HAPPINESS IS THE ROAD

As a long term Marillion fan (1982), I found this release quite excellent. For the sake of sanity, I am only reviewing this in terms of Hogarth era Marillion. To put my Marillion taste in perspective I did not care for Anoraknophopia and Radiation. My favorite H albums are Seasons, Brave, Afraid, Marbles, Engine, Holidays, Somewhere Else and .Com in that order. I put Happiness is the Road somewhere before or just after Marbles, I haven't decided yet. There are some very strong songs on Happiness, although I like them all. Highlights for me include: This Train is my life- Classic 'H' era Marillion. Trap the Spark reminds me of recent Gabriel. State of Mind harkens to U2 and Gabriel. Let's call them Pop Prog. The clear Prog Songs for me on this album are as follows: Happiness is the Road and The Man From Marzipan which remind me of the Prog portions of 92 and 97 Genesis Albums and perhaps IQ, Asylum Satellite #1 ( The beginning reminds me of early King Crimson and the balance harkens to Pink Floyd), and Real Tears for Sale is well, a classic Marillion Prog song. As a fan of Hogarths voice (as well as Fish), I also enjoyed Throw Me Out, Wrapped Up in Time, and Older than Me. Nothing Fills the hole, Essence and Half Empty Jam don't really fit on this album, but are still decent songs. All in all it is an excellent album.