Marillion

[jammindude]

I can't think of another band that I own more albums from that I'm more "on the fence" about than Marillion. 

I own more than half their catalog, and less than half does it for me. 

I think Childhood, Straws, Anorak, and Marbles are among the most brilliant albums I've ever heard and I've never gotten tired of listening to them from start to finish.   Absolutely 10/10....all of them.

Script and Fugazi are really hit and miss.  I like half or less of the material.  Same with Season's End, Holidays in Eden, and Brave. Although all of these albums have songs on them that I consider to be must have's.   (Easter, Brave, Splintering Heart, and a few others).   Afraid of Sunlight does nothing for me.   

This Strange Engine came out when I was working at a CD store, and it just got played in store a lot, and it ended up grabbing me.  So I like that one.    On the strength of that, I got Radiation and dot com....Radiation had some gems, but dot com fell completely flat for me.

Then I had a buddy tell me I had to check out Anorak....and I absolutely fell in love with it.   ADORE that album.   Then Marbles came and I really began to become a bigger fan about that time.   And on the strength of Marbles I even got in early on the pre-order of Somewhere Else.....which was one of the biggest let downs of my entire life.    Really really boring album. 

Based on that disappointment, I never even listened to Happiness, Less is More, and Sounds.   But then everyone started freaking out about FEAR, so I picked that one up and it just didn't grab me at all.   

Maybe it's just been timing.   

[lonestar]

Put me on the side of Brave lovers...easily my second favorite Marillion album behind Clutching, and for me, probably the most brilliant concept behind a concept album, I just am so in love with what they did there. Between that, the ambient atmosphere, and H era of Marillion finally coming into their own after two warm up albums, it's just a perfect recipe.

[Volante99]

For my money Brave is not only Marillion's best album it's one of the best prog albums ever. It still holds up very well today unlike a lot of their other material.

[romdrums]

Brave is one of my all time favorites.  In fact, I still consider that and Afraid of Sunlight to be my two favorite albums of all time.

[faizoff]

Has anyone picked up the 5 disc edition of Brave? How's the remix that Steven Wilson did?

I myself like Brave but not as much as everyone that raves about it. It's a great listen for sure but Marbles will always be my quintessential the Marillion album. The 2 disc edition is a perfect listen start to finish.

[romdrums]

Has anyone picked up the 5 disc edition of Brave? How's the remix that Steven Wilson did?

I myself like Brave but not as much as everyone that raves about it. It's a great listen for sure but Marbles will always be my quintessential the Marillion album. The 2 disc edition is a perfect listen start to finish.

Yes.  It's totally worth it.  Wilson's mix brings some new details to light, and the live show is pretty killer as well.

[The Letter M]

I can't think of another band that I own more albums from that I'm more "on the fence" about than Marillion. 

I own more than half their catalog, and less than half does it for me.

I think Childhood, Straws, Anorak, and Marbles are among the most brilliant albums I've ever heard and I've never gotten tired of listening to them from start to finish.   Absolutely 10/10....all of them.

Script and Fugazi are really hit and miss.  I like half or less of the material.  Same with Season's End, Holidays in Eden, and Brave. Although all of these albums have songs on them that I consider to be must have's.   (Easter, Brave, Splintering Heart, and a few others).   Afraid of Sunlight does nothing for me.   

This Strange Engine came out when I was working at a CD store, and it just got played in store a lot, and it ended up grabbing me.  So I like that one.    On the strength of that, I got Radiation and dot com....Radiation had some gems, but dot com fell completely flat for me.

Then I had a buddy tell me I had to check out Anorak....and I absolutely fell in love with it.   ADORE that album.   Then Marbles came and I really began to become a bigger fan about that time.   And on the strength of Marbles I even got in early on the pre-order of Somewhere Else.....which was one of the biggest let downs of my entire life.    Really really boring album. 

Based on that disappointment, I never even listened to Happiness, Less is More, and Sounds.   But then everyone started freaking out about FEAR, so I picked that one up and it just didn't grab me at all.   

Maybe it's just been timing.

When I was getting into prog more than a decade ago, Marillion was high on my priority list to "catch'em all", so to speak, and I spent WAY more money on getting some of their rarer stuff (i.e. Racket Records releases that were, even then, already out of print). I wanted to really dive deep into them as a fair amount of their material really grabbed me, but since then, I haven't really been gripped by their music as I used to. I rarely listen to them anymore, and I own every studio album, at least 7 or 8 live videos, and probably nearly 2 dozen Racket Records releases, including many of their Marillion Weekend shows on CD.

I think part of it is that I really have to be in a certain mood to really dig H's voice, and more so Fish's voice. Of the four bands whose members comprised Transatlantic (my stepping-off point for TFK, SB and Marillion after learning about Dream Theater), Marillion was the one that didn't really fully click with me like SB and TFK did, and I don't think they ever will. Someday I may sell most of my Marillion stuff because I just haven't really found myself interested in them as much anymore.

-Marc.

[Stadler]

I can't think of another band that I own more albums from that I'm more "on the fence" about than Marillion. 

I own more than half their catalog, and less than half does it for me. 

I think Childhood, Straws, Anorak, and Marbles are among the most brilliant albums I've ever heard and I've never gotten tired of listening to them from start to finish.   Absolutely 10/10....all of them.

Script and Fugazi are really hit and miss.  I like half or less of the material.  Same with Season's End, Holidays in Eden, and Brave. Although all of these albums have songs on them that I consider to be must have's.   (Easter, Brave, Splintering Heart, and a few others).   Afraid of Sunlight does nothing for me.   

This Strange Engine came out when I was working at a CD store, and it just got played in store a lot, and it ended up grabbing me.  So I like that one.    On the strength of that, I got Radiation and dot com....Radiation had some gems, but dot com fell completely flat for me.

Then I had a buddy tell me I had to check out Anorak....and I absolutely fell in love with it.   ADORE that album.   Then Marbles came and I really began to become a bigger fan about that time.   And on the strength of Marbles I even got in early on the pre-order of Somewhere Else.....which was one of the biggest let downs of my entire life.    Really really boring album. 

Based on that disappointment, I never even listened to Happiness, Less is More, and Sounds.   But then everyone started freaking out about FEAR, so I picked that one up and it just didn't grab me at all.   

Maybe it's just been timing.

I'm off on some of the details but this is pretty accurate for me, as well.  I got in with Misplaced Childhood, in the same way I got in to Dream Thetaer:  "hey, cool video, I need to check that out!".   Huge Fish-era fan, and even collected all the 12" singles (b-sides).   MC was the first CD I ever bought (with Perfect Strangers, Brothers In Arms, and Power Windows).  Due to poor planning and hard work towards my Alcoholic's Degree, I missed them in '86 when they toured MC, but I finally got to see them on the Season's End tour, and it was MAGIC.  I loved Season's End, even with the singer change.  Then the bumps started.  Holidays sucked (and the two versions were confusing and betrayed a sort of lack of confidence by the band).  There's little on there that I go back to at this point (Waiting To Happen is good, though). 

But then... Brave.  Not as good as MC, but it was a sort of confirmation that they still got it.  PLUS, Dave Meegan.  I LOVE the work that Dave Meegan did with the band, and while I get that the band didn't like the working style (he was sort of relentless about saving scraps and bits and making the band go back to them) he got a great sound for them.   I got Afraid of Sunlight, but I didn't really click with it, and I HATED Cannibal Surf Babe at first.   Then, "This Strange Engine" and I hated it so much I swore off Marillion for good.   I did go back and purchase the two-CD remasters, and subsequently warmed to Afraid... once I knew what they were doing (all the songs are homages of a sort, and CSB was a sort of Beach Boys pastiche which I really liked once I knew what the point was).   But I was out on new music.

THEN the fervor over Marbles. One CD, two CDs, 20-minute epic (which I find overrated now) I thought I'd give it a shot.  And it's GOOD.  It's REALLY good.  I love Neverland (I've seen it twice, live, and it's made me cry both times) I love Drilling Holes, The Damage, Genie, Marbles IV... I love how H put himself out there and it really resonated (contrast that to H as social justice warrior, and I tune out).   I went back and filled in the  blanks:  Radiation is very good (like the remix better), marillion.com is average, Anoraknophobia is EXCELLENT.  But then the wheels came off (and haven't really been restored).  I hated Somewhere Else (it sounded like a throwaway).  I didn't quite get "Happiness..." and it still hasn't really clicked.  I hated Less Is Less.   Both Sounds... and FEAR are okay - I saw the FEAR tour - but hit or miss.  As I noted, I don't really care for H's self-righteousness at times, and the music doesn't seem to be... epic.  I don't need 20-minute bombast, but I don't really care for their Massive Attack-style noodlings either.  I like a little more "rock band" and a little less "atmosphere".  I don't want them to change for me, there is plenty in the catalogue for me to dig into, but there's a LOT in the catalogue I don't.  I think the only other band I'm SO into but so indifferently is the Grateful Dead. 

[DTA]

I can't think of another band that I own more albums from that I'm more "on the fence" about than Marillion. 

I own more than half their catalog, and less than half does it for me. 

I think Childhood, Straws, Anorak, and Marbles are among the most brilliant albums I've ever heard and I've never gotten tired of listening to them from start to finish.   Absolutely 10/10....all of them.

Script and Fugazi are really hit and miss.  I like half or less of the material.  Same with Season's End, Holidays in Eden, and Brave. Although all of these albums have songs on them that I consider to be must have's.   (Easter, Brave, Splintering Heart, and a few others).   Afraid of Sunlight does nothing for me.   

This Strange Engine came out when I was working at a CD store, and it just got played in store a lot, and it ended up grabbing me.  So I like that one.    On the strength of that, I got Radiation and dot com....Radiation had some gems, but dot com fell completely flat for me.

Then I had a buddy tell me I had to check out Anorak....and I absolutely fell in love with it.   ADORE that album.   Then Marbles came and I really began to become a bigger fan about that time.   And on the strength of Marbles I even got in early on the pre-order of Somewhere Else.....which was one of the biggest let downs of my entire life.    Really really boring album. 

Based on that disappointment, I never even listened to Happiness, Less is More, and Sounds.   But then everyone started freaking out about FEAR, so I picked that one up and it just didn't grab me at all.   

Maybe it's just been timing.

I'm off on some of the details but this is pretty accurate for me, as well.  I got in with Misplaced Childhood, in the same way I got in to Dream Thetaer:  "hey, cool video, I need to check that out!".   Huge Fish-era fan, and even collected all the 12" singles (b-sides).   MC was the first CD I ever bought (with Perfect Strangers, Brothers In Arms, and Power Windows).  Due to poor planning and hard work towards my Alcoholic's Degree, I missed them in '86 when they toured MC, but I finally got to see them on the Season's End tour, and it was MAGIC.  I loved Season's End, even with the singer change.  Then the bumps started.  Holidays sucked (and the two versions were confusing and betrayed a sort of lack of confidence by the band).  There's little on there that I go back to at this point (Waiting To Happen is good, though). 

But then... Brave.  Not as good as MC, but it was a sort of confirmation that they still got it.  PLUS, Dave Meegan.  I LOVE the work that Dave Meegan did with the band, and while I get that the band didn't like the working style (he was sort of relentless about saving scraps and bits and making the band go back to them) he got a great sound for them.   I got Afraid of Sunlight, but I didn't really click with it, and I HATED Cannibal Surf Babe at first.   Then, "This Strange Engine" and I hated it so much I swore off Marillion for good.   I did go back and purchase the two-CD remasters, and subsequently warmed to Afraid... once I knew what they were doing (all the songs are homages of a sort, and CSB was a sort of Beach Boys pastiche which I really liked once I knew what the point was).   But I was out on new music.

THEN the fervor over Marbles. One CD, two CDs, 20-minute epic (which I find overrated now) I thought I'd give it a shot.  And it's GOOD.  It's REALLY good.  I love Neverland (I've seen it twice, live, and it's made me cry both times) I love Drilling Holes, The Damage, Genie, Marbles IV... I love how H put himself out there and it really resonated (contrast that to H as social justice warrior, and I tune out).   I went back and filled in the  blanks:  Radiation is very good (like the remix better), marillion.com is average, Anoraknophobia is EXCELLENT.  But then the wheels came off (and haven't really been restored).  I hated Somewhere Else (it sounded like a throwaway).  I didn't quite get "Happiness..." and it still hasn't really clicked.  I hated Less Is Less.   Both Sounds... and FEAR are okay - I saw the FEAR tour - but hit or miss.  As I noted, I don't really care for H's self-righteousness at times, and the music doesn't seem to be... epic.  I don't need 20-minute bombast, but I don't really care for their Massive Attack-style noodlings either.  I like a little more "rock band" and a little less "atmosphere".  I don't want them to change for me, there is plenty in the catalogue for me to dig into, but there's a LOT in the catalogue I don't.  I think the only other band I'm SO into but so indifferently is the Grateful Dead.

I really think Anoraknophobia is their best album. The 4 longer tracks are all pretty unique and go interesting places without resorting to the "noodlings" as you say that seem to permeate a lot of their more recent material. And the shorter tracks are all really catchy with a badass jam section in Wild Rose. It's really a perfect album yet I feel like the majority of Martillion fans rate it pretty low. It's way more engaging than Marbles, which is good, but filled with too much s p a c e.

[romdrums]

But then everyone started freaking out about FEAR, so I picked that one up and it just didn't grab me at all.   

Maybe it's just been timing.

Both Sounds... and FEAR are okay - I saw the FEAR tour - but hit or miss.  As I noted, I don't really care for H's self-righteousness at times, and the music doesn't seem to be... epic.  I don't need 20-minute bombast, but I don't really care for their Massive Attack-style noodlings either.  I like a little more "rock band" and a little less "atmosphere". 

FEAR disappointed me thoroughly, as I've stated way earlier in this thread.  I think I referred to it as "Shagging Lazily while Sauntering Off at a Leisurely Pace."  It's like they wanted to be mad but couldn't throw the remote at the TV.  Too much plodding and meandering.  Thank the flying spaghetti monster I discovered IQ, because their recent output is what I've wanted Marillion's post-Marbles output to be.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

But then everyone started freaking out about FEAR, so I picked that one up and it just didn't grab me at all.   

Maybe it's just been timing.

Both Sounds... and FEAR are okay - I saw the FEAR tour - but hit or miss.  As I noted, I don't really care for H's self-righteousness at times, and the music doesn't seem to be... epic.  I don't need 20-minute bombast, but I don't really care for their Massive Attack-style noodlings either.  I like a little more "rock band" and a little less "atmosphere". 

FEAR disappointed me thoroughly, as I've stated way earlier in this thread.  I think I referred to it as "Shagging Lazily while Sauntering Off at a Leisurely Pace."  It's like they wanted to be mad but couldn't throw the remote at the TV.  Too much plodding and meandering.  Thank the flying spaghetti monster I discovered IQ, because their recent output is what I've wanted Marillion's post-Marbles output to be.

The bolded bit is exactly how I feel.

[jammindude]

THANK YOU!!!!

I think I've tried to state before (in this thread, and the IQ thread) that IQ...time and time again...continues to deliver consistently, where Marillion just can't.

I even picked up the two albums without Nichols, and was surprised how strong they are. I literally haven't found a single note in 11 albums that I didn't at least think was OK. And most of it is amazing.

This is the band Marillion should have been. There are moments that feel eerily like a Gabriel/Banks/Hackett supergroup.

[SoundscapeMN]

I have friends who love IQ, but also some of my friends compare IQ to Triumph.

I just have never found their music to work for me.

[lonestar]

I have friends who love IQ, but also some of my friends compare IQ to Triumph.

As a massive fan of both bands...this makes absolutely zero sense to me.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

I have friends who love IQ, but also some of my friends compare IQ to Triumph.

As a massive fan of both bands...this makes absolutely zero sense to me.

I was just about to say this. I don't get that comparison at all. 

[jammindude]

I have friends who love IQ, but also some of my friends compare IQ to Triumph.

As a massive fan of both bands...this makes absolutely zero sense to me.

Same here. Those bands sound about as much like each other as Haken sounds like The Police.

But ya...I love both bands for entirely different reasons.

[ytserush]

I can't think of another band that I own more albums from that I'm more "on the fence" about than Marillion. 

I own more than half their catalog, and less than half does it for me.

I think Childhood, Straws, Anorak, and Marbles are among the most brilliant albums I've ever heard and I've never gotten tired of listening to them from start to finish.   Absolutely 10/10....all of them.

Script and Fugazi are really hit and miss.  I like half or less of the material.  Same with Season's End, Holidays in Eden, and Brave. Although all of these albums have songs on them that I consider to be must have's.   (Easter, Brave, Splintering Heart, and a few others).   Afraid of Sunlight does nothing for me.   

This Strange Engine came out when I was working at a CD store, and it just got played in store a lot, and it ended up grabbing me.  So I like that one.    On the strength of that, I got Radiation and dot com....Radiation had some gems, but dot com fell completely flat for me.

Then I had a buddy tell me I had to check out Anorak....and I absolutely fell in love with it.   ADORE that album.   Then Marbles came and I really began to become a bigger fan about that time.   And on the strength of Marbles I even got in early on the pre-order of Somewhere Else.....which was one of the biggest let downs of my entire life.    Really really boring album. 

Based on that disappointment, I never even listened to Happiness, Less is More, and Sounds.   But then everyone started freaking out about FEAR, so I picked that one up and it just didn't grab me at all.   

Maybe it's just been timing.

When I was getting into prog more than a decade ago, Marillion was high on my priority list to "catch'em all", so to speak, and I spent WAY more money on getting some of their rarer stuff (i.e. Racket Records releases that were, even then, already out of print). I wanted to really dive deep into them as a fair amount of their material really grabbed me, but since then, I haven't really been gripped by their music as I used to. I rarely listen to them anymore, and I own every studio album, at least 7 or 8 live videos, and probably nearly 2 dozen Racket Records releases, including many of their Marillion Weekend shows on CD.

I think part of it is that I really have to be in a certain mood to really dig H's voice, and more so Fish's voice. Of the four bands whose members comprised Transatlantic (my stepping-off point for TFK, SB and Marillion after learning about Dream Theater), Marillion was the one that didn't really fully click with me like SB and TFK did, and I don't think they ever will. Someday I may sell most of my Marillion stuff because I just haven't really found myself interested in them as much anymore.

-Marc.

Let me know when you do sell some of that Racket stuff. Might be interested if I don't have it already.

[ytserush]

But then everyone started freaking out about FEAR, so I picked that one up and it just didn't grab me at all.   

Maybe it's just been timing.

FEAR disappointed me thoroughly, as I've stated way earlier in this thread.  I think I referred to it as "Shagging Lazily while Sauntering Off at a Leisurely Pace."  It's like they wanted to be mad but couldn't throw the remote at the TV.  Too much plodding and meandering.  Thank the flying spaghetti monster I discovered IQ, because their recent output is what I've wanted Marillion's post-Marbles output to be.

For me, FEAR is what Brave should have been.  I really think they nailed it with FEAR.

[RoeDent]

FEAR was certainly better than the meandering and exhausting Sounds That Can't Be Made. I don't very often complain about albums being too long, but that one is. You have the huge Gaza at the beginning, and with Montreal slap bang in the middle it's hard to make a good spot for a break. Either the first half is too long for one session or the second half is.

[ytserush]

I have friends who love IQ, but also some of my friends compare IQ to Triumph.

As a massive fan of both bands...this makes absolutely zero sense to me.

Like Triumph and it doesn't make any sense to me either.

[ytserush]

Finally had a chance to dig into the Afraid of Sunlight Deluxe Edition this weekend (Couldn't pull Marillion's With Friends Of The Orchestra out of the CD player for nearly a week.)

As I'm sure I've said before I'm come around to liking about half of this album in the years since it was released. King was the only song that blew me away immediately.

I think hearing Gazpacho, Beautiful, and Afraid of Sunlight live over the years has really warmed me to those songs too but they still don't come anywhere near King.

For me, the highlight of this is the live show which I didn't think I would enjoy as much because of the Brave songs (though Hard As Love didn't sound so bad (better than the Made Again version anyway.) and the Fish songs. (I'm one of those who thinks that if Marillion does any Fish songs live then the crowd should sing them and give Hogarth a break)

Anyway This Rotterdam gig is mostly pretty amazing. I'm no fan of Caniibal Surf Babe but this live version seemed to finally make sense.  This gig is the highlight for me and makes this package worth it.

I thought the documentary was good too.  I thought think the Clutching one was edited all that well though the Misplaced Childhood doc was better.

I didn't realize how low my Marillion fandom was at that point (totally stopped collecting all of the singles and other stuff with Brave) so there I learned some things in this doc that I either forgot or didn't even know. Didn't realize the record label pressure was that intense and it did explain a lot.

The new mixes of this album (Don't have 5.1) seem pretty weak to me  but that was never the reason to get this.  They said they basically had to recreate the album as the masters were either lost or destroyed. Not a problem for me as I'm likely going to be reaching for this live gig or others when I want to hear songs from this album.

I do like some of the early versions and musical jams that weren't on the last 1999 remaster and I like the lava lamp presentation to it on the Bluray.

It's totally worth it for the live gig although it contains the flatest version of Easter I have ever heard.  Never experienced a mediocre version of Easter until now.

[romdrums]

FEAR was certainly better than the meandering and exhausting Sounds That Can't Be Made. I don't very often complain about albums being too long, but that one is. You have the huge Gaza at the beginning, and with Montreal slap bang in the middle it's hard to make a good spot for a break. Either the first half is too long for one session or the second half is.

Montreal is a terrible song.  Just awful.  I really only listen to Gaza and the title track from that record.  The rest of it is rubbish to me.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

FEAR was certainly better than the meandering and exhausting Sounds That Can't Be Made. I don't very often complain about albums being too long, but that one is. You have the huge Gaza at the beginning, and with Montreal slap bang in the middle it's hard to make a good spot for a break. Either the first half is too long for one session or the second half is.

Montreal is a terrible song.  Just awful.  I really only listen to Gaza and the title track from that record.  The rest of it is rubbish to me.

I always hated that song too, but the live version they did on A Sunday Night Above the Rain is pretty good. Way better than the studio version for sure.

[SoundscapeMN]

I will probably always be in the minority of the fanbase who enjoys Montreal.

However, while Sounds has some other songs I enjoy (Power, the title track), I find FEAR and the album that preceded it, Happiness is the Road to be clearly superior works.

Gaza is one of their worst epics which I find drags and is mostly boring along with being too overtly political. It's 1 of their most overrated-by-the-fans, tracks to me.

And the song that to me became immediately skip-able in Lucky Man.

[ytserush]

I will probably always be in the minority of the fanbase who enjoys Montreal.

However, while Sounds has some other songs I enjoy (Power, the title track), I find FEAR and the album that preceded it, Happiness is the Road to be clearly superior works.

Gaza is one of their worst epics which I find drags and is mostly boring along with being too overtly political. It's 1 of their most overrated-by-the-fans, tracks to me.

And the song that to me became immediately skip-able in Lucky Man.

I still like The Sounds That Can't Be Made, but not as much as I used to. The title track doesn't seem to be holding up for me and I'm not sure how much I still like Power.

  FEAR is just a killer album.... especially when hearing the songs live.

[SoundscapeMN]

bump.

Fish just uploaded an update/x-mas greetings video.

Weltschmerz likely coming in May

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woWksvUGpF4

[ytserush]

bump.

Fish just uploaded an update/x-mas greetings video.

Weltschmerz likely coming in May

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woWksvUGpF4

Thanks!  That's great to hear.  Have to figure some of those songs changed from the EP he released last year. Really looking forward to this although there's no chance of him touring in the US ever again.

[romdrums]

Finally had a chance to dig into the Afraid of Sunlight Deluxe Edition this weekend (Couldn't pull Marillion's With Friends Of The Orchestra out of the CD player for nearly a week.)

As I'm sure I've said before I'm come around to liking about half of this album in the years since it was released. King was the only song that blew me away immediately.

I think hearing Gazpacho, Beautiful, and Afraid of Sunlight live over the years has really warmed me to those songs too but they still don't come anywhere near King.

For me, the highlight of this is the live show which I didn't think I would enjoy as much because of the Brave songs (though Hard As Love didn't sound so bad (better than the Made Again version anyway.) and the Fish songs. (I'm one of those who thinks that if Marillion does any Fish songs live then the crowd should sing them and give Hogarth a break)

Anyway This Rotterdam gig is mostly pretty amazing. I'm no fan of Caniibal Surf Babe but this live version seemed to finally make sense.  This gig is the highlight for me and makes this package worth it.

I thought the documentary was good too.  I thought think the Clutching one was edited all that well though the Misplaced Childhood doc was better.

I didn't realize how low my Marillion fandom was at that point (totally stopped collecting all of the singles and other stuff with Brave) so there I learned some things in this doc that I either forgot or didn't even know. Didn't realize the record label pressure was that intense and it did explain a lot.

The new mixes of this album (Don't have 5.1) seem pretty weak to me  but that was never the reason to get this.  They said they basically had to recreate the album as the masters were either lost or destroyed. Not a problem for me as I'm likely going to be reaching for this live gig or others when I want to hear songs from this album.

I do like some of the early versions and musical jams that weren't on the last 1999 remaster and I like the lava lamp presentation to it on the Bluray.

It's totally worth it for the live gig although it contains the flatest version of Easter I have ever heard.  Never experienced a mediocre version of Easter until now.

I picked this up just after Christmas and I'm making my way through the live set right now.  My first thought is, "holy shit these tempos!" as they are blasting through these at about what seems to be 20-40 bpm faster than the album tempos.  While not quite as good as the show from the Brave remaster, it's still nice to hear them rock out with this set.  I remember seeing them do White Russian on the TSE tour in Grand Rapids, MI back in 1997 and that was pretty sweet, so it's great to see it included on this set as well. 

It's funny that you mention how low your Marillion fandom was at this time, because for me, this was the height of my fandom.  I LOVED Brave, and Afraid of Sunlight is just as good, if not better, in my opinion.  I couldn't believe they followed up their best album ever with their best album ever.  I had picked up CD1 of the Beautiful single as an import right at the end of my senior year in high school (May 95-ish), and then I found CD2 of the single and the album at a record store in Eindoven, The Netherlands later in June.  I remember listening to the single and getting super stoked, and then I put the album on.  I was on a bus with a bunch of teenagers from Michigan, riding from Eindoven to Antwerp, and the chorus from Gazpacho hit me like a ton of bricks.  I was completely oblivious to the world around me for the next 51 minutes as I got completely lost in the textures of the album.  I think I ended up listening to AOS almost exclusively for the rest of that trip.

A few years later, my family had taken a trip out to Las Vegas, and we drove the Grand Canyon while we were out there.  There was an interview with H where they said the album just kind of wandered off in the general direction of Arizona.  So, I listened to the album while driving from Vegas to the Grand Canyon, and that was a highly enjoyable audio/visual experience.  Personally, I think Cannibal Surf Babe should have been a massive single complete with Beach Blanket Bingo style video and the album should have sold millions.  Maybe if they had a different name.  Who knows?  I never thought I'd find myself buying an album purely from a nostalgia stand point, but the AOS and Brave remasters sure do take me back.

[ytserush]

Finally had a chance to dig into the Afraid of Sunlight Deluxe Edition this weekend (Couldn't pull Marillion's With Friends Of The Orchestra out of the CD player for nearly a week.)

As I'm sure I've said before I'm come around to liking about half of this album in the years since it was released. King was the only song that blew me away immediately.

I think hearing Gazpacho, Beautiful, and Afraid of Sunlight live over the years has really warmed me to those songs too but they still don't come anywhere near King.

For me, the highlight of this is the live show which I didn't think I would enjoy as much because of the Brave songs (though Hard As Love didn't sound so bad (better than the Made Again version anyway.) and the Fish songs. (I'm one of those who thinks that if Marillion does any Fish songs live then the crowd should sing them and give Hogarth a break)

Anyway This Rotterdam gig is mostly pretty amazing. I'm no fan of Caniibal Surf Babe but this live version seemed to finally make sense.  This gig is the highlight for me and makes this package worth it.

I thought the documentary was good too.  I thought think the Clutching one was edited all that well though the Misplaced Childhood doc was better.

I didn't realize how low my Marillion fandom was at that point (totally stopped collecting all of the singles and other stuff with Brave) so there I learned some things in this doc that I either forgot or didn't even know. Didn't realize the record label pressure was that intense and it did explain a lot.

The new mixes of this album (Don't have 5.1) seem pretty weak to me  but that was never the reason to get this.  They said they basically had to recreate the album as the masters were either lost or destroyed. Not a problem for me as I'm likely going to be reaching for this live gig or others when I want to hear songs from this album.

I do like some of the early versions and musical jams that weren't on the last 1999 remaster and I like the lava lamp presentation to it on the Bluray.

It's totally worth it for the live gig although it contains the flatest version of Easter I have ever heard.  Never experienced a mediocre version of Easter until now.

I picked this up just after Christmas and I'm making my way through the live set right now.  My first thought is, "holy shit these tempos!" as they are blasting through these at about what seems to be 20-40 bpm faster than the album tempos.  While not quite as good as the show from the Brave remaster, it's still nice to hear them rock out with this set.  I remember seeing them do White Russian on the TSE tour in Grand Rapids, MI back in 1997 and that was pretty sweet, so it's great to see it included on this set as well. 

It's funny that you mention how low your Marillion fandom was at this time, because for me, this was the height of my fandom.  I LOVED Brave, and Afraid of Sunlight is just as good, if not better, in my opinion.  I couldn't believe they followed up their best album ever with their best album ever.  I had picked up CD1 of the Beautiful single as an import right at the end of my senior year in high school (May 95-ish), and then I found CD2 of the single and the album at a record store in Eindoven, The Netherlands later in June.  I remember listening to the single and getting super stoked, and then I put the album on.  I was on a bus with a bunch of teenagers from Michigan, riding from Eindoven to Antwerp, and the chorus from Gazpacho hit me like a ton of bricks.  I was completely oblivious to the world around me for the next 51 minutes as I got completely lost in the textures of the album.  I think I ended up listening to AOS almost exclusively for the rest of that trip.

A few years later, my family had taken a trip out to Las Vegas, and we drove the Grand Canyon while we were out there.  There was an interview with H where they said the album just kind of wandered off in the general direction of Arizona.  So, I listened to the album while driving from Vegas to the Grand Canyon, and that was a highly enjoyable audio/visual experience.  Personally, I think Cannibal Surf Babe should have been a massive single complete with Beach Blanket Bingo style video and the album should have sold millions.  Maybe if they had a different name.  Who knows?  I never thought I'd find myself buying an album purely from a nostalgia stand point, but the AOS and Brave remasters sure do take me back.

Beautiful and Afraid Of Sunlight could have been hit singles.

[The Curious Orange]

Beautiful and Afraid of Sunlight SHOULD have been hit singles.

[ProfessorPeart]

Deluxe Script coming:



http://www.marillion.com/shop/albums/remast49.htm


This is the CD / Bluray version of a brand new (2020) Stereo & 5.1 Remix of Marillion's debut album Script For A Jester's Tear.

Disc One features a brand new stereo remix of the album by Andy Bradfield & Avril Mackintosh.

Disc Two features a brand new stereo remix of the Market Square Heroes EP and the track "Charting The Single" by Andy Bradfield & Avril Mackintosh.

Discs Three and Four feature the previously unreleased show from the Marquee Club, London on the 29th December 1982.

The blu-ray contains 96k/24-bit audio of the Script & Market Square Heroes EP and the Marquee show. It also includes a 5.1 surround mix of Script by Andy Bradfield & Avril Mackintosh.

Finally, it also features "Sackcloth & Greasepaint" - a new in depth 90 minute documentary covering the formation of the band through to the release of Script in 1983, containing interviews with Fish, Mark Kelly, Diz Minnit, Mick Pointer, Steve Rothery, Pete Trewavas and Mark Wilkinson.

[Stadler]

The first 4000 preorders at Marillion.com come with signatures from Rothery, Trewavas, Kelly, and Pointer but no Fish.  I looked at Fish's site and I didn't see that early preorders there come with a signature.  Any word? 

[ProfessorPeart]

The first 4000 preorders at Marillion.com come with signatures from Rothery, Trewavas, Kelly, and Pointer but no Fish.  I looked at Fish's site and I didn't see that early preorders there come with a signature.  Any word?

Statement from Fish via Twitter:

Finally the new reamaster for 'Script for a Jester's Tear' is now available for pre order with a release date of April 3rd.

I've obviously known about this for a while but haven't been allowed to announce anything until now!

The Blu Ray deluxe version and the Vinyl version can be ordered from today at fishmusic.scot/store

I'm sure there are some questions so I'll try and deal with the obvious here first-

There is some information for UK fans on the 'landing page' of the preorders. I am obliged by an agreement I have with Warners/ Parlophone not to discuss this on social media and therefore can't take any questions on that subject. It is as how you read it.

All pre orders will be sent out in the sequence they are made ie first come first served! They will be available for mail out from April 3rd, the official release date and not before.

All the pre orders will be signed by myself as with the previous Parlophone remasters.

They will be shrinkwrapped with a sticker and the corner of the wrapping torn to allow me to sign.

We have new packaging that we have been using on recent solo remasters that is superior to what we had before and we don't anticipate any problems.

There is only the postage option to have tracked and signed for as too many packages went missing on the 'Clutching' mail out. It's in fans best interests to have this method of postage. People can track their orders without having to send e mails to our office asking when they were sent or where they are. We will be rather busy dealing with 'live' mail outs.

In order to streamline our service and to ensure our ability to monitor the mail out the 'Script' orders will be dealt with as separate items and no other items from the mail order service can be added to the 'Script' orders. If you want to order anything else from the website it has to made on a separate order.

There is no BACS service on the website as bank transfers were becoming too expensive and time consuming with long delays between ordering and money arriving.

A full tracklisting and details of all the formats and content are at fishmusic.scot/store

thanks for supporting me on this and any more questions I'll try and answer when they arise.

[jammindude]

So if you buy it through Fish, you get it signed by Fish...and if you order it through Marillion you get it signed by the other four and there's no option to have a copy signed by all five?   Am I understanding that correctly?

[jcmoorehead]

So if you buy it through Fish, you get it signed by Fish...and if you order it through Marillion you get it signed by the other four and there's no option to have a copy signed by all five?   Am I understanding that correctly?

That's correct, been the case for the other two Fish era remasters. I guess it'd be quite difficult to do logistically? With Clutching, Fish signed the boxes when they arrived at his home/studio and that was where they were sent out from, so I guess the stock is split with so many going to Fish, so many to wherever Marillion operate from.