FUGAZI

After the success of their debut album, 'Script For a Jester's Tear,' Marillion proved themselves to be an unstoppable force. Mick Pointer was replaced by Ian Mosley, who played in Steve Hackett's band before joining Marillion. Ian Mosley is one of my favorite drummers, and his drumming on 'Fugazi' is some of his best ever recorded, in my opinion. 'Fugazi' is Marillion's sophomore album, and is representative of the difficult second album phenomenon. The difficult second album phenomenon, generally speaking, is the result of a band being given carte blanche after their successful debut and not knowing what to do. After watching the Fugazi Deluxe Edition documentary and reading the book as well as the Prog Magazine issue, I can positively affirm that that applied to Marillion. Nevertheless, this album has some great moments and songs.

The album opens with "Assassing." The lyrics are about Fish's difficult decision of firing Diz Minnitt, the original bass player for Marillion. The fact that they were both friends only made it harder for Fish to fire Diz. The lyric, "let bitter silence infect the wound," resonates with me deeply from personal circumstances. The droning bass tones and cries in the background from Fish gives the start of an album a middle-eastern flavor. Then, the entire band starts playing as Pete Trewavas plays a strong one-note bassline, Steve Rothery plays funky guitar chords, and Mark Kelly adds synths which give the song an unmistakable 80s quality. There is a guitar solo followed by a synth solo which is quite good. The shortest track, "Punch and Judy," starts with synth arpeggios. The band come in and play in a 7/8 time signature. I am especially fond of a good 3-2 clave, which is the rhythm during the verses. Pete Trewavas' basslines are great on this song in particular. "Jigsaw" is my favorite song on 'Fugazi.' The beginning of the song contains soft synths and vocals from Fish. Then, Fish belts the words "stand straight," leading into a juxtaposing chorus. I'm not the biggest fan of Fish as a singer, but his vocals on this track are chilling. Steve Rothery elevates the emotion of the song with a passionate guitar solo. There is an interesting key change that leads into the final chorus which is unexpected, but nevertheless remarkable as it gives the song extra energy towards the end.

The midpoint of 'Fugazi' is where the album falters. "Emerald Lies" starts with a syncopated rhythm which is interesting, but the rest of the song is forgettable. "She Chameleon" is the weakest song on 'Fugazi,' in my opinion. The song is incredibly monotonous from the start to the end. Mark Kelly plays a repetitive, simple melodic sequence on a church organ which is the foundation of the song. A synth is played during the bridge which adds some strength to the song, but not enough to redeem itself. "Incubus" wakes the listener up from the tedium that preceded it with an inventive Ian Mosley drum pattern. Atmospheric guitar arpeggios are used as the basis for the verses. The subdued piano-led section leads into a great Steve Rothery guitar solo. The coda ends the song with grandiosity. The title track starts with resonant piano and Fish vocals. A ritardando leads into guitar arpeggios, and aggressive bass and Fish vocals. The next section features great Ian Mosley cymbal work and a strong, pulsating one-note Pete Trewavas bassline. The music then transitions into a quieter section with atmospheric synths and more one-note basslines from Pete Trewavas! A beautiful crescendo culminates into a western-style guitar riff that accompanies great Fish lyrics. The title track fades out and the last thing you hear on the album are snare rolls.

In conclusion, 'Fugazi' is the weakest Fish-era Marillion album. All the other albums of this period of the band are near perfect, and unfortunately 'Fugazi' sticks out like a sore thumb. Nevertheless, 'Fugazi' is a great record, and I highly recommend it to fans of Marillion, especially Fish fans.