Search - Marillion :: Recital Of The Script

Warning- Beware faulty discs!

Metaljim | Kansas USA | 04/11/2006

(1 out of 5 stars)

"This is NOT a review of the Marillion DVD, because I haven't received the Recital Of The Script that I ordered. I purchased this DVD through an Amazon dealer and it arrived in a Marillion case, with a disc marked Marillion. However, the content was a Pat Benatar anthology. I returned it and the seller sent a replacement disc. This also turned out to be a mis-marked disc and contained the same Pat Benatar content. This is an extremely frustrating experience and I just wanted to warn potential buyers about what they might wind up getting. There have been notices up at the Marillion site about this as well, so it must be a fairly common error.



Back in April of 2006 I reviewed this disc, or rather my repeated failed attempts to get a copy of it here on Amazon. My first two attempts resulted in me receiving a Pat Benatar video on a disc marked Marillion! Happily, all turned out well and the third try was the charm. One viewing of this DVD and you'll wonder how this band failed to take the world by storm. You get it all here, excellent songs, stellar musicianship and a mesmerizing performance by the entire band. This is vintage Marillion and shows the band in all their early glory. I highly recommend this to anyone who wonders what all the hype was about or wants to take a trip back in time to a magical time in music history. Essential prog rock.



"

Finally got this

warhead | United States of Authoritarianism | 04/14/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Picked up "Recital of the Script" a couple weeks ago and finally got a second look at the DVD.



Taken from a Hammersmith Odeon concert in '83, this is the Marillion I remebered and enjoyed.



When I first heard "He Knows, You Know" - which gets a good performance - I just knew I had to pick up their music. They're a cross between Genesis (with Peter Gabriel) and Rush, making them a...yah, I know...prog-rock band.



Fish (Derek Dick) is a dynamic singer and lyricist, if pretentious and self-indulgent. His voice is so idiosyncratic that when he left the band, I just could not listen to the new frontman. Steven Rothery is an underrated guitarist who's very expressive and is complemented by Mark Kelly on the keyboards. The rhythm section provides solid backing.



The high point is "Forgotten Sons" - no surprise there but I must admit that my two favorite songs - "Cinderella Search" and "Assassing" - are not on the setlist. If only "Real to Reel" was filmed(?)...I got the CD in '84 as an UK import.



The disc is in stereo and 4:3 format with meager extras - the highlight being an interview with Fish. The video and audio quality is acceptable.



Hey, maybe I'll indulge my curiousity and pick up a post-Fish album after this nostalgic treat."

A snapshot of the prog rockers early years

Paul Lawrence | Australia | 07/08/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"The most pedestrian prog rockers to gain any real commercial stature (in the UK and pockets of Europe) the appeal of Marillion has for many years been lost on me. Having picked up Script for a Jesters Tear and found a wealth of prog/math music of undeniable talent but very little connectivity or bollocks it was solely due to my desire to continue to try to figure out what people saw in this band that I bought this at all. For about the price of a hamburger.



And while this DVD is quite clearly a re-release of some earlier VHS product due to it's limited camera numbers/angles and overall feel it has to be said that this live gig at the Hammersmith Odeon has a certain charm and a feeling of celebration of a band hitting their stride and really building some commercial impetus. And the crowd itself adds to this feeling as they seem quite educated about the bands music and happy to sing along to the labyrinthine lyrical constructs.



The problems with the live Marillion experience at this point are many fold however. Firstly musically there really only seem to be two people in the group. Frontman Fish and the keyboardist. Because they about the only two making any impact. I'm all for keyboards, finding them a worthwhile addition to many of the albums I have loved over the years. But I'm not really interested in hearing them ride over the top of proceedings utterly. And perusing the songwriting credits it seems everyone had a hand in these tunes. So evidently his voice was drowned out or the guitarist was happy to noodle away and totally give up any pretence of trying to drive the odd tune with some guitar heft. Oh well.



Further to this is the fact that there is no sense of show coming from the stage apart from the enigmatic Fish who swoons, roars, prances and looks at times totally fragile and plaintive all the while maintaining a strange masculinity (not easy in that stage clobber). Unless you count the keyboardists bright red leather pants. Barely any movement at all though in all fairness perhaps this was the first time they'd been recorded live or were informed that that the cameras ability to follow movement was limited. But Fish is followed relentlessly.



For Marillion fans out there (i.e. people who write for Classic Rock) this is a pretty good release to pick up as it showcases Fish in fine form and it allows you to scoop up not only the 1983 original video release but also the 1984 video ep release which makes up some of the bonus features of this disc. And the - very brief - liner notes from both releases are included on the booklet as are full credits for production etc."