Search - Marillion :: Reel to Real / Brief Encounter (Dlx)

Fantastic live release...but what the HELL is that?

Vince Font | Utah, USA | 12/19/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Am I losing my mind, or does the above image for this remastered edition read "Reel To Real"? I even blew up the image so that it couldn't be said I simply have bad vision--and I do, but when it comes to all things Marillion, I have the memory of a stickler.The original title of this release was "Real To Reel"--a play on words, titled appropriately by wordsmith and former Marillion vocalist Fish, to indicate a live concert ("real") that's been recorded ("reel"). As in reel to reel tape. Get it? I simply cannot believe that this was remastered and approved for re-release with such a glaring error. What's next, the mis-spelling of the very band's name? Ah, standards. Nobody seems to have them anymore.All of that nitpicking aside, I realize that I still haven't done what I came to accomplish when I decided to take a stab at this review. My original intent was to highly recommend this cd, and I stand by my recommendation, complaints of ignorance and the laziness of professional typesetters aside."Real To Reel" was originally released as a gift to Marillion fans worldwide, those who perhaps never had the opportunity to witness this phenomenal band live. Released just after their second studio album "Fugazi", it acts as a snapshot of a band approaching the peak of their creativity, and as a testament to what all true Marillion fans already know about the rawness, power, and downright depth of their live performances.As in the case of Bruce Springsteen, the one thing you'll always hear about Marillion is "you've gotta see them live". This is true for both Marillion and Springsteen. But unlike The Boss, Marillion is one band that has the capacity to deliver in both live performances and studio albums."Brief Encounter" was a short little promotional item that was initially released to try and give that added boost to Marillion's near nonexistent North American popularity with the radio-friendly "Lady Nina". Whether it worked or not, it soon became something of a collectible for the live recordings of "Fugazi", "Script For a Jester's Tear", and what would be Marillion's greatest hit, "Kayleigh". The only problem, it was only available on vinyl and cassette--until now.Now, thanks to a mostly-unnecessary remaster, fans and collectors alike can revel in the aural orgy that is Marillion's confusingly titled "Reel To Real/Brief Encounter"."