Marillion - Clutching at Straws box set including 5.1 blu ray mix out in November

[Progatron]

I think YOU are mixing in Hogarth's story of coming to those early rehearsals with cassettes in a bucket. "Dry Land" came out of that bucket. It was a song that his previous band had recorded.

I hadn't heard that before, but I know that Easter was a song they plucked from that bucket of cassettes.

[JKL2000]

I think YOU are mixing in Hogarth's story of coming to those early rehearsals with cassettes in a bucket. "Dry Land" came out of that bucket. It was a song that his previous band had recorded.

Oops, that’s right! Thanks.

[ytserush]

Anyone get their copy of this already? My signed print arrived from Marillion so I imagine the box isn't far behind. I imagine the box coming from Fish will arrive later.

[JKL2000]

I ordered the last two from Marillion but ordered this one from Fish. Fish's shop is pretty speedy these days actually.

[moecurlythanu]

Got my signed print yestiddy.

[moecurlythanu]

The eagle has landed. I may just fondle it a while before I open it.

[JKL2000]

The eagle has landed. I may just fondle it a while before I open it.

"If this van's a wobblin', a boxed set I'm fondlin!"

So you ordered from Racket - will have to see if people have gotten copies from Fish yet. Though I waited a little while before ordering.

EDIT:

Here's an update from Fish, posted today. He mentions the Canada Post situation - he's holding off shipping to Canada until he know the backlog is cleared:


The albums finally arrived yesterday and I’ve been scrawling away as you can see from the photo. We’re moving the first load out tomorrow and I’m sitting here in the control room waiting for the ‘cages’ from the post office that allow us to get big loads out on special collections.

It’s been a long haul to get here and unfortunately full of disappointments and let downs. The CAS deluxe editions were originally scheduled for a June 2018 release but by October 2017 it had moved to September 2018. It was at this point my agent began booking the European tour to follow the release which would enable me to have product on my merchandise stall and avoid hefty postage costs to fans in Europe as well as promote the new remaster around the tour dates. Although Steve Rothery was playing the album with his solo outfit at a few select dates Marillion were obviously more focused on their recent project and I looked on my own tour as an ideal opportunity to promote and sell the back catalogue as well as introduce my own new material. I informed Warner’s about my plans and they were positive about my involvement and extra coverage on the release.

In January 2018 everything was still on track but over the next few months the wheels came off the tour bus for reasons I don’t really want to go into here and the release dates were moved firstly to mid-October and then November as more setbacks and obstacles annoyingly appeared on a regular basis.

It became obvious I would not have the CAS album on the tour. The original release date in November was when I was on the road and as I had promised to autograph the albums I asked Warners to drift the date back as another 2 weeks wouldn’t matter. It would give me a chance in the window between the European and UK tours to deal with the signing when I got home. Warner, Marillion and I mutually agreed a release date of 23rd November.
It wasn’t ideal by any stretch of the imagination and I’d lost a great opportunity in Europe but I accepted the compromise. The deluxe editions would be waiting for me when I got home and we would be fully prepared for posting signed albums out on the 23rd November before my UK tour.

On my return I was surprised and disappointed to discover that Marillion had already received their consignment and had gone ahead with an early release of which I wasn’t given a heads up on. If I had known this I could have picked up albums in Germany and at least had them on the last couple of weeks on the tour saving at least some fans the expensive postage from the UK and dealing with the mail order signings when I got back to the Studio.

As such there are more than a few disappointed fans who bought the CAS deluxe editions from my mail order service who are hearing about others already enjoying the new releases. I can only apologise as I was badly informed by various entities and due to matters out with my control throughout the entire CAS project I feel that it has spectacularly misfired and some glorious opportunities have been lost. We will be doing our very best to get our pre orders out to you at the earliest opportunity and I hope to have at least 500 albums out in the post by tomorrow afternoon with the rest cleared by early next week.

Although we have all our mechanisms and organisation in place to deliver I’m sad to have to inform my Canadian fans that you’re frustrations will last a bit longer. A dispute between the Canadian Postal services and the Royal Mail has meant that there are no packages heading over to you just now. A backlog has developed which is estimated to take at least another 30 days to clear and rather than risk albums being damaged or lost in the chaos I have decided to hold them back until I know the flow is clear and I am sure they will get through. We will be monitoring the situation and as soon as I am confident in deliveries we will send them out.

We still have stock of the CAS deluxes available but please be aware they are limited editions and once they are gone I will not be restocked. I’ll be carrying albums on the UK tour next week to sell on the merch stall at venues and there will be stock retained here at the Studio to service mail order customers.

It’s not the end of the World and worse things happen at sea. My disappointment is buoyed by the reaction and reviews from the European tour and by the reception to the new songs in particular.

‘Man with a Stick’ is currently the most played track on Planet Rock this week (53 plays) and is picking up airplay all over the place in Europe and the UK. Saturday in London and Glasgow are sold out and tickets are going well in all the rest of the venues with more sell out announcements due.

The numbers and the response to the European shows were the best for a long time and I have to say I’m proud to have racked up the longest tour for many a year with 40 dates followed through with no mishaps and finishing with a strong voice.

There’s a lot of interest being generated around ‘Weltschmerz’ and the recent review in Prog Magazine for ‘Parley with Angels’ was glowing (Thanks Dave L) It all bodes well for the future and there’s a very happy and confident circus at the top of their game waiting to hit the road again. Onward and upward.

[timmy]

Fish vocals sound quite up front in the mix. The guitars are crisp. I like the sound of this.

[Progatron]

^^^ Interesting... he's not quite right though, it is not a dispute between Canada Post and Royal Mail, it is between Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers who have been striking off and on for 30 days now. CP has asked all international shipments to be held until the backlog is cleared, not just the UK.

[moecurlythanu]

^ It's just as well then. If it escalated into a Boston Tea Party type situation, Jed's Clutching box might have ended up in the harbor.

[aith01]

Just ordered a copy from Laser's Edge. Really looking forward to hearing this!

Sounds like quite a mess with the Canada Post and the union strikers though. I hope it doesn't delay them too much longer...

[Nearfest2]

I got mine last Friday. I haven't had a chance to listen to any of it yet, but I did watch the 60-minute documentary. It was quite interesting. However, most of the audio is out of sync with the video. Anyone else notice this?

I hope to listen to the 5.1 tonight.

[Jmac]

I watched the documentary today and did not notice anything out of sync.

[The Czar]

This 5.1 is more subtle than others, but I think I like it?

[Progatron]

This 5.1 is more subtle than others, but I think I like it?

I like it as well, although I didn't find it subtle. There are quite a few changes in the mix: echo and reverb added (or removed) here and there, previously unused lead vocal lines or guitar licks restored, etc. - but I found it quite enjoyable. I know the album like the back of my hand so it was good fun to hear the little differences. The original is there for anyone who doesn't like the changes. The only one I definitely don't like comes at the climax of The Last Straw, that huge chord that comes in after the guitar solo, transitioning into the "...and if you ever come across us, don't give us your sympathy..." part. On this new mix, that guitar chord (what chord is that, anyway? Guitarists help me out!) is balanced - or even overridden by the keyboards, and the crushing emotional effect of it for me is dulled by comparison. I bring it up only because it's one of the most powerful and spine tingling moments in music for me.

Overall I'm really pleased with this set: the mix, the live show, the interview/documentary... the book is nice enough, but I think I'm spoiled by the immense books in the Tull boxes.

EDIT: Oh BTW the documentary was not out of sync for me - I have a promo version from the record company (just the discs) as well as the full box which I bought, and both are fine, so yours (Chad) might be defective?

[The Czar]

I noticed the alternate versions on some vocal lines being use in the stereo mix too.
The 5.1 to me is a bit more subtle than other 5.1 mixes I have heard. They don't seem to be panning quite as much as they could, for example, I don't remember the drums ever going to the back channels, but I could be wrong.

The Tull books have spoiled me too and this book it pretty thin on liner notes.
But I still have the late 90s 2cd set, so I don't really mind. I won't be selling those remasters anyway.
I wish I had that mentality before I sold or gave away my King Crimson...I know the original mix and master is on the DVD, but sometimes I like to compare the difference or just listen to the CD in my car

[Progatron]

I've done the exact same thing - sold off old versions of things and then regretted it later, so I've hung on to the Marillion 2-disc EMI remasters, which were quite well done IMO.

[Scott Bails]

the Marillion 2-disc EMI remasters, which were quite well done IMO.

These were coming out just as I was getting into the band. What a great way to learn about them.

[MudShark22]

I have the 2CD remaster of Clutching and did not like it at all, way way too boomy.

I had sold my original CD too so I was doubly pissed. Need to rectify that and pick up a copy.

[ytserush]

EDINBURGH!!!! Love the art and liners.

Was hoping the doc would be better, but Mick Wall saw to that. Not all that thrilled with the new mix either, but I have the original and the previous reissue so I have choices on that front..

For me the star of this show is Edinburgh despite the intentional abrupt ending. (Milan '88 is still better though.) If not for this show, this package would be a dud.

[flatliner]

Finally got to hear the 5.1 mix...and I must say this is just incredible to my ears!!! This has always been my favorite Marillion release and this is now my favorite mix! I have many 5.1 discs and this is now one of my top 5! Thank you once again Marillion!

[Yaman Aksu]

By now this (like MC Deluxe) seems available only from resellers at high prices, not surprisingly. If somehow becomes available close to original price again, it'd be nice to read about that news here. Seems unlikely but anyway.

Among my favorite 5 rock albums of all time, so l am interested in the Live material here that was previously unreleased (unreleased on good quality media: vinyl or disc), and somewhat in the documentary. I guess I either didn't realize or forgot that this release has the Live material, otherwise I'd have purchased earlier. The rest of the content in this release seems much less tempting because I'm not a listener of 5.1 audio and already have the other extras since they're on the late-90s Remaster 2CD edition and such.

I'm not hugely bummed out I missed out on purchasing this because in the worst case scenario its Live material I am talking about looks available for purchase as MP3 at Amazon.

[Yaman Aksu]

Surprisingly, looks like Marillion themselves have uploaded tracks from this release to their official youtube account. Seems the whole album plus the Edinburgh concert. Hmm.

[fiberman]

Surprisingly, looks like Marillion themselves have uploaded tracks from this release to their official youtube account. Seems the whole album plus the Edinburgh concert. Hmm.

Could you please help with a link?

[Yaman Aksu]

Could you please help with a link?

https://youtu.be/ijmJNsYTFIE

This is Slainte Mhath from Edinburgh. From what I can see, posted by official Marillion acct. I am able to find it by putting "marillion deluxe" into youtube search box (it shows up as part of a 43-track playlist which I'm not posting because I think it was someone's playlist which might not last) but I didn't/don't see this video when I instead go to the poster's account (official Marillion acct) so as to look through the Videos list there, not sure why. I don't intend to look into that question much.