SCRIPT FOR A JESTER'S TEAR

Among the greatest debut albums of all time, Marillion really caught the world off guard with their progressive craftmanship of songs. This is arguably the album that started the Neo-Prog genre, and it is rightly so. The songs aren't as complicated as their symphonic counterparts, and they are a lot more accessible than... say... Supper's Ready. Anyway, the musicianship is top-notch, with great guitar work by Rothery, great bass by Trewavas, great keyboard work by Kelly, and incredible vocals and lyrics by Derek Dick (AKA Fish), from start to finish, this album is filled with angst and desperation, and the music is extremely well crafted. Rather than talk about each track, I will discuss my favorites.

The opener, Script for a Jester's Tear, is among the best Marillion tracks. Opening with classical Piano and quiet vocals from Fish, the song quickly goes through many different moods. At one point the track is upbeat, and at one point the track is downbeat and sullen. Regardless, this track features some of the best playing from the group. Fish's mastery of the english language is also well represented with incredible and tasteful lyrics throughout.

My other favorite track, Forgotten Sons, features incredible and emotional vocals from Fish, awesome guitar from Rothery, and incredible keyboard work from Kelly. It seems that from Market Square Heroes on that the group were able to create not overly intricate tracks and allow for the lyrics to take the forefront rather than the music.

Overall, this is not an album to be missed. I recommend this to any fan of progressive rock. However, some may find boring spots throughout, and there are a few, but not enough to make one dislike the album IMO. 4.5/5.