LIVE FROM LORELEY

'Live From Loreley' is a DVD of Marillion that was released in 2004. It was taken from a recorded live show performed at the Freilichtbuhne Loreley, St. Goarshausen, Germany on 18 July 1987. The recording session was made during the first part of the 1987 'Clutching At Straws' live tour, showing the band at the peak of their best commercial success.

The line up on 'Live From Loreley' was the usual at the time: Fish (vocals), Steve Rothery (guitars), Mark Kelly (keyboards), Pete Trewavas (bass) and Ian Mosley (drums). It had also the participation of Cori Josias (backing vocals).

'Live From Loreley' is a live show that comprises songs from their four studio albums recorded by them up to that point, 'Script For A Jester's Tear' from 1983, 'Fugazi' from 1984, 'Misplaced Childhood' from 1985 and 'Clutching At Straws' from 1987. It includes also non-album's songs, which were released on their debut EP 'Market Square Heroes'.

The cover of the album uses the original 1987 concert poster designed by Mark Wilkinson, a British graphic designer which is best known by his cover art created for a number of British bands, like Marillion and Fish. It shows the central character from the cover of their single 'Incommunicado', taken from their fourth studio album 'Clutching At Straws'.

From the 'Live From Loreley' live tour were released four live documents. It was released a 1987 VHS tape version with thirteen tracks, a 1995 CD + Video Double Pack with twelve tracks on the CD version and thirteen on the VHS Video version, because 'Incubus' wasn't included on the audio CD version, a 2004 DVD version with fourteen tracks, and a 2009 double audio CD version with eighteen tracks, much more complete because it includes four new tracks that had been omitted from the previous versions, 'White Russian', 'Fugazi', 'Garden Party' and 'Market Square Heroes'.

So, 'Live From Loreley' is a DVD with fourteen tracks. About the tracks chosen to be performed in the live set we can say that 'Slainte Mhath' was released on 'Clutching At Straws', 'Assassing' was released on 'Fugazi', 'Script For A Jester's Tear' was released on 'Script For A Jester's Tear', 'Incubus' was released on 'Fugazi', 'Sugar Mice' was released on 'Clutching At Straws', 'Hotel Hobbies' was released on 'Clutching At Straws', 'Warm Wet Circles' was released on 'Clutching At Straws', 'That Time Of The Night (The Short Straw)' was released on 'Clutching At Straws', Kayleigh' was released on 'Misplaced Childhood', 'Lavender' was released on 'Misplaced Childhood', 'Bitter Suite' was released on 'Misplaced Childhood', 'Heart Of Lothian' was released on 'Misplaced Childhood', 'The Last Straw' was released on 'Clutching At Straws' and 'Incommunicado' was released on 'Clutching At Straws'.

The set list is very interesting, as it differs significantly from 'The Thieving Magpie (La Gazza Ladra)'. The focus here is more on 'Clutching At Straws' than on 'Misplaced Childhood'. So, there's relatively little overlap in the song selection between both live albums. Fish interprets the pieces with a lot of expression and power and I don't think that he falls off in any way compared to the interpretations on the other recordings that I know. Fish is also dressed appropriately in a brightly coloured Jester costume and heaves his massive figure across the stage. Also, the background singer doesn't bother me at all. She's used subtly and supports the pieces well dosed. The stage is wide and illuminated with many colours. The enthusiastic crowd, at that time were about 18,000 spectators, was offered something not only musically, but also visually. The picture on the DVD looks a bit fuzzy and glaring in certain colour tones, particularly with a lot of red, but is otherwise okay. However, it doesn't meet today's standards. But that hardly matters, because the music is able to grab. The sound on the DVD is okay. It's not a real 5.1 sound, but a subsequently highly mixed surround sound, but it makes a good impression. Additionally, the DVD offers as an extra, a Photo Gallery from the band at the time.

Conclusion: To see again 'Live From Loreley' after so many years is a very nostalgic experience for me. It represents unfortunately the last live tour of the band with Fish. As I wrote in other occasions, I like of both Marillion's lines up with Fish or Hogarth. However, with Fish on board Marillion is a completely different kind of band. And when I see this DVD is totally clear for me, this is the Marillion that I love most. On 'Live From Loreley' we can see a band doing a great live performance, where all musicians are great and know what they are doing on stage. However, what impressed me most was the stage performance of Fish. It shows an artist with an absolute control of the stage and the audience. In Loreley, he fully demonstrates that beyond his great vocal capacity he also owns a great and impressive personality on stage. In relation to the video and the sound of the DVD, I must say that they're excellent, in the same quality line of the concert.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

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