EARLY STAGES : THE HIGHLIGHTS

My first 'Marillion early stage experience' was June 1984, at the annual Dutch Pinkpop festival concert during the Fugazi tour, and it turned out to be my most magical one! We arrived the evening before the concert, slept in our car, the next morning we joined the hundreds of Marillion fans (with Marillion t-shirts, banners and some dressed like a jester), and in an euphoric mood we all gathered in front of the stage. The Pinkpop Marillion gig was an unforgettable experience: an inspired band and the charismatic frontman Fish delivering his funny song introductions and theatrical stage antics. From that moment I wanted to experience 'the early stage Marillion' everyday and bought one bootleg after another. I have always cherished these bootlegs, also because I was very disappointed about The Thieving Magpie live double album. Because that was not the great live atmosphere I knew from the exciting Marillion gigs. In 2013 EMI released Early Stages : The Highlights (a compilation of the 6-CD collector's box' Early Stages : The Official Bootlegs 1982-1988) featuring most of the bootleg recordings I was so exited about, and as a bonus the previously unreleased Fife Aid 1988 version of Market Square Heroes.

Disc 1: Early Marillion was an exciting live band: from their first gig in 1980 and they build an excellent live reputation, earning a huge cult-following. There was always a very pleasant interaction between the band and the fans, and we could enjoy 'the Fish talks' (with that Scottish accent). And often more powerful and slighty extended versions than the studio tracks. Songs also developped, just listen to She Chameleon: an other keyboard sound (more subdued) and a more rocky guitar, a pretty embryonal sound. The Mayfair and Marquee concerts also deliver a cosy 'pub-atmosphere', the advantage of a small venue. Musically I notice that Mark Kelly often uses a Farfisa organ in the very early days, on She Chameleon, Chelsea Monday and Forgotten Sons. And I am not pleased with Mick Pointer his frequent and irritating hi-hat hitting. The drums skills are way better on the other tracks after 1982, with Andy Ward and later Ian Mosley. A nice surprise is the Mellotron violin sound in the intro of Script For A Jester's Tear (yes, Marillion had a Mellotron M400 on stage!), it's not on the later album version. Another nice surprise is the synthesizer improvisation halfway Forgotten Sons (also not on the later album version). These are the extra's you are waiting for on releases like this!

The Reading Rock festival in 1983 was a kind of home game for Marillion, all those many Marillion fans generated an euphoric atmosphere. I love the Grendel version with a very strong grand finale, featuring howling electric guitar and majestic Mellotron choirs, neo-prog goose bumps! In Charting the single you can hear a freaky intro with the Minimoog synthesizer, also not on the studio version.

Disc 2 : The Hammersmith Odeon gig in 1984 was the Fugazi tour, the album that showcased Marillion their own musical formula (no more a pastiche of Gabriel-era Genesis), the band was an experienced and tight unit. We can enjoy a very good atmosphere and sound, this is early Marillion at its creative peak: excellent versions of Assasing (Ian Mosley was such an asset), Punch And Judy (huge crowd participation) and the absolute highlight Fugazi (great spirit and Fish singing "the world is totally Fugazi", wearing that Vietnam outfit, how compelling). Halfway the concert Fish told the crowd about Marillion and "the new direction", as a prelude to the new songs, from the forthcoming new album Misplaced Childhood. You can hear the difference with the Fugazi tracks, Fish became more dominant with his vocals and lyrics and there is less chemistry,in my opinion. But the crowd loved it, especially the sentimental Kayleigh.

In 1987 Marillion had become a 'biggie': the smash hit Kayleigh became #2 in the UK with 200.000 sold copies, and Misplaced Childhood even reached the #1 ranking in the UK with 300.000 sold copies (both in 1985). So in 1987 Marillion had earned the status to play in the huge Wembley Arena, during the Clutching At Straws tour. Again the atmosphere and sound are very good, Fish does his funny song introductions and the crowd participation is fine . But personally I found the tracks close to boring, Fish had taken total control, and it was no surprise that this was the final album from Marillion with Fish.

Fife Aid, St. Andrews 1988 : A two day festival that also featured Rick Wakeman, Jack Bruce, Phil Manzanera, and Osibisa! It was Fish his final performance with Marillion, so Fish singing "I found smog at the end of my rainbow, I found my thoughts shift slowly into phase. Declared the constitution of the walkway, I realise it's time to plan the day" was pretty ironical! I like this version of Market Square Heroes (the previously unreleased bonus track), with strong drumming and a surprising break featuring parts of My Generation (The Who) and Let's Twist Again (Chubby Checker) with an inspired Fish, "you are the heroes" he tells the public in the end, goodbey.

This is another obvious attempt from EMI to plunder the wealthy wallets of the longing progheads! But on the other hand it's also a very good introduction to the magical early Marillion live, if you don't own that 6-CD box, like me.

Review Nº 687

As we know, when Fish was in Marillion as a band's member, the group only released two live albums, "Real To Reel" in 1984 and "The Thieving Magpie ? La Gaza Ladra" in 1988. However, much live material that was recorded during the permanence of Fish in Marillion was recorded and was later released in several live albums and live compilations after Fish left Marillion. So, this is the case of "Early Stages: The Highlights", which is the subject of this my review of today.

"Early Stages: The Highlights" is a compilation of Marillion which was released in 2013. "Early Stages: The Highlights" is nothing more than a compilation of the "Early Stages: The Official Bootlegs 1982-1987", a box set containing six separated live albums of Marillion that was released in 2008. "Early Stages: The Official Bootlegs 1982-1987" contains live recordings that were previously only circulated as bootlegs or even material that was previously not available in this form. "Early Stages: The Highlights" is a smaller version and is ideal for those who don't have that six CD box set.

CD 1: Live at the Mayfair, Glasgow, 13th September 1982. Tracks: "Garden Party", "She Chameleon" and "Three Boats Down From The Candy". Live at the Marquee Club, London, 30th December 1982. Tracks: "Script For A Jester's Tear", "Chelsea Monday" and "Forgotten Sons". Live at the Reading Festival, 27th August 1983. Tracks: "Grendel", "Charting The Single" and "He Knows You Know".

CD 2: Live at Hammersmith Odeon, London, 14th December 1984. Tracks: "Assassing", "Punch And Judy", "The Pseudo-Silk Kimono", "Kayleigh", "Bitter Suite", "Heart Of Lothian" and "Fugazi". Live at Wembley Arena, London, 5th November 1987. Tracks: "Slainte Mhath", "Sugar Mice", "Hotel Hobbies", "Warm Wet Circles", "That Time Of The Night" and "The Last Straw". Live at Fife Aid, St. Andrews, 23th July 1988. Track: "Market Square Heroes". The original studio tracks were originally released in different forms: "Grendel", "Three Boats Down From The Candy" and "Market Square Heroes" were originally recorded on their debut EP "Market Square Heroes", of 1982. "Charting The Single" was originally recorded as the B side of their single "He Knows You Know", of 1983. "Garden Party", "He Knows You Know", "Forgotten Sons", "Chelsea Monday" and "Script For A Jester's Tear" were originally recorded on their debut studio album "Script For A Jester's Tear", of 1983. "She Chameleon", "Assassing", "Punch And Judy", and "Fugazi" were originally recorded on their second studio album "Fugazi", of 1984. "Pseudo-Silk Kimono", "Kayleigh", "Bitter Suite" and "Heart Of Lothian" were originally recorded on their third studio album "Misplaced Childhood", of 1985. "Slainte Mhath", "Sugar Mice", "Hotel Hobbies", "Warm Wet Circles", "That Time Of The Night" and "The Last Straw" were originally recorded on their fourth studio album "Clutching At Straws", of 1987.

So, from "Market Square Heroes" we have the three tracks. It's an excellent debut work from the band. "Market Square Heroes" soon became an important landmark to the prog rock music. Especially "Grendel" that is one of their best tracks and their great epic. From "Script For A Jester's Tear" we have five tracks. It's an amazing work and represented a landmark and a breath of fresh air that progressive rock music needed so much at the time. We can say that since "Script For A Jester's Tear" the world of progressive rock has raised again and no longer was the same. From "Fugazi" we have four tracks. It's another great work and remains an album highly recommended to all prog rock fans. It isn't as good as the debut but has some amazing moments too. But, it simply mustn't be compared with the previous one. From "Misplaced Childhood" we have four tracks. It's their crown of glory. With that album Marillion reached the status of be one of the best prog rock bands. From "Clutching At Straws" we have six tracks. It's another excellent work. Probably it's a more mature work than the three previous works. Perhaps the lyrics and compositions are more emotional and dramatic as ever on Fish's era. Finally, we have also a track that was only released as a single, "Charting The Single".

Conclusion: While Fish was in the band, Marillion recorded four extraordinary albums and each of them is presented in some fashion across this compilation. Through these never before heard tracks, through "Early Stages: The Highlights", we find early interpretations of the works we would come to find on "Script For A Jester's Tear", "Fugazi", "Misplaced Childhood" and "Clutching At Straws", not forgetting their great debut work, the EP "Market Square Heroes". Facts like these make of this compilation a great journey into the bands beginnings and time with Fish in the live sense because when it came down to the official releases we would only get "The Thieving Magpie". But that album was more focused on "Misplaced Childhood" and "Clutching At Straws" the most and left far too much off for the heavy duty fans. And that's where these shows now come into play as an incredible find. But is even better if fans, instead of "Early Stages: The Highlights", spend a bit more money and they buy "Early Stages: The Official Bootlegs 1982-1987".

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)