SCRIPT FOR A JESTER'S TEAR

The best of the Fish era albums without a doubt and a very enjoyable rock album. Obviously I'm in the minority as to the importance of Marillion but I do respect that they carried the torch during this somewhat bleak period.

I saw the band live twice during this period and what struck me was how little they seemed to enjoy themselves. Fish especially looked like he couldn't wait to get off the stage. There was almost no interaction between the members, no smiles, little enthusiasm. The crowd was definately appreciate though and I enjoyed myself too. The first time I saw them was opening for Rush. What a double bill! The second time, during the Clutching tour, the band played all the new material and not even one song from Script. While the audience was calling out for Script and unhappy about not hearing any, I thought it was really brave of the band to stick with the new material.

There's not much need to break down the songs as it has been done many times by others. They are high quality, well composed, and well executed. The title track is a classic in any time and I'd never deny them that. 3 1/2 stars.