Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Marillion
Label: EMI Records
Release: 1985
Duration: 16:46
Rating: 4.5/5
In 1985, Marillion reaped the rich rewards of phenomenal commercial success, helped along in no small part by a string of singles. “Heart of Lothian” was picked as the third single to promote the unforgettable concept masterpiece “Misplaced Childhood” (1985). Unlike the first two singles, the mega-hits “Kayleigh” and “Lavender”, it didn’t make a big commercial splash, since it’s a track with a completely different, far more complex and ‘provocative’ structure, which usually doesn’t sit well with less demanding listeners.
The title sprang straight from the mind of the great Scottish patriot Fish, since the Heart of Midlothian is a famous heart-shaped memorial on the spot where public executions used to be held. A strange, slightly bizarre custom has survived around it: whenever people walk past, they spit on it. Partly out of a superstition that it brings good luck, partly out of contempt for the former place of execution. It’s also the name of a Scottish top-flight football club. On the cover, designed by regular collaborator Mark Wilkinson, you can spot the Dugal Stewart Monument in the background, one of Edinburgh’s main landmarks.
“Heart Of Lothian” has a gorgeous, creative intro and a triumphant chorus, where Rothery’s ultra-melodic solo and Kelly’s keyboard textures warble together in perfect harmony. In its middle section, “Wide Boy”, it’s mostly Fish who steals the show with his, as always, deeply felt, melodramatic vocal delivery. Overall, the piece is full of melodic and subtle transitions, with loads of first-rate solos and Fish’s excellent, at times almost witty singing, over the ever-varied rhythm section of Trewavas and Mosley. The lyrics describe Fish’s memories of youthful mischief. The main chorus returns several more times over a subtle solo in the second part, called “Curtain Call”. The promo video, full of situational comedy, shows the Scottish traveler Fish setting off from Edinburgh to London to join the rest of the band before a gig.
The B-side of the 12-inch single also features a shortened version of “Heart of Lothian” and a live version of “Chelsea Monday”, a classic from “Script For a Jester’s Tear” (1983), recorded during a show in Utrecht in the Netherlands.
“Heart of Lothian”, another key building block of the “Misplaced Childhood” success story, may not enjoy the same popularity as “Kayleigh” and “Lavender” among the radio-hit gobblers, but all the more reason for prog rock connoisseurs to treasure it.
Lineup
Fish – vocals
Steve Rothery – guitar
Mark Kelly – keyboards
Pete Trewavas – bass
Ian Mosley – drums
Production
Chris Kimsey
Track list
1. Heart of Lothian (Extended Mix)
2. Chelsea Monday (Live)
3. Heart of Lothian
