CLUTCHING AT STRAWS

The last Marillion's album with Fish is the end of an era, and a pity because it contains some of the best songs ever released by the band. The sound is similar to Misplaced Childhood, but even if all the songs are more or less about alcoholic themes it's not properly a concept album.

I won't go through each single song as there is already a high number of reviews I agree with. One of the reasons why I have this album in my heart is that when it was released I was aware of Fish leaving, even if a radio was speaking about "disbanding". So I was surprised to find a so good work for a band whose elements were about to quit.

The songs and the arrangements are excellent, with highlights in "Warm Wet Circles", "White Russian", "Slainthe Mhath" (hello in Scottish) and "The Last Straw", but the real excellence is in the lirycs. This adds "Sugarmice" to the highlights. It's poetry. Fish will come back to a similar argument in his first solo album (Family Business).

The only weak track for me is "Incommunicado". This should have been the hit single from the album so it results in the less progressive track. Nothing more than good pop. A note: for the first time Marillion have chorists, but in the TV gigs two men and a women became two girls. In the 80s there was a big attention to the look.

4+ stars for the last act with Fish. A must have for all the Marillion fans