Marillion - Fugazi

[Valen]

“Where are the prophets, where are the visionaries, where are the poets?”

I sometimes think Marillion's second album gets overlooked, stuck between the initial excitement of Script and the huge success of Misplaced Childhood.

A friend asked if I'd go back and revisit the album for a blog piece, and as I listened to it again, I was struck by how prescient some of those lyrics still are, even 35 years on. I also found myself thinking that it's one of their best sounding albums (Trewavas' bass really thunders on this one.)

So, this creature of habit begs your boatman's coin:


https://momentstransition.wordpress....n-fugazi-1984/

[thedunno]

Marillion was the first 'prog' band I ever got into so I will always have a soft spot for them although my preferences have changed quite a bit.

As a teenager I just loved the aggression and anger in the vocals. Fish as a 'wild and angry young man' was quite unique in the progressive rock of the time. Fugazi is probably the most 'angry' album and my favorite Fish-Area Marillion album.

[iguana]

with the benefit of hindsight this is probably my favourite fish-fronted MARiLLiON album with “incubus” being my favourite fish-fronted MARiLLiON track of all time.

[MudShark22]

The anger is definitely the calling card, Fish spitting hot fire over the state of his life and the world.

I still sing Fugazi in my head when riding the NYC subway from time to time

As for production, IMO the 2CD remaster is terrible, way too boomy for these ears.

[Yves]

Love it! I rank it just after Clutching, and before Misplaced...

[Progatron]

I love the Fugazi album, for me it's the second best of the Fish era, after Clutching At Straws. I don't think She Chameleon quite lives up to the rest of it however, I would prefer Cinderella Search(*) or Three Boats Down From The Candy instead.

(*) - the full version, with the "Welcome back to the circus" ending, not that hideous edit that fades out the song prematurely.

[JKL2000]

Very good assessment of the album.

I love the album as well. Soon after I saw Marillion open for Rush I bought Script and Fugazi, and while Fugazi definitely had a different vibe, I never questioned it - I love each song. And actually, there are a couple of songs on Script that for some reason I'm not crazy about (but don't exactly dislike) - The Web and Chelsea Monday. They're ok, just a little dreary. In some ways I thought Fugazi was an improvement. But I like all Marillion albums!

[aith01]

Wow... It has been years since I've listened to anything from Fugazi. Now I've got the urge to revisit it. I recall it being my least favorite of the Fish era albums, but time has a way of changing things.

"Assassing" was probably my favorite track from that disc. Loved the energy and larger-than-life sound it had.

[Drake]

A great album. I actually think the title track is the weakest one. Emerald Lies is brutal!

[moecurlythanu]

Can anyone tell me who "the sentimental mercenary" refers to? I've long had a candidate in mind, but could well be wrong.

[wilcox660]

My fave Marillion bar none. Add the full Cinderella Search as well!

[Steve983]

Jigsaw, Incubus, She Chameleon, Emerald Lies & Cinderella Search are all top notch. I remember the band saying at the time it was unfinished because they ran out of time when touring was imminent but it doesn't show in my opinion. I saw 3 Fugazi shows I think, 2 at Hammersmith and one at Brighton Dome - happy days.

[dropforge]

Their best album. This and Clutching are the only Marillion I listen to now. I don't bother with the rest.

[SteveSly]

It is my least favorite album of the Fish years, but I still like it a lot. I thought Fish got a little bit too wordy on some of the tracks, but his lyrics are biting and still resonate today for the most part. It also one of their hardest rocking albums.

[Yaman Aksu]

This and Script are my favorite by them (Fish-era is my favorite by them).
The other month I found myself watching parts of this dance video (link is below) muted while Assassing plays on youtube, because the two sync well --- for example, you can start the dance video at the 1:00 mark at the moment Assassing starts the "tribal" segment at the 4:17 mark -- anyway that's just one example, many parts of the song match to many parts of that dance video and it's easy to match the two at pretty much any point, it was fun. Flashmob videos muted/played to early Marillion the same way was fun too, though it helps a lot to have a lively steady beat in the song, such as we see in Assassing and the keys solo in She Chameleon and etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m01f4uAn1AA

[bigjohnwayne]

I don't know if it is still in print, but I preferred the live versions of the Fugazi era songs that were on Real to Real and Brief Encounter. (They were released on a double disc in the early 00's, I think). The songs sounded deeper and more urgent to me, I suppose.

Emerald Lies, Incubus, and Assassing were my favorites.

[fiberman]

I always felt it was a very serious album, not something to listen to all the time, but, when you felt the need for Fugazi it really hit the spot. It is still one of my favorite albums.

[Flightwave]

The demo version of She Chameleon from old bootleg tape trading days is still my favorite. More aggressive and exciting than the version on Fugazi.

[Progatron]

The best version of Incubus IMO is from the Dec. '84 Hammersmith show. Very powerful... that was also when they were beginning to play the early version of side one of Misplaced Childhood, which was a bit different to the later studio album.

[JJ88]

I have to admit that at this point I seldom listen to the first two albums and find Misplaced Childhood a quantum leap in musicianship/songwriting etc. It deserved its success. Clutching At Straws is, IMHO, better again and my favourite album they made with Fish.

[thedunno]

I have to admit that at this point I seldom listen to the first two albums and find Misplaced Childhood a quantum leap in musicianship/songwriting etc

I remember very well being a bit disappointed with Misplaced Childhood when it came out. I just missed that energy of the first records. I also disliked the production with all those big layers of keyboards. Today I find MC for large parts very boring.

So many people so many opinions I guess.

[Steve983]

The best version of Incubus IMO is from the Dec. '84 Hammersmith show. Very powerful... that was also when they were beginning to play the early version of side one of Misplaced Childhood, which was a bit different to the later studio album.

Yes, I was at both Hammersmith shows in Dec '84 too - they were a fantastic live band then - their live peak for me.

[infandous]

Fugazi is my favorite Marillion album for sure. Funny, I haven't heard it in many years, and I just listened to Script for the first time in forever, and was reminded of why I loved it initially and then later started to find fault with a number of things (drumming at the top of the list). Now I'll have to break out Fugazi and see if I still love it.

Misplaced Childhood is a great concept album, but I find a lot of the writing to be a let down after the first two. I remember having a friend in the car when I had that one playing, and his comment was, "this sounds like pop radio crap from the 80's". I couldn't really argue with him. Still, I like it for what it is.

Anyway, I don't recall exactly which tracks are my favorites on Fugazi, but I know Incubus was one I especially loved, along with Emerald Lies.

[Scott Bails]

I have to admit that at this point I seldom listen to the first two albums and find Misplaced Childhood a quantum leap in musicianship/songwriting etc. It deserved its success. Clutching At Straws is, IMHO, better again and my favourite album they made with Fish.

I pretty much agree, though I go back and forth between MC and CaS as my favorites. Call each 1 and 1a.

Misplaced Childhood is a great concept album, but I find a lot of the writing to be a let down after the first two. I remember having a friend in the car when I had that one playing, and his comment was, "this sounds like pop radio crap from the 80's". I couldn't really argue with him. Still, I like it for what it is.

I like a lot of 80s pop, but I wouldn't mind at all if we had more 80s pop that sounded like Misplaced Childhood.

[Progatron]

Spun this album today for the first time in a while and enjoyed it, particularly that final section of Emerald Lies, and when the pace really picks up in the title track. I love Assassing too, but I can't help but cringe at Fish's low, flat note towards the end: "within the voice... within the VOOOOICE..." - that's always stuck out like a sore thumb to my ears.

Funny that this is the one album that Hogarth has never performed anything from live. Even when I saw them play Jigsaw at one of the Marillion weekends, they did it as an instrumental without him.