trousers.
The album where Marillion really began to find their own voice as a band, with more concise and direct songwriting and less meandering nods to the past. It's a shame they had to complete the process with a new front man as Fish takes his lyricism to a new level on this album. The opening suite is the best thing he wrote for the band, and one of the best tracks in their entire catalogue.
This is such a great album, Marillion at their peak with Fish. Fantastic music and amazing lyrics by the Scottish poet. To me it stands between this album and their debut Script! Script is more nostalgia though. There was a great b-side to the Incommunicado single "Going Under" that you need to check out.
My anticipation for this release as a 20 year old was through the roof...and being an early Genesis nut and Marillion obsessive it definitely lived up to expectations !! I got my day-of-release copy in cassette form and on the half hour walk to work every day I played it on my Walkman. In rotation with Selling England by the Pound. ( I was in a time warp , said my mates ).... 🤣Marillion's last great album. OMG Rothery's guitar on this !!! Thanks Jim for evoking memories , great video. 😍
I remember getting this in cassette form too. I was bitterly disappointed with it and have never been able to really pinpoint the reason. Not everything a band does resonates st the right time and this certainly didn't for me. I grown to love itand was lucky enough to pick up both this and Misplaced Childhood Deluxe sets (the recently reissued ones) which I managed to miss first time around.
My favourite album ever. Gut-wrenching in its beauty. And so you know , Jim, the song you were wondering about pronounciation-wise is pronounced like "Slanj Ma-vah"- it's Gaelic slang for "cheers" in keeping with the theme of addiction andd losing oneself in the bottle.
Rothery has never been better and Fish's lyrical mastery hit its apex on this album. Once you live with the words after a few listens you realize how truly personal this record was, as Fish bared his soul about his struggles while the band was splintering as a result
I think you said "Assassin," but it's "Assassing." This is a wonderful album, with world-class musicianship, vocals, lyrics, story, time signatures, melodies, and transitions. Pubescent and deeply adult themes co-mingle, and include love, heartbreaking loss, coming of age, nostalgia, substance abuse, geo-politics, the excesses of fame, and more. The vinyl ticks were disappointing and distracting, but this is a rare gem of exceptional beauty.
My absolute favorite MARILLION album… fully-realized brilliant lyrics from Fish is the perfect swan song. His words really hit me in the soul and perfectly reflected the fears and hopes of the time. Absolutely outstanding guitar work from Rothery (who really echoed Steve Hackett, in my ears… and that’s about the best compliment I could pay a guitarist.) When Fish left, I didn’t have the heart to continue with the band, as I felt “who could top, or even come close to, this lyrical brilliance?” …maybe time to visit their later work?
the click click of vinyl - simply minds nope - an emergant Marillon - shame they empolded to Fish solo album Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors which in my humble opinion was an amazing album
Sadly, White Russian is more relevant than ever. The song still grabs me after 36 years as it did the first time I heard it. „To stand up and fight, I know we have 6 million reasons!“ CAS is my favourite album of the Fish era
Hey! My fourth favourite Marillion album with Fish! ;-). I like the first 3 more but still...Great album from a great band. P.S. Have you ever thought of getting a zero stat gun to get rid of the extra static and hence the crackling? It really helps....
'Sounds like a James Bond theme' - Marillion did a version of the main Bond theme at the end of their yuletide version of Carol of the Bells, to give this post a festive theme! This is one of their top 5 albums and I have heard it argued that it's their best.
I can not count how many nights this album stole. Open a bottle of wine, shut down the lights, crank up the volume and let the music do its magic. Repeat until the first sun beam reminds you that this was the perfect way to "waste" a night
Beautiful album. Marillion is my favorite group since Kayleigh. I love Simple minds and Genesis and Ray Wilson.Listen "Song for a friend" and say what are You thinking about.
I know most prefer Misplaced Childhood, but this is my fave Fish-era album. IMO the writing is more mature, Fish's lyrics are more mature (although still lame in spots -- "Warm Wet Circles", for example), and the overall tone just feels more grown up and like a band capable of tackling more serious and interesting subject matter. Unfortunately for Fish he wouldn't be around to see Marillion take that leap.
You need to show me these Simple Minds references you are talking about. I have not heard anything Simple Mindsey about them. It is something you said the very first time you listened to them as well. Never saw it then and cannot see it now. It would really interesting to see which is your preferred album between An Hour Before Its Dark when you said it was fantastic, Holidays in Eden when you to it being your favorite and this one. Three completely different type os album from the songwriting to the sound to the presentatation.
This is a great album Very mature and great playing from all the band especially Steve Rothery Some very 80s pink Floyd esq sounds in part Just imagine what the band could have gone on to do on a follow up I like H Marillion but you could argue there's too much filler to sort through
