LIVE FROM LORELEY

This version of "Live From Loreley" is a very special edition of the series Sound & Vision, a double pack edition formed by a live CD plus a live VHS cassette and that was released in 1995. It was taken from a recorded live show performed at the Freilichtbuhne Loreley, St. Goarshausen, Germany on 18 July 1987. The recordings were made during the first part of the 1987 "Clutching At Straws" live tour, showing Marillion at the peak of their fame and most commercial success.

The line up on "Live From Loreley" features Fish (vocals), Steve Rothery (guitars), Mark Kelly (keyboards), Pete Trewavas (bass) and Ian Mosley (drums). The concert has also the participation of Cori Josias on 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 that live concert were released several live documents during various years. A video recording of this concert had first been released on a VHS tape in 1987, and re-released in 1995, then packaged together with an audio CD, including the soundtrack of the VHS tape. This video recording was re-issued on DVD in 2004. On 2009, Emi released the recordings for the fourth time. Then it was a digitally re-mastered double audio CD, including four tracks that had been omitted from the previous video and audio versions, "White Russian", "Fugazi", "Garden Party" and "Market Square Heroes". Still, the version of "White Russian" founded on the 2009 issue had previously been released as the B side of their single "Warm Wet Circles", the third single taken from Marillion's fourth studio album "Clutching At Straws".

This version of "Live From Loreley" has thirteen tracks that appeared on the CD and the VHS versions. The exception is "Incubus" appearing only available on the VHS version. The first track "Slainte Mhath" was released on "Clutching At Straws". The second track "Assassing" was released on "Fugazi". The third track "Script For A Jester's Tear" was released on "Script For A Jester's Tear". The fourth track "Incubus" was released on "Fugazi". The fifth track "Sugar Mice" was released on "Clutching At Straws". The sixth track "Hotel Hobbies" was also released on "Clutching At Straws". The seventh track "Warm Wet Circles" was also released on "Clutching At Straws". The eighth track "That Time Of The Night (The Short Straw)" was also released on "Clutching At Straws". The ninth track "Kayleigh" was released on "Misplaced Childhood". The tenth track "Lavender" was also released on "Misplaced Childhood". The eleventh track "Heart Of Lothian" was also released on "Misplaced Childhood". The twelfth track "The Last Straw" was released on "Clutching At Straws". The thirteenth track "Incommunicado" was also released on "Clutching At Straws".

"Live From Loreley" finds the band a few years later in their career as they were supporting the release of "Clutching At Straws". This would be Fish's last recording with the band before he embarked on his solo career. Filmed at an outdoor festival typesetting in front of some 18,000 fans we see a seasoned Marillion, confident in their music and in the eyes of their dedicated fans. This period showed the band at the peak of their career, though it was also a very awkward period for Marillion. While the concert took place a full year before Fish's departure from the band, you can really see how little interaction there was on stage between Fish and the rest of the band. One of the great things about this DVD is one gets to see just how good Marillion was in concert during Fish's era. The set list is a well chosen greatest hit set, and the band plays a tight concert. The sound quality is reasonable. So while it's not the best imaginable concert to release on DVD, it's a great document of its time. There are no extra features to speak of but it's a very enjoyable video to watch.

Conclusion: This is the third time that I reviewed this live concert. Some time ago, I had already reviewed the digitally re-mastered double audio CD version of 2009 and a short time ago I also reviewed the DVD re-issued version of 2004. And as I wrote before, when I reviewed both versions, we are in presence of an excellent live show made by one of my favourite bands, especially in the era of Fish. This live show represents, in my humble opinion, one of the best live musical moments ever produced by Marillion, the other is "Recital Of The Script". It shows a mature band that knows what is doing on stage and where Fish shows clearly that he is the absolute mastery of the stage. The track selection is excellent and in relation to the sound and the video images I must say that they're very good, in the same line of the live concert itself. Unfortunately, "Live From Loreley" represents also the swan song of Fish as a Marillion's band member.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

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