FUGAZI

Fugazi was the very first LP I bought, after a year or two of listening and taping other people's LPs. In my early days of fandom (it was more intensive than anything later in my rock history, but it wore itself out eventually) I even thought Fugazi was my favourite album. I definitely overplayed both Fugazi and Script at the time, but it seems that Fugazi doesn't stand the test of time quite as well as Misplaced Childhood and Clutching at Straws.

'Assassing' is a banal, catchy opener, but it starts interestingly and is a good introduction track for the new drummer Ian Mosley. His tight drum sound is very much upfront on this album. 'Punch & Judy' is a speedy and even more commercial song, one of the weakest Fish-era Marillion songs in my opinion. 'Jigsaw' keeps on repeating the hollow A-B-A-B formula (refrain-chorus) but it has a nice guitar solo and the bright - but cheesy - key sound. 'Emerald Lies' finds Fish using his vocals in a very theatrical way; despite some great moments and total progressivity, this highly original song is a bit pretentious too.

The second side is more progressive and solid. 'She Chameleon' is a creepingly slow and powerful song about groupies, featuring church organ and a delicious, fast synth solo. 'Incubus' is my favourite. The multi-part composition builds a fine arch and the lyrics are exciting. It's about blackmailing, "pornographic images on which you'll always be the star". The intro of the title track is a highlight too. Fugazi is a colourful album that easily charms - or at least charmed at the time - young listeners with its accessible and theatrical Neo Prog and tasty soli of guitar or keyboards, but which in the end is too eighties-sounding (especially in production) and too pretentious to compete with their next two albums.