RECITAL OF THE SCRIPT

Recital of the Script was originally a concert video with highlights of an April 1983 Marillion gig at the Hammersmith Odeon; this two-CD treat from 2009 presents the audio of the entire concert, with a great remastering job which results in a massive improvement in sound quality - both compared to the DVD and to the December 1982 show at the Marquee found in the Early Stages boxed set, which has a very similar setlist to this one.

The band present all the tracks from Script For a Jester's Tear as well as the preceding Market Square Heroes EP, rounding things off with a performance of Charting the Single - the B-side from the He Knows You Know single. All of Fish's stage banter with the audience is preserved, preserving the live atmosphere (and, thanks to the lack of edits, conveying it more faithfully than the video ever did), and on top of that the band give a great performance, Steve Rothery in particular spicing up his guitar work with a more aggressive edge than in the studio recordings.

Although the performance of Grendel is a little flat, the track seemingly not having benefited from the remastering process as much as the rest of the material, this is still a great value live set from Marillion, and perhaps the most high-quality live recording extant of the Script For a Jester's Tear lineup (Mick Pointer would leave the band very shortly after this concert). Those who are particularly keen on Marillion's debut album will find a lot to love here.