Clutching at Straws
Encyclopedia
Clutching at Straws is the fourth studio album by neo-progressive rock
band Marillion
, and is a concept album
. Released in 1987, it was the last album with lead singer Fish
who left the band in 1988. Although commercially not quite as successful as its 1985 predecessor Misplaced Childhood
- Clutching at Straws spent 15 weeks on the UK album chart (the shortest chart residency of any of Marillion's first four studio albums) - it still reached number two (the second highest chart placing for a Marillion album) and it is considered to be among the best work of Marillion's "Fish era" by many fans and critics, and also Fish himself, as he has stated in several interviews.
In 1999 a 2-CD 'Remastered Version' with additional B-sides and demos was released, with detailed liner notes from all of the original members including Fish.
Marillion took a break after their tour in support of the album (with Fish eventually quitting) after it was released. The song "Incommunicado" describes the pitfalls of the business, and how pressures in real life exerted by the band's US label Capitol Records were crushing in from outside for them to either succeed or get dropped by the company, which would happen to Marillion anyways a few years later.
), and the people represented are the following:
Sleeve artist Mark Wilkinson
has expressed his disappointment with the sleeve, which he intended to be more detailed and feature more characters but was rushed due to the release date of the album being brought forward:
The album came sixth in Kerrang!
magazine's Albums Of The Year 1987.
left.
Much of the leftover musical material was then used on the official fifth Marillion album Seasons End
, with new lyrics penned by John Helmer
and the new singer Steve Hogarth
, while some of the original lyrics for the music ended up in one form or another on Fish's solo albums - for example, the Voice In the Crowd concept would inform much of Vigil In a Wilderness of Mirrors
.
Neo-progressive rock
Neo-progressive rock is a sub-genre of progressive rock, developed in the UK and popular in the 1980s, although it lives on today....
band Marillion
Marillion
Marillion are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, England in 1979. Their recorded studio output comprises sixteen albums generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original vocalist & frontman Fish in late 1988, and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve...
, and is a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
. Released in 1987, it was the last album with lead singer Fish
Fish (singer)
Derek William Dick, better known as Fish, is a Scottish progressive rock singer, lyricist and occasional actor, best known as the former lead singer of Marillion.-Biography:...
who left the band in 1988. Although commercially not quite as successful as its 1985 predecessor Misplaced Childhood
Misplaced Childhood
Misplaced Childhood is the third studio album of the neo-progressive rock band Marillion. It was released in 1985 and has been their most commercially successful album, reaching number one in the and spending a total of 41 weeks on the chart, the longest chart residency of a Marillion album...
- Clutching at Straws spent 15 weeks on the UK album chart (the shortest chart residency of any of Marillion's first four studio albums) - it still reached number two (the second highest chart placing for a Marillion album) and it is considered to be among the best work of Marillion's "Fish era" by many fans and critics, and also Fish himself, as he has stated in several interviews.
In 1999 a 2-CD 'Remastered Version' with additional B-sides and demos was released, with detailed liner notes from all of the original members including Fish.
Track listing
All songs were written by Fish, Mark Kelly, Ian Mosley, Steve Rothery and Pete Trewavas.Side one
- "Hotel Hobbies" – 3:35
- "Warm Wet Circles" – 4:25
- "That Time Of The Night (The Short Straw)" – 6:00
- "Going Under" – 2:47 (not on the original vinyl LP)
- "Just For The Record" – 3:09
- "White Russian" – 6:27
Side two
- "IncommunicadoIncommunicado (song)Incommunicado is the lead single of Marillion's fourth studio album, Clutching at Straws. Released 11 May 1987, it reached number six in the UK Singles Chart, becoming the band's third top-ten hit, the last until 2004. It became a minor hit on the Dutch Top 40 reaching number 31...
" – 5:16 - "Torch Song" – 4:05
- "Slàinte Mhath" – 4:44
- "Sugar MiceSugar MiceSugar Mice is the second single from Marillion's fourth studio album, Clutching at Straws. Released on 13 July 1987, it peaked at number 22 in the UK Singles Chart, becoming the band's 8th top-thirty hit in a row. Outside the UK, it was released in France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, West...
" – 5:46 - "The Last Straw" – 5:58
- "Happy Ending" – 0:00 (this is listed as a track on the back of the album, but in a statement of irony, it is not an actual track - it merely consists of someone yelling "No!", then echoing muffled laughter from Fish, fading off into silence.)
Disc two of remastered version
- "Incommunicado" (Alternative Version) – 5:57
- "Tux On" – 5:13
- "Going Under" (Extended Version) – 2:48
- "Beaujolais Day" – 4:51
- "Story From A Thin Wall" – 6:47
- "Shadows On The Barley" – 2:07
- "Sunset Hill" – 4:21
- "Tic-Tac-Toe" – 2:59
- "Voice In The Crowd" – 3:29
- "Exile On Princes Street" – 5:29
- "White Russians" (Demo) – 6:15
- "Sugar Mice In The Rain" (Demo) – 5:54
Concept
The character of Torch (supposedly a descendant of the Jester from earlier album sleeves) is a 29 year old out-of-work man whose life is a mess. He seeks comfort mostly in alcohol to numb himself. He is trying, but failing, to forget what lies at his feet—a failed marriage, being a deadbeat father, and his lack of commercial success as a singer in a band. As he gets drunk, he also writes about his surroundings and his laments. Since Torch has no other real outlet at his disposal, he ends up in bars, hotel rooms, and on the road, screaming and drunk, thus, he is described as beyond redemption or hope.Marillion took a break after their tour in support of the album (with Fish eventually quitting) after it was released. The song "Incommunicado" describes the pitfalls of the business, and how pressures in real life exerted by the band's US label Capitol Records were crushing in from outside for them to either succeed or get dropped by the company, which would happen to Marillion anyways a few years later.
Album cover
The front and back covers of the album describe Fish's inspiration for the album's lyrics as well as some of his heroes. There are allusions to them throughout the album. The setting is in a British pub (the Bakers Arms in ColchesterColchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
), and the people represented are the following:
- On the front from left to right: Robert BurnsRobert BurnsRobert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
, Dylan ThomasDylan ThomasDylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer, Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 January 2008. who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
, Truman CapoteTruman CapoteTruman Streckfus Persons , known as Truman Capote , was an American author, many of whose short stories, novels, plays, and nonfiction are recognized literary classics, including the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's and the true crime novel In Cold Blood , which he labeled a "nonfiction novel." At...
and Lenny BruceLenny BruceLeonard Alfred Schneider , better known by the stage name Lenny Bruce, was a Jewish-American comedian, social critic and satirist... - On the back from left to right: John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, James DeanJames DeanJames Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
and Jack KerouacJack KerouacJean-Louis "Jack" Lebris de Kerouac was an American novelist and poet. He is considered a literary iconoclast and, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Kerouac is recognized for his spontaneous method of writing, covering topics such as Catholic...
Sleeve artist Mark Wilkinson
Mark Wilkinson
Mark Wilkinson is best known for his detailed cover art that he created for a number of British bands, most prominently the progressive rock band, Marillion...
has expressed his disappointment with the sleeve, which he intended to be more detailed and feature more characters but was rushed due to the release date of the album being brought forward:
“It was torture to do. Especially as I got a call almost by the day from EMI or John (manager John Arnison) that if I missed this deadline, the time slot would go, and the tour / album symbiosis put in jeopardy. Somehow I did it, clutching at sleep! EMI were relieved. Fish seemed OK. The rest of the band were a bit unmoved, it was so different to the previous sleeves. I was bloody disappointed! I loved this album, still do. It was some kind of pinnacle as far as I am concerned. Probably my favourite of theirs. And I felt cheated! It was not the sleeve I had imagined. You don't win them all, believe me!”
Reception
Q magazine:“Were it not for the swirling curlicues of the arrangements against which he explores his relationship with the demon drink this could almost be Fish's country and western record, so conspicuously soaked is it in the self-pity that follows straight on the heels of self-indulgence … Musically, Clutching At Straws doesn't depart far from the educated arrangements of previous albums. However somebody has been applying a stop watch to the individual songs and to the solos within them; thus we have eleven distinct songs, each with its own melodic virtues and most with quite acceptable hook lines barked out by Fish in his by now familiar conflation of Roger DaltreyRoger DaltreyRoger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
and Peter GabrielPeter GabrielPeter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
… There are tracks here that could have snuck into Sting's live act quite easily … Marillion may represent the inelegant, unglamorous, public bar end of the current Rock Renaissance but they are no less part of it for that. Clutching At Straws suggests that they may be finally coming in from the cold.”
The album came sixth in Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
magazine's Albums Of The Year 1987.
1999 remastered version
In 1999 the album was re-released in a remastered version, with the addition of a second cd consisting of demo tapes from the writing sessions for the then-planned untitled and subsequently aborted fifth album, right before FishFish (singer)
Derek William Dick, better known as Fish, is a Scottish progressive rock singer, lyricist and occasional actor, best known as the former lead singer of Marillion.-Biography:...
left.
Much of the leftover musical material was then used on the official fifth Marillion album Seasons End
Seasons End (album)
Seasons End was the first album recorded by Marillion after the split with Fish in late 1988. The band started to audition singers while writing the new album, and they eventually chose Steve Hogarth...
, with new lyrics penned by John Helmer
John Helmer
John Helmer is a former musician and part-time writer best known for contributing lyrics for Marillion.-With The Piranhas:From 1977 to 1981, "Johnny" Helmer was a guitarist and vocalist in the Brighton-based ska punk band The Piranhas, best known for their 1980 top ten hit "Tom Hark"...
and the new singer Steve Hogarth
Steve Hogarth
Steve Hogarth also known as "h", is the lead vocalist and occasional keyboardist/guitarist with the British rock band Marillion. Hogarth was formerly a keyboard player and co-lead vocalist with The Europeans and vocalist with How We Live...
, while some of the original lyrics for the music ended up in one form or another on Fish's solo albums - for example, the Voice In the Crowd concept would inform much of Vigil In a Wilderness of Mirrors
Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors
Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors was the first solo album that rock singer Fish released after he departed Marillion in 1988. Although the recordings for this album finished as early as June 1989, EMI Records decided to delay the release until early 1990, to avoid collision with Marillion's album...
.
Personnel
- FishFish (singer)Derek William Dick, better known as Fish, is a Scottish progressive rock singer, lyricist and occasional actor, best known as the former lead singer of Marillion.-Biography:...
– vocals - Steve RotherySteve RotherySteve Rothery is the guitarist of the English rock band Marillion. He was born in Brampton, South Yorkshire, England. From the age of six he lived in Whitby, North Yorkshire.-Biography:...
- guitars - Mark Kelly - keyboards
- Pete TrewavasPete TrewavasPete Trewavas is an English musician. He joined Marillion in 1982, taking over the role of bassist, from Diz Minnett, while acting occasionally as a backing vocalist and acoustic guitarist.Although he was born in Middlesbrough, Trewavas spent much of his childhood in the Buckinghamshire town of...
- bass - Ian MosleyIan MosleyIan F. Mosley is a drummer in the progressive rock band, Marillion.Mosley joined the band in 1984 after a long search for a replacement of Mick Pointer, who had been left the band in 1983. Mosley had previously, among others, played with former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett, both on two of his...
- drums
- Tessa NilesTessa NilesTessa Niles is an English singer, best known as a backing singer for a wide variety of artists.-Early life and career:Born in Kent, Niles began her professional singing career, as both a lead and a backing vocalist, in 1979...
- backing vocals on "That Time Of The Night" and "The Last Straw" - Chris KimseyChris KimseyChristopher Kenneth Kimsey is a record producer, mixer and musician most famous for having co-produced The Rolling Stones' Undercover and Steel Wheels albums...
(credited as "Christopher 'Robbin' Kimsey") - backing vocals on "Incommunicado" - John Cavanaugh - "Dr. FinlayDr. FinlayDr. Finlay is a fictional character, the hero of a series of stories by Scottish author A. J. Cronin.-History:The stories were used as the basis for the long-running BBC television programme, Dr. Finlay's Casebook, screened from 1962 to 1971, and radio series . Based on Cronin's novella entitled...
" voice on "Torch Song"
Chart performance
Album| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | UK Album Chart | 2 |
| 1987 | Austrian Charts | 16 |
| 1987 | Norwegian Charts | 4 |
| 1987 | Swedish Charts | 9 |
| 1987 | Swiss Charts | 3 |
External links
Liner notes for the remaster by some of the band members (on the marillion.com band page):- Fish, giving a verbose and interesting insight about the breakup
- Mark Kelly
- Ian Mosley
- Incommunicado on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- Sugar Mice on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- Warm Wet Circles on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....