BRIEF ENCOUNTER

My first Marillion review (and maybe last, due to my personal reviewing principles). What is Brief Encounter about? The simple answer: "Let's keep the fans satisfied - or more frankly, some money coming - since we're gonna have 2 years break with studio albums." Yeah, I was there, a fan waiting for new material, but I'm happy to recall it was my friend who bought this fan-thing of two b-side songs and three live tracks in half an hour's length. My friend played me 'Lady Nina' on the phone, ha. Those childish teenage days... Anyway our anxiety was well rewarded with Clutching at Straws next year. Also I got B'Sides Themselves in '88, but that compilation makes sense, especially for Grendel, if you don't buy singles.

I give extremely little value to things like this, and the same goes with maxi-singles and extended versions in general. It's so transparently commercial from a band (or record company) and in time they don't have hardly any value, in a practical sense I mean. How many live versions of individual songs anyone needs? I myself often don't care much for even one if the original pleases me.

I dedicate this review friendly to Gatot. A toast to the nostalgia of fandom days!