Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Marillion
Label: EMI Records
Released: 1987
Length: 13:58
Rating: 5/5
Prog rock champions Marillion have always been seen as a serious band, mostly wrestling with deep, sometimes even harrowing introspective and socially conscious themes, so plenty of people forget that, like quite a few British bands of their generation, they had a sharp sense of black humor. The rowdy, clowning “Incommunicado”, the lead single from their fourth studio effort, the masterpiece “Clutching at Straws” (1987), unexpectedly shows Marillion as a bunch of jesters who crack plenty of jokes at the expense of the corrupt music industry, and at their own expense too, now that sudden fame had started to really wear on them. Charismatic singer Fish felt this most of all, since his hedonistic lifestyle had nearly done him in, so he poured pretty much his entire soul into this evergreen. Fish, fed up with the whole “circus” by then, had already started thinking about leaving and striking out on his own.
Drenched in dominant synth textures, “Incommunicado”, without a doubt the funniest piece of their career, is marked by an extremely fun, witty and relaxed atmosphere, in total contrast to the generally very melancholic “Clutching at Straws”. And let’s not forget the unforgettable, excellent video, in which Fish plays a cocky, good-natured drunk, a sort of village oddball who’d love to be famous but doesn’t want to take on all the responsibilities that come with fame. Over the course of the video his look goes through several different changes, but it peaks in the scene where, neglected, filthy, ragged and with a week’s worth of stubble, he appears in the doorway of a smoky bar and sweeps over the gathered crowd with a staring, bloodshot, bruised gaze, so that they nearly fall off their stools around the bar. The rest of the band back him up too, trying out various social roles/costumes themselves. Really, everything about this track is funny, whether it’s the super bouncy and fully cranked rhythm line, the cheeky synth arrangements, or Fish’s vocal outbursts crowned with that ‘off the wall’ chorus, which we won’t even get into. Of all the Marillion evergreens, this one captures his personality best.
The 12-inch vinyl version and the CD version of “Incommunicado” also include an alternative version of the title track and an extended version of the melancholic, equally deeply introspective “Going Under”, whose slow tempo creates a striking atmospheric contrast.
The Monty Python-style romp “Incommunicado” has kept its status as one of the most beloved evergreens of this legendary prog rock band from Aylesbury to this day. And Fish as the Scottish village idiot remains one of the most unforgettable figures in the history of promo videos.
Lineup
Fish – vocals
Steve Rothery – guitar
Mark Kelly – keyboards
Pete Trewavas – bass
Ian Mosley – drums
Production
Chris Kimsey
Track list
1. Incommunicado (album version)
2. Incommunicado (alternative mix)
3. Going Under
