Enjoy a shot of Scotch with Marillion’s best

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Nov. 21, 2003 | 8:27 a.m.

In 1987 the word "fish" conjured up a very specific image for European music fans, one that had nothing to do with tie-dyed shirts or long instrumental passages.

Years before Phish emerged as the world's most popular jam band, a man who called himself Fish fronted a prog-rock band that sold millions of albums across the Atlantic: Marillion.

The Scottish quintet didn't catch on with the American mainstream, never touching the upper reaches of the album or singles charts.

But Marillion's heady brand of music did attract a small, devoted cult following here, and their fourth CD, "Clutching at Straws," is one reason why many still sing the band's praises.

Though technically not a concept album in the true sense of its predecessor, 1985's "Misplaced Childhood," the disc does feature a central theme running through most of its 11 tracks.

If you follow the lyrics closely, you'll hear the tale of an aging rocker giving way to the trappings of stardom: fame, alcoholism and drug addiction.

Hardly party music. But not as depressing as it might sound, either. In fact, most of the songs actually sound upbeat, thanks to cascading keyboard parts from Mark Kelly and fiery guitar work from Steve Rothery.

Marillion's sound is easily identifiable as being from the synth-happy 1980s, but not in a bad way. Rather than coming off dated, "Clutching" stands as an updated take on the progressive stylings of Peter Gabriel's Genesis or King Crimson from the 1970s.

Nearly every track on the disc is a highlight. Depending on my mood, my favorite cut shifts with almost every listen, from scene-setting opener "Hotel Hobbies" to the ultra-dramatic "Slainte Mhath" to the slow-building "Sugar Mice" and so on.

Phrases and riffs are repeated now and again, giving the album an overall sense of continuity. But its greatest constants are Fish's introspective, wildly descriptive lyrics, and his thick-Scottish-accent-laced vocals.

Sadly, "Clutching at Straws" would prove to be the band's last with Fish at the helm. After he exited the scene to pursue solo projects, Marillion carried on with a new singer, never recapturing its former glory, at least to my ear.

Artist: Marillion.

Title: "Clutching at Straws."

Year of release: 1987 (Capitol Records).

Tracklisting: "Hotel Hobbies," "Warm Wet Circles," "That Time of the Night (The Short Straw)," "Going Under," "Just For the Record," "White Russian," "Incommunicado," "Torch Song," "Slainte Mhath," "Sugar Mice," "The Last Straw / Happy Ending."