Script for a Jester's Tear
| Script for a Jester's Tear | ||||
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| Studio album by Marillion | ||||
| Released | 14 March 1983 | |||
| Recorded | December 1982 — February 1983 | |||
| Studio |
The Marquee Studios (London, England) |
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| Genre | Neo-progressive rock | |||
| Length | 46:45 | |||
| Label | EMI | |||
| Producer | Nick Tauber | |||
| Marillion chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Script for a Jester's Tear | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
Script for a Jester's Tear is the debut studio album by the British neo-progressive rock band Marillion, released in 1983. Produced by Nick Tauber, it was recorded between December 1982 and February 1983 at The Marquee Studios in London.
Script for a Jester's Tear was intended to be part of a trilogy along with the next albums, Fugazi (1984) and Misplaced Childhood (1985). It was a commercial success in the UK, produced the Top 40 singles "He Knows You Know" and "Garden Party", and peaked at number 7 on the album chart. It reached the Platinum certification and is credited with giving a second life to progressive rock.
Script for a Jester's Tear was preceded by the single "Market Square Heroes", released in 1982, with "Three Boats Down from the Candy" and the 17-minute-long epic "Grendel" as B-sides. None of these songs appeared on the original album, though A-side can be briefly heard during a short radio segment prior to "Forgotten Sons". All tracks are featured in the bonus disc of the 1997 remastered edition.
The artwork was created by Mark Wilkinson who would be commissioned to the role on all Marillion LPs and 12" singles of the Fish-era.
AllMusic critic John Franck has retrospectively given the album a 4.5 star rating. He called it "an essential work for any self-respecting first- or second-generation prog rock fan", but considered the "over-the-top" lyrics for "Chelsea Monday" to be a minor shortcoming.
Script for a Jester's Tear reached number 7 in the UK charts and spent there 31 weeks, the second longest chart residency of a Marillion album. It was certified Platinum by the BPI on 5 December 1997 for sales in excess of 300.000 copies. The album did not achieve a commercial impact in the U.S., making only number 175 in the Billboard 200.
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