SCRIPT FOR A JESTER'S TEAR

I was apprehensive about checking out the whole neo prog scene because of the many disparaging comments from other prog fans. However, I decided to check out this band, Marillion, since it seemed to garner the most praise for the sub-genre. I first heard the title track, which quite honestly is as good as any of the stuff that Genesis, one of the group's clear influences, put out during its prime. The rest of the album reaches similar heights, and it's very consistent. The vocal delivery and accompanying music is very passionate, often resembling emotions that the band wishes to conjure from listeners.

Now, the music itself is not exactly complex, but it is still fairly progressive in nature. This is not quite as experimental or technical as many other prog bands are, but in the end it still retains that influence. Regardless, the album stands as its own and needs no genre classification.

This album does manage to bring listeners on quite a melancholic journey, but some songs are clearly weaker than others.