MISPLACED CHILDHOOD

The usual Marillion formula- Fish delivering his bitter and berserk monologues over the band's rhythmical rent-a-pattern accompaniments - is by this time wearing a bit thin. What the band really lacked was a top notch songwriter or at least someone who could construct a good tune (Genesis at one time had 5 such individuals in the same band).

The band tried to compensate for this lack by constructing short pieces then sticking them together. Think "A very cellular song" on a grand scale. Thus appeared Misplaced Childhood, the album that produced "Kayleigh" the band's biggest mainstream success. . Generally it is an amalgamation of the stale state of Prog at the time: sidelong suites with high production values but not much emotional impact. A fair album but I certainly do not know where the high esteem this album has comes from.