Editing Marillion (section)

====''Clutching at Straws'' and the departure of Fish (1987–1988)====
The fourth studio album, ''[[Clutching at Straws]]'', shed some of its predecessor's pop stylings and retreated into a darker exploration of excess, alcoholism, and life on the road, representing the strains of constant touring that would result in the departure of Fish to pursue a solo career. It did continue the group's commercial success, however; lead single "[[Incommunicado (song)|Incommunicado]]" charted at No.&nbsp;6 in the UK, gaining the band an appearance on ''[[Top of the Pops]]'', and the album entered the UK album chart at No.&nbsp;2. "[[Sugar Mice]]" and "[[Warm Wet Circles]]" also became hit singles, both reaching No.&nbsp;22. Fish has also stated in interviews since that he believes this was the best album he made with the band.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.the-company.com/int/int41.htm|title=Interview June 2002|author=Rob Hendriks|publisher=The Web magazine|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101128091706/http://the-company.com/int/int41.htm|archive-date=28 November 2010|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The album came sixth in ''[[Kerrang!]]'' magazine's "Albums of the Year" in 1987, equalling the ranking given to ''Misplaced Childhood''. It was also included in ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'' magazine's "50 Best Recordings of the Year".<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlists.html | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060104040314/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlists.html | url-status= usurped | archive-date= 4 January 2006 | title= 1987 Q Magazine Recordings of the Year | work=Rocklist.net | access-date=24 June 2013}}</ref> Fish made the decision to leave the group after this tour, explaining his reasons for departing in a 2003 interview:

<blockquote>"By 1987 we were over-playing live because the manager was on 20 per cent of the gross. He was making a fantastic amount of money while we were working our asses off. Then I found a bit of paper proposing an American tour. At the end of the day the band would have needed a £14,000 loan from EMI as tour support to do it. That was when I knew that, if I stayed with the band, I'd probably end up a raging alcoholic and be found overdosed and dying in a big house in Oxford with Irish wolfhounds at the bottom of my bed."<ref>''[[Edinburgh Evening News]]'', 29 May 2003.</ref></blockquote> <!-- article title? author? -->

Fish gave the band a choice to continue with either him or the manager, [[John Arnison]].<ref name=taksto>{{cite web | url= http://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/back-singing-for-his-supper-after-taking-stock-2462796 | title= Back singing for his supper after taking stock| date=29 May 2003|work=[[The Scotsman]] |location=UK}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.markosmarillionmuseum.com/john-arnison |title=John Arnison became Marillion's manager in 1982 |work=Markos Marillion Museum |date=January 2021}}</ref>  They sided with the manager and Fish left for a solo career.<ref name=taksto/> His last live performance with Marillion was at [[Craigtoun Country Park]] on 23 July 1988.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.the-company.com/tourhist/1988.htm | title= Tour history 1988 | url-status= dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100101161931/http://the-company.com/tourhist/1988.htm | archive-date= 1 January 2010 | df= dmy-all }}</ref> The band's second live album, ''[[The Thieving Magpie (album)|The Thieving Magpie]]'', was released in late 1988, marking the end of an era.