Album of the Day

Marillion: Clutching at Straws (remaster). Clutching is a great album, but what makes the remaster really interesting are the goodies contained on the bonus disc. This was the last Marillion album with Fish as a front man. Shortly after the tour in support if Clutching, things reached a breaking point in the band and Fish split for a lengthy solo career. Several of the tunes on the bonus disc are demos (which resided in a biscuit tin in keyboardist Mark Kelly's home for nearly a decade!) which were destined for the next Marillion album. After Fish's departure, the songs split, as well. Some musical bits went to the next Marillion album, while the lyrics for several songs would show up on Fish's first two solo albums. Most interesting is "Story From a Thin Wall." Musically, it became "Berlin" from Marillion's Seasons End, while the lyrics became Fish's "Family Business" from his debut solo album. There are a lot of interesting "what ifs" sprinkled throughout.