Marillion "Clutching at Straws" Vinyl LP/Record (1987) *Near-Mint*

Description: All songs written by Fish, Mark Kelly, Ian Mosley, Steve Rothery and Pete Trewavas.LP versionSide oneNo.TitleLength1."Hotel Hobbies"3:352."Warm Wet Circles"4:253."That Time of the Night (The Short Straw)"6:004."Just for the Record"3:095."White Russian"6:27Side twoNo.TitleLength1."Incommunicado"5:162."Torch Song"4:053."Slàinte Mhath"4:444."Sugar Mice"5:465."The Last Straw"5:506."Happy Ending"0:08Total length:49:25 Clutching at Straws is the fourth studio album by the British neo-prog band Marillion, released on June 22, 1987.[1] It was the last album with lead singer Fish, who left the band in 1988, and is a concept album.[2][3]Although Clutching at Straws did not achieve the sales of its predecessor, the number one album Misplaced Childhood, spending 15 weeks on the UK album chart (the shortest chart residency of any of Marillion's first four studio albums), it was still an immediate commercial success, becoming the second highest charting Marillion album by entering the chart at number two. It produced three UK Top 40 singles: "Incommunicado", "Sugar Mice" and "Warm Wet Circles".The album has received critical acclaim, being listed in Q magazine's "50 Best Recordings of the Year",[4] it has been described by AllMusic as an "unheralded masterpiece",[5] and Rolling Stone placed it at number 37 in its countdown of the "50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time".[6] Prog Magazine rated it #47 on their "100 Greatest Prog Albums of all Time." In 1999, a 2-CD 'Remastered Version' with additional B-sides and demos was released, including detailed liner notes from all of the original members including Fish.Concept[edit]The character of Torch (supposedly a descendant of the Jester from earlier album sleeves) is a 29-year-old out-of-work man whose life is a mess. He seeks comfort mostly in alcohol to numb himself. He is trying, but failing, to forget what lies at his feet—a failed marriage, being a deadbeat father, and his lack of commercial success as a singer in a band. As he gets drunk, he also writes about his surroundings and his laments. Since Torch has no other real outlet at his disposal, he ends up in bars, hotel rooms, and on the road, screaming and drunk, thus, he is described as beyond redemption or hope.Marillion took a break after their tour in support of the album (with Fish eventually quitting) after it was released. The song "Incommunicado" describes the pitfalls of the business, and how pressures in real life exerted by the band's US label Capitol Records were crushing in from outside for them to either succeed or get dropped by the company, which would happen to Marillion anyway a few years later.Cover artwork[edit]The front and back covers of the album describe Fish's inspiration for the album's lyrics as well as some of his heroes. There are allusions to them throughout the album. The setting is in a British pub (the Bakers Arms in Colchester), and the people represented are the following:On the front from left to right: Robert Burns, Dylan Thomas, Truman Capote and Lenny BruceOn the back from left to right: John Lennon, James Dean and Jack KerouacSleeve artist Mark Wilkinson has expressed his disappointment with the sleeve, which he intended to be more detailed and feature more characters but was rushed due to the release date of the album being brought forward:"It was torture to do. Especially as I got a call almost by the day from EMI or John (manager John Arnison) that if I missed this deadline, the time slot would go, and the tour / album symbiosis put in jeopardy. Somehow I did it, clutching at sleep! EMI were relieved. Fish seemed OK. The rest of the band were a bit unmoved, it was so different to the previous sleeves. I was bloody disappointed! I loved this album, still do. It was some kind of pinnacle as far as I am concerned. Probably my favourite of theirs. And I felt cheated! It was not the sleeve I had imagined. You don't win them all, believe me!"[7]Critical reception[edit]Professional ratingsReview scoresSourceRatingAllMusic[8]Kerrang![9]Q[10]Record Mirror[11]In 1987, David Hepworth wrote in Q, "Musically, Clutching at Straws doesn't depart far from the educated arrangements of previous albums. However somebody has been applying a stop watch to the individual songs and to the solos within them; thus we have eleven distinct songs, each with its own melodic virtues and most with quite acceptable hook lines barked out by Fish... There are tracks here that could have snuck into Sting's live act quite easily."[10]John Franck of AllMusic described the album as "perhaps Marillion's most unheralded masterpiece" which "showcases some of the band's most satisfying compositions, including the magnificent 'Warm Wet Circles' and 'That Time of the Night (The Short Straw)' ... Tour opener 'Slainte Mhath' is simple and elegant, building to its dramatic crescendo only to be upstaged by 'Sugar Mice' – quite simply, one of Marillion's best commercial singles ever". "The Last Straw" was also praised as a "stunning closer" to the album.[5]In 2015, while including Clutching at Straws in the "50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time", Rolling Stone stated that "Marillion's fourth album balanced melody and melodrama" and commented on the "atmospheric production and guitarist Steve Rothery's spacious, relatively restrained guitar (which split the difference between Genesis' Steve Hackett and U2's the Edge)".[6]Personnel[edit]Band membersFish – vocalsSteve Rothery – guitarsMark Kelly – keyboardsPete Trewavas – bass, backing vocalsIan Mosley – drumsAdditional musiciansTessa Niles – backing vocals on "That Time of the Night" and "The Last Straw"Chris Kimsey (credited as "Christopher 'Robbin' Kimsey") – backing vocals on "Incommunicado", productionJohn Cavanagh – "Dr. Finlay" voice on "Torch Song"Charts[edit]Chart (1987)Peak positionAustrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[14]16Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[15]81Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[16]3Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)[17]15French Albums (SNEP)[18]20German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[19]3Italian Albums (Musica e Dischi)[20]20Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[21]4Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[22]9Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[23]2UK Albums (OCC)[24]2US Billboard 200[25]103Chart (2018)Peak positionScottish Albums (OCC)[26]48UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[27]1Certifications[edit]RegionCertificationCertified units/salesGermany (BVMI)[28]Gold250,000^United Kingdom (BPI)[29]Gold100,000^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Price: 19.95 USD

Location: Blandon, Pennsylvania

End Time: 2025-02-12T04:44:43.000Z

Shipping Cost: 6.13 USD