Marillion...Clutching At Straws turns 30

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Eric Weinraub, Oct 4, 2017.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. scribbs

    scribbs Resident Mockery

    Location:
    Surf City USA
    I think Beaujolais Day ultimately became Fortunes of War on Suits IIRC.
     
  2. Instant Dharma

    Instant Dharma Dude/man

    Location:
    CoCoCo, Ca
    And the title track to the next Marillion album.
     
  3. M2225

    M2225 Nebulus 7 intergalaxy eclipse

    Location:
    Helsinki, Finland
    Clutching at Straws (CAS) is my favorite Marillion album, Script & Misplaced Childhood (MC) are both on Par after that, Fugazi clocking in third due to being such a prog challenge, I have enough of those already. The thing with CAS is, that you can actually sense the urgency (if you listen to the album more than 2 times in 3 decades unlike the thread starter) of Fish and things coming towards an end. The first 3 albums were built around generic lyrical themes, and provided commercial success on MC, but on this final Fish era Marillion masterpiece, the lyrical themes and musical moods are genuine and urgent. IMO the album speaks this will break after this, sorry. And it did. Sugar Mice, Incommunicado & Going Under (CD version, serious lack on vinyl version, but obviously they had to omit something), listen to the album message as a whole instead of ripping out song titles out of context. Nothing in this post will apply on H era Marillion albums, feel free to go about the lyric nonsense on those albums, even though I appreciate they have been successfully going on with H since Seasons End. Marillion have had a good run both with F & H, Clutching at Straws is their masterpiece. IMO :).
     
    ifihadafish, ramdom and ytserush like this.
  4. Barnabas Collins

    Barnabas Collins Senior Member

    Location:
    NH
    I don't care what you guys say, "Incommunicado" rocks. It may be of it's time, but that's OK. Love it.
     
    IanM007, JulesRules and M2225 like this.
  5. sentinel90125

    sentinel90125 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Virginia, USA
    Favorite Fish era Marillion album!
     
    ytserush likes this.
  6. Rufus rag

    Rufus rag Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Agree with the OP, CAS is easily the weakest of the Fish era!
    Sugar Mice & Incommunicado still hold up but the rest I always felt where 'plodders'! The dire relationship between the band took it's toll on the creative process IMHO
     
  7. Frosst

    Frosst Vinyl-obsessive kiddo

    Location:
    Sweden
    Well, Clutching At Straws is the only Marillion labum that I listen to... so yeah...
     
    ramdom likes this.
  8. stillrockin

    stillrockin Forum Resident

    Location:
    United Kingdom
    I still enjoy the album a lot and play it no less than the others of the Fish era four. I fear that Fish is going to struggle with the vocals on the upcoming tour and no one comes close to Steve R on the Sugar Mice solo.
     
  9. hermanenmonja

    hermanenmonja Forum Resident

    Location:
    Delft
    What is the best sounding version/ pressing of Clutching in your opinion?
     
  10. Sordel

    Sordel Forum Resident

    Location:
    Switzerland
    It does rock but Marillion in general don't rock and that album as a whole has a very sombre tone. Also, I dislike the forced inker-mew-ni-kahdo singalong in the outro. Still, at worst it's just average and it only sticks out here because the album as a whole is so strong.

    Take 'Incommunicado' out of the equation though and I think other songs are problematic. Is 'White Russian' too much of a throwback to the 'Forgotten Sons'/'Fugazi' style? Is 'Sugar Mice' too sentimental? I like both songs a lot but when I think of the album I feel that 'Warm Wet Circles' and 'The Last Straw' are standouts and quite forward-looking songs are the standouts.
     
    MonkeysCantSwing likes this.
  11. PJayBe

    PJayBe Forum Resident

    Probably the forthcoming (sometime in the next 3 0r 4 years) Steven Wilson remaster!!!!!
     
    PTgraphics likes this.
  12. OptimisticGoat

    OptimisticGoat Everybody's escapegoat....

    I have to say that CAS was my second Marillion album and I think its strong points are stronger than Misplaced Childhood (which is in a tie with it for the title of my fav).
    High points are The first 4 tracks (excl. Going Under which was not on the first version I had) and Sugar Mice. I esp. love Just For The Record - my all time Marillion favourite.
    I prefer Misplaced Childhood as a whole of album experience - I listen to it whole as an album and live on La Gazza Ladra a lot. Fish era was great. Also love Vigil off the first Fish solo album.
     
    elee532 likes this.
  13. Danish Friend

    Danish Friend Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Denmark
    I think I once read here that the US Capitol is a good choice. I have a copy and indeed it sounds very good - but can only compare with my EU Compact Disc.
     
  14. scribbs

    scribbs Resident Mockery

    Location:
    Surf City USA
    I was amused that they censored the word "cocaine" on the lyric sheet in the US.
     
  15. ytserush

    ytserush Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northeast US

    Close second, but the go to album following those long drives home at night.
     
  16. ytserush

    ytserush Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northeast US
    That second disc is a damn depressing listen for me of what might have been. Would have been their best yet.
     
    Wild Frank likes this.
  17. The opening 3-song suite is fantastic, but they lost a little momentum after that. Sugar Mice was wonderful. The bitterness and self-loathing seemed so self-inflicted that it was a bit tough to stomach. Even though I was a good 12 years younger than Fish, I couldn't help but want to slap him upside the face and say "get it together!" He continued in that vein for Vigil In a Wilderness of Mirrors, but I thought he did a little better job of bringing some depth to it there.
     
    ytserush likes this.
  18. Wally Swift

    Wally Swift Yo-Yoing where I will...

    Location:
    Brooklyn New York
    I bought Fugazi when it came out, loved it and saw them live in NYC then stayed with them through Misplaced Childhood. Never heard CAS back in the day but I purchased a copy several years ago on vinyl and finally gave it a listen for the first time about 6 months ago. I like it.
     
  19. Wally Swift

    Wally Swift Yo-Yoing where I will...

    Location:
    Brooklyn New York
    Kiss username + Swarb avatar! Great combo!
     
  20. Instant Dharma

    Instant Dharma Dude/man

    Location:
    CoCoCo, Ca
    I love both. If I could only ever have one Marillion album it would be the deluxe edition.
     
  21. sunking101

    sunking101 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Yorkshire, England
    Not their best album but heck, it has this on it so therefore it's a masterpiece.

     
    Carlox, Diamond Dog and PTgraphics like this.
  22. Norco74

    Norco74 For the good and the not so good…

    I agree with the thread starter here. I never made it through CAS for whatever reason and even thought to sell my copy the other day... There’s no connection (lyrics or music) between this album and me but what years of listening taught me is that you should listen to an album at least 5 times before discarding it for good. I have this CD for 15 years and listened to it 3 times... Time to reassess I guess.

    My preferences

    1-Fugazi (a prog challenge as someone described it)
    2-Misplaced Childhood (perfect lenght, no filler, great story)
    3-Script (the first one, not perfect but setting the tone)
    4-The thieving magpie (it has just the right amount of CAS)

    My interest to rediscover some of the Marillion back catalog has resurfaced this fall and mostly from the H era. Not that I am please with it but the Fish era ended just at the right time IMO.
     
  23. Kiss73

    Kiss73 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland
    Thank you very kindly. All about diversity.
     
  24. BwanaBob

    BwanaBob Forum Resident

    Location:
    Maryland, USA
    Just three words for me: Warm Wet Circles
     
    ramdom, head_unit and PTgraphics like this.
  25. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA

    Yeah, I have to basically agree with this. The first album is terrific. The second is very good, but not quite as consistently good. Misplaced Childhood seemed to have only one side :) And by Clutching at Straws, I was thinking "hmmm...the magic is gone..."

    That said, it has been decades since I've listened to Clutching at Straws. I've downloaded it onto my phone and I'll give it another go.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine