Clutching at Straws is the fourth studio album by the British neo-prog band Marillion, released on 22 June 1987. It was the last album with lead singer Fish, who left the band in 1988, and is a concept album.

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", it has been described by AllMusic as an "unheralded masterpiece", and Rolling Stone placed it at number 37 in its countdown of the "50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time". Prog Magazine rated it No. 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

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

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 Bruce
  • On the back from left to right: John Lennon, James Dean and Jack Kerouac

Sleeve 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:

<blockquote>"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!"</blockquote>

Critical reception

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." It was identical to the original vinyl release from 1987, namely 'Going Under' was not included.

Track listing

The CD version of the album includes the bonus track "Going Under" (2:47) between "That Time of the Night" and "Just for the Record". This was not included on the vinyl or cassette versions.

;1999 remastered CD edition Disc 2 (bonus tracks)

  1. "Incommunicado" <small>(alternative version)</small> – 5:57
  2. "Tux On" – 5:13
  3. "Going Under" <small>(extended version)</small> – 2:48
  4. "Beaujolais Day" – 4:51
  5. "Story from a Thin Wall" – 6:47
  6. "Shadows on the Barley" – 2:07
  7. "Sunset Hill" – 4:21
  8. "Tic-Tac-Toe" – 2:59
  9. "Voice in the Crowd" – 3:29
  10. "Exile on Princes Street" – 5:29
  11. "White Russians" <small>(demo)</small> – 6:15
  12. "Sugar Mice in the Rain" <small>(demo)</small> – 5:54

4-CD + Blu-ray Disc, 2018, Remastered, Digi-Book

CD 1 Clutching at Straws (2018 Andy Bradfield & Avril Mackintosh Re-Mix)

Note: Includes the extended version (with a guitar solo) of "Going Under" as track 4.

CD 2 Live at the Edinburgh Playhouse 19th December 1987 (2018 Michael Hunter Mix)

  1. La Gazza Ladra 2:46
  2. Slainthe Mhath 5:03
  3. Assassing 6:47
  4. White Russian 6:25
  5. Incubus 10:36
  6. Sugar Mice 6:14
  7. Fugazi 9:57
  8. Hotel Hobbies 4:04
  9. Warm Wet Circles 4:17
  10. That Time Of The Night 6:00

CD 3 Live at the Edinburgh Playhouse (continued) (2018 Michael Hunter Mix)

  1. Pseudo Silk Kimono (intro) 1:06
  2. Kayleigh 3:48
  3. Lavender 2:34
  4. Bitter Suite 8:32
  5. Heart Of Lothian 7:23
  6. The Last Straw 7:16
  7. Incommunicado 5:00
  8. Garden Party 6:26
  9. Market Square Heroes [incomplete, featuring "My Generation", "Margaret" & "Let's Twist Again"] 10:09

CD 4 Clutching at Straws Demos

<br>1999 Remaster

  1. Beaujolais Day
  2. Story from a Thin Wall
  3. Shadows on the Barley
  4. Exile on Princes Street
  5. Sunset Hill
  6. Tic-Tac-Toe
  7. Voice in the Crowd
  8. White Russians
  9. Sugar Mice in the Rain

Previously Unreleased Demos

  1. <li value="10">Hotel Hobbies / Warm Wet Circles (The Mosaic Demos)
  2. Just for the Record
  3. Torch Song
  4. Slàinte Mhath

Blu-ray Disc

Blu-ray Disc

  1. Clutching at Straws [Stereo / LPCM Audio 5.1 / DTS Master 5.1] 52:13
  2. The Final Straw [Documentary] 60:00
  3. Incommunicado [Promo Video] 4:02
  4. Sugar Mice [Promo Video] 5:05
  5. Warm Wet Circles [Demo] 4:25
  6. Clutching at Straws [Original 1987 Album Mix] 52:13
  7. Incommunicado [Alternate Version [1999 Remaster Bonus Track] 5:57
  8. Tux On [1999 Remaster Bonus Track] 5:13
  9. Going Under [1999 Remaster Bonus Track] 2:48

Personnel

;Band members

  • Fish – vocals
  • Steve Rothery – guitars
  • Mark Kelly – keyboards
  • Pete Trewavas – bass, backing vocals
  • Ian Mosley – drums

;Additional musicians

  • Tessa Niles – backing vocals on "That Time of the Night" and "The Last Straw"
  • Chris Kimsey (credited as "Christopher 'Robbin' Kimsey") – backing vocals on "Incommunicado", production
  • John Cavanagh – "Dr. Finlay" voice on "Torch Song"

Charts

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

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! scope="col"| Chart (1987)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

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! scope="row"| Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)

| align="center"| 15

|-

!scope="row"| French Albums (SNEP)

| align="center"| 20

|-

|-

! scope="row"|Italian Albums (Musica e Dischi)

| align="center"| 20

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

|-

! scope="col"| Chart (2018)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

|-

|-

|}

Certifications

References

;Notes

;Citations

  • The Official Marillion Website