VIDEO

This EP was quite funny for me at time of release because it was part of Hammersmith Odeon's live performance where the band (through EMI) released the VHS version of "Recital of The Script". It was part of EMI's marketing strategy, I thought. I remember vividly that I purchased this EP with the laser disc format in Singapore but with PAL system where my player was NTSC. Of course, I could nit watch the laser disc but I was so PROUD having this laser disc which still with me until now and never been played till I'm writing this. I once thought buying a PAL laser disc player for the sake of watching this laser disc. Lucky that my colleague had the VHS version so finally I could watch this EP. It features only two songs: "Grendel" from the debut LP with an excellent live performance where Fish was using masque and played an act with a boy watched the show; and also "The Web" from debut album "Script". It was kind like feeling relieved that finally I could watch this live video and it completed the whole Hammersmith Odeon set.

But that was THEN, and this is NOW ...

You do not need to worry purchasing this EP in the VHS format as EMI has incorporated these two video into one DVD: "Recital of The Script"; so now you have a full liveset of the real live performance. I have written the review of this DVD in this site. But for this EP, I would not recommend you to buy (if it's still available in the market) even though this is a good video. Decision is yours. Keep on proggin' ..

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

I bought this video before recital of the script (it was cheaper) and it had one of my favourite tracks ..Grendl.

For what it is (a limited snippet of a concert) it is brilliant.

grendl has been played agina and again: the saxon helm (sutton hoo like) and the acted ripping apart of a awestruck fan providing the highlight. Sound quality is poor by today's standards (actually it wasn't great by 1983 standards either) but it is the visual impact of the performance that is memorable. Grendl is a great piece is its own right and it doesn't matter that one passage borrows the music directly from Apocaplyse 9/8.

The Web (also the name of the fan club at the time) is also strong.

This would have been a 5* but the contents are now available as a bonus on a DVD so you'd be much better advised to add that to your collection.

It is intriguing that this release has become available on DVD with both the tracks appearing on the "Recital of the Script" VHS that is now a DVD. The DVD is fairly good as it is a visual record of the Fish era Marillion captured before an entranced crowd. The encore on the DVD is Grendel and it is exactly the same as the performance here that used to be only available on VHS that nobody cares about now.

On VHS this EP was a real curio. It is great to watch Fish go about weirding out audience members with his kabuki medieval masque. The highlight is when he lifts a young boy out of the audience, who seems bewildered, frightened perhaps, and Fish with creepy mask on pretends to slap the boy about; though it is fantasy violence, I don't think that boy will forget the moment. He gently lowers him back into the crowd and the concert ends. They don't do things like that these days!

The Web is the last performance of the classic song and Grendel was part of an unplanned third encore according to the band.

So I am glad I did not buy this long ago as I saw it on the shelf with the "Recital of the Script" for the SAME PRICE (shock, horror)! Just get the full concert on DVD and leave this VHS in the bargain bin.