SCRIPT FOR A JESTER'S TEAR

This album rocked my world when I first heard it back in 1983 and it has been a constant traveller with me through the years. There have been many comparisons with Gabriel era Genesis (which I love dearly) and although I do see why that is I must say that this was harder edged than Genesis were emotively and musically. Today I scour the music world for music that compares, especially on the vocal side - where Fish could instantly go from extemely gentle, to outright anger, to sarcasm without skipping a beat. This guys voice was a musical instrument on its own here in the context of the band and the music. The closest that I've found in recent music is Stu Nicholson from Galahad. I don't know why but only recently am I starting to enjoy Peter Hammil's work with Van Der Graaf Generator and I see similarity between him and Fish as well relating to delivery.

Steve Rothery is amazing on this album with his very emotional lead guitar breaks, as is Kelly on keyboard duty. Hell, the whole thing is an amazing work of musical heaven. At a time when "prog music" was very much on a downhill track this album was one of the pillars that held things together and further than that it forever changed the face of the music that I know and love. Neo Prog was born and today, although I love all kinds of music, the neo prog umbrella is what I find myself standing underneath most of the time when I listen to music - which I do a lot of the time.

There is not a track on this album which I don't love immensely or that I find to be an album weak point. I don't have the extended release although I did add "Grendel" to my personal electronic copy of the album as I feel it rounds the album off superbly. A giant work from a giant band - a fully deserved 5 stars from my side for an album that not only impacted me relating to my future musical preference but also solidly impacted the face of prog music.