FUGAZI

After a rather disappointing debut, 'Fugazi' really sees Marillion start to become the band we all know and love. Not that I hated 'Script for a Jester's Tear' mind you, but I mostly found it to be a rather dull album, with all but one song failing to keep my attention throughout its duration.

But this... this is more like it!

Everything here is a step up from its predecessor. The songs are a lot more energetic and infectious, with excellent production giving the music a nice, clean sound, a thumping bass track and great interplay between guitarist Steve Rothery and keyboardist Mark Kelly. And charismatic vocalist Fish gives the band a flamboyant majesty, reminiscent of old Genesis.

'Fugazi' isn't without its faults though. Besides occasionally smelling of 80's cheese, a couple of the songs do lag from time to time, though it's not really a detriment to the overall album, and the stronger tracks more than make up for it. With plenty of nice keyboard leads and catchy duel harmonies, there's a lot of enthusiastic performances that make 'Fugazi' an easy record to listen to from start to finish.

'Assassing', 'Punch and Judy', 'Incubus' and the incredible title track are all highlights that make this release a worthy addition to the collection, and goes to show why Marillion's early albums are held in such high regard by fans.