SCRIPT FOR A JESTER'S TEAR

As a very instinctive and emotional person, this record was a test. Fish' emotion detector is very busy in this record. If Script for a Jester's Tear don't move you lyrically, you're one stone cold soldier. Of course, the music is as dramatic and carries a lot of what Fish wants to say. Despair, sorrow, desillusion, anger, addiction and so on...Marillion tells stories, just like Genesis. Marillion even sounds like Genesis (Rutherford guitar and of course, Gabriel voice mimics).

But Genesis never fueled up on Prozac like this baby. The stories are probably inspired by Fish many adventures with pal Captain Morgan on white mountains of nose- vacuuming snow. To me, Marillion has been a bit too depressing on this record, but got better in the end. Each song reflects a life of problems and difficulty to control borderline syndrome. But, the thing is...the're excellent at it. They overdo it emotionnaly a tad, but this stays a very, very acceptable start for the band. Fish' voice is never expressed such honesty in any other record. We can feel everything he means. And he put emphasis on singing with strenght, which gives to the record an honest and...a quite welcome Gabriel feel....even if it's a total rip-off.

Marillion is a band which I could rank in the same vein as The Cure, James or Beastie Boys. The song cannot be split with lyrics on a side and music on the other. The two must be combined and especially the lyrics must be read while listening. This way, like the other bands I named, the experience is superior to many bands with great music, but cheesy lyrics or vice-versa.

To me, Marillion is what I call: DRAMA-PROG.

Moody, rather negative and claustrophobic.

Fish, it must suck to be you....