Clutching At Straws [Remastered] (CD)

Marillion

Currently Unavailable

SHIPS FREE in U.S.

Amoeba Review

Michael Keefe 06/15/2010

Clutching at Straws is British art rock band Marillion's fourth studio album and their finale with original lead singer Fish, who parted with the band one year later. The Scotsman's drinking has been cited as one of the issues that lead to the split, so it's fitting that Clutching at Straws' lyrics are mostly centered around alcohol. Musically, the group's four other members (guitarist Steve Rothery, bassist Pete Tewavas, keyboardist Mark Kelly, and drummer Ian Mosley), continued to move away from their neo-progressive rock beginnings, when the band were often pegged as Genesis clones. Here, Marillion tap into The Who's grandiose rock riffing and tales of everymen who are heroes and, more often, heroic failures. The LP's opening trio of tracks – with the dynamic single "Warm Wet Circles" as its centerpiece – flows beautifully together, painting a portrait of destitution and love spoiled by liquor. In the slow-burning "Torch Song," Fish's protagonist finds "a strange fascination with a liquid fixation," while the title of the following cut, "Slàinte Mhath," is a Gaelic toast. At the emotional heart of the album is "Sugar Mice," a ballad of an out-of-work absentee father addressing his kids from a barstool in Milwaukee. The LP's biggest single (UK #6), however, is "Incommunicado," a propulsive, hooky rocker about the perils of fame, including "an allergy to Perrier, daylight, and responsibility." The excellent Clutching at Straws hit #2 in Britain and dented the US charts (#103 on Billboard); a commercial and artistic success exceeded only by its magnificent predecessor, Misplaced Childhood.

Track Listing

Disc 1 Titles	Artist	Length
1. Hotel Hobbies	Marillion	03:35
2. Warm Wet Circles	Marillion	04:26
3. That Time of the Night (The Short Straw)	Marillion	06:00
4. Going Under	Marillion	02:48
5. Just for the Record	Marillion	03:09
6. White Russian	Marillion	06:28
7. Incommunicado	Marillion	05:17
8. Torch Song	Marillion	04:05
9. Slàinte Mhath	Marillion	04:45
10. Sugar Mice	Marillion	05:47
11. The Last Straw/Happy Ending	Marillion	05:58
12. Incommunicado [Alternative Version]	Marillion	05:57
13. Tux On	Marillion	05:13
14. Going Under [Extended Version]	Marillion	02:48
15. Beaujolais Day	Marillion	04:51
16. Story from a Thin Wall	Marillion	06:47
17. Shadows on the Barley	Marillion	02:07
18. Sunset Hill	Marillion	04:21
19. Tic-Tac-Toe	Marillion	02:59
20. Voice in the Crowd	Marillion	03:29
21. Exile on Princes Street	Marillion	05:29
22. White Russian [Demo]	Marillion	06:15
23. Sugar Mice in the Rain [Demo]	Marillion	05:54

Currently Unavailable

SHIPS FREE in U.S.

User Reviews

Overall Rating 0 Submissions

RATE & REVIEW

Amoeba Music

0 Items

FREE SHIPPING ON MUSIC & MOVIES IN THE U.S.!

Credits

Dig-Deeper

Artist Releases

Label Releases