SCRIPT FOR A JESTER'S TEAR

"Script For A Jester's Tear" is the debut studio album of Marillion and was released in 1983. The album was released after their fantastic EP "Market Square Heroes" with also "Three Boats From The Candy" and on the B side with their great epic "Grendel". The line up on the album is Derek Dick "Fish" (vocals), Steve Rothery (guitars), Mark Kelly (keyboards), Pete Trewavas (bass) and Mick Pointer (drums). Beyond "Market Square Heroes", this is the only album to feature Pointer in the group. He left Marillion to found Arena where he is still their current drummer.

"Script For A Jester's Tear" has six tracks. All songs were written by Fish, Rothery, Trewavas, Pointer and Kelly, except "The Web" which was also written by Brian Jellyman and "He Knows You Know", "Garden Party" and "Forgotten Sons" which were also written by Jellyman and Diz Minnett. The first track is the title track "Script For A Jester's Tear". This is a fantastic song, is a brilliant opener and is also without any doubt a memorable musical moment on the album. It's clearly progressive rock music with a strong melody and sung wonderfully by the magnificent voice of Fish. It's a song that reminds us perfectly, the good old times of the progressive rock music, especially the masterpieces of Genesis in the vein of Gabriel's era. The second track "He Knows You Know" was the song chosen to be Marillion's second single and is a song that tells us about the abuse of drugs, and alludes particularly to intravenous drug use. This is the shortest song on the album but it's still a great track and represents also another great musical moment on the album. It's a very powerful song with powerful lyrics too. The song begins with the guitar followed by Fish's voice and soon the keyboards appear also and then, the song reaches its great musical climax when the drum section enters on the scene. The third track "The Web" is another great song with a beautiful composition and powerful lyrics and is very enjoyable to listen to. Probably it isn't as appealing as the other two previous songs, but it's without any doubt a song that fixes us firmly into the territory of the progressive rock music. This is a very melodic song and it has also a magnificent harmonic musical progression, making of it a truly progressive track. It has also magnificent individual musical performances, especially the fantastic guitar work of Rothery and the magnificent and bombastic keyboard work of Kelly. The fourth track "Garden Party" was another song chosen to be released as a single and it was their third single. This time, the song is a parody of social elitism and snobbery in our society and this is probably the least depressing song on the album. The lyrics are absolutely fantastic, very satiric, and it represents perhaps Fish's best lyrical performance on the entire album. This song reminds me strongly the very personal and unique style of Gabriel in the good old Genesis' times. This is also, in my humble opinion, another great track. The fifth track "Chelsea Monday" is another great song and represents another highest moment on the album. This is one of the simplest tracks on the album but it's still a very powerful song. It became one of the classic songs of the band and it remains, even today, as fresh as it was in those days. This always was one of my favourite songs of the group, very mellow with a very reach musical ambience and with also very deep lyrics that almost make us cry. The musical arrangement of this song is, for my taste, absolutely fantastic. The sixth and last track "Forgotten Sons" represents another highlight of the album and is without any doubt a perfect way to close this incredible musical work. This track represents for many of us the best musical moment on the album. The opening of this song is very powerful and reminds us a group of soldiers marching into their destination, the battlefield. It's also a song with very powerful lyrics and a clear political message. This is, in my humble opinion, one of their greatest pieces of music with absolutely fantastic individual musical performances, culminating with a great guitar solo. This is really a very powerful and overwhelming song, a great close for the album.

Conclusion: It's commonly accepted that "Script For A Jester's Tear" is with "Misplaced Childhood" probably the two best studio albums released by the group in the music era of Fish. It's also true that the opinion of which of these albums is the best, is divided. Both have their supporters. However, and in my humble opinion, "Misplaced Childhood" is a better album because is a more cohesive and well balanced musical work. Still, nobody can't deny the fundamental importance of "Script For A Jester's Tear", in those times, for progressive rock. In a certain way "Script For A Jester's Tear" was as important as "In The Court Of The Crimson King" of King Crimson was for the progressive rock music in the 70's. In the summer of 1982 the punk explosion was gone but remained some echoes, a parade of a new romantic musical movement. So, when the music world seemed to be at the mercy of the new romantics, "Script For A Jester's Tear" represents a landmark and a breath of fresh air that progressive rock music, so needed at the time. We can even say that since "Script For A Jester's Tear" the world of progressive rock has raised again and no longer was the same.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

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