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This was my first time listening to Marillion with Fish as lead singer, and I quite enjoyed the album. Come along with me as we experience the entire Misplaced Childhood concept album from 1985.

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Files

Misplaced Childhood - Extended Play Lounge (Episode 8)

Comments

DandA

Based on Doug's lack of reaction to the "Love, Reign o'er Me" bit in "Windswept Thumb" I think Quadrophenia should be next on Dougs' list.

grnmntl

I recommend Laphroiag 18 yr.

Nathan-Andrew

You’re spot on about Fish singing prose. He’s able to melodically sing lyrics that I think few others could manage. It’s like singing pages from a book. Songs like “Assassing” and “Incubus” are great examples of it. Much of the midsection of today’s album is about a band finding success, but falling into alcoholic and drug-addicted decadence (“mirror cracked along the white lines” is a cocaine reference). In other words, it’s autobiographical for our old Oncle Fish.

Dale S Josephs

A piece of historical trivia related to the final track "White Feather" -- there was a campaign in England during WWI to give white feathers to men who refused to enlist in the military and serve "For God and Country" as a way to name and shame them.

Richard Karbowski

While I do enjoy this album, especially Blind Curve and Bitter Suite, I find I listen to the other 3 Fish led albums more.

Paul Mouradjian (edited)

Comment edits

2021-12-25 23:47:23 I was wondering how long the Peter Gabriel comparison would take and........it didn't take ling. When this album came out Genesis die hards attempted to po-po it as a Genesis rip off and guy who wants to sound like Peter Gabriel. The same criticism came from Yes fans crapping all over StarCastle for sounding to much like Yes. In many ways (to me) it sounds a whole lot better than that whole Big Generator Drama Buggles meets Chris Squire period. I digress...... It was a pleasure for Marillion to survive the criticism from the Die hard Genesis prog fanatics & establish themselves with their own career.
2021-11-18 02:33:55 I was wondering how long the Peter Gabriel comparison would take and........it didn't take ling. When this album came out Genesis die hards attempted to po-po it as a Genesis rip off and guy who wants to sound like Peter Gabriel. The same criticism came from Yes fans crapping all over StarCastle for sounding to much like Yes. In many ways (to me) it sounds a whole lot better than that whole Big Generator Drama Buggles meets Chris Squire period. I digress...... It was a pleasure for Marillion to survive the criticism from the Die hard Genesis prog fanatics & establish themselves with their own career.

I was wondering how long the Peter Gabriel comparison would take and........it didn't take ling. When this album came out Genesis die hards attempted to po-po it as a Genesis rip off and guy who wants to sound like Peter Gabriel. The same criticism came from Yes fans crapping all over StarCastle for sounding to much like Yes. In many ways (to me) it sounds a whole lot better than that whole Big Generator Drama Buggles meets Chris Squire period. I digress...... It was a pleasure for Marillion to survive the criticism from the Die hard Genesis prog fanatics & establish themselves with their own career.

Digibirder

Thanks Doug! Marillion worked the pop side more with this album and then "Clutching at Straws". That is why Fish said he left. They were becoming too successful. After he left they continued with the pop push for the next two albums and their songs evolved differently with "h" at the front. But then they decided to give the finger to the pop industry and put out Brave. That would be the next Full album I recommend you listen to Doug. Darker and more complex, yet still beautiful. But is a harder listen for sure. You were right about Marillion being unique. Say what you will about the similarities to early Genesis, and even Pink Floyd. Their evolution has carried them on a different path from any other band. That has grown a fanatical fanbase that monetarily has been supporting them, to the exclusion (almost) of the industry. They are one of the pioneers of crowd-funding. Now crowd-funding is a thing, and Marillion is growing their fanbase, always staying true to themselves and their fans.

Newt

My favourite Marillion album. If you like the Heavily Peated Malts, again from Islay, try the 16 yo Lagavulin.

Ricardo Leguizamón

I really enjoyed listening again to this excellent album. It really got my attention the similarities that Doug pointed out on FISH and GABRIEL voices. I haven’t though about it before. So I remembered the collaborations that FISH did in some of TONY BANKS’ albums back in the 80s and 90s that I neglected to pay attention to. It was quite a surprise finding the style of these songs is quite closer to PHIL COLLINS than GABRIEL style. Thank you Doug!

Ken Slater

What makes this more poignant is that the real Kayleigh (Kay Lee) former girlfriend of Fish (a nurse) died of cancer some years ago :(

Carlos Regidor Iglesias

I love this album. It was my first Marillion album, when I was about 16. Today I´m 52 and they keep being my favourite band. I hope you do another Episode with a Hogarth era album. Brave, Afraid of sunlight or Marbles are good choices. Thank you.

Ken Slater

Sadness over lost love and angst that Fish cannot be a WIDE BOY. (sexually confident young men, uncaring and ignorant to their misuse of women.) Fish could never be that and eventually realises that he is proud to be who he is (proud to own his heart).

Ken Slater

White Feather a separate song for those of us who wear our kaftans with pride. The Woodstock Generation.

Ken Slater

The two albums before this are PURE PROG. Think you heard angst in his lyrics? Listen to 'Incubus' from the second album Fugazi.

Ken Slater

Thanks Doug

Ken Slater

The similarities to Peter Hammill of Van Der Graaf Generator are more striking. Fish's hero.

Paul Hoyle

Lavender Blue is the name of a 350 year old nursery rhymn.

Paul Hoyle

When Marillion first appeared on the scheme in 1981-2, they were compared with Genesis in many areas....Fish, with his face painted on stage (just like Peter Gabriel); his stories in between songs (like PG again); clever lyrics with many plays on words (PG again); long songs (very prog) so they were put into the same musical arena, i.e. Neo Prog. They even made a song around the time of the first album (Script for a Jester's Tear), called Grendal (their Supper's Ready)...so your Peter Gabriel comparison is very accurate.

Paul Hoyle

...now you need to move onto this album's sequel, Clutching at Straws (and Fish's last album with the band)...even if just for yourself to enjoy and see the quality this band have, and what Fish brought to the band., and took away (ps...I love all post Fish Marillion to).

Matthew Weber

It doesn't sound like prose to me! Text doesn't have to rhyme to be poetry, y'know... ;)

Owen Edmonds

Love this album. In fact, I love every Fish Marillion album.

Rick Dashiell

This is actually the more "tame" of the Fish era records. You'd be surprised by the aggressiveness of the other three in comparison, especially Fugazi...

Richard Karbowski

Fish has said that Peter Hammill was a bigger influence on his lyrics than Gabriel, and it is pretty clear. There are even 2 Peter Hammill solo albums laying on the floor on the Fugazi album cover. But I am a shameless Hammill fanboy...

Stuart Ball

Enjoyed that a lot. An album I’ve been listening to for more than 35 years. Glad you liked it. Have a go at Clutching At Straws next!

Mats Holmberg

Thanks Doug, I have heard this album 100+ times since I was 15, but you made me listen to the lyrics a bit more carefully. English is not my first language and I guess that when I was 15, I was more in love with Steve Rothery´s guitar work and Fish voice and didn´t analyse the meaning of each section. SO, I learned something NEW today about the album that I grew up with, or that I grew from a child to an adult with which is a more fitting way of saying it. I am still a child though at 52!

Einaras Sipavičius

I mentioned earlier that I'm not a fan of Misplaced Childhood (although quite a big fan of Marillion) and I expect Doug to unravel its secret, why prog fans find this album so appealing. And I actually didn't get the answer. On the contrary, Doug's analysis of both lyrics and music cemented my views on this album. Harmonically it is a pop album, nothing more. Only odd meters in some places and Mosley rhythms remind us that Marillion is considered a prog band. And lyrically I also don't like this album very much. The main plot transforms from dramatic love story to social commentary quite abruptly. And although it has a personal dimension to it, it really feels inconsistent for me. Doug made a really notable remark about Fish being more prone to prosal writing. I think Peter Hammill from Van der Graaf Generator is responsible for this as Fish has mentioned Hammill as his influence. Hammill also writes songs, that have quite a free, non-poetic structure, and this feature is persistent in whole VdGG and Hammill's solo discography. And this influence is ever more so prominent on first two Marillion albums: Script For A Jester's Tear and Fugazi. And that's one of the things I really like about both VdGG and Fish era Marillion. But overall, Misplaced Childhood's mystery retains for me. Maybe people find the plot very relatable. That one I can admit. Recommendations for further explorations of Marillion: debut album Script For A Jester's Tear, which is actually proggy musically and lyrically. Last song Forgotten Sons alone beats Misplaced Childhood in perspective of lyrical prowess. In Hogarth era: my favourite album is Sounds That Can't Be Made, especially the longest track – Gaza. Wonderful lyrics and complex sound.

Murdock Moriarty

It's Extended Douuuug - I haven't heard Fish Marillion apart from their hit "Kayleigh", so this is gonna be educational for me - as long as I can hold down Scotch intake and remember anything about this afterwards. Cheers y'all.

Estefanía Sucre

This is my favorite album from Marillion and one of the most special albums for me. I know the music is not as complicated as other prog albums, but it is incredible how much it can transmit. I discovered it during my teenage, and I was really obsessed about it. Why? because of the way that Fish delivers the lyrics, and how the music is perfect for all the feelings described in this masterpiece. It is so touching that I had cried many times listening to it. The lyrics themselves carry a lot of metaphors and word playing (as nightmare/morning mare, or the meaning of having "a heart of Lothian" for the scots). Obviously is an album you can relate to: it empathizes with the heartbroken and depressed, it has a critic to human society; and it also gives hope. My personal favorite is "Blind Curve". It has a lot of contrast, and there is much more to be listened as soft words in the dark climax of the song. Also, the guitar sound is brilliant (almost like it is crying) and it demonstrates that you do not always need virtuosic musicians to be able to create a Masterpiece.

ctschwei

"Lavender" is referring to "Lavender's Blue (Dilli, Dilli)", a folk song from the british isles and nursery rhyme dating to the 17th century.

Steeleye 2112

Marillion updated prog fundamentals for a new decade. The genesis influence is obvious and not something they ever denied. Also the subject matter was always more brutal and unflinchingly delivered.

Enigmaticus

I have never really liked Marillion. I had heard “Script For A Jester’s Tear” a very long time ago and in my honest opinion, they sounded too much like early Genesis. If I had wanted to listen to early Genesis, then I would listen to early Genesis and definitely not Marillion.

Peace forever

Marillion is a cool band with a genuine Prog feel BUT in no way it can be compared to Genesis genius complexities, avant-garde and virtuosity. They surfed on Progressive rock's last breath and actually managed to extend Prog in the 80's and 90's with a well deserved success.

David Crossen

Lavender's Blue is an old English folk song

David Crossen

Doug, as you guessed, Hearts of Lothian, refers to Midlothian the part of Scotland where the city of Edinburgh is located. The Royal Mile is indeed in Edinburgh. You will find the Heart of Midlothian in the cobbles outside St. Giles cathedral in Edinburgh on the Royal Mile. There is a novel of the same name, one of the Waverley novels by Sir Walter Scott. Fish grew up in Dalkeith, Edinburgh. Also Heart of Midlothian is one of the football (soccer) teams in Edinburgh.

Skyline Drifter

Long time Marillion fan/expert (sorta)...FYI the interview he's referencing in the first part of Blind Curve is actually a specific nod to a 1985 Kerrang! magazine interview based on his description of posing with a bottle of liquor...I believe the interviewer was Mick Wall, who later wrote a really nice biography of the FIsh era called Market Square Heroes

Skyline Drifter

As an aside, the band played their southern-most US date in history in Dallas in January 2018. I was lucky enough to attend and there were people who had come from Mexico, Colorado, New Mexico and other surrounding states. Every single song received a standing ovation. Hogarth remarked, "If you ever want to leave home, come over and see us in England where we are kind of like the new Grateful Dead."

Skyline Drifter

One more thing that I found very interesting at this show. So, Hogarth sits down at the front of the stage during a lengthy instrumental section from F.E.A.R. with what appeared to be some type of small keyboard looking instrument (I was not close to the stage so I couldn't see what it was exactly). It had some knobs and buttons on it as well as what I thought were midi sized keys. What happened was this device appeared to allow him a great deal of control over the actual house mix that was blasting out...it definitely caught me by surprise...don't know how it worked but he was able to somehow manipulate the actual soundstage of what we were hearing in a very clean fashion.

BRIAN MILLER

Thanks for doing these. A good excuse to revisit some old classic albums. "Kayleigh" is a favorite of mine due to the melodic hook.

The Black Queen

It's like if 1970s Genesis wrote the lyrics and sang the vocals, and 1980s Genesis wrote the music.

Iain

So glad you mentioned this EP episode on todays (2/4/22) Daily Doug (Marillion - "Be Hard On Yourself"; it's one of my absolute favorite albums of all time. I'm Scottish and a child of 70's-80's. This album just hits the right nerve with me every time.

Rob Kopple

In my opinion, this is one of the finest pieces of music created by mankind in the last 100 years. I love it that much.

Frank D

First things - Fish (the singer) was a massive Genesis fan, so doubtless somewhat influenced in style by Peter Gabriel.

Frank D

Also, and it pains me greatly to say this as a Glaswegian - Heart Of Lothian is a fantastic piece of music, stirs the soul wit echoes of Braveheart!

Jools Lee-Webb

Lavender blue dilly-dilly is am English folk song and nursery rhyme dating to the 17th century. The lyrics go: Lavender blue, dilly-dilly Lavender green If you were king, dilly-dilly You'd need a queen Who told me so? Dilly-dilly Who told me so? I told myself, dilly-dilly I told me so If your dilly-dilly heart Feels a dilly-dilly way And if you'll answer yes In a pretty little church On a dilly-dilly day I'll be wed in a dilly-dilly dress of Lavender blue, dilly-dilly Lavender green Then you'll be king, dilly-dilly And I'll be queen If your dilly-dilly heart Feels a dilly-dilly way And if you'll answer yes In a pretty little church On a dilly-dilly day I'll be wed in a dilly-dilly dress of Lavender blue, dilly-dilly Lavender green Then you'll be king, dilly-dilly And I'll be your queen