FUGAZI

"Assassing" has a great beat (sounds a bit disco, or at least "club" no?). It is a very hard number. Very strong rhytmic section. It is almost hard. Some great keys of course. Fish finally sounding more as Fish than ... We'll get a very commercial tune with "Puch & Judy", one of their many hit-singles. Because Marillion will also be a singles band. Whatever happens to...I like this song very much. Powerful, straight to the point, simple. Music does not need always to sound complicated. If it sounds good, it is also fine with me.

We'll revert more to the traditional Marillion mood with "Jigsaw". A very subtle number, full of melodies and featuring a great guitar solo. Full of passion, as usual. One of my fave here. "Emeralad Lies" is also a good song. Again on the heavy side during the intro but Fish brings, for one of the first time on this album, his so delicate vocals. Almost acoustic at times, it brings a bit of a relief in this rather hard sounding album (but you know that I do not dislike hard music).

"She Cameleon" is also a very pleasant number. More complex, with several tempo changes and a scheming atmosphere. Rothery delivers again a very nice guitar break that is very much welcome. But anyway, what is just the F..K ? as Fish sings ?

With "Incubus", we'll probalby reach the hardest Marillion side. Hypnotic rhythm almost throughout these 8'30". Fortunately, I would say, we'll have another brilliant guitar break which will reming a bit the Marillion of their debut. The title track and the closing number will not break with the overall mood : hard for most of it. Still, I like very much the second half of this song. Fish is so convincing during this part ! Do, do, do, do, do you realize this world is totally Fugazzi ? IMO, this is the most beautiful part of this album. But where are the visonaries ?

As usual wit Marillion, we'll get a full bonus CD with their remastered CD version. I purchased their whole remastered series in about two weeks (in 2004). I was so deep in love with this band that I almost listened to them for about two months. I have to admit that even if it is a nice present to the fan (since at the time I purchase it, it was almost the price of a single CD), it does not compete with the bonus CD of their debut album.

On this one, no "Grendel" type of songs of course. It is more a collection of bonus tracks like one has the habit to find on remastering versions : reformatting of existing songs (alternative mixes and demo versions). Not bad at all, but of course when you've listened to their first one of the genre, this bonus one is not on par.

Two non album songs are featured : "Cinderella Search" and "Three Boats Down From The Candy" (already available in another format on their previous bonus CD). "Cinderella" is a somewhat different from the tracks of the original album : more in line with their previous work. Subtle, harmonious, nice. Marillion. This might well be the best number of the whole (original and bonus CD).

We are far from the subtlity of "Script". This one was IMO a pure symphonic piece of music. With this album, Marillion enters effectively in the Neo-prog genre. I quite enjoy, hard music at times but I must admit that it was not the type of music I was expecting from Marillion after their brilliant debut album.

They produced this album in a hurry. Trying to capitalize on their growing fame. Actually almost stardom. This was probably a mistake. IMO it the least interesting Marillion album from the Fish era. It is a good album, but not more. Three stars.

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