Clutching At Straws

About

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), reaching number two (the second highest chart placing for a Marillion album). The album is considered to be among the best work of Marillion's "Fish era" by many fans and critic, and also Fish himself, as he has stated in several interview. In 1999 a 2-CD 'Remastered Version' with additional B-sides and demos was released, with detailed liner notes from all of the original member, including Fish. Concept The character of Torch (supposedly a descendent of the Jester from earlier album sleeves) is a 29-year-old out-of-work man whose life is a me. 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 lament. Since Torch has no other real outlet at his disposal, he ends up in bar, hotel room, and on the road, screaming and drunk, thu, 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 busine, 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. Cover The front and back covers of the album describe Fish's inspiration for the album's lyrics as well as some of his heroe. There are allusions to them throughout the album. The setting is in a British pub (the Bakers Arms in Colchester), and the people represented are the following: On the front from left to right: Robert Burn, Dylan Thoma, Truman Capote and Lenny Bruce On the back from left to right: John Lennon, James Dean and Jack Kerouac 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: .

via Last.fm

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