FEATURED CD - Marillion : Misplaced Childhood

[GuitarGeek]

BTW, I always liked the single version of Lavender, with the extra chorus and longer guitar solo and extended piano/vocal coda better than the album version. That's gotta be the first time in the history of music that the 7" release of a song was longer than the album version. Would have LOVED to have been a fly on the wall at that A&R meeting. "Lads, we think is a great song, with a great melody, very radio friendly, but it's not long enough to be a single, do you think you add an extra bit or two and make the guitar solo longer?".

I remember at one of the Prog In THe Park events in Rochester (I think it was Rochester), they had a Genesis tribute band called The Waiting Room play the whole of this album, as a special one off event. That was a pretty cool show. Then they encored with The Musical Box, Supper's Ready, and I think Watcher Of The Skies.

[JJ88]

First side is a masterpiece. I remain a little non-committal about some of the second, but the first is enough of a landmark to guarantee its status IMHO.

I agree this is really where Marillion pulled away from the 'neo' thing- some might see it as poppier than their earlier work, I prefer to think that their songwriting simply improved, and certainly their playing did. 'Clutching At Straws' is even better again.

Also notable for being a mid 80s production which still sounds very good today, I think. Has aged well.

[bob_32_116]

I remember hearing Misplaced Childhood around the time of release, and thinking that while some of the songs were rather good, they sounded a bit too much like a poor man's Genesis. Since then they have always been a band that I have liked, without feeling as though I need to have any of their albums.

Little did I know that (a) Genesis themselves would very soon slide into mediocrity, and (b) Fish would end up working with Tony Banks.

[trurl]

GG got there first... The swelling open fifth chords on one song sound like guitar synth to me but I have to go back and listen to see which one it is.

[Rarebird]

My first cat was named ofter their hit from this album.

[Progatron]

My first cat was named ofter their hit from this album.

There are a lot of women turning thirty next year named Kayleigh! Especially in the UK, no doubt.

[3LockBox]

I remember oh so long ago seeing their video for Lavender on MTV late at night, thinking it had to be some sort of Spinal Tap type spoof.

[mellotron storm]

My favourite Marillion album, there's a lot of emotion for me when listening to this.

[Progatron]

I remember oh so long ago seeing their video for Lavender on MTV late at night, thinking it had to be some sort of Spinal Tap type spoof.

Their videos were never great (really Rothers? That hat you chose to wear in "Easter".... really?), with Fish often over-emoting and pulling marquee-star faces, seemingly forgetting he was a huge lumbering Scotsman in odd outfits, and not a chiseled Hollywood dreamboat.

"Lady Nina" was another eyebrow-raiser, with Fish's Axl Rose moves/headband-sunglasses look. "Sugar Mice", again... the problem with so many 80s videos was the insistence on making them 'about' something, each one a mini-movie that forever tied the songs to a specific image or story. Marillion were far from alone in that regard. Videos in general were quite poor, and are glaringly so now. Just look at anything with Tony Banks in it.

[100423]

This was my favorite album when it came out. I was just exiting my teens and had a girl who had just 'broken' my heart.
It doesn't really resonate with me anymore, but it is an excellent album.

[Fracktured]

I had the good fortune to see them open for RUSH and perform the whole album. I actually thought they were better than RUSH on that given night.

Sacrilegious!!!!

[Yves]

I believe that this album, and this era, fall under:"you had to be there". I loved this album in '85 and saw Marillion perform it live twice that year, once as headliners in Toronto, and once opening for Rush in Montreal. At the time I was almost obssessed with this record. If I was hearing it fresh today I probably wouldn't be enamored with it at all. I find it sounds more dated than Clutching and Fugazi, and I would rate it 3rd in a list of my favorite Fish-era albums. Still, as others have stated already, there wasn't too much music like this happening in '85, so it was a beacon for me.

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

My favorite Marillion album, period (and I wasn't "there"; I didn't get into Marillion until around 2000). "White Feather" is one of the most joyous things I've ever heard on record.

[bob_32_116]

My favorite Marillion album, period (and I wasn't "there"; I didn't get into Marillion until around 2000). "White Feather" is one of the most joyous things I've ever heard on record.

I thought White Feather was the best thing on the album.

[Digital_Man]

I had this a loooooong time ago(I think around 1991)on cassette. I actually don't remember playing it much and other than the most well known songs I don't remember much about it. I do remember playing it on a camping trip once though. For some reason I played clutching at straws many more times even though I didn't like it initially. Anyway, I need to get this again at some point. I kind of relate to the title but my childhood wasn't misplaced as much as it was f#%*@d up.

[Digital_Man]

There are a lot of women turning thirty next year named Kayleigh! Especially in the UK, no doubt.

I actually met a young women earlier in the year who's name is Kaylie and she said she was named after the song(she was about 26 maybe). She had no clue who the band Marillion are and never even heard the song. I beseeched her to listen to it at some point and even played her a little bit of it on my iPhone via youtube. Also, during my first year at college there was a woman in the radio club(I was briefly a member)named Kayleigh there who was in love with the song. She was too old to be named after it since this was 1989 but it's cool that someone discovered the song and band because of their name. I remember some guy in the radio room saying that lavender( I think that's the song)sounded like YES. I said to him "don't you mean Genesis" and he said "yeah, Genesis that's what I meant." That was the first time I witnessed someone confusing YES with Genesis but not the last time.

[Rufus]

This & Fugazi are their best albums!

[klothos]

This & Fugazi are their best albums!

yes

[sergio]

MC is perfect. Backstage with dual bass drums... Mosley such a great drummer. Can listen over and over again. On Straws there is that song Incommunicado... just cant get over it. deal breaker. Childhood is 100% from start to finish. Offtopic... another one i can listen again and again is King Diamond-Abigail

[sergio]

I actually met a young women earlier in the year who's name is Kaylie and she said she was named after the song(she was about 26 maybe). She had no clue who the band Marillion are and never even heard the song. I beseeched her to listen to it at some point and even played her a little bit of it on my iPhone via youtube. Also, during my first year at college there was a woman in the radio club(I was briefly a member)named Kayleigh there who was in love with the song. She was too old to be named after it since this was 1989 but it's cool that someone discovered the song and band because of their name. I remember some guy in the radio room saying that lavender( I think that's the song)sounded like YES. I said to him "don't you mean Genesis" and he said "yeah, Genesis that's what I meant." That was the first time I witnessed someone confusing YES with Genesis but not the last time.

We should ask Kylie Minogue...

[UnephenStephen]

the first and only Marillion album that really 'did it' for me. i clearly remember hearing it over the loud speaker at a small local record shop back when it first came out (in LP days) and really liked what i heard. i asked the clerk who it was and when he said Marillion i was quite surprised given i didn't care for Fugazi that much which i bought earlier. played MC forever after buying it to the point where i'm kind of sick of it now. still listen when it comes up on shuffle though.

[Dusty Chalk]

Easily my favourite Marillion album. It's just so...holistic (of a [one] kind). I lived this album during my separation and ultimate divorce, '95-'96...so much so that my one carpool-mate asked me to stop playing it -- anything other than Marillion, he said. (Sorry, Nick!) I didn't fully get Clutching at Straws until I saw him live several years later, but even so, this one still supercedes. I just can't imagine playing this as anything other than a whole album. I had a tape with it on one side, and the live version from La Gazza Ladra on the other (and if there were three-sided tapes, I'd have the demo version from the 2CD remasters on the third).

Those first five notes still send chills up my spine.

[Camelogue]

As Marillion went into the Hogarth era I lost interest. However Fish Marillion will always have a spot in my music soul.

[trurl]

On Straws there is that song Incommunicado... just cant get over it. deal breaker.

Yeah, Incommunicado is kind of a turd in the punch bowl but it's easily skipped.

[Digital_Man]

Yeah, Incommunicado is kind of a turd in the punch bowl but it's easily skipped.

Really? Wow. I think "incommunicado" is one of the best tracks on the album (I especially like the line "I've got an allergy to Perrier, daylight and responsibility.") It was actually the only track off the album I remember hearing on the radio when it first came out. I even remember my brother saying it sounded like "old Genesis." I was just starting to move beyond the most obvious prog bands at the time.