Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Truly, a great album and a great concert experience..., April 20, 2004
As a farewell present for fans, the double CD live collection of The Thieving Magpie is perhaps the closest to a Fish-era Marillion concert you'll ever be. This is the band during their heyday (at least in their peak album selling years) just as Fish was about to leave (or be dismissed, depending on who you ask). Here's a band known for its proximity to fans back when they performed to packed arenas. It is, without a doubt, a testament to a great band who, after releasing this album, went in two different directions with two very different results.The two CDs are divided into a full live version of Misplaced Childhood (the band's greates achievement) and a collection of tracks from their three other albums. The results can also be divided into two groups: awesome and lacking. Being able to enjoy Misplaced Childhood in its enterity is a true gift that the lads gave to us fans. This is one of those classic albums that transcends time and taste, and that should be around forever. It is also proof of the band's musical talents, both as composers and as performers. This is a 42+ minute track if you think about it! The first disc starts off with an intro of Rossini's 'La Gazza Ladra' that segues into one of the bands best loved tracks, Slainte Mhath and then visits a varied collection of hits that are taken from different concerts. This disc could have been somewhat better, not because of the quality of the tracks presented, but because of the tracks missing from it. Granted, the band had already released Real to Reel and Brief Encounter, so a few of the better known pieces of Marillion's music was already out in live versions, but still, a better way to say goodbye and thanks to the fans would have been to include Forgotten sons, Assassing, Garden Party and/or Market Square Heroes. Still, this is an album that should be owned not only by Marillion fans, but also by every and anyone who loves great music.
|
|
|
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Energizing live performance!, February 8, 2002
I have always admired Marillion's live albums because of their intensity, and among them The Thieving Magpie is probably the best. It shows how a band can transform studio music into a true expression of the human soul. It shows that it is possible to enhance perfection.
All of the bands member perform at their best, seamlessly adding strength and warmth to the music. Their level of energy and coordination is untypical of live performances. I particularly enjoy Ian Mosley's faster and unrestrained drumming, as well as Fish's voice which adds tremendous sensuality to the music. I have to admit that because the album is a compilation of several performances there are some discrepancies in the sound quality. However I don't think this is reason enough not to give this masterpiece a five star rating.
The selection of songs in the first disc contains some of Marillion's best. My personal favorites are Slainte Mhath, Fugazi and Script for a Jester's Tear. If you are already familiar with the studio songs you will undoubtedly be blown away by their emotional live versions. The second disc contains an equally intense and complete live performance of Misplaced Childhood that sounds even more natural than the original album.
The Thieving Magpie was Fish's last performance with the band. They were never the same after that and probably never will. It's a farewell to one of music's finest bands and as such is hard to listen to it and not feel that they have left and empty space that may never be filled again.
|
|
|
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A truly wonderful live album., March 27, 1999
By A Customer
It is often very hard for bands as complex and textured as Marillion to come across well live. This is not the case here. All the tracks carry the power, emotion, and complexity that the studio versions do and in some cases(He Knows You Know for one) exceed the studio versions. Fish's voice sounds grand and the overall mix is teriffic. It certainly ranks as one of the great live recordings, but not, as Bizzbuzz suggests, the greatest. For one, Genesis's "Seconds Out" is recorded even better, and easily matches the power of this collection. Still this is a great collection and should be part of any Marillion fans collection.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
Interact With Your Music: Discover, listen to, and buy new music, all from the pages of SPIN's digital edition, free to Amazon customers.
See all 22 tracks on this disc
by Marillion 
