Marillion - "Clutching At Straws" (1987)

One of my military service buddies sometimes played Marillion in the barracks, and often claimed it was the world's most underrated band. It became one of few lessons I brought home with me from my year in the military. Marillion was a pretty unknown band for me, but I liked what I heard and in the collection there are now a bunch of Marillion albums, almost all on CD (purchased in the 90's, vinyl was out in the cold).

Marillion was one of prog's fan bearers in the 80's, and only that fact deserve them respect. Compared with eg Rush, another prog metal band also active then, Marillion is more in the same niche as Genesis, while Rush is harder, more metal. Before I got to know Marillion a bit better, I thought they were a heavy metal band in the same spirit as Iron Maiden. Mostly because I saw the band name sprayed on walls, and only metal heads did that.

Clutching At Straws was their fourth album, and the last the singer Fish participated in. It's like several of their records, a conceptual album. It's about Torch, who sings in a band and has serious alcohol problems. It's a good album. I'm childishly fond of bombastic choruses, and epic, winding songs. Marillion offers all that without being ashamed. Only the chorus in Slàinte Mhath is worth a purchase of the record, and Marillion's albums are found cheaply, sadly underestimated as they are.

Rocky, progressive music, more accessible than much of 70's prog, that's Clutching At Straws. The music has a more modern touch than prog's earlier incarnations, and Marillion generated regular hits, so it's not difficult music.


Tracklist

Side A
1. "Hotel Hobbies" - 3:35
2. "Warm Wet Circles" - 4:25
3. "That Time of the Night" - 6:00
4. "Just for the Record" - 3:09
5. "White Russian" - 6: 27

Side B
1. "Incommunicado" - 5:16
2. "Torch Song" - 4:05
3. "Slàinte Mhath" - 4:44 "
4. "Sugar Mice" - 5:46
5. "The Last Straw" - 5:58