REAL TO REEL

The first live album from Marillion just before they got really going. That's both artistic and commercially. With material from their first two albums plus a non album single and a B side, this is a bit of an oddity in Marillion's very long list of live albums.

The sound is unmistaken 1980s. It is rather good though, but the bombastic rather plastic like sound is not that good. So is the delivery of the songs too. They are a bit over the top raw and not anywhere near as refined and sophisticated as they would develop into a couple of albums later. Not to mention, on their Magpies live album.

The songs itself is good so no problems there. The only true great song is Cinderella Search though. This is by no means the live album Marillion newbies should get first. But it is a good live album, but it is also bordering to being pretty dull. But in my case, it may be that familiarity breeds contempt, having had this album in my collection since the early 1990s. Good, but not a necessary album for the casual listener.

3 stars