For me (like Dark Side of the Moon) Marillion, and most specifically, Script for a Jesters Tear, gives me horrible flashbacks of teenage boys' rooms in the 80's and aforementioned teenage boys trying to cop a feel, trying (and failing) to open my bra strap and inexpertly playing with my breasts as if trying to tune in an AM radio.

Before this amateur fiddling, there would have been a conversation about the cover art and that there is a "jester/clown/flower/toad" on "every cover".

If any 14/15 year old boys are reading this: THIS DOES NOT WORK. Learn to dance instead. Honestly.

I'm not sure if this means you should go to Spotify or not, to be honest.

The lyrics are a bit trite in places but I still love both albums and they get an occasional outing on the iPod.

The comparisons to Gabriel era Genesis are still apt on Script but I think Fugazi saw them moving away from this. I can't remember the last time I played Misplaced Childhood as an album but the obvious singles still get played as well.

"Script for a Jester's Tear" that alone should be enough.

to be frank, laughable.

Fish seemed to want to come across as a mix of David Bowie in his mime days and 1972 Peter Gabriel. Embarrassing mime and interpretive gestures accompanied every song; the music was sub-Trespass Genesis, complete with 20-minute multiple-part Supper's Ready-clone.

They matured into a fine AOR band around the time of Lavender and Kayleigh but the early stuff was cringe-inducing.

...was Marillion in Ayr 1982. I then went on to see them a further 30+ times over the next few years, until my final Marillion gig coincided with Fish's last gig with the band in St Andrews in 1988.

I can only put this down to youthful enthusiasm as the years have certainly not been kind to Fish's overly wordy lyrics or stagecraft. The music still stands up but I cringe a bit when I put on Script...

(Maybe it's just cos it also soundtracked those teenage years of bedroom fumbling, trying to undo a girl's bra strap)

I was a fan of Fish-era Marillion because of the similarity to Gabriel-era Genesis. So paint my face and call me a lawnmower. Right, confession over.

I can accurately date Misplaced Childhood as I was 29, approaching 30, and used to play the CD every time I rocked my new daughter to sleep. It usually did the trick too. However if she remained wide awake by the time track 3 ended (Lavender) I realised it was time to give up and continue with playtime. I often joke she should avoid playing this CD when she is driving in case her baby instincts kick in.

I also own the 1998 remastered 2-CD set with demos and alternate mixes. Time to listen and enjoy again. Thanks for the reminder dear boy.

I saw the Fish era Marillion several times, but tuned out after Clutching at Straws didn't connect with me. One of the best gigs I ever saw was at Liverpool Royal Court, a benefit for the family of the drummer of a Liverpool band (sorry, but I forget who) who's drummer had tried tragically young. The drummer is the 'Milo' referred to in the lyrics of the Misplaced Childhood album. Marillion premiered most of the album that night and I have rarely been so thrilled. I might have said differently if I'd had better luck with bra-straps.

A Youtube video, since deleted, shows my point. The camera angle is from behind the drums, and during an instrumental break where every band member is giving it their all (and sounding like they're all playing different tunes) Fish walks from one side of the stage back to the centre. It doesn't matter what the other members are doing; if you look at the audience all you can see is several thousand eyes watching the big man.

at a place called Night Moves in Glasgow (three floors up a windy staircase, from memory, a modern health and safety nightmare). They were okay, but just so derivative it was ridiculous.

Fish even stole Chris Squire's nickname!

I didn't see them again until a half empty Wembley Arena several years later, where they were better. I much prefer Steve Hogarth.

I love the Fish-era studio albums but I really love that live album. I remember buying a copy from Woolworths and having to go back the same day to buy another as my brother wanted one too. Marillion are still here (unlike Woolies).

...didn't have any time for them when they came out, but now I have no problem with Fish pushing the lyrical envelope a bit from time to time, (we can't all sing "Love me do"). For me, "Clutching at Straws" is their finest hour, and I play it a fair bit.

No interest in the post-Fish stuff though. Or painting my face.

Saw them a lot at the Marquee in 1980 (first london gigs?) they were a decent enough band and "market square heroes" would even get people dancing (of a type).
Usually supported by Solstice if memory serves.

My God, I took some stick for liking Marillion in my school days ("Fish? What a stupid name!" "Lavender blue dilly-dilly!" "Did you see what he was wearing on TOTP?").

But I've stuck with them through thick (Script, Fugazi, M.Childhood, Seasons End, Brave, Afraid of Sunlight, bits and pieces off the others), and thin (Radiation and Somewhere Else are, sadly, almost wholly forgettable).

There have been ups and downs, like there is with any band that has been releasing albums for almost 30 years, and I wish Steve Hogarth could write lyrics as colourful and imaginative as Fish. But they always manage to come up with something interesting - although I could do without the experiments in triphop, dub and near-reggae that have popped up occasionally.

They were the first band I saw live (Birmingham NEC, supported by It Bites, a terrific night all round, prog fans) and I've seen them, and Fish solo, many times since. As much as I hate to admit it, I do think they've gone off the boil of late (the last album, acoustic versions of some of their later pieces, was the first of theirs I didn't bother with), and I long for the days of 10-minute epics full of widdly-widdly keyboards.

But I'll carry on being in the proud minority listening out for those special moments when everything just works. To paraphrase something I heard about Elvis: "If you're not a fan, no amount of explanation can convince you."

As for the original question, Fugazi is their best album, without doubt. Listen to Assassing, particularly a live version, for the sound of prog in excelsis.

Some of Fish's lyrics were strange to say the least; " A Barking Pregnant Conversation etc" but they were the first band after Queen that I truly loved. I was first fascinated by the artwork of the album covers by Mark Wilkinson, then I gradually got into the music, but it took a while and at times they still test my patience!But I still love them and they've helped me through the good and bad times.
Clutching At At Straws is still played a lot, as is Brave, Afraid Of Sunlight and Somewhere Else. This Strange Engine and Ocean Cloud are two of my favourite long songs.Somewhere Else was just let down by production as flat as a pancake, but most of the songs were great. Their last double album isn't a favourite I'm afraid,far to long, no direction and more recently I feel they have become more pompous than ever! I did enjoy their hour set supporting Deep Purple in Berlin last November and they certainly pulled out the stops for a full hour.
I still love Fish's English spoken word bit on Misplaced Childhood which includes the lyric: " Her mother called her beautiful, her daddy said A W***r". I posted this the other day, but fear it may have been deleted, or maybe I just forgot to post it before heading to work. Didn't mean to cause offence anyway. Blame Fish! He was in the balcony at a Marillion gig at Glasgow's ABC a few years ago. I'd like to have seen him onstage with Marillion during the Clutching At Straws tour.

from small places like the Marquee (filming the 'Incommunicado' video) to Milton Keynes Bowl, and, mimes an' all, they were f***ing great.

Never got to see them do 'Grendel' though.

To this day, you still hear the odd fan request Grendel at their gigs,much to the annoyance of Hogarth and co. I'll have to dig it out, haven't listened to it for years, here's part 1 for starters:

...and I got into them about six months later.

For me, Clutching At Straws has aged best and still holds up. I loved Script at the time but it isn't great for me today.

Marillion are an empty vessel without Fish. "Cover My Eyes (Pain And Heaven)" was an awful start and things didn't improve.

I was dragged to Astoria gig by my brother in law six or seven years ago and was close to sleep at points. Despite the obvious craft of Rothery, Kelly et al there's just nothing there, for me.