UAWIL #123: Marillion - Script For A Jester's Tear with Jimmy Maddon
Marillion's debut is turning 40 & since they are underexposed in the US we asked UK musician Jimmy Maddon to walk us through this prog classic
Marillion never got the memo that by 1983 you weren't supposed to do progressive rock the way Genesis, Yes, Camel and others did in the 1970s. Despite their debut coming during the New Wave era of MTV, Marillion established a style and sound that have sustained them for over 40 years even if it wasn't in vogue at the time. The knock on them in the US is that they sounded too much like Peter Gabriel era Genesis and the lyrics & vocals of lead singer Fish definitely resemble those of the 2 time Rock n Roll Hall of Famer. But the sound of Marillion is rich, in depth, dense and melodic with some brilliant musicianship.
Steve Rothery is an incredible guitarist who share the mid-range space very well with the equally brilliant Mark Kelly on keyboards. Pete Trewavas holds it all down with his bass and Mick Pointer keeps the beat on the drums to crank out some prog greatness. Most every song is around the 8 minute mark so you have to listen up to hear everything that's going on. Fish delivers poignant lyrics in songs about drug addiction (He Knows You Know) and war (Forgotten Sons) while taking a jab at the aristocracy (Garden Party) and having a bit of fun in the videos.
To help us better understand these UK artist is another UK artist, Jimmy Maddon. Jimmy combines straight ahead rock with prog and glam sensibilities and he's starting to make some headway here in the US. We asked him to help us uncover what makes Marillion so great, what makes their music English and why they haven't found the same kind of success in the US.
Please visit https://www.youtube.com/user/jimmymaddonofficial & follow https://www.facebook.com/jimmymaddon/ & https://twitter.com/jimmymaddon
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