Hidden Treasures - Neo Progressive

[Scott]

Neo-progressive rock (or often shortened to neo-prog, not to be confused with the significantly more modern new prog) is a sub-genre of progressive rock, developed in the UK and popular in the 1980s, although it lives on today.

Neo-progressive rock is characterized by deeply emotional content, often delivered via dramatic lyrics and a generous use of imagery and theatricality on-stage. The music is mostly the product of careful composition, relying less heavily on improvised jamming. The subgenre relies very much on clean, melodic & emotional electric guitar solos, combined with keyboards. The main musical influences on the neo-prog genre are Genesis, Yes, Camel, Marillion and Pink Floyd.

All the talk of Progressive Rock this week turns out be somewhat timely for me since I've been picking at a band that I owned very little of back in the day. But I did have one Marillion release on cassette. And then Niels posted a new release form them that caught my ear. I started to pick at some of their back catalog and just like that, I got reconnected. I love it when that happens. Anyway, a small investment later and here we are looking at 4 albums from this band. For those of you overseas, this may be not be so hidden, for all of us stateside, this will likely be new stuff!

Sit back, turn it up, enjoy, and let me know what you think!!

PLAYLIST --> http://snack.to/atm8wc9k

	Script For A Jesters Tear 1983 1 - He Knows You Know Script for a Jester's Tear is the debut album by the neo-progressive rock band Marillion, released in 1983. It reached number seven on the UK album chart and stayed on the chart for 31 weeks, the second longest chart residency of a Marillion album. The music on their debut album was born out of the intensive gigging of the previous years. Although it had some progressive rock stylings, it also had a darker edge, suggested by the bedsit squalour on the album's cover. During the tour to promote Script for a Jester's Tear, Mick Pointer was dismissed from the band.
	Fugazi 1984 2 - Assassing The second album, Fugazi, built upon the success of the first album with a more electronic sound and produced the single 'Assassing', although the band encountered numerous production problems. It was the first album with Ian Mosley on drums. It reached no. 5 on the UK album charts, stayed on the chart for a total of 20 weeks and contained the UK top 40 singles Punch And Judy (no. 29) and Assassing (no. 22). The album is so titled because it was produced under difficult circumstances, with the band employing and ejecting a number of drummers in quick succession following the departure of Mick Pointer, before finally settling on Mosley.
	Misplaced Childhood 1985 3 - Pseudo Silk Kimono/Kayleigh Their third and commercially most successful studio album was Misplaced Childhood. With the blessing of their record company, the band was free to depart stylistically from their previous albums, in the process developing a more mainstream sound. The lead single from the album, "Kayleigh", received major promotion by EMI and gained heavy rotation on BBC Radio 1 and Independent Local Radio stations as well as television appearances, bringing the band to the attention of a much wider audience. The band were able to showcase their ability to juxtapose easily accessible rock ballads ("Kayleigh", charting at No. 2 in the United Kingdom, behind charity fundraiser "You'll Never Walk Alone" by The Crowd, and "Lavender", which charted at No. 5) with darker subject matter on the album such as drug abuse, alcoholism and prostitution, ultimately leading to rebirth and redemption, all inspired by Fish's life experiences.
	Clutching At Straws 1987 4 - Hotel Hobbies Clutching at Straws is the fourth studio album, and is a concept album. It was the last album with lead singer Fish who left the band in 1988. Although commercially not quite as successful as its 1985 predecessor Misplaced Childhood – Clutching at Straws spent 15 weeks on the UK album chart (the shortest chart residency of any of Marillion's first four studio albums) – it still reached number two (the second highest chart placing for a Marillion album) and it is considered to be among the best work of Marillion's "Fish era" by many fans and critics, and also Fish himself, as he has stated in several interviews.

[Jon]

What is "bedsit squalour"?

The player only plays the first and part of the last song????? WHY?

I was in England when "Misplaced Childhood" came out. I didn't really hear of Marillion before that album, plus there was someone that kept harping on a song about a table with wet rings left by a glass. "Warm Wet Circles", maybe? But that didn't come out until '87 or so. Now I'm confused.

This is kinda a "grower" band. First listen it seems kinda bland, but after repeated listens it gets better. I have only one post-Fish album and don't like it. These four albums are outstanding.

What's wrong with the player??????? We didn't have that issue with the true blue Styx postings from last week.

[Scott]

Hmmm,.. That damn Gowan cursed the player! Honestly I don't why it's not working. Will have to check it this evening

[Niels (Mod)]

Now we're talking business!! Classic Marillion is great! I'll be sure to check this out, and if the player doesn't work, I know the songs already, but I'll refreshen my memory by going to Youtube.

Marillion was at first accused of being a Genesis-rip off-band, and Fish DID had some wired costumes aso at concerts, and they DID sound a lot like Gabrial-era Genesis to me.

One of my pals was a fan from the beginning, but I only bought MC and CAS when they where released. In '85 I bought MC, but didn't really like it, so I sold it to my pal. But in '87, CAS was released to rave reviews in europe, and I bought it, and lo and behold, I loooved it. It is still my absolute favorite Marillion-album. A very, VERY good concept-album. If you only want one Marillion-album, this is the one!!

[RJhog (Admin)]

Yep, only got track one and a smidgeon of track 5.

[Scott]

Ugh... Sorry guys. I will fix this tonight

[RJhog (Admin)]

No problem, I'll just listen to Regeneration again.

[Jon]

Yep, no issues with THAT player! Plus I am still able to listen to "Cyclorama" on your player in all it's total gloriousness! 

[Scott]

Regurgitation?  

[Niels (Mod)]

"He Knows You Know" - I can't say, that I remember listening to this track, but I must have. I remember seeing the album at the record-store side by side with Metallica's debut-album, and I onsidered buying both of them, but never did. I waited 2 years until I bought albums by those 2 bands. I didn't really get Marillion at first, since I was in to a heavier style of music, but it sounds very good now. I've always liked the guitar-sound especially, but also the classic synth-sund. Marillion was soooo much better with Fish, than with Steve Hogarth.

"Assassing" - Wow, a lot of s's. This one I know. My friend played this album over and over. I like this track, but it's not the best track on the album. That is probably the title-track, as far as I remember. Listening to it now, it's not as good as "He Knows You Know". It has an annoying 80's-sound.

"Pseudo Silk Kimono" is a great track, but it's a bit simple, and then goes in to their biggest ever hit, "Kayleigh" which was overplayed in Europe. Probably the reason why I sold the album. I HATED hit's, that was played over and over at the radio. It was also to poppiesh. The start of "Kayleigh" has a Pink Floydish guitar-sound, but as I said, I really like the sound of the Marillion-guitar. Great solo as well.

"Hotel Hobbies" - This is no where near the best track on the album, but it's good nevertheless. But it's one of those albums, that you need to listen to all the way through. Some tracks might stand out, but it's an ALBUM, just like "Operation Mindcrime". I really recommend this album, even though it also has that 80's sound. Again a great sounding guitar. One of alltimes best concept-albums. They where never as good as this again, not Marillion and neither Fish-solo.

[Niels (Mod)]

No, it wasn't the title-track from "Fugazi", that I liked best from that album. It was "Punch And Judy".

[Scott]

The player has been fixed!!

[RJhog (Admin)]

I'll give it a listen tomorrow.