Marillion - Script For a Jester's Tear 4/3/2020 Deluxe Edition (4CD/Blu ray/4LP) + Documentary

That's an excellent price. I've put my order in now, thanks.

 

Really looking forward to this one. I'd just been playing some on my mp3 whilst walking around Gozo on holiday, then went to Malta to see a friend who told me he'd ordered it. Was on the phone to missus sharpish to tell her to order from Fish!!! Shame about no 5.1 of Grendel, but you can't have everything. I suppose they've lost the masters.....

 

I'd have to check, but I recall no gatefolds for those original US Captiol Marillion albums.

 

The most underwhelming of the Marillion reissue sets thus far but at the current Amazon UK price, it is a no-brainer to keep the set going.

 

Completely agree with your implied obs about the less than stellar Bradfield & Mackintosh mix of Clutching At Straws. All of the EMI releases so far (including Script) have had inexplicable omissions / errors / oversights et al. Sure, at sub GBP £25 for each release, it may seem harsh to carp but, after all, they are being released as "deluxe" sets and with that tag in mind, QC has been disappointingly "variable".

Initially, I was very impressed by the AoS remix but have subsequently noted a series of audio (f)artefacts littering the mix. I won't identify them here in case it spoils the listening experience for others who haven't noticed them - just don't take a close look at the audio file in a sound editor...

 

I've heard similar artifacts on the AoS remix too. As explained on the documentary included in the AoS deluxe edition, AoS was the first album the band recorded in their own studio, as opposed to hiring a big professional studio. They recorded the album using DA-88, a digital audio recording format which used video cassettes to record 8 tracks of digital audio. 3 machines could be sync'd together to record 24 tracks. When they were recording the album, the band encountered a number of issues with the DA-88 machines - dropouts, chewed tapes etc. When it came to mixing the album, they decided to compile the DA-88 tapes onto 24 track analogue tape to provide a more stable master from which to mix. Unfortunately this 24 track analogue tape, which was used for the original album mix, has been lost, so to remix the album their engineer Michael Hunter went back to the original DA-88 tapes which the band still hold in their archive. Unfortunately, over the intervening 20 years, these tapes had degraded further and are now littered with dropouts, and I believe some of the tracks on the tapes were unrecoverable which resulted in different takes being used on the new mixes. I read an interview at the time of the release of AoS where Steve Hogarth described it as a miracle that they were even able to remix the album, as it literally had to be pieced back together again.

So AoS is more an issue with lost tapes, and tapes in poor condition than anything else. However, I do share your views about the new mixes and the wider deluxe reissue campaign - things have been missed off each reissue, and the contents of each reissue has varied considerably. Despite the rather revisionist remix, CaS is probably my favorite of the series so far, followed by AoS (especially the Live in Rotterdam discs). Misplaced Childhood has by far the most different content, as their is no stereo remix. I've never been a fan of the original stereo mix of Misplaced Childhood, and would have liked to hear a stereo remix of that album. The Hogarth era sets have been the most consistent so far (CD 1 - Stereo Remix, CD 2 - Original Master, CD3/4 Live Album, BluRay). The Fish era albums have seen the most variation.

 

Oh I don't know, I'd say the "Apocalypse In 8/8" section of Grendel takes some beating

 

You mean in 4/4?

Will say this much, for a song that was a b-side on their first single, Grendel has no right to be discussed as often as it is. It's weak for Marillion as is, and really don't know how it became a go to for the band's detractors since it's so inessential in their discography

 

"Annihilation In 8/8"

@Eleventh Earl of Mar : Timjosephuk was being ever so slightly ironic . Actually, precisely because of it's incongruous nature in the discography, I think Grendel is an important part of Marillion's discography as it lends context to the early journey. Is it a great track? Lorks no, but IMO it has "interest" factor. Personally, I quite like the hybrid version I wrote called "Grendel's Supper".... *cough* To give an idea of where that goes, here's a snippet: imagine the opening guitar phrase to Grendel, then a suitable pause for effect, then the opening vocal from Supper's Ready. OK, therapy beckons...

 

Well, I'm a liar.

I decided to keep the three I already have after listening to them, and then hopped on a good deal for AOS from Amazon UK... and took advantage of an even better deal on Script. I do still find these frustrating, though. Why are they not comprehensive and instead so inconsistent? All of these should follow the same formula: a CD of the remix, a CD of the bonus material from the 1997 EMI remasters without all the heavy-handed compression and any other extras they can add in, and round out the remaining two CDs with live material. The later albums' b-sides and outtakes are not the greatest, but they should be included. I like having the original mix as well, but I'm content with that being a bonus on the Blu-ray, not taking up valuable CD space. The concerts are indeed fantastic and that's mostly what made me decide to keep these. It's just annoying as heck that if you're a big fan, you need to keep those shoddy EMI remasters as well as these much nicer deluxe editions. I'm sure a lot of the decisions were made by EMI for Marillion, but it's just irritating. EMI should know by now that the band knows what the fans want. All this makes me that much happier that they're on their own now.

 

I'm not even sure history can save this song. Live version is a marginal improvement I suppose but not something I would actively reach for.

 

I ordered mine from Fish.

 

At the time of release I viewed Grendel as a powerful antidote to all the lightweight New Wave/New Romantic 'fluff'.

 

He Knows You Know basically is that definition though. They always sounded current, I think

 

I think MTV played He Knows You Know for awhile (I didn't know who they were at the time but remember seeing the video a few times.)

 

SW's reputation for mixing in 5.1 is almost unparalleled PLUS he's a big Marillion fan AND friend of the band. Having him involved across the whole series would've been consistent and logical. I understand he's got to cut down on remixing work but he did ELP albums that he, with hindsight, declared he didn't really like, so...

@VeeDub I totally agree. In fact, I think I'm going to do a blog post on the baffling inconsistency of this series soon. And I'm not sure why they couldn't at least find space for original mixes on the Blu-Ray!

Don't be silly! If they've lost the masters they couldn't have created a new stereo mix.

 

I'm guessing it was simply a factor of money that EMI was willing to contribute and I'm betting they looked at historical sales and said that Misplaced Childhood and Brave were the big draws and were willing to cough up the extra cash for those two only.

 

Wonder why Steven Wilson never liked Genesis but loved Marillion?

 

They're hardly comparable other than being prog?

It's like asking why I don't listen to Yes that much even though I love Genesis

 

Na, those early albums had Genesis all over them. First time I heared He Knows You Know I thought Genesis had reformed.

 

Fair comment, I clearly wasn't thinking straight!! Damn that Rioja.....

 

Can't say that was the impression I had.

And I listened to them within months of hearing the other - Marillion always struck me as distinct, jumping between my first listens of Trick and Misplaced Childhood as my go to albums for awhile.

 

To be fair it was hearing Fish's voice rather than the song.

 

Wow... I see what you mean!

Still, I think that the most blatant piece of plagiarism I have seen was when The Scorpions’s ‘Always Somewhere’ ripped of ‘Simple Man’ by Lynyrd Skynyrd. The first minute or so of each song are almost identical.

 

Genesis was before his time.