LIVE FROM LORELEY

Can you imagine that over fifteen years after its shooting, EMI still believed that this concert was a marketable product ? They finally released a DVD form this live concert from July 1987 in Germany. There was apparently already a special packaged VHS / CD released in 1995 (out of stock). The live set took place in one of the most romantic place in Germany for a great Marillion concert. The genuine one.

The setting is really incredible : on the border of the river Rhine, St. Goarshausen is a wonderful place. Marillion is really big at that time. Rather paradoxal in those dark days of the late mid-eighties. A prog-rock band reaching stardom in four years and having created a massive enthusiasm amongst a younger generation. The prog/pop compositions worked perfectly.

Some might say that the atmosphere within the band was not good any longer and that you can see this in this DVD, but I don't think so. Trewavas is smiling, jumping and has the same energetic power as usual, Mosley and Kelly have always been in the back of the stage and Steve has never been the most smiling and enthusiastic person while playing live, so of course he is not laughing all the time but I can not conclude that it's because he was P.O. with Fish or anything like that.

Of course, Fish is the central character, but he has always have been, so no change there either. He is really a born showman and communicates really well with the crowd. He speaks German sufficiently well to avoid the only "Danke", "Gutte Nacht". But this can already be noticed in a live compilation release in 2004 as well (called "Curtain Call" of which two CD's are dedicated to a German gig in 1983). So, he is basically at home there and the huge crowd is attached to his every move and gesture.

Seven songs come out their last album (at the time) "Clutching". I would have liked to hear "White Russian" but maybe that Fish was not in the mood to talk about the Holocaust and all those terrible moments of the European history on that night...When you listen how usually Fish introduced this song (only available on non-official release unfortunately, like in the last Fish radio concert in Milwaukee) I am sure that the younger German generation would have supported him with all their hearts and comprehension.

Very few songs of the "old" repertoire (only "Incubus", "Assassing" and "Script") and of course a condensed "Misplaced" with four songs and that's it for this short DVD actually. No bonus, no nothing which is a bit of a shame. Anyway, this is a good Marillion DVD, even if I prefer "Recital Of The Script" of course. But the band has evolved into a more commercial (but still very good) sound and this was Marillion at his best in 1987.

Enjoy it. Four stars.