REAL TO REEL - BRIEF ENCOUNTER

In 1997 I was still looking for La Gazza Ladra in CD when a friend told me Real to Reel (Marillion´s first live album) was release in Brazil in a double CD package that included the Brief Encounter EP. I had to buy it right away, not only because Real to Reel was a favourite of mine (I had it on vinyl for years already) but because the EP was never released in Brazil. Better still: the new remastering CD had an extra track (Emerald Lies) not included on the LP (it was a bonus track for the cassette offering at the time). It was really a treat for a me, a fan at a time when progressive CDs were very expensive and quite hard to find.

The live album is, of course, a masterpiece, and you can read my review on it here on PA, under its own banner. I still listen to it frequently. This is the kind of record that only gets better with time. The EP is, of course, the typical cash in affair from the recording company, trying to get as much money as they could in America after the success of Keyleigh, mixing live tracks and studio stuff previously released: it has two studio tunes (both singles b-sides): Lady Nina and Freaks. Good stuff, but not very representative of their main work. The live tracks however, were the real thing: one each from their previous albums: Script For A Jesters Tear (from their debut), Fugazi (from their second LP of the same name) and Kayleigh (from Misplaced Childhood). It was though as a good introduction the band to the american audience who had only known them for Keyleigh and Lavender. The live sound quality is good, although not as good as the ones which were later released on the La Gazza Ladra (The Thieving Magpie) live album. On its own Brief Encounter is hardly essential, but as an extra for Real To Reel, it is really worth it. So I got the best combination. Try to get this one too if you don´t have it yet.

Rating: 4,5 stars. Only a double live CD of the same shows as recorded at the time and place of Real to Real would make this package better. Highly recommended!