Script for a Jester's Tear: Remastered [Extra tracks, Original recording remastered, Special Edition]

You have to remember the context of this album.......It`s the early 80`s music is going through or has gone through changes. The short lived Punk era had given way to the "New Wave" type bands who proliferated the charts along side the new type of Dance bands who lead into the "New Romantics" phase. Rock/Metal bands had all aboundend the long over blown 25 minute epics in favour of the shorter more punchier numbers & we`d seen "NWOBHM" hit the streets. This in turn lead to the new American Metal scene which was being given huge amounts of exposuer in the British rock press with British bands unable to gain any publicity at all. If a band had any type of image it invariably revolved around black leather & studs with lots of fake blood etc. Anybody here remember W.A.S.P & there ilk ? Then something strange happend. Across the UK bands started springing up who were trying to put on shows which didn`t revolve around lots of blood & guts or black leather etc. Bands who started writing lyrics that actually ment something, & based around music that was capable of lasting beyond 4 minutes. The prog revival was on & at the head of them all came Marillion. The bands impact & reputation spread fast amongst the Rock crowd, they are the only band to have sold out the Marquee without actually having a record contract. EMI realised the band had something that even the American biased Rock press was responding too & signed the band up. The band released the brilliant " Market Square Heroes" as there 1st single. It charted. The 12inch also had the great " 3 Boats Down From The Candy" & the 17 minute epic that was "Grendal" on it all available here. This in turn was followed up with "He Knows You Know" & the catchy wordy "Charting The Single" again all available here in this package. The band announced a major UK tour. Venues such as the Hammersmith Odean & there like which sold out within days, all this without having an album release, again Marillion are the only band to ever have done this. As for the album itself......

A classic blend of modern style prog Rock yes there are early Genesis type overtones to it. Yes Steve Rothery`s guitar playing is remeniscent of Pink Floyds Dave Gilmour & yes Mark Kellys keyboards do have touch`s of Rick Wakeman to them but the band do still manage to sound like themselves for all of the obvious influences. What stood out at the time tho was the lyrics of frontman Fish. In a world of " I love you you love me under the moonlight" etc type banal pop lyrics or " 1234 were gonna rock you to the floor" style Rock lyrics Fish was a breath of fresh air. "Script For A Jesters Tear" "The Web" all dealing with the loss of love, breaking up having to come to turns with relationship breakdowns etc. "He Knows You Know" about drug addiction, "Garden Party" anti establishment & snobbery get it in the neck here. "Chelsea Monday" about an actress comiting suicide in order to get her name in the papers or "Forgotten Sons" about all those sons who die in wars. [ in this case Northern Ireland ]. All sung with a heart felt sincerity that was sadly lacking in practiculy all other types of music/bands of the time. The songs all have catchy moments in them which make them easy to listen to even now. Fish`s voice very Gabriel`ish in places allways has an urgency to it even crossing the line into anger & aggresion. Music that bobs & weaves its magical way through you allways listenable allways honest. An album that for me at least still holds up even today in a deeply sinacle world of celebrity`dom & faceless wanna`bes, this album still has those wafts of magic floating around it. An album that was in some respects a backwards glance, an acknowledgement of its past & were it came from but in a strange way was also looking forwards. An album that sticks out like a saw thumb in the glossy sounds of the 80`s if for no other reason than just being different from the rest. If your a Rock fan or somebody who likes good music then this is a must buy. A classic debut album by an up & coming band [ at the time of course ]Go buy it.

Not just the best album of 1983 the best album of the 80's. Ok so Marillion do sound like early Genesis (no bad thing) but they did have their own style too. Its worth getting the remastered/bonus version as these songs aren't just fillers.

My son who is into metal recently heard Garden Party - then wanted to hear the whole album and loved it - surely a testiment to its longivety. Fugazi is also worth a look.

When I look in the mirror of a morning, I see (apart from outstanding natural beauty!) some-one who likes Marillion staring back at me.
This is a gut wrenching admission on my part but what can I do? From an initial position of deep mistrust and even mockery, I have to be completely honest and confide: I have liked every record of their's I've heard, and I'm not sure why.

'SFAJT' is the absolute zenith of my confusion; a punky soul's worst nightmare.
I firmly believe if you can't say-what-you-gotta-say in 2 minutes it's time to pack up; yet 6 songs only, nothing under 5 minutes, why am I doing this to myself? What can I possibly be gaining?

The title track is a good example...nearly 9 minutes!!
It starts all slow and piano and then livens up in predictable rockist fashion (and isn't saying 'predictable' when referring to music, really predictable?).
This is something Busted or Avril would do, in a forced and feeble attempt at 'surprise'(to let it stay a ballad would be a REAL surprise!), but here, it just seems to work.

Ditto 'the Web':
"The rain auditions at my window,
It's sympathy echoes in my womb."
What!? There's a grown man writing this stuff! It invites scorn and derision on every level and yet, there's a dignity to it; a child-like aloofness which appeals.
You can almost hear Fish's schoolboy giggling off-mic, as he nudges excellent guitarist Steve Rotherhay (very much his partner in crime) and whispers: "Did you hear THAT!?"

Like a rock (good analogy - imaginary Amazon ed) it's its own purpose, good or bad, black or white, hard or soft. It's simply just there; it exists in the world and some of us choose to live with it - and don't we just love it?

I tried unsuccessfully to oust this unhealthy Marillion fixation when I finally reviewed 'Misplaced Childhood'.
I felt better afterwards, but not completely cured. I'm a cheery, intolerant punk-rocker, bold and true, I can't be seen to be liking (and I'm sure I'll get my reward in hell!) this Marillion stuff, but I do.

It's a funny thing, but I have friends (I do, honest!), who like hip-hop/rnb and stuff, who like them as well!
It's got me beat.

Anyway, 'SFAJT' - long, pompous songs that don't make any sense and unintelligible (bravo! - imaginary Amazon ed) lyrics, straight from the worst excesses of Yes and Wishbone Ash.
Can it get any better?

Four stars only because I don't like it as much as 'Misplaced Childhood' but (somehow!) it's a great album nonetheless.