Album of the Day

Herewith, we introduce a new feature to Blogito Ergo Sum—Album of the Day.

Marillion
Script for a Jester’s Tear
1983
EMI Records
Produced by Nick Tauber

I haven’t listened to this in a while, but this morning’s New York Times Acrostic Puzzle had a quote about the qualifications of being a jester, so the CD player in my head cued up this album. SFAJT was the debut LP by new-progressive band Marillion, and came on the heels of a brace of popular (at least in Britain) singles, “Market Square Heroes” and “He Knows, You Know,” the latter of which made its way onto the album. Marillion couldn’t have been more out of step with the times; at the height of 80s-esque New Wave, here was a band that picked up right where Peter Gabriel-era Genesis left off (1973, basically). Lead singer Fish (né Derek Dick) even sounded not unlike Gabriel, and even performed in costumes and greasepaint—much like Gabriel. If that weren’t enough, the debut single’s B side (this was the era of vinyl, after all) was a 17-minute epic called “Grendel” that was reminiscent of Genesis’ own 20+-minute “Supper’s Ready.” One movement of “Grendel” even quoted one of the riffs of “Supper’s Ready.” Oh, and the single was produced by David Hitchcock who produced...Genesis’ Foxtrot, the album that featured “Supper’s Ready.” The Genesis comparisons aside—and digging into the album, there really aren’t all that many—this was a terrific debut, full of great songs, strong musicianship, and well-written lyrics, even if Fish could go a little over the top (for example, “Chelsea Monday”). The album starts with the title track, with Fish singing a capella; he is soon joined by solo piano and quiet instrumental accompaniment which gradually builds to a crescendo. It’s a great opening and the track would remain a concert favorite, even in the post-Fish years. Side 2 (remember: vinyl) opens with “Garden Party,” a funny song about class warfare, social climbing, and hypocrisy (the single was subtitled “The Great Cucumber Massacre”)—“Swooping swallows chased by violins/Straafed by Strauss, they sulk in crumbing eaves...” The album ends with the epic “Forgotten Sons,” about the strife in Northern Ireland but, more generally, the pointlessness of war. Prog rock may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I was big fan of this record back in the 80s and it has held up well in the 20+ years since—not surprising, since it sounded like nothing else that came out in 1983.