Marillion - Script For A Jester's Tear (1983) [4CD Limited Deluxe Edition 2020] (Repost)

At the time, Marillion's remarkable, full-fledged 1983 debut Script for a Jester's Tear was considered an odd bird: replete with Peter Gabriel face paint and lengthy, technical compositions, Marillion ushered in a new generation of prog rock that bound them forever to the heroics of early day Genesis. Intricate, complex, and theatrical almost to a fault, Script for a Jester's Tear remains the band's best and sets the bar for their later work. Filled with extraordinary songs that remained staples in the band's live gigs, the album begins with the poignant title track, on which Fish leads his band of merry men on a brokenhearted tour de force that culminates with the singer decrying that "…the game is over." "He Knows You Know,," a song sprinkled with drug paranoia and guilt; as the song veers to its chorus, Fish announces, "Fast feed, crystal fever, swarming through a fractured mind." If "The Web" hints at a grain of commercialism, "Garden Party" is a joyous anthem that showcases Marillion at the peak of its powers. Bogged down by some hilariously over-the-top British poetry, "Chelsea Monday" may be one of the album's lesser moments (if there are any), but the magical "Forgotten Sons" concludes the opus magnificently. A vital piece for any Marillion head and an essential work for any self-respecting first- or second-generation prog rock fan.
The 2020 deluxe version of Script For a Jester's Tear offers up a treasury of wonders. The freshly remastered album, given a careful remix by Andy Bradfield and Avril Mackintosh, feels like a distinct improvement over the previous 1997 remaster of the album; now that the CD mastering "loudness wars" have passed the material is given a bit more room to breathe and it all just sounds fantastic, with new subtleties teased out. They even tease the best out of Mick Pointer's drumming.
The second CD gives the same treatment to the Market Square Heroes EP - with Charting the Single also spruced up as a bonus track. Significantly, the version of Grendel here is not the "Fair Deal Studios version" from the 2CD version of the 1997 reissue, but the studio version which was originally released with the EP - the first time this track has had a proper clean-up on CD since it was issued as part of B'side Themselves. Andy and Avril have worked wonders with this version of the track, dialling back some of the inappropriate sunniness of the earlier mix and investing it with the dark spirit of the Fair Deal Studios version, whilst at the same time bringing out details of the performances that the Fair Deal version obscures.
Last off, there's a live show from the Marquee from 29th December 1982.