LIVE FROM LORELEY

By the time this show was recorded on the Clutching At Straws tour, this formula of Marillion was nearing it's ultimate conclusion. Separation between Fish and the rest of the band was causing turmoil, and Marillion was pretty much divided. Nonetheless, Marillion's Live At Loreley is still a valuable addition in anyone's collection.

Despite looking weathered and a bit sickley, Fish manages to captivate the crowd like he always seems to do. The older material is a collective fan favorite, with "Script For A Jester's Tear" being the obvious highlight.

Still, one can't help but notice the differences between Steve Rothery's dimeanor from this show and that of the Stoke Row DVD, which is the first recorded show with Steve Hogarth. On Stoke Row, Rothery is visibly happier and upbeat; however, on Loreley he hardly cracks a smile, and is content to remaining in the background. A very telling and poignant moment is during the Misplaced Childhood suite when Fish approaches Rothery, puts his arms around him and sings, "It's getting late, for scribbling and scratching on the paper. Something's gonna give under this pressure. And the cracks are already beginning to show." It's almost as if he's sending Rothery a message during this part of the song. Still, the tenderness of "Kayleigh" on through the triumphant "Heart Of Lothian" is a great moment during this performance.

Another highlight is the painful "Sugar Mice", and one of Rothery's more powerful solos. Much like "Afraid Of Sunlight" several years later, this song is wrought with pain that it makes the listener ache. That solo just never gets old.

One night I'm going to make it a point to watch Loreley and Stoke Row back to back. The disease that was ripping this band apart towards the end of 80's is obvious. There's hardly any interaction between Fish and the others, and they pretty much ceased to be a band. That being said, it's still crucial to have amongst your Marillion collection to witness the closing of one era, and the beginning of another.