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.

[Scott]

Jon is right about this being a "grower"...  you may need this to sink in a bit and try more than once and then write back...

[Jon]

Yep, that's much better.

The fourth song kind of cuts off, but when I checked it goes right into "Warm Wet Circles" so I'll cut you some slack, I suppose.

As said before, if you've never heard Marillion before, you might not like them. Just give it a chance though, there's some really good music on these four albums. The post-Fish albums? Yeah, not really at least to me. 

These used to be available as double cd's, the album on the first one with a bunch of b-sides & outakes on the second disc. I think those are out of print, but you can get the single disc versions for fairly cheap.

Cool album covers too.

That's all I have to say. Nice, SHTy post.  

[RJhog (Admin)]

This was a very decent listen.  I really liked that first track, especially the drumming.  It sounds like the drummer bit the dust however after this album.

The second track is good musically, but I didn't care for the vocals.  Is that the Gabriel influence?  

Kayleigh I've heard before.  I think somebody posted it here.  I like it.  Very nice song and the geetar solo is terrific.

The last track does sound like it cuts off.  

Sounds like a good band.  I was never into Gabriel era Genesis, maybe it's time to do a little digging there and here.

Nice post Scott.

[Niels (Mod)]

And a good way to start, is................GENESIS REVISITED II !!!!

[Scott]

You keep mentioning this... Lately you've been pretty spot on when it comes to Prog. I'm going to take you up on the one....

[Niels (Mod)]

At long last, Scott. And while you're at it: You'll have to try out "We're here because We're here" by Anathema. You have Said, you liked their latest album. Believe me, when I say this is even better. Those 2 albums (Genesis 2 and We're here...) is without a doubt the 2 best albums, I have bought in 2013.

[Scott]

I love the Anathema CD... Will do on the other suggestion as well... But no more for now, or I will go broke.

[RJhog (Admin)]

You should by Cyclorama.  You need it.  Or at the very least, Regeneration.  This was all for you if you haven't realized it yet.

[Jon]

Especially after all the work and thought that was put into those posts, the redesigning of the front page...I just don't sense the appreciation.

[Scott]

I feel the love too! You guys are awesome! Larry would be proud...

[Jon]

Maybe it's just me, but that just sounds very hollow. Plus, I don't know any Larry's.  

[Niels (Mod)]

I am 100%, that you won't regret it. This "conversation" made me put Genesis Revisited 2 in the cd-player. And guess what album I heard two hours ago?" We're here.." Of course.
But be aware, not to buy Genesis Revisited 1. That one is no way nearly as good as "2".