A penny for your thoughts my dear? (Misplaced Childhood - Marillion)

Member Name: steerpyke

Product:	Misplaced Childhood - Marillion
Date:	17/10/04 (563 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: original prog rock

Disadvantages: challenging and dark

Many people know of Marillions work, especially their early work by the singles Kayleigh and Lavander, and although they are both contained on this album, are not totally representative of this album, or the bands work in general. As is often the case the works that become popular by lesser known bands are the ones which break that bands particular mould. Although not typical of their work these two singles raised the profile of the band and enabled them to pitch their music to a wider audience.

The album cover shows the usual range of images that you had come to expect from Marillion at the time. Artistically they had a flavour all to themselves and the ideas they presented on the album covers all had a hidden and sometimes personal meaning.The front shows a boy in a victorian soldiers uniform, representing the childhood of the album maybe, surrounded by a poppy, a rainbow and holding a magpie, all recuring motiffs in both design and lyrics. The reverse is much more telling and shows a jester climbing out of a window. The jester had been the bands emblem for many years and was identified with Fish, the singer, was he trying to kill off his alter-ego? These are ideas that the die-hard fans argue over to this day.

Musically the band had always had a strong grounding in the field of progressive rock, a genre fronted by the likes of Yes, Rush and Genesis and here they pushed that association a step further by producing a full concept album. By concept album i mean that the album as a whole follows a story line or theme, and the songs themselves tend to blend from one to the other. Think of Pink Floyd or early Genesis and you get an idea of the lay out of the album.

Lyrically the album is as original, obscure, emotional and intelligent as ever, and follows a stream of thoughts and reflections on past relationships and also of childhood and innocence. After the high costs of the previous album, " Fugazi " the record company opted for a cheaper studio in Berlin over looking then still dominating wall, a location which seems to have contributed some of the bleak romanticism and dark emotion to the finish product.

Its difficult to think of the album as a collection of songs, with about three exceptions the musical pieces are more musical statements that flow from one idea to another. The half spoken, half sung opening "Pseudo Silk Kimono" leads us into a state of dream infested sleep culminating in the most comercial part of the album. The familiar guitar riff of Kayleigh rising from the swirling keyboards to deliver a personel dedication to an ex-girlfriend of the singer, and relationships in general. This is the unrequited love theme that Marillion were always so good at presenting, anthems for loves losers. The piano links through straight into the other familiar song, Lavander, based on the nursery rhyme, and more lost love themes as well as some great guitar work.

The album then takes a darker turn, the ever prominent keyboards compete with the drums for attention and Steve Rotherys guitar washes around in the back ground as Fish narrates his own introduction and broken imagary. Bitter Suite builds to a musical creshendo taking us through the bleak realities of the dissappointments of our social lives, backstreet decay, missplaced rendevous, and finding sanctuary in the arms of a prostitute. Heart of Lothian picks us out of this down beat reflection with a slab of guitar fueled rock, epic progressive rock at its best playing out in anthemic style.

Waterhole kicks off with some driving beats, and spiraling guitars, a testament to the quest through pubs and bars for mister right and only finding wide boys and wasters. The album tends to become even more personel from here on in and we travel through one night stands, life on the road and losing loved ones and all the time wishing to be back in the safety of your childhood days. And once we have been taken through the hopes and fears, regrets and experiences, the music lifts, the dream is over and the realisation dawns that we are not alone, we all move on and childhood is always with us. Despondancy is replaced by freedom, a new found direction and a rebirth. The album concludes on this positive note with White Feather a song of self pride and independance.

Many people have accused Fishs lyrics of being depressive, but I would defend them by saying that they are reflective and inward looking but always resolve in a positive way. They are clever, emotive and challenging, we all search our own souls with him as the album progresses.

Musically you have a series of inspiring set pieces, some are songs, some musical passages, some just small links, but all are played with intensity and originality. The album may seem dated today, but that accusation was levelled at it back in 1985, when it originally came out. But for intelligent lyrics and inspiring and original music, you can ask for no more than this album.

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