INCOMMUNICADO

"Incommunicado" is a single release by UK progressive rock act Marillion. The single was released through EMI Records in May 1987 as a teaser for the subsequent release of the band´s fourth full-length studio album "Clutching at Straws" (June 1987). Lead vocalist Fish wrote the lyrics to explain how fame alienates an artist from their fans and the world in general. As always the lyrics are spawned from Fish´s own personal experiences.

The "Incommunicado" single exists in a couple of different versions. The original 7" version features a shortened single edit of the title track (which appears in it´s full version on "Clutching at Straws") and B-side track "Going Under" (which is also culled from "Clutching at Straws"), while the original 12" features the album version of "Incommunicado" on the A-side and an alternate mix version of the track on the B-side along with "Going Under".

"Incommunicado" is a relatively unusual Marillion track as it´s an uptempo rocker with a pounding beat and a strong keyboard hook and solo. Although Marillion certainly have had a few uptempo tracks on preceding releases ("Market Square Heroes" immediately comes to mind), it´s not what they do most or best). "Incommunicado" is a strong track though featuring great energy and power. "Going Under" is the complete opposite as it´s a slow, mellow, and melancholic track.

Since both tracks on "Incommunicado" are available on "Clutching at Straws", this single is a bit redundant unless you´re a completist. The quality of the material is high though and a 3.5 star (70%) rating isn´t all wrong.