b o b

I don't have the two-disc version, just the regular single-disc release. Before this album, I had heard a few neoprog discs and was fairly unimpressed with the genre. Misplaced Childhood was supposed to be the pinnacle of the style though, so I figured I'd give it a chance before writing neoprog off entirely. Well, this album pretty much convinced me that neo is not for me. To me this has a lot more in common with 80s pop than prog. The occasional Genesis-y guitar or keyboard riff added to melodramatic pop songs of lost love just don't make something "prog". If you like that sort of thing though, this is about as well done an example of the style as you're likely to find. review by Bob Eichler — undated —

j o n f

The Fish-era Marillion never put out a finer album than Misplaced Childhood and few (if any) neo-prog bands have been able to match it. The key to the success of Marillion's third studio album, it seems to me, is the perfect integration of the instrumentalists' work with what the lyricist was trying to accomplish. Fish's wholly personal tale of separation, depression and searching is completed perfectly by the four other members of the band. At points in the album, particularly on the second side, you can follow the story line solely from the music. I find this work simply amazing (it would have to be in my top ten all time favorites) and recommend it as the ideal place for anyone interested in this group. The two-disc version comes with a beautiful 26-page booklet full of essays and artwork related to the project, as well as the excellent singles "Lady Nina" and "Freaks." review by Jon Fry — undated —

j a c k

I took to Marillion very quickly when I first discovered progressive rock for myself, and it's amazing how quickly I've abandoned them since. I think it was burn-out — I listened to them all the time. Anyway, now that I listen to this again, I remember that magic that I first heard in this music. The sounds are as rich and colorful as the artwork. The whole picture doesn't have a lot of coherency, but if you look closely at each part, it all flows together nicely. The dark clouds give way to little rays of sunshine, blue skies, and a purty rainbow. The specific images are metaphors that tie in with Fish's lyrics, and his "lost innocence" theme. When I was a youngster just getting into this stuff, hearing it for the first time was very immediately emotional. Nobody here is a particularly virtuostic musician, but they make up for it with flowing melodies, lush textures, and thoughtful composition. It's all pieced together to underscore the drama that Fish's ambitious lyrics require. For a neo-prog concept album, I think they did it very well. The individual songs don't really stand too strongly on their own separate from the rest of the album. "Kayleigh" and "Lavender" are the best songs, and as most of us know, they were the singles that made the band as huge as they were. They're both very simple pop songs by themselves, like something Genesis or Camel would have been doing around that time. The bonus disc is nothing special unless you're a (ahem) "Freak." The B-sides are available elsewhere, and they're not that great. Simple pop songs that do nothing for me. The single remixes basically amount to muting some of the instruments and adding some effects to the vocals. The demos are rough sketches of the finished product, and are what I'd expect from such a thing. Being not-quite-fanatic, I do enjoy the liner notes, though. Lots of interesting anecdotes and insight from the folks involved with making the album. review by Jack Hesse — undated —

c o n r a d

Misplaced Childhood is seen by many as the definitive Marillion album, and it is hard to argue. The music is stylistically typical of their first three albums and has far fewer flat spots than Fugazi. It also contains that most unproglike of beasts, a hit single. The infectious "Kayleigh" reached number 2 on the British charts. The album is a concept album in a much more conventional sense than anything else they have released before or since. It tells the story of a man who goes through a broken relationship, the death of a close friend and into depression until he rediscovers his inner child. It doesn't sound too promising, but by this time Fish was becoming a master of his lyrical craft and the musical backing helps to emphasise the mood. Musical highlights include "Kayleigh", "Lavender", and "Heart of Lothien", all of which are more upbeat. The musical strength of the album, however, lies in its overall effect and evocative nature. The music as much as the lyrics takes you on a journey. Although this is another synth oriented album, it is interesting to note that Steve Rothery's guitar is responsible for the more memorable instrumental parts of this album. This is a fine example of what Fish-era Marillion could do. If you are interested in what Marillion were all about, or enjoy the other early Marillion albums, then this is for you. review by Conrad Leviston — 12-11-02 —

s e a n

This is the third studio album by neo-progressive leaders Marillion. The album shows them relying less overtly on influences like Genesis and Peter Hammill, while producing a strong album (albeit one still constrained by the musicians involved). Misplaced Childhood is a concept album, and manages some good lyrics in places, although the album is not a total success in this regard. Dilly dilly. The music, as with most neo-progressive, does not often stray out of 4/4 (although there is a song with alternating bars of 7 and 6), is highly melodic and occasionally overdoes it with the emotional leads. That said, the music on this offering compliments the story well, which is more than you can say about a lot of bands. Although this album is less derivative, it's still easy to tell that Genesis is the largest influence here, although Steve Rothery's guitar style is more reminiscent of Gilmour or Latimer than Hackett. Peter Hammill is still a large influence on Fish's lyrics and vocal delivery. With Fish-era Marillion, you tend to know what to expect. I would have to recommend this as the prototypical neo-progressive album that shows more of the sub-genres strengths than weaknesses. Some people are simply not likely to like neo due to the compositional simplicity, but this concept work is a worthy successor of the progressive rock era, even if I too wish it was more complex at times. review by Sean McFee — undated —

e r i c

This CD brings back many memories for me, as this was when I had the time to sit around and listen to music as much as I wanted. My band at the time played "Kayleigh" and "Heart of Lothian" at our gigs, and the guitar solo from "Kayleigh" still sends shivers up my spine. This is the album that broke the band into the big time (for an all to brief moment) and it is my favorite of theirs. This record has such a great flow for me; everything fits perfectly. Whether due to nostalgia or not, I cant see the band ever topping this. Rothery's guitar sound became defined on this recording, and the band gels like never before. Lyrically, according to Fish, this represents the breakup of a relationship, and his failures in maintaining loving relationships altogether. "Lavender" tugs at the heart strings as does "Kayleigh". The opener "Pseudo Silk Kimono" creates a dark backdrop for a spoken word intro to the CD. The band creates some incredible atmospheres for Fish to tell his story, and powerful musically throughout. For me, this is the one to get. The second disc presents alternate mixes of "Kayleigh"/"Lavender"/"Heart of Lothian". Also included are "Freaks" and "Lady Nina". Demos of the entire Misplaced album are here, pretty close to the form on the record with a few different lyrics here and there along with some subtle differences in music. This is my all time favorite recording (with Clutching at Straws a very close second). A true classic that belongs in every prog collection. review by Eric Porter — undated —