Recorded at the Spectrum Montreal Canada. June 19th & 20th 1984 and Leicester De Montford Hall England March 5th 1984.
Featuring the best material from their first two albums as well as
their classic debut single "Market Square Heroes," 1984's Real to Reel
is an excellent live document of Marillion, the undisputed leaders of
the short-lived mid-'80s progressive rock revival. In fact, these
recordings make a strong case for the many fans who actually prefer the
band's more refined live versions over their rather flat studio
counterparts. For the uninitiated, Marillion basically picks up where
Peter Gabriel-era Genesis left off, writing complex, multifaceted, and
unashamedly overblown compositions topped with dense, often
incomprehensible lyrics from vocalist Fish. Thematically, the darkly
ironic "Assassing" and the flippant "Garden Party" are complete polar
opposites and clearly display the band's incredible creative scope. But
the album's centerpiece has to be the dramatic, ten-minute war
chronicle "Forgotten Sons". The CD reissue also features an excellent
bonus track titled "Emerald Lies."