FUGAZI

After the somewhat unexpectedly big commercial success and critical acclaim obtained by the "Script for a Jester's Tear" album, Marillion had to cope with the pressures of coming up with something, at least, as fresh and impressive for both fans and music press: well, opinions may vary, of course but I personally feel that the quintet really surpassed the achievements of their previous effort, maturing their writing and arranging skills, and taking their style to a harder sounding level. With new drummer Ian Mosley in the fold, Marillion's rhythm section gained precision, swing and strength, a factor that notably allowed Trewavas move more freely in his bass playing role. Meanwhile, Rothery's solos and riffs tend to be very aggressive in many places ('Assassing', 'Emerald Lies', the namesake closing track, the last section of 'Incubus') and Kelly's labour complements their partners' inputs properly with the use of absorbent multi-layers, dense orchestrations (which at times sound a bit "gothic"), and some powerful solos occasionally alternated with those by Rothery. Actually, it would be inaccurate to leave out the fact that many Kelly's parts are really delicate, particularly some of his flute-like solos, string layers, and piano arpeggios - his softer side is the link between the massive prog revival of "Script" and the harsher new attitude incarnated in "Fugazi". Fish delivers his lyrical labyrinths with the usual sense of drama, but accordingly, his way of spitting out his singing has also acquired a harder edge. The opening track 'Assassing' serves as a proper announcement of what the listener must expect from a large part of the new repertoire: this is a truly catchy number, where rock and Gabriel-esque ethno-music fuse fluidly into a sonic unit. 'Punch & Judy' is probably the least brilliant piece in the album, but it sure deserves appraisal as what it is: a single-intended material (and it was the first single A-side from "Fugazi") built upon alternate 4/4 and 7/8. The hard stuff will soon be reinstated in 'Emerald Lies', a fiery portrait of the destructive nature of jealousy and the pathos created by regret - awesome, indeed. The first time when Fish shows his most vulnerable side is on track 3 'Jigsaw', a nice number than soon will be overshadowed by 'She Chameleon', a somber testimony of casual sex on the road filled with cynicism and futile romanticism. The romanticism returns, this time revamped with cruelty and a hunger for revenge: it is majestically portrayed in the epic 'Incubus' (my all-time Marillion fave): the alternation of all the varied motifs, the clever clean arrangements, the piano/vocal section and the amazing Rothery solo that follows on a dark waltz-tempo, the explosive climax, all of these elements and more are the excellent ingredients of a real Marillion classic. Ultimately, the title track is another brilliant epic, this time focused on the call to conscience subject: everything I said earlier about the hard drive that was instilled in this album applies here exactly, all through the distinct sections right until the military drums fade out along with the final litany. Current CD editions of this album include the 'Cinderella search' song, a B-side for the single edit of 'Assassing': 'Cinderella Search' is a captivating romantic lament, which pretty much anticipates the broken-hearted's ideology soon to be explored further and expanded in the band's following two albums. Final comment: "Fugazi" is a clear example of Marillion's golden era, an era when they gave birth to a couple of particularly outstanding efforts (this one and "Misplaced Childhood"), so it deserves to be regarded as a 4.5 star worthy prog jewel for the early 80s.