Marillion perform Forgotten Sons from their debut album, Script for a Jester's Tear. Edited repeat from "The Whistle Test Years" 10/5/13 - Fish commented on this video on his facebook feed this week!
I can't believe I just happened to stumble onto this recording. About 20 years ago (I'd have been around 14/15) this was on TV and I just caught the last few minutes of this performance. I had no idea what the song was called, but I remember sitting there mesmerised by what I saw. I hadn't really heard anything of marillion, but I knew my mother had a tape of theirs, so I had hoped to find this on there. What I got instead was Grendel as the first track and it blew me away! I immediately rewound the tape to listen again, all 17 minutes of it! The rest of the tape was great, but Grendel was unmatched at the time! Fish went on to perform on the 1999 Ayreon album, Into the Electric Castle, and last year they performed the album live with him returning as the highlander. Since it comes out on DVD/Blu Ray shortly, I was inspired to look up some Marillion vids (especially Grendel as it has been years since I heard it) and...this performance shows up on the list. The one that started it all for me. Finally, after 20 years, I've seen the whole thing! I know this is a bloody long post. Sometimes I have a tendency to over explain things. I just thought it was a pretty cool thing. I reckon I'll be getting hold of some albums as I forgot how much I loved this band!
I was born in 78 and fortunately have been bought up on this music by my father and I thank him for that.i really love my death/thrash/grind/prog rock/metal but I still listen to this now along with genesis,rush as this music never ages or gets tired.for me my fave song still has to be SCRIPT,the lyrics combined with fish's emotions and the music is untouched by the garbage out today.
I saw "The Web" tour at Guildford Civic Hall on 17th of March 1983, with a group of friends of which only one had heard them before. They were simply brilliant! I was so impressed with their performance that I bought the programme and vinyl copy of the Script for a Jester's Tear album from the foyer and I still have them today
Fucking BRILLIANT!!! Shame Fish has no voice anymore... He was probably one of the ultimate performers in sounding almost exactly the same whether live or recording!!
Brilliant. Went to a lot of concerts in the 80's, not many I can remember now but saw Marillion at Newcastle Mayfair in 1983 and wow what an experience.
To quote Pendragon's singer ( Nick Barrett ) about Marillion : "their music was a bit like Genesis, but their singer Fish had a "Johnny Rotten" rage in his voice".
I was at the recording and met the band afterwards. Fish was chatty, the others quiet. He said ‘Doing VC TV is f**king murder’ Great to meet him and also Andy Ward the drummer originally with Camel another superb prog band!
It was 1983, I saw this compilation show, I think it was New Year's Eve 1983. I was poor, in a crap relationship, in a freezing flat somewhere in the arse end of Northern England. 2 years earlier I had refused my guaranteed place in the Junior Army. Hearing those lyrics, I realised that if I had taken up that vacancy, that night, in another life, I may have been on patrol in Belfast, a scared 18 year old with a loaded gun.
Wow.. This brings back some memories. Saw Marillion several times and loved em !! It used to piss me off that all my workmates would brand them as a Genesis clone band, which I always thought was complete bollocks.. nothing like em.. much better lyrics !!
@@adrianaugustus2815 Wow, 8 years since that comment. Been ups and downs, but doing fine these days despite the craziness of the world. Best wishes guy!
I remember seeing this when broadcast, the way Fish captivated and especially the ending theatrics. Describe his act to another and it sounds tacky, but he pulls it off, takes you with him on that little mime even now when I rewatch it nearly 40 years later, the strength of his lyrics is exceptional, but to match that with captivating performance is simply unfair on other artists
Gret tune, exellent lyrics, about how apart from family and freinds the soldiers are forgotten about until it comes up on the news.As fish said this songs very pro army but strongly anti war.
I'm going to see Marillion with a chum in December at Manchester Ritz. Can't wait for the gig,it's a new venue for us. Obviously they won't deliver us this absolute CLASSIC but whatever they choose to play will be sublime to the ears,as it always has been with this stunning ,awesome fantabidabulous band! (Fish vs Hogarth.....for me both brilliant,I can't see what all the fuss is about,Fish left decades ago and was very capably replaced....and so the show goes on as they say).
I was at the BBC that evening meeting with a relative who worked there. In the canteen area we bumped into Steve and Pete. As we recognized and approached them (dressed in rock gig supporter gear) they were surprised and asked if we were there to see them perform. However there was a look of disappointment when we explained we were off to see Rush that evening at Wembley!
Great song with that same driving beat that's found in Pink Floyd's "Sheep". I often call this a Celtic beat, or a slip jig. The young Fish, who often recalls Peter Gabriel, really gets into it.
@gareth4493 Those of us who lived through the 70's and 80's in the UK were aware of the weekly bombings and the troubles... Many people in the forces would check under their car every morning before going to work...
