Fugazi. It's a unique title, that on the surface might be written off as gibberish. However, the word actual has its roots in the 70's, used primarily by the New York Italian community, who used it to describe something fake, or bogus.
Upon wrapping up their debut album tour, Marillion was put under considerable pressure by EMI to deliver a new studio album. The problem was that they were currently going through a rotation of drummers, who had all been fired. In walked Jonathan Mover, who after auditioning was on tour with the band within days. However, as the group sat down individually to develop material, lead singer Fish would suggest they create a concept album. It would be Mover who would push back, stating that the songs everyone had worked on wouldn't creatively fit into that format, and would need to be scrapped. Fish apparently didn't like this challenge from the new guy and fired him.
After filling in as a session drummer, Ian Mosley would be added to the band full time in October 1983. This addition would put the classic lineup of the group in place with Fish on vocals, Steve Rothery on guitars, Mark Kelly on keyboards, Pete Trewavas on bass, and Ian Mosley on drums. Together, they began crafting the tracks that would become 1984's Fugazi. However, this was anything buy smooth sailing.
Their production schedule would run so behind that they'd actually start the promotional tour for the album before it was even finished. The end result was called incoherent, not helped by the consistent rotation of musicians leading up to it, and the ten different studios in which it was recorded over four months.
Much like their debut, Script For A Jester's Tear, I hear a lot of solid musicianship, but in that, nothing that really resonated. While the previous album also suffered from tracks which were excessively long, eight plus minutes, the band seems to have reserved this for just two tracks. Unfortunately, the remainder typically huddle around the six-to-seven-minute mark, once again making them feel bloated.
I get it, they're a prog band, and that's king of their thing. But where I'm at as of now, I'm not necessarily seeing that this is going to pan out for me. I don't think I'm destined to be a Marillion fan. Such is the life when you blindly buy an entire era discography without knowing anything about what you're getting yourself into. Honestly, I don't really even want to listen to their next three albums. I mean, I will, but I'm not looking forward to it.
Fugazi proved less popular with fans as well, only reaching gold certification. In comparison with their platinum debut, this was considered an under performance. The album would, however, reach number five on the UK charts, and stay there for twenty weeks. It also produced two UK top thirty hits, Punch And Judy, and Assassing.
If Marillion was going to stay relevant in the hear today also gone today world of rock, they were going to need to come up with something bigger, and better. That they did with their 1985 released Misplaced Childhood. It would go on to be their biggest success with its more mainstream sound.
Okay, maybe I won't give up on the band just yet. Also, the title track of Fugazi, which is the final on the album, and was what was playing as I wrapped up this post, was pretty okay.
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