Listening to Marillion: Grendel (B'Sides Themselves)

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[@marklockey4434]

Marillion opened with Grendel at the Reading Festival 27 August 1983…the last time (I think) they played it live. A magnificent, memorable performance, and my first ( of 11 ) time witnessing them live.

[@daveatheis]

I was there too. Plus a few times at The Marque

[@benvanwessel1984]

think this is the first reaction on 'Grendel ' I saw, thank you so much, the voice, the storytelling, just beautiful!

[@Thomas.deNorth]

This is actually the Marillion record I find myself putting on the most, and not only because of Grendel. I like all of it.

[@Juststartingout768]

This guitar solo at the end and the key change turned me onto Marillion all these years ago. Grendel was the big song for Marillion at that time for their live gigs. A fan fav for sure.

[@ivogil4]

Thanks for your reaction to an old Marillion album. Marillion was recommanded to me by my record shop. They know that i like Genesis and that this was music for my ears. Marillion 1982 Grendel and the start of my Marillion journey followed with Script for a Jesters tear. Fish at his best. 40 years ago. Times fly. Thanks for bringing back this memory.

[@Ifyoudonttakeitucantfakeit]

The whole albums full of gems, Lady Nina’s ne of them. Mick Pointer formed Arena who have done some superb albums. I saw Grendel live in 81 at Lancaster. Front row, got shot by fish In Forgotten Sons😁

[@booshting3520]

I loved this back in the day. I'd never really heard prog music at that point. My jaw dropped a little years later when I got into Genesis 😆

[@lisaingram5297]

Don't skip over Script for a Jester's Tear. It's a great song, and their debut album, with some other very memorable tracks. Script is also the last with Mick Pointer on drums.

[@arthurmol6875]

Grendel.....❤❤ I saw Mick last week in Zoetermeer he played with Nick Baret from Pendragon an tribute to his time during Marillion. The singer is exactly like the young Fish. Grendel was in the setlist. Mick is also the drummer from the amazing band Arena

[@marklockey4434]

The Mick Pointer Band live DVD Script Revisualised Is fantastic. The lead singer, Brian Cummins,not only looks and sounds like Fish but also has all of his on stage mannerisms.

[@suecongdon6844]

I missed Marillion perform this live because the first tour I saw them on was Fugazi. But I saw Fish do Grendel at the Leamington Spa Convention in 2012, so to be able to see the track I'd been shouting for for all my life live, well... that's a life goal right there! Thanks

[@Lemmys_Mole]

B'side to the debut single "Market Square Heroes"...fekking EPIC stuff!!!

[@bradyhogan6366]

Great and fun music.

[@1mbpdf33]

One doesn't simply listen to Grendel before Suppers Ready 😂

[@JimNewstead]

Oops! Ah well, wait for a couple of weeks and I’m sure it’ll be here.

[@lucapolidori8817]

there's a section with the same tempo that's clearly inspired by Supper's Ready, but it's not only that. You should consider that this was on the first EP released by Marillion as a demo when Genesis where wasting their talent with stuff like Abacab

[@gavinferguson]

Got this and seen Grendel played live still awesome

[@PCmaatje]

Hi Jim, great reaction! I never saw Marillion play this live. But I saw this being played live by The Steve Rothery Band, with singer Martin Jakubski from the Marillion tribute band Stillmarillion. The Steve Rothery Band will play at Band on the Wall, in Manchester, June 9-10th, 2023. They will play a mix of instrumental songs created by Steve Rothery and songs from the Fish era of Marillion. And, above all, with Steve Rothery on guitar 🎸!!!!

[@andrewwallace4481]

This whole album is Magnificent 👏

[@richardbrown8108]

There is a brilliant song on it called Tux On

[@rudolfbecker4313]

I think I've heard this song before and being a fan of the Fish-era, I have to say I like it, especially Fish's singing between soft and powerful. I also think, that a remastered version of the song would sound great 🤘

[@merlinscat]

Twelfth night definitely worth a look saw them supporting Pallas in the 1980s

[@xlerb_again_to_music7908]

I was in a bad place when Marillion were first popular. You know when the internal angsts are such that you can't stand to listen to an uptempo radio song. Early Marillion (esp. on Jester's Tear) has Fish's singing so filled with angst, dark tones and sadness... the sound takes me back to dark times. And Grendel is reminiscent of that sound. But as I type this, I'm listening and focussing on the things Jim points out, not Fish's voice. 20 mins in now. Like the g'tar; Phil Collins-style drums too popped in. Have survived! It was - fine! :)

[@JimNewstead]

Phew! Glad we made it through buddy!!!

[@jpwwilson430]

Thanks for playing Grendel it's been a while since I've heard this song. I love Fish but I'm not a fan of the Leamington spa concert or the recent Vigil live Blu-ray as I don't think the musicians have been on a par with his previous bands. I'm looking forward to hearing your reviews for some Fish solo albums.

[@katierootham]

Hi Jim, I got into Marillion post Fish, however as a massive Marillion fan, I've listened to all the original Fish albums, early demos and B Sides Themselves and love the contrast between old and modern Marillion, each are so unique. Grendal is a super track, however it took me many years and listens to fall in love with, I ain't gonna lie, I didn't like it to begin with, but its a grower and I love it. Hope you enjoyed it as well, hope you get chance to listen to Freaks, that's great track too. 😍🍺😎

[@mrkitewine7700]

Great stuff Jim, I have the 12” single with this on the B side somewhere, I must dig it out.

[@JESTERFISH1]

Saw Marillion in 83 at Reading rock festival they opened with Grendel

[@The_Grumpy_Loyal]

Jim, take a listen to Fish's album Weltschmerz...some great stuff there probably his finest solo album.. one particular song stands out "Rose of Damascus"... Incredible...worth a listen

[@Jesusistheway5724]

Nice reaction 👍🏻 Check out the band Arena also, the band Mick Pointer founded. E.g. The visitor (live) is great, or the entire album The Visitor!!

[@kenl2091]

I'm the same age as Steve Rothery and Pete Trewavas so, when this came out in 1982 doing (undeniably) what a certain band hadn't been doing for 5 years, it was a delight. Yes, at this remove, it's a bit sixth-form poetry and neo-prog by numbers but this was the genesis (pun definitely intended) of the genre and is still a good listen.

[@merlinscat]

Often referred to as Suppers nearly ready

[@palantir135]

I must confess I only listened once to this album, decades ago. I can’t even remember this song and it’s not on any Fish album I own. I love Fish’s solo albums and own several of them. He’s very good live also.

[@LGBTQ71]

I think he is better Solo and Marillion are a better full group with h, if you get me

[@palantir135]

@@LGBTQ71 i still regard Clutching at straws as one of the best albums they’ve made. Afraid of sunlight is another favorite.

[@rudolfbecker4313]

@@palantir135 I love all the Fish-Marillion albums, if I had to do a ranking, it would probably be Fugazi at # 1. I also know some of his solo stuff and Which Color is God is my favourite song

[@rudolfbecker4313]

@@palantir135 I love all the Fish-Marillion albums, if I had to do a ranking, it would probably be Fugazi at # 1. I also know some of his solo stuff and Which Color is God is my favourite song

[@LGBTQ71]

@@palantir135 yea I really like Clutching at straws defo my fav Fish era. But it did , only in my opinion, feel like like a band not collecred, I think Fish was meant to be a solo artist, and Marillion with h it seems to be morevequal. I know what I mean, hard to explain what I mean.

[@Juststartingout768]

I forgot to say, but as I remember it, Assassin was about Fish firing Mick Pointer from drums……just came to mind when you mentioned Assassin. I’m sure I heard Fish say that at some point

[@gabiesiren]

Hello Jim, this is perfect ! I've heard this song before, I prefer the live version but like you said, the sound wasn't too good on the phone recording. It's better in the original version ! thank you very much ! 😄

[@JimNewstead]

Phew! I’m glad about that. Thanks, and sorry for not doing the exact version. Glad you understand why! Great choice, great tune!

[@gabiesiren]

@@JimNewstead I have 12 french songs for my list, total 43m and 50 seconds more or less !

[@gabiesiren]

@@JimNewstead I loved every bit of this video! I don't know what supper's ready has got to do with Marillion, but thanks a lot for playing my song !

[@rudolfbecker4313]

@@gabiesiren have you never heard Genesis fans complaining that Marillion just copies them... strange theory to me, only because there are certain similarities ? I actually "hate" certain fan groups, which think only their group is the only real stuff and bash on everything which sounds similar. And I'm gonna say which fangroup is the worst, even though I risk a shitstorm : it's the Tool fans ... read so many negative comments when any other band dared to have certain elements of Tool music ... Me being a huge Dream Theater fan could complain about half of nowadays progmetal bands because all of them have elements which I heard at first in DT music. Do I complain? NO ... actually I hope for something which is as good as the DT of Mike Portnoy era ... I'm still waiting 😂🤘

[@rudolfbecker4313]

@@gabiesiren have you never heard Genesis fans complaining that Marillion just copies them... strange theory to me, only because there are certain similarities ? I actually "hate" certain fan groups, which think only their group is the only real stuff and bash on everything which sounds similar. And I'm gonna say which fangroup is the worst, even though I risk a shitstorm : it's the Tool fans ... read so many negative comments when any other band dared to have certain elements of Tool music ... Me being a huge Dream Theater fan could complain about half of nowadays progmetal bands because all of them have elements which I heard at first in DT music. Do I complain? NO ... actually I hope for something which is as good as the DT of Mike Portnoy era ... I'm still waiting 😂🤘

[@TheAlbumReviewGuy]

It’s a great track Gabby/Jim with Suppers Ready similarities allowed for. Marillion can do no wrong in my eyes so I listen to it as a first listen and enjoy it as such. Thanks all around✅✅

[@MarcusVinicius-we2pg]

This piece is i would say last greatest progressive rock song..... 1981/82

[@HubertHuijbregts]

When you get to Misplaced Childhood (studio, or live on The Thieving Magpie (La Gazza Ladra)), you should do it start to finish in one session. When I'm in my car and I have my mp3 player playing random songs, every time a song from Misplaced Childhood is on it feels like something is missing, the rest of the album.

[@gavinferguson]

Clutching at straws for just the pain as the band and fish parted ways

[@nectarinedreams7208]

I can't believe you're doing Grendel before Supper's Ready - arguably the greatest prog epic ever! Haha, Grendel is a lot of fun but it's definitely a bit of a rip-off of the Genesis classic. I think it got prog fans excited in the early 80s because basically nobody else was making music like this at the time. I'm glad Marillion managed to find more of their own sound shortly after this. Misplaced Childhood and Clutching at Straws are brilliant.

[@gphill3954]

Yes I’ve forgotten that Jim hasn’t done Suppers Ready yet! That is a bit if a fly in the ointment, because as you rightly say it pinches much from SR, particularly the 9/8 section. Nonetheless I remember watching Marillion at the Marquee Club in December 82 before “Script” had been recorded and the sound was wonderfully raw and IMHO the soon to be album tracks were over produced and somewhat sanitised by the time it hit the vinyl stage. Grendel never made the album (not part of ‘the concept “) but was extremely popular live and very well received. So when it came out as the b side as previously mentioned we were all very excited.

[@JimNewstead]

Supper’s Ready coming soon almost certainly.

[@helgemoller5158]

Their not "Genesis" maybe sound similar. That was the time of that Rock Style. But they made their own thing. Doesn´t own even a Single from "Genesis" but all Albums from Marillion and some of Fish solo.

[@yes_head]

You made the right call, Jim. For example, you didn't react to Yessongs before you'd heard the songs on Close to the Edge and Fragile, right? As others have mentioned, this is more than a bit of an homage to Genesis' "Supper's Ready" (most of the neo-prog bands did it at some point), and I remember in the early days it split prog fans into "They're just ripping off Genesis" and "Yay, a band reviving the glory days of early prog!" I came down somewhere in the middle, and it all depended on the strength of the song in question. IMO, this sort of early Marillion is a an interesting attempt to blend epic prog with NWOBM songwriting, but it's mainly a pastiche of Genesis and Van der Graaf Generator. BTW, original drummer Mick Pointer was let go after the first album was recorded. He went on to found the neo-prog band Arena with Clive Nolan, another veteran of the early neo-prog scene.

[@JimNewstead]

I think Supper’s Ready is going to be voted on in a couple of weeks…. It’ll get played anyway, this was a specific request. Looking forward to hearing the Genesis track soon!!!

[@yes_head]

@@JimNewstead I'd actually recommend you do the full Foxtrot album track by track, ending with "Supper's Ready". Or if you do the sides, "Supper's Ready" is 90% of side 2 anyways.

[@tanis7050]

A supper's ready rip off but a good one !

[@drumvc8060]

Mick Pointer on drums

[@carstenhorn5075]

Did Marillion actually get sued by Genesis' management back then for stealing Apocalypse in 9/8 from Supper's ready? 😂 The album was my very first CD, even before I had a player. The CD still doesn't crackle to this day 😉 Steve Rothery played Grendel at the Steve Rothery Band concert in Cologne in September 2019. That was kind of quirky, but a lot of fun.

[@booshting3520]

No they never got sued for it. Many years later Tony Stratton Smith heard the song as said he might have done if he'd heard it back in the day. He said this in a very joking tone though.

[@conkerman01]

Yay. Apocalypse in 8/8

[@WooBino.]

My question is as a first listen did they purposely copy the Genesis sound or was it natural?

[@JimNewstead]

You’d have to ask someone else that question, for I do not know the answer my dear man!

[@delorangeade]

They used the same producer as Genesis used for Foxtrot, so that may help explain where the band was coming from.

[@philwildcroft1764]

They were clearly heavily influenced by Genesis and even used to cover I Know What I Like live. I think they knew Grendel was going to be a stick to beat them with (the UK music press wouldn't stop going on about Marillion being a Genesis rip off early on) so they stopped playing it.

[@delorangeade]

It didn't take long for the "G" word that dare not speak its name to make an appearance in this reaction. Enjoying this one does take a certain suspension of cynicism and disbelief these days. Fish's compelling performance really keeps the whole thing on track, although this isn't an era of the band I have much time for any more. The charm of naivety only stretches so far. Neo-Prog was really retro-prog and not really progressive at all. Of the Fish era albums, Clutching at Straws is the one where the band begins to assert an identity further removed from its seventies roots and for me best represents what the band was capable of. The other albums I don't think have aged as well.

[@malcolmdaniel4462]

What kills me is that most of Marillos b'sides were better than some bands a'sides. They were that good!!!!

[@franckb8279]

Love Grendel. Very Genesis Supper's readyish. They have already their sound and ideas. Only the production is poor. The drumming is flat as well. No surprise that Mick Pointer was fired after the first album despite he was one founding member.

[@TheD4VR0S]

Ive got that on cd autographed by the band My problem with modern Marillion is they dont rock, Rothery plays beautiful soaring solo's and that's great but where are the riffs? If I had my way I would lock him in a room for 6 months and make him listen to nothing but Jimmy Page, Angus Young and Tony Iommi

[@dav147]

Hi Jim, 16.04 is pure Suppers Ready rip off!!

[@rogerhennie8939]

A poor copy of Supper’s Ready.

[@LGBTQ71]

Every concert someone shouts GRENDEL..without fail. . h does not do that or any fugazi stuff. I think he said it was not in line with the way his vocals go.. to be honest, I will probably get a hit squad out to me for this. Most overated Fish era song. Better get my bullet proof vest on now. (And I think the drummer is...er.... nae guid in ma eyes.) Mind you, the lads Stillmarillion at Leicester last year was fab. Oooo drum box???? Do you play?

[@jenphillips3212]

It was booted from their set years before Fish left. Don't always assume it's h who doesn't want to do an old track, he's one of five voices

[@LGBTQ71]

​​@@jenphillips3212 he is very much said he will not sing fugazi stuff though. He is my favoueite singwr! But he said it was not his style that all! Nothin of the fish v h rubbish, its just what it is! I love h version of all fish songs his unique beautiful voice! The Scottish concert nearly messwd up by Queenie dying. H forgot the words 2 times of Garden Party I could not stop laughing. He was asking the people at the front the lyrics 😂. Funny I like F*** ups. Proves they are human and they are are most definitely singing live!!!

[@eugeneshadwell6596]

Sorry but this is my second least favourite Marillion tune of all time, beaten only to the number one slot by the godawful 'Most Toys'...

[@jenphillips3212]

Grendel is my favourite 'play it so you can badly sing along doing the housework' song , although it was fun seeing Stillmarillion play it.

[@theturtleproject]

what is most toys ?

[@eugeneshadwell6596]

@@theturtleproject Most Toys is a song on the Somewhere Else album that many Marillion fans really, really dislike! And hey, Mark Kelly in his autobiography slammed it as well! 😁

[@theturtleproject]

@@eugeneshadwell6596 ah right , i do have that but havent listened to it much, that one and radiation were a bit of a blip in an otherwise amazing back catalogue

[@eugeneshadwell6596]

@@theturtleproject True that! Marillion are one of the greatest bands I've ever heard and seen but no band is entirely innocent of dropping the odd clunker... 😀